re: Grill recommendations for a beginner essentially?

might i recommend buying a reliable kettle charcoal grill (nothing too pricey) and just trying it out for a while

if you get a chimney starter your coals will be ready much faster and you can get to cooking much faster

you can get nice charcoal grills in your budget but nicer gas grills are going to run you way more

and personally i prefer the flavor from a charcoal grill more