Okay, so here are some different options for finish.
These are samples for the side table on a late-90s Genesis gasser. All in white oak, which is supposed to be great for outdoor applications (they used to make ships out of it). They need another day or two of curing before I do some heat-testing on the grill, but they are hard enough to photograph.
Left to right: satin spar varnish only, clear Australian Timber Oil only, spar varnish over timber oil (one coat of timber oil only (per the directions), three coats of spar varnish with light sanding in between coats).
Sorry for the glare off the varnish. I thought I had a nice overcast day for photos, but the sun started peeking out right when I started snapping.