I fully agree with brick.
My father built a huge brick barbecue back in 1957 that's still going strong today!!! Started with a large thick concrete slab & then built an "L" or chair-shaped barbecue out of brick atop it. Back portion of the "L" was a wide "chimney", while the front was open & had slots for two levels of cast-iron grill racks. Since the brick walls were several brick-widths thick, the "arms" of the "chair" were more than wide enough to put platters, tools, etc.
You could either build a charcoal fire on the lower grate, or build a big wood fire right on the concrete-slab bottom (great for marshmallow roasting). It was terrific for parties, & my childhood & teenage years are peppered with many happy memories of lots & lots of wonderful summer parties.
And as far as esthetics go, brick is much nicer & more pleasing to the eye than steel any day, in my opinion.