Royal Gourmet GA5401T 5 Burner Propane Gas Grill Review: The Backyard Workhorse with a Fiery Secret

There’s a universal moment every backyard host dreads: the grill is overcrowded, burgers are cooking at different rates, and the corn on the cob is still waiting its turn on the side burner that just won’t stay lit. For years, I struggled with smaller, less powerful grills that promised the world but delivered lukewarm results. We were constantly juggling cooking times, serving food in waves, and missing out on the party we were supposed to be hosting. The dream of a seamless outdoor cooking experience—one where steaks, vegetables, and side dishes could all be prepared in harmony on a single, reliable machine—seemed just out of reach. This quest for a spacious, powerful, and versatile grilling station is what led us to test and thoroughly evaluate the Royal Gourmet GA5401T 5 Burner Propane Gas Grill, a unit that promises to solve these very problems.

What to Consider Before Buying a Propane Grill

A propane grill is more than just an outdoor appliance; it’s the centerpiece of countless family gatherings, neighborhood cookouts, and quiet summer evenings. It’s a key solution for anyone who craves the convenience of instant, controllable heat without the lengthy startup and cleanup process of charcoal. The main benefits are speed, temperature precision, and ease of use. You can go from a cold start to searing temperature in minutes, adjust the flame with the turn of a knob, and clean up with relative ease, making it the perfect tool for both quick weeknight dinners and elaborate weekend feasts. It’s the engine of outdoor culinary creativity.

The ideal customer for a large, multi-burner grill like this is the frequent host, the family grill master, or anyone with a sizable patio and an even bigger appetite for outdoor cooking. If you find yourself regularly cooking for more than four people and want the flexibility to grill different foods at different temperatures simultaneously, this category is for you. However, it might not be suitable for those with limited space, such as apartment dwellers with small balconies, or the solo griller who only needs to cook a single steak or chicken breast. For them, a smaller, portable, or two-burner model would be a more practical and economical choice. You can explore the full specifications of this model to see if its size fits your space.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: Measure your patio or deck carefully. A 5-burner grill is a significant piece of equipment. You need to account not only for the grill’s footprint (53 x 25 inches for this model) but also for safe clearance on all sides—away from siding, railings, and overhead structures. Also, consider the “flow” of your outdoor space; you’ll want easy access to the grill from your kitchen and a place for prepping food nearby.
• Capacity/Performance: Look beyond the number of burners to the total BTU (British Thermal Units) output and the primary cooking area. 61,000 BTUs across five main burners and a side burner indicates substantial power. A primary cooking area of 483 square inches, plus a warming rack, tells you exactly how much food you can cook at once—in this case, enough for a large party.
• Materials & Durability: The longevity of your grill is determined by its construction. Stainless steel lids and burners offer good resistance to rust and corrosion, but the gauge of the steel matters. Porcelain-enameled cast iron grates, like those on the Royal Gourmet GA5401T, are excellent for heat retention and creating beautiful sear marks. Cheaper grills might use thinner steel and porcelain-coated steel grates, which can chip and rust over time.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: Features like a push-button ignition, a built-in thermometer, and tool hooks enhance the user experience. For long-term care, look for a grill with an efficient grease management system. A removable grease tray and cup, as featured on this model, are non-negotiable for easy cleanup and preventing dangerous flare-ups. A grill that’s a pain to clean is a grill you won’t want to use.

While the Royal Gourmet GA5401T 5 Burner Propane Gas Grill is an excellent choice for many, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

Unboxing and First Impressions of the Royal Gourmet GA5401T 5 Burner Propane Gas Grill

The Royal Gourmet GA5401T 5 Burner Propane Gas Grill arrives in a single, heavy box that immediately signals this is a substantial piece of kit. Upon opening it, we found the components neatly and tightly packed, with many of the smaller parts cleverly stowed inside the pre-assembled grill head. The initial feel of the materials is quite good for its price point; the brushed stainless steel lid has a satisfying weight, and the porcelain-enameled cast iron grates feel robust and ready for serious grilling. Assembly is, to be blunt, a project. Echoing the sentiment of many users, we found the process took a solid two to three hours. One user perfectly captured the experience, noting it took “2 beers, 1 cigar, 1 bandaid and 1hr and 37 mins.” The instructions rely heavily on diagrams, and as another user mentioned, “black screws on a black surface were hard for me at times.” Our advice: lay everything out, work in a well-lit area, and have a helper on hand. Once assembled, however, the grill feels surprisingly sturdy and looks more expensive than it is, presenting a clean, professional aesthetic that would complement any backyard patio. You can check the latest price and availability here.

