Try one first...I've been camping with some folks who have one and was pretty underwhelmed, especially given the propane used. Not sure what counts as "decent warmth" for you, but I thought there were mainly psychological. But that might be enough; the light and something to gather round are often what people want most. More on reddit.com

I take my little Weber Smokey Joe for all three purposes 🍻 More on reddit.com

DIY. Buy an outdoor burner. Some metal studs and hardie board. Some stacked stone and caps. Only way to get something nice like you described in that price range. Or reach out to the paver companies. They build them. We build use these but you can make it from scratch. You can build this https://outdoorrooms.com/products/ready-to-finish-linear-gas-fire-pit-kit More on reddit.com

Put it in the ground. It's an absolute game changer. I made a post here, with pictures, a while back about how I buried mine. You basically make a hole in the ground with a diameter that is at least 4" larger than the Solo and as deep as the solo is tall. With it mounted that far down it radiates heat as if you were standing next to it but you'll be sitting in a chair. It radiates heat from your toes to your head. No more cold legs. When it's underground you can actually see into it (which is much more visually appealing than looking at the side of it) so the coals (the hottest part) radiate heat directly at you while you're sitting down. With it sitting on the ground and you in a chair, most of the heat is radiated over your head. More on reddit.com