I'll try and post a picture of my grill tomorrow but I did compare both the Virco and the smaller and larger model of the Member's Mark before purchasing. I would say that if you want a smaller grill and don't mind not having a built in smoker box and extra burner then go with the Virco. For me, I wanted a grill that I could easily build in later and that was comparable in size and quality to the Viking and DCS units I had been looking at for comparison. I really had no idea that this grill was as nice as it is. My wife had originally spotted it and told me to go look at it. I was very skeptical because first off it was at Sam's Club (no offense) and second for the price, $1,499.00, I figured it could not compare with the high end units I had been looking at for around $5000. After seeing the unit and thoroughly checking it out I was proven wrong. It is solid double walled stainless throughout (drawers, cart, lid and cooking grates) and looks similar to the Virco unit only larger. I would say aside from size the other differences are that the lid is double walled stainless throughout and will probably not discolor from heat as easily. There is a seperate burner for the smoker box and this burner is stainless also. The remaining burners are heavy porcelain coated cast iron and appear very well made. There are two central pull out drawers on ball bearing glides and a seperate door on both the right and left of the drawers with the right door containing a paper towel holder and spice rack. The propane tank is fully enclosed on the left and is on a locking pull out slide. There is a seperate brass side burner and a rotissere with a steel encased motor unit that I haven't tried yet. There are also two stainless side shelves on each side that fold up and lock. The unit is for the most part, welded and comes fully assembled on a steel pallet that was forklifted on the back of my pick up. It weighs about 450 lbs and you'll need at least 4 strong friends to help you unload it! That's the long version and again I am very happy with it so far and would encourage you to go and look at each of the units for comparison. The Virco is a really nice unit and I know it's been beat to death already on this board but between the smaller Member's Mark and the Virco, I would have probably gone with the Virco. For me, I wanted a bit bigger grill with the built in smoker unit and something that I could build in later on and was willing to spend the extra money. Good luck!

The larger MM grill does look very nice. Some of the parts (rotisserie motor, cover handle, side burner) look identical to those on the Virco. I like the slide out tray for the propane tank, very nice. However, I've decided to place the Virco in a spot where there is not even room enough for the Virco's side shelf. So the MM grill would be too big for my space. Plus it's almost twice the price of the Virco. Still, all three grills look like very good buys.

Well you guys and gals almost had me hooked on a Virco... That clasic is one awesome looking grill... I couldn't really afford that much, even though that is a good value for that type of grill... The Mark VIII was going to be my choice, due ot it's scaled back price... Even so... in the end I choose a Great Outdoors grill for $300, normaly priced at $400... The MV7 would have cost me $460 or so... pushing the limits of my budget... If I had been able to actuall see a Virco in person I may have stuck with the idea of buying one... I'm surprized they are not selling the Virco grills in places like Lowes, Home Depot, and Menard's yet... They'd probably sell like hot cakes... Anyways... thanks for all you who commented on your grills, it was extreemly helpfull in my quest for finding a quality grill at a good price... Back to your Virco talk now...

I have cooked on all three and the TEK IR is the only gas grill that cooks as well as charcoal. It's advantages over charcoal are that it is quick to set up, easy to clean up and does an excellent job of creating the charcoal taste. As many here know, the flavor is created by the smoke from the fat striking the hot surface be it charcoal or something else. The higher the IR energy (from gas or charcoal) and the less the flame, the more smoke generated rather than being turned into additional flame. The TEK creates a great deal of smoke because the IR glass sits between the flame and the dripping grease. On older style IR burners there is still an open flame to ignite the grease drippings reducing the amount of smoke to add flavor. With charcoal, once the embers are glowing red, it is emitting a lot of IR and much less to no flame and hence produces a lot of smoke and flavor. I have owned the FireMagic and I would not purchase another. The burners are cast SS but they still do rust over time and the flavor grills wear out too. They are very hard to clean and the heat was not anywhere near as good as the advertisements. If you are the type that never clean a grill and don't mind a gritty looking grill it may not matter. I am the type that wants it to look clean and inviting each time and the self cleaning feature along with the dishwasher removal panels makes the TEK a breeze to clean and keep looking nice. For me that was worth a lot. The more conventional grills like the Firemagic, even with their ceramic infrared burner are not even a close match.