First you do not say what zone you are in, do you have a freeze thaw cycle?

I was thinking of a solid looking stone such as soapstone or a Vermont slate. If you decide on a granite consider a honed finish.

Bellburgmaggie-I looked this up and I am in zone 7a, bordering very close to 6b

If the zone is ok, are there any other issues I need to be aware of with slate or soapstone? I read that some people had problems with soapstone scratching and chipping. I really don’t know much about slate or soapstone.

Well both are good for outdoors, think of a slate roof. One of the benefits with soapstone is that you can fix it meaning if it gets a ding you can polish it out yourself. It also has two different looks either oiled or left natural. Soap stone comes in different hues so you would have to see if what is available in your area is something you like. High-grade slate slabs are hard, dense and non-absorbent, won’t stain, don’t need sealing, won’t chip or scratch easily, and won’t etch from acidic foods. These high-quality slate countertops will always be the darker colors, but not all dark colors will possess these desired qualities, so you must test and choose well. Low-quality slabs can be very porous, next to impossible to seal, and will stain quickly. This type will easily crumble, flake, chip, scratch, and etch (chalky dull spots) from acidic foods and most cleaning products. The reason I suggested these two are based upon the look of your outdoor kitchen and the fact that it will be in an outdoor kitchen. I have a slate floor in my conservatory and I chose it for both its durability but also because its coloration goes well with an outdoor setting. You don’t want colors that compete with the natural surroundings or your stone.

Beverly, you said it so succinctly - its why I suggested a high grade slate. Granite will not look right and I thought about concrete which could be stained, but I wasn’t sure it would go with the look of the existing stone.

Thank you both for this great information and the recommendations. I plan to go look over the next few days. I googled both concrete countertops and slate-the slate called Vermont slate looks very pretty, but I don’t know if I can find that around here. I love the “clean” finish look of concrete, so I will investigate that also. Interestingly, I have never been a huge fan of granite, and if I had done it I definitely would have it honed.
Thank you both very much.

Let us know what you decide. If you have a local fabricator, they should know the stone shops where you can look at specific slabs. Take a couple pieces of your stone when you go look. Post photos, its always nice to see the finished project!

I decided to do concrete countertops! They came today to do the templating. I’m really excited about this, I was able to customize the color and I love the texture of concrete. Thank you all for your help!

Hi there, I’m wondering what your final decision was and if you feel it was the right choice? Also, and pictures of it complete? (I am using almost that same stone and considering soapstone as well)

I like steel gray granite with a leathered surface. I wish I could have figured out a way to make it work in my new build. I think it would look quite nice with the stone on the wall. It's a very attractive stone, and is very inexpensive. How often does that happen?