Choosing an outdoor cooker becomes easier when you decide what you want to make on it. If breakfast means pancakes, eggs, and crispy bacon, a flat-top griddle is an excellent fit. But if dinner might involve grilled burgers alongside griddled onions or vegetables, having two different cooking surfaces can make a real difference. That’s the main reason the Blackstone Omnivore and Blackstone On The Go Tailgator deserve a closer comparison.
The Blackstone Omnivore 1971 is a lightweight 17-inch tabletop griddle designed for straightforward outdoor cooking, while the On The Go Tailgator 1550 combines a grill and griddle with independent heat controls, a side shelf, legs, and wheels. I’d choose the Omnivore for compact storage and simpler meals, but the Tailgator is more appealing when I want to prepare different foods using different cooking methods in one setup.
Key Difference Between Blackstone Omnivore vs On The Go
The Blackstone Omnivore 1971 is a 267-square-inch portable flat-top griddle, whereas the Blackstone On The Go Tailgator 1550 combines a grill and griddle with separate heat controls and a wheeled stand. Choose the Omnivore for compact portability or the Tailgator for greater cooking versatility.
Blackstone Omnivore vs On The Go: Comparison Table
| Feature | Blackstone Omnivore 1971 | Blackstone On The Go Tailgator 1550 |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking Type | Flat-top griddle | Grill and griddle combo |
| Fuel | Gas | Gas |
| Cooking Surface | 267 sq. in. | Two different cooking surfaces |
| Heat Controls | Single burner control | Independent zone controls |
| Ignition | Push-and-turn Piezo | Verify exact configuration |
| Grease Management | Rear grease system | Grease trap |
| Dimensions | 17.32 × 21.71 × 8.62 in. | 20.5 × 22.1 × 38.1 in. |
| Portability | Lightweight tabletop | Wheels and legs |
| Weight | 17.5 lb | Not provided |
| Prep Space | No dedicated side shelf listed | Side shelf |
| Best For | Camping, small meals, compact storage | Tailgating, mixed cooking, outdoor gatherings |
| Check For Latest Price | Check on Amazon | Check on Amazon |
Detailed Comparative Review
The two Blackstone models serve different purposes, and that distinction matters more than their brand name or appearance. One gives me a compact surface dedicated to griddle cooking; the other provides a more complete outdoor station with two cooking styles.
I would judge them by the amount of food I can prepare, how easily I can manage different temperatures, and how much space I have available when setting up outdoors.
Blackstone 1971 Original 17" Omnivore Tabletop Griddle, Black
- Griddle on the Go: Bring this Blackstone 17-inch tabletop griddle on your next camping, hunting, or tailgating adventure to make meals on the go. This griddle is a portable cooking station with its lightweight, carry-friendly design
- Surprisingly Spacious Cooking Surface: Cook a wide variety of foods for every meal on this versatile griddle top. With 267 square inches of cooking space, this griddle cooks enough to feed up to 2-4 people while also being compact and portable
Blackstone On The Go Tailgator Grill Griddle Combo with Wheels, Legs Hood & Side Shelf - Heavy Duty Flat Top…
- Customer may receive a griddle with prongs or a handle on the left side. Combining the convenience of griddle and fun of cooking on a grill in one versatile cooking surface, our grill/griddle combo provides the best outdoor cooking experience.
- TWO INDIVIDUAL COOKING ZONES: Featuring BBQ grill on one side and breakfast griddle on the other, this tailgater can whip up everything from pancakes, burgers and everything in between. Both the cooking areas have individual heat controls.
Design
The Blackstone Omnivore 1971 is designed around simplicity. Its tabletop format measures approximately 21.71 inches wide, 17.32 inches deep, and 8.62 inches high. At 17.5 pounds, it’s relatively easy to carry and store compared with a freestanding outdoor cooking station.
I like that compact format because it gives me flexibility over where I cook. I can place it on a suitable, stable outdoor table and pack it away when I’m finished. Its powder-coated steel body and stainless steel front plate also provide a practical combination of durability and straightforward cleaning.
The Blackstone On The Go Tailgator 1550 is a different proposition. Its 38.1-inch overall height includes a more substantial setup, with legs, wheels, and a side shelf. Instead of requiring a separate table, it gives me a dedicated cooking station.
That extra structure is useful when hosting a tailgate or cooking on a patio. The side shelf provides somewhere to keep seasonings, utensils, and serving tools close at hand. I also like having wheels for moving the assembled station over suitable surfaces, although I’d check the manufacturer’s guidance before transporting it over rough ground.
For compact storage, I prefer the Omnivore. For a more complete outdoor cooking setup, the Tailgator wins.
Ease of Use
The Omnivore is the easier model to understand because its cooking surface has one clear purpose. I can preheat the griddle, add a little cooking oil where needed, and prepare a complete breakfast without moving between different appliances.
