Traeger Tailgater Review

The power question decides this purchase

The Tailgater needs a 120V wall socket, a generator or an inverter. If your “portable” means a parking lot with power or a small patio, it is excellent. If it means a tent with no hookup, the Pit Boss 150 runs on 12V DC and is the only grill here that will work.

What it does well

• The legs genuinely fold. Not a marketing claim — they collapse enough for a car trunk.
• Traeger build in a portable. Porcelain grates, solid hinges, a properly sealed lid.
• 300 square inches — 12 burgers, 3 rib racks or 2 chickens by Traeger’s own count, which is more than most portables.
• 180-450°F with a published +/-15°F. Real low-and-slow capability in a small grill.

What it costs you

• Price. Roughly double the Z Grills 200A for 100 more square inches, and more than the Cuisinart portable that reaches 500°F with a sear zone.
• No app. The Tailgater has no WiFi, so you are paying Traeger money without the Traeger feature.
• 8 lb hopper. Roughly six to seven hours at smoking temperatures.
• 450°F, indirect. Weak searing, as with every Traeger.

Tailgater or Ranger?

The Ranger is a tabletop with a cast iron griddle included, which makes it the better choice if you want to cook breakfast. The Tailgater has more cooking area and folding legs, which makes it the better choice if you want to cook dinner for four. Both need mains power.

Our call

Buy it if you tailgate somewhere with power and want the best-built small pellet grill. Buy the Pit Boss 150 if you camp off-grid. Buy the Z Grills 200A if the budget is the constraint and 202 square inches is enough.