Someone else mentioned just using a grill you are not cooking on to set stuff on. It gives you an excuse for why you might have an extra one or two laying around.
By how many some of the guys have here, I'm guessing they tell their wife how they are planning to cut round pieces of plywood to put where the cooking grate goes, put table clothes over them & host their daughter's wedding in the back yard when she grows up.
I have a portable folding table in my cooking area... works well and LOTS of room with no gimmicks or problems. Cheap too...