The 267-square-inch surface is suitable for smaller meals and can feed approximately two to four people, depending on what I’m cooking and how much food each person needs. I can prepare pancakes, eggs, bacon, burgers, hash browns, and vegetables on the same flat surface.
Its push-and-turn Piezo ignition is another useful convenience. It removes the need for a separate ignition tool when the system is working properly. The non-slip feet also help keep the tabletop unit stable on an appropriate cooking surface.
The Tailgator has more going on, but its design offers a practical benefit: I can cook foods that need different surfaces at the same time. For example, I could grill burgers on one side while cooking onions or preparing toasted buns on the griddle side.
The separate heat controls matter here. I can adjust each cooking area independently rather than trying to make one temperature work for everything.
There is a little more setup involved, and I need to manage two cooking zones instead of one. But for mixed meals, that extra flexibility is worth it.
Blackstone 1971 Original 17" Omnivore Tabletop Griddle, Black
- Griddle on the Go: Bring this Blackstone 17-inch tabletop griddle on your next camping, hunting, or tailgating adventure to make meals on the go. This griddle is a portable cooking station with its lightweight, carry-friendly design
- Surprisingly Spacious Cooking Surface: Cook a wide variety of foods for every meal on this versatile griddle top. With 267 square inches of cooking space, this griddle cooks enough to feed up to 2-4 people while also being compact and portable
Functions
This is where the Blackstone On The Go Tailgator 1550 has the clearest advantage.
The Omnivore 1971 is a dedicated flat-top griddle. Its H-style burner is designed to distribute heat across the cooking surface, and the Omnivore platform is intended to improve heat management. That makes it a practical choice for foods that benefit from broad contact with a hot surface.
I particularly like flat-top cooking for breakfast and smash burgers. I can keep ingredients on the same surface, move them around as needed, and use the open cooking area efficiently.
The Tailgator expands those possibilities by combining a conventional BBQ grill with a flat-top griddle. The grill side suits foods that benefit from direct exposure to the flame and grill-style cooking, while the griddle side handles eggs, pancakes, chopped vegetables, and other foods that need a continuous surface.
Independent heat controls are the feature I’d value most. Different foods often need different temperatures, and separate controls give me more flexibility when preparing a full meal.
The trade-off is that the Tailgator’s cooking area is split between two cooking methods. Since the supplied specifications don’t state the total surface area of each side, I wouldn’t assume it provides more usable griddle space than the Omnivore’s 267 square inches.
If I primarily want flat-top cooking, the Omnivore remains the more focused choice. If I want both grilling and griddling in one appliance, the Tailgator is much more versatile.
Blackstone On The Go Tailgator Grill Griddle Combo with Wheels, Legs Hood & Side Shelf - Heavy Duty Flat Top…
- Customer may receive a griddle with prongs or a handle on the left side. Combining the convenience of griddle and fun of cooking on a grill in one versatile cooking surface, our grill/griddle combo provides the best outdoor cooking experience.
- TWO INDIVIDUAL COOKING ZONES: Featuring BBQ grill on one side and breakfast griddle on the other, this tailgater can whip up everything from pancakes, burgers and everything in between. Both the cooking areas have individual heat controls.
Maintenance
Both models require routine cleaning, but their layouts create slightly different jobs.
With the Omnivore 1971, I would scrape away food residue while the surface is still warm, handle the grease safely, and follow Blackstone’s instructions for cleaning and protecting the griddle plate. The rear grease-management system directs excess grease toward a collection point, which is particularly helpful when cooking bacon or fatty burgers.
The flat-top surface is relatively straightforward to maintain once I establish a consistent cleaning routine. I would also wipe down the stainless steel front plate and clean the exterior without using methods that could damage the powder-coated finish.
The Tailgator has more components to maintain because it combines a grill and griddle. I need to clean the flat-top surface appropriately, remove residue from the grill area, and empty the grease trap. Having two cooking surfaces means there can be more cleanup after a meal involving both.
However, its grease-management system is designed to collect cooking runoff, making disposal more manageable than allowing grease to accumulate around the cooking station.
For the least complicated cleanup, I prefer the Omnivore. For the Tailgator, the extra maintenance is a reasonable trade-off for having two different cooking methods available.