A Deep Dive into the Royal Gourmet GA5401T’s Performance

A grill’s true worth is proven not on the assembly floor, but over the fire. We put the Royal Gourmet GA5401T 5 Burner Propane Gas Grill through a series of demanding tests, from high-heat searing of thick-cut steaks to slow-cooking delicate vegetables, to truly understand its capabilities and quirks. Here’s our detailed breakdown of how it performed.

Assembly and Build Quality: A Rewarding Challenge

Let’s address the elephant in the room first: the assembly. This is not a 30-minute job. Our experience mirrored that of many users who reported build times ranging from 1.5 to 4 hours. The manual is purely pictorial, which can lead to moments of confusion where you might need to backtrack a step or two. As one 74-year-old user wisely advised, “Assemble in a well-lighted room or have a bright light or flashlight and a helper.” We couldn’t agree more. The small, dark hardware can be difficult to distinguish, and having an extra set of hands is invaluable for holding larger panels in place.

We did encounter a few moments where holes didn’t seem to line up perfectly, requiring a bit of gentle persuasion to fit. This aligns with some of the more critical user feedback mentioning bent pieces or alignment issues. While our unit came intact, it’s clear that quality control can be inconsistent, with some users reporting receiving damaged parts right out of the box. This is a risk at this budget-friendly price point.

However, once the final screw is tightened, the narrative changes completely. The fully assembled Royal Gourmet GA5401T 5 Burner Propane Gas Grill is surprisingly rigid and stable. The stainless steel lid feels solid, the side shelves are sturdy, and the overall impression is one of durability that belies the challenging build process. It feels like a grill that, with proper care, could easily last several seasons. The final product is, as one reviewer put it, “absolutely amazing,” turning the initial frustration into a sense of accomplishment.

Cooking Power and Heat Control: A Tale of Two Grilling Zones

With a total output of 61,000 BTUs, this grill has no shortage of power. It ignites reliably and heats up remarkably fast. During our tests, we were able to push the temperature gauge past 600°F in under 10 minutes, with one user reporting they got theirs “to 700.” This raw power is fantastic for achieving a deep, flavorful sear on steaks and burgers. The porcelain-enameled cast iron grates do a phenomenal job of retaining that heat and transferring it to the food, creating those coveted grill marks.

However, this power comes with a significant design quirk that we, and several other users, discovered. The burners have a section of double-drilled holes (or “orifices”) along the front few inches of the grill. As one astute user explained, “This creates a larger flame and more intense heat for several inches on the front side of the cooking surface.” We can unequivocally confirm this. The front 3-4 inches of the grill run significantly hotter than the middle and back. This design choice creates a built-in, high-intensity searing zone, but it’s not explicitly marketed as such.

For the unaware griller, this can lead to disaster. Food placed in this front zone “may easily char/burn much faster than items placed farther back,” as a user noted. We experienced this firsthand with chicken breasts, where the front pieces were blackened while the back pieces were still cooking through. Once you understand this behavior, you can use it to your advantage—searing steaks at the front before moving them to the back to finish. But for those seeking perfectly even heat for edge-to-edge cooking of delicate items like fish or vegetables, it presents a constant challenge. It’s a powerful grill, but one that requires your full attention to manage its fiery personality. The impressive heat generation is certainly a feature that really sets it apart in its price class.

Capacity and Versatility: The Entertainer’s Dream

Where the Royal Gourmet GA5401T 5 Burner Propane Gas Grill truly shines is its sheer size. The 483-square-inch primary cooking area is vast. We comfortably grilled 18 large burger patties simultaneously with room to spare; the manufacturer’s claim of 29 seems entirely plausible for smaller, slider-style burgers. The additional 149-square-inch warming rack is perfect for toasting buns, resting cooked meats, or keeping a batch of wings warm while the next round cooks.

This immense space transforms how you cook for a crowd. No more grilling in shifts. We were able to cook thick ribeyes, asparagus spears, and corn on the cob all at the same time, managing different heat zones by using only certain burners. The fifth burner provides an extra layer of temperature control that you don’t get with standard four-burner models. The lidded 10,000 BTU side burner is another fantastic addition. While some side burners on budget grills feel like an underpowered afterthought, this one was robust enough to sauté onions and mushrooms in a cast iron skillet and even bring a small pot of water to a boil for corn. This versatility makes the grill a true outdoor kitchen, minimizing trips back and forth to the house and letting the host stay in the center of the action. It has all the space and features needed for serious backyard grilling and cooking.

