post a photo of the backside.

Is the firebox just what we see or is it deep?

Look down into the chimney.

That's pretty fab, if a little rough looking here and there. I'm assuming the grill part can be moved. Is it upside down or something? It looks almost like it should work there, but also looks like it does not quite fit as it should.

Get up there and look down the chimney. Might need two of you and a flashlight to really see if it's clear or not. Most of the grills like that have a pretty basic chimney so it should be obvious if it's clear or not.

When you say there's two doors on back. Did you mean on the firewood box or behind the firebox side?

A chunk of solid surface or maybe stone remnant would work nicely in the counter side. Not sure how level that is, you might need to do a bit of cement work with self-leveling there.

I would use black BBQ paint for the metal grill and paint the bricks charcoal. Install a butcher block countertop on the left side.

I'm sorry someone painted the brick such a horrid color!! I wonder what a good power wash would get you? It's an outdoor BBQ of course. The back must be storage. Wood burning pizza oven comes to mind. You'll have to go slow testing to see if it draws and can be used.

Not a pizza oven but the rest of the advice is good . could be fun but seems off to me somehow for much of any cooking that suface seems small. No wood top for outdoor cooking for sure . Maybe post a pic of the back too.

I would suggest you do NOT use BBQ paint on your grill if you want to cook food on it. High temp paint for BBQ's is meant for the body of the grill, not the cooking surface grate.

@beesneeds is right, do not use the BBQ paint on the surface where you cook food but here's what you can do to clean it:

" To refresh your BBQ grill's cooking surface, start by preheating the grill on high for a few minutes to loosen any stuck-on food. Then, use a grill brush (preferably a stainless steel one) to scrape away any debris while the grill is still warm. For stubborn spots, a paste of baking soda and vinegar can help lift away grime and rust. After cleaning, apply a thin layer of cooking oil to the grates to prevent rust and ensure food doesn't stick during your next cook. "

thank you both! @lisedv @beesneeds - i think i just need to get a completely new grill grate? it doesn't seem like the one in there fits correctly, not sure if I'm just not putting it in right, but it seems off!

Try giving the grill grate a 180 to see if it fits better that way. It may well be somewhere along the way some of the original was replaced with that. I could envision it with doors originally.

@beesneeds ahh yes, doors makes sense!

Ohhh, so a freestanding grate in there, not doors. That's fine :) You could probably find a local metal shop to make another something like that to fit.

Oh I wonder how much paint stripper and power washing it would take restore it. (Weed burner and wire brush LOL?)

You could use Tera Cotta tiles or pavers ( Satillo tiles) for that countertop. Seriously a wire brush that fits on a power drill would make cleaning the cast iron grates easier and might get rid of some the bright red paint.

BTW I have heard of people using a an unglazed terra cotta tile as a pizza "stone" to bake pizzas in a backyard BBQ grill.

Tear is down and rebuild - it would not be a difficult DIY - you can do it!

Or strip the paint off and restore.