Blackstone Omnivore 1971 Tabletop Griddle
Blackstone 1971 Original 17" Omnivore Tabletop Griddle, Black
- Griddle on the Go: Bring this Blackstone 17-inch tabletop griddle on your next camping, hunting, or tailgating adventure to make meals on the go. This griddle is a portable cooking station with its lightweight, carry-friendly design
- Surprisingly Spacious Cooking Surface: Cook a wide variety of foods for every meal on this versatile griddle top. With 267 square inches of cooking space, this griddle cooks enough to feed up to 2-4 people while also being compact and portable
Pros:
- Compact tabletop design
- 267 square inches of cooking space
- Lightweight at 17.5 pounds
- H-style burner
- Push-and-turn Piezo ignition
- Rear grease-management system
- Stainless steel front plate
- Powder-coated steel body
- Excellent for breakfast and smash burgers
- Easy to store and transport
Cons:
- Flat-top cooking only
- No dedicated side shelf
- Requires a suitable, stable support surface
- Less versatile for traditional grilled foods
- Limited cooking area for larger gatherings
Blackstone On The Go Tailgator 1550 Griddle
Blackstone On The Go Tailgator Grill Griddle Combo with Wheels, Legs Hood & Side Shelf - Heavy Duty Flat Top…
- Customer may receive a griddle with prongs or a handle on the left side. Combining the convenience of griddle and fun of cooking on a grill in one versatile cooking surface, our grill/griddle combo provides the best outdoor cooking experience.
- TWO INDIVIDUAL COOKING ZONES: Featuring BBQ grill on one side and breakfast griddle on the other, this tailgater can whip up everything from pancakes, burgers and everything in between. Both the cooking areas have individual heat controls.
Pros:
- Combines a grill and flat-top griddle
- Independent heat controls for both cooking areas
- Wheeled, freestanding design
- Side shelf for food preparation
- Suitable for tailgating and patio cooking
- Grease trap for easier disposal
- Handles different foods and cooking styles in one station
- More flexible for mixed meals
Cons:
- Larger footprint than the tabletop Omnivore
- More components to clean
- Less convenient to store in a small space
- Total cooking area not provided in the supplied specifications
- Exact weight and burner output need verification
Blackstone Omnivore vs On The Go: Which One Would I Buy?
If I wanted a compact outdoor griddle for camping, road trips, or occasional backyard meals, I’d choose the Blackstone Omnivore 1971. Its 267-square-inch surface provides useful capacity without demanding a permanent spot in the yard. I also like the simplicity of having one cooking surface to preheat, manage, and clean.
For someone who mainly cooks eggs, pancakes, bacon, hash browns, vegetables, and burgers, I don’t see a compelling reason to buy a larger grill-and-griddle station unless the additional grill function is genuinely useful.
But if I regularly hosted outdoor meals, my preference would change. The Blackstone On The Go Tailgator 1550 would be my choice because the grill and griddle can handle different jobs simultaneously. I could prepare grilled meat and griddled sides without needing another cooking appliance, while the side shelf would give me somewhere convenient to keep ingredients and utensils.
The independent heat controls are particularly valuable when a meal includes foods with different temperature requirements. That flexibility is what makes the Tailgator more than just a larger version of the Omnivore.
Final Verdict
Choose the Blackstone Omnivore 1971 if you want a lightweight, compact flat-top griddle for everyday outdoor cooking and travel.
Choose the Blackstone On The Go Tailgator 1550 if you want a freestanding cooking station that combines traditional grilling with flat-top cooking.
My overall choice for versatility is the Blackstone On The Go Tailgator 1550. Its two cooking surfaces, independent heat controls, wheels, and side shelf make it better suited to mixed meals and outdoor gatherings.
However, the Omnivore is the smarter option if your priority is portability and straightforward griddle cooking. It is lighter, easier to store, and dedicated to doing one job well. The better purchase depends on whether you’ll regularly use the Tailgator’s grill function or mainly need a flat-top surface.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Blackstone Omnivore and On The Go?
The Blackstone Omnivore 1971 is a 17-inch tabletop flat-top griddle with 267 square inches of cooking space. The On The Go Tailgator 1550 is a freestanding grill-and-griddle combo with separate heat controls, wheels, and a side shelf.
Is the Blackstone Omnivore good for camping?
Yes. Its 17.5-pound weight and compact dimensions make it suitable for camping, tailgating, and other outdoor cooking trips. You’ll need a stable, level support surface and an appropriate outdoor setup for gas cooking.
Can the Blackstone Tailgator grill and griddle at the same time?
Yes. Its design combines a BBQ grill on one side and a flat-top griddle on the other. The two cooking areas have individual heat controls, allowing you to prepare different foods at different temperatures.
Which Blackstone model is easier to clean?
I’d choose the Omnivore for simpler cleanup because it has one flat cooking surface and a rear grease-management system. The Tailgator requires attention to both the grill and griddle areas, although its grease trap helps manage cooking runoff.
Which Blackstone should I buy for tailgating?
I’d recommend the On The Go Tailgator 1550 if you want to grill meat while preparing eggs, vegetables, or other foods on a flat-top surface. If you mainly want burgers, breakfast foods, and other griddle meals in a compact package, the Omnivore 1971 is the better fit.