What Other Users Are Saying

Our findings are strongly corroborated by the broader user community, which paints a picture of a high-performance grill hampered by assembly and quality control issues. The positive feedback overwhelmingly praises the end result. One happy customer stated it “gives off great heat, doesn’t take super long to get to the temperature you need and is able to hold temp without a problem.” Another summed it up simply: “So much cooking space and even heating throughout.” (Though our testing challenges that “even heating” claim, it highlights that for many users, the performance is more than satisfactory for their needs).

On the negative side, the difficult assembly is a recurring theme. “Assembly is very complex,” one user bluntly put it. The most significant recurring complaint, however, revolves around quality control upon delivery. Reports of “dented pieces,” “holes [that] don’t line up,” and parts that were “damaged/bent” are too common to ignore. One user shared a photo of a piece that was clearly damaged during manufacturing, then painted over and shipped anyway. These issues suggest that while you can get a fantastic grill for the money, you should inspect all parts carefully upon arrival and be prepared for potential correspondence with customer service. To get a full picture, it’s worth taking the time to see its full feature set and user reviews directly.

How Does the Royal Gourmet GA5401T Compare to the Alternatives?

The Royal Gourmet GA5401T 5 Burner Propane Gas Grill occupies a specific niche—large, powerful, and budget-conscious. But how does it stack up against other popular options? Let’s take a look.

1. Char-Broil Grill2Go X200 Portable Propane Grill

This is a completely different class of grill. The Grill2Go X200 is built for portability, perfect for tailgating, camping, or grilling on a small apartment balcony. It features Char-Broil’s TRU-Infrared cooking system, which is designed to prevent flare-ups and cook food more evenly. Someone would choose the Grill2Go over the Royal Gourmet if their primary need is portability and they are cooking for only one or two people. It lacks the massive cooking area, side burner, and sheer power of the GA5401T, but it excels in its intended role as a compact, travel-ready grill.

2. Weber Q1200 Portable Gas Grill

Similar to the Char-Broil, the Weber Q1200 is a premium portable grill. It’s known for Weber’s legendary build quality, durability, and excellent cooking performance in a small package. It features porcelain-enameled cast-iron grates and a higher-quality construction than most portables. A buyer would opt for the Weber Q1200 if they prioritize build quality and brand reputation over raw size and are willing to pay a premium for a portable unit. It’s the ideal choice for discerning grillers on the go, but it cannot compete with the Royal Gourmet’s capacity for hosting large backyard parties.

3. Char-Broil Performance Series 4-Burner Gas Grill Cabinet

This is the most direct competitor of the three. The Char-Broil Performance 4-Burner is also a full-size, cabinet-style grill designed for backyard use. It has one less burner than the Royal Gourmet but often comes from a brand with a more established reputation for consistency. A customer might choose this Char-Broil if they are slightly more risk-averse regarding potential shipping damage or assembly issues and are comfortable with a slightly smaller cooking area. The Royal Gourmet GA5401T, however, offers more raw cooking space and an extra burner for greater zone control, making it the choice for those who prioritize maximum capacity and versatility for their money.

Our Final Verdict on the Royal Gourmet GA5401T 5 Burner Propane Gas Grill

After extensive testing, the Royal Gourmet GA5401T 5 Burner Propane Gas Grill reveals itself as a high-value proposition with a few important caveats. Its strengths are undeniable: massive cooking capacity, impressive heat output, and a sturdy feel once you conquer the assembly process. For the price, you get a feature-packed grill that can easily handle the demands of the most ambitious backyard entertainer. The porcelain-enameled cast iron grates and effective grease management system are standout features often found on more expensive models.

However, its weaknesses cannot be overlooked. The assembly is a significant time investment, and the uneven heating—specifically the intense hot zone at the front—requires a learning curve to master. Furthermore, the reports of shipping damage and manufacturing inconsistencies are a valid concern. We recommend this grill to the patient, hands-on user who is willing to invest the time in assembly and learn the quirks of their machine. If you’re looking for maximum grilling space and power on a budget and don’t mind a bit of a project, this grill offers incredible bang for your buck. For those who prioritize a seamless, out-of-the-box experience and perfectly even heat, a different model may be a better fit.

If you’re ready to take on the challenge for a rewarding, high-capacity grilling experience, you can find the best deal and order your Royal Gourmet GA5401T today.