Abstract: A positioning mechanism for a cooking apparatus or a cooking apparatus that includes the the positioning mechanism. The cooking apparatus includes a concave open top housing, a cover dimensioned and configured to engage the open top housing, a hinge coupling the housing and the cover to allow movement of the cover from a fully closed position to a fully open position, and a positioning mechanism to lock the relative positions of the housing and the cover, the positioning mechanism includes an L-shaped rod fixed to the cover and an eye bolt fixed to the housing, the rod extending through the eye bolt, the positioning mechanism further including a generally planar member having at least one part thereof having an upstanding portion for impacting the eye bolt and moving the planar member into oblique relationship with respect to the rod whereby the planar member is locked with respect to the rod. In some forms of the invention the upstanding portion may be a knee shaped bend.