Everyone knows that there are many important tools for tailgating, but very few are absolutley neccessary. As a matter of fact, I would say there is only one tool that you almost have to have to tailgate on a consistent basis. No, I'm not talking about alcohol either. I'm talking about a professional-quality tailgating grill. Who can you name that loves to tailgate but doesn't like to grill and/or eat the food being grilled? I would venture to say that you cannot name one.

The problem with tailgating grills is that there is more to it than just cooking on it. Depending on your vehicle you tailgate out of, it may have to be a really small grill to transport to and from the party. At the same time though, you may have a large group of people that you're cooking for so it may need to cook a lot of food. It also has to be easy to clean with little or no water, quick to cool down after using, and many other things that all make a tailgating grill very different from a grill for your patio.

Taking all of these factors into consideration, here are the top five Tailgating Grills that I've seen around. Feel free to post a comment if you think I've missed one.

1. Freedom Grill FG-100

This is a trailer hitch mounted propane grill on a swing arm that not only lets you tote you grill pretty much anywhere but swings away from your vehicle far enough to open a tailgate or access your trunk. The Freedom Grill line are built for tailgating and are fantastic grills to take anywhere you can drive too.

2. European Outdoor Chef City Grill

This is a little, lightweight portable gas grill with the features, function and power of a full sized grill. The internal engineering centers around a pair of baffles (for lack of a better word) that allow you to focus the heat or distribute it. This gives you heating versatility in a single burner design. Under normal grilling you actually get a hot zone around the outside so you have lots of searing space and since you can reach over 500 degrees F. with this unit you can actually sear a steak. This is an excellent portable grill as well as a great apartment grill.

3. Weber Q-220 Portable Grill

This portable grill is a master of design. It packs up to be less than 32 inches long, yet it's seven inch lid means this grill is big enough to cook a whole chicken. It uses standard 14 ounce propane tanks (not included) and has a 280 square-inch porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grate that's almost big enough to be called a full sized grill. At under $200 this grill has Weber's durability and a unique design that has won awards. Not only a great grill to cook on, it's cool looking too.

4. Char-Broil Grill 2 Go

This unit is designed to be all you need in a portable grill. With two cooking grates that can be swapped out with griddles you can grill up burgers while cooking pancakes. You can use any size propane bottle, including a full size 20-pound tank. The unit folds down and you can wheel it around like a suitcase on it's two wheels. While there are a lot of plastic parts, this unit works well can gives you plenty of versatility.

5. Woodflame Delecto

Imagine getting authentic wood fire flavor in your cooking. Now imagine getting it from a portable grill that weights around 17 pounds. The Woodflame Delecto is an electric fan powered wood burning portable grill that can sear steaks at 1000 degrees F. and give them a unique smoke flavor. This is truly an amazing portable grill that is perfect for the connoisseur on the go. While this unit won't cook a whole chicken it is perfect for steaks, fish and chicken pieces.