Outdoor Bar Design Guide: Building the Perfect Bar for Your Broken Arrow Outdoor Kitchen

The outdoor bar is the social center of your outdoor kitchen. It’s where guests gather while you cook, where drinks get poured, where conversations happen — and where the evening stretches an hour longer than anyone planned. A well-designed outdoor bar in Broken Arrow or Tulsa transforms the outdoor kitchen from a cooking station into an entertainment destination.

At VistaScapes Design, we’ve designed hundreds of outdoor bars alongside the outdoor kitchens we build throughout northeast Oklahoma. Here’s everything you need to get your outdoor bar right.

Bar Height vs. Counter Height: The Fundamental Choice

Standard kitchen counter height is 36 inches. Bar height — also called pub height — is 42 inches. This 6-inch difference changes the entire bar experience:

• Bar height (42″): Requires bar stools (seat height 28-30″). Creates the visual impression of a real bar. Guests sit at eye level with a standing bartender. Most common for entertainment-focused outdoor bars.
• Counter height (36″): Standard counter-height stools (seat height 24-26″). Feels more integrated with the rest of the outdoor kitchen. Good choice when the bar doubles as a prep surface and dining counter.

Many builds split the difference: the cook-side counter runs at 36 inches, and the guest-facing bar overhangs at 42 inches or uses a raised bar cap at the front edge. This gives the cook a proper work height while providing guests with bar-height seating on the other side.

Bar Overhang: How Much Room for Stools

The counter overhang — how far the countertop extends past the face of the island toward the guest — determines how comfortable bar seating is:

• Minimum: 12-inch overhang — tight but functional for temporary seating
• Comfortable: 14- to 16-inch overhang — good legroom, comfortable for meals
• Generous: 18 inches or more — excellent for extended seated gatherings, dining at the bar

Don’t overbuild the overhang beyond what the countertop material will support unsupported. Granite and quartzite can span 10 to 14 inches unsupported; beyond that, corbels or support brackets are needed. Sealed concrete can be cantilevered further with internal rebar reinforcement — this is a discussion to have with your contractor during the design phase.

Seating Capacity: Plan by Linear Footage

Budget 24 inches of bar length per stool for comfortable seating — 22 inches is the minimum for tight builds. This means:

• 6-foot bar (72″) = 3 stools comfortably
• 8-foot bar (96″) = 4 stools
• 10-foot bar (120″) = 5 stools
• 12-foot bar (144″) = 6 stools

Many of our Broken Arrow builds run 10- to 14-foot bars, seating 5 to 7 guests — enough for a typical dinner party or weekend gathering without overwhelming the outdoor space.

Refrigeration for the Bar Side

The bar side of the outdoor kitchen needs its own dedicated refrigeration — separate from the cook’s refrigerator:

Beverage Refrigerator

A 24-inch undercounter beverage refrigerator (True Manufacturing, Perlick, or Blaze) holds 70 to 120 beverage cans or bottles — enough for a substantial gathering. Position it on the bar side, accessible to guests reaching over the counter or to the person tending bar.

Ice Maker

An undercounter ice maker (Scotsman, True, or Marvel) is the most-appreciated feature in an Oklahoma outdoor bar. In a state where July temperatures hit 100°F, running out of ice is a genuine party problem. A 15-inch or 18-inch ice maker producing 25 to 50 lbs of ice per day solves this permanently.

Draft Beer System (Optional)

A built-in kegerator or draft beer tower is a premium bar feature that a significant number of our beer-drinking clients request. Options include: a dedicated kegerator bay (stores a full-size keg, dispenses via a tower mounted on the bar counter), or a glycol-chilled draft system for multi-tap setups. This is a specialty installation — not every outdoor kitchen contractor can design it correctly.

The Outdoor Bar Sink

A bar sink — typically a 10- to 15-inch undermount sink — on the bar side of the island is one of the highest-utility features in an outdoor bar. Uses: rinsing glasses, draining ice, hand washing, and general bar prep. The ideal setup: small bar sink near the ice maker, with a deck-mounted faucet or simple gooseneck spout in a brushed stainless or oil-rubbed bronze finish.

Run hot and cold water to the bar sink if possible — warm water rinses glasses properly and is essential for bar cleanup after the party.

Bar Shelving and Glass Storage

For well-equipped outdoor bars, consider:

• Open shelf or display niche: A built-in open shelf at the back of the island, accessible from the cook side, for spirit bottles and glassware display — creates the visual of a real bar backbar
• Lockable storage: Lockable cabinet bays in the island for spirits and barware when the outdoor kitchen isn’t in use
• Overhead glass rack: Suspended from the pergola or bar structure above the bar counter — a classic bar aesthetic that keeps stemware handy and doubles as decoration

Outdoor TV at the Bar

An outdoor TV mounted to face the bar seating zone is one of the most-requested features in Broken Arrow outdoor bars. For a bar-facing TV, we recommend:

• Full sun rated: SunBrite, Séura, or Samsung The Terrace — outdoor-specific TVs with brightness levels that are visible in direct sunlight
• Mounting height: 15 to 20 degrees below viewer eye level for comfortable seated viewing — avoid mounting too high (neck strain)
• Weather protection: For TVs in covered-but-not-enclosed zones, specify a TV rated for full outdoor exposure (IP55 rating minimum)

Bar Countertop Material

The bar counter faces heavy daily use — drink condensation, spills, UV, heat, and Oklahoma’s weather cycles. Best choices:

• Granite: Durable, naturally heat-resistant, hundreds of color options, annual sealing required
• Quartzite: Harder and more resistant to etching than granite, premium appearance, annual sealing required
• Sealed concrete: Completely custom color and form, excellent heat tolerance, requires annual re-sealing

Avoid engineered quartz in outdoor bars — UV and heat cause surface delamination over time. Avoid marble outdoors — too soft and prone to etching from acidic drinks.

Build Your Outdoor Bar with VistaScapes

VistaScapes Design builds outdoor bars, outdoor kitchens, and complete outdoor living environments throughout Broken Arrow, Tulsa, Bixby, Jenks, Owasso, and northeast Oklahoma. Call (918) 779-1317 or visit vistascapesdesign.com.