America's Best BBQ Chain Restaurant Gives Back In More Ways Than One

When globally-palated gourmands think of "American food," there's a good chance that (after burgers and hot dogs) barbecue is one of the first fare that comes to mind. Mission BBQ takes that Americana flair to a whole 'nother level. In Tasting Table's ranking of 14 popular BBQ chain restaurants, Mission BBQ came out in first place. Foodies nationwide are raving about the chain's first-rate barbecue, which gained Mission the No. 1 spot in our ranking. But, in addition to knockout meaty entrees, Mission also offers charitable giving.

If you haven't visited before, Mission BBQ is a fast-casual barbecue restaurant centered around hand-crafted, meaty entrees. According to the chain's official website, the "mission" in the title refers to serving "the most authentic, mouth-watering all-American food that's done right." If the online customer reviews are any indication, mission-accomplished. As we mentioned in our review, most online customer testimonials of Mission's food and dining experience (on both restaurant write-up platforms and social media) offer five stars, followed by over-the-top positive feedback — praise which could not be echoed about many of the other competitor BBQ chains in our ranking. Yelp reviews mention great food, great customer service, and solid prices.

Mission's menu offerings are impressively wide-ranging, serving multiple regional BBQ styles (Texas, Kansas City, and North Carolina) under one roof. Sides include mac and cheese, baked beans, collard greens, cornbread, and more. At a Mission BBQ location in Ohio, plates cost roughly $10-$20 per person. 

Mission ranks as the best barbecue restaurant in our lineup for its fare and feedback. But, apart from the grub — and befitting an establishment that adopts the slogan "The American Way" — the chain places a special focus on veterans and first responders. Inside restaurants, the walls are decorated with military regalia. Since opening in 2011, Mission has donated more than $25 million to charities. The eatery has donated to the USO, Special Operations Warrior Foundation, Navy Seal Foundation, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Wreaths Across America, Honor Flight Network, and more, as well as multiple local state institutions.

According to data analytics firm ScrapeHero, as of 2024, there are 137 Mission BBQ locations across the U.S., concentrated on the East Coast with the greatest presence in Florida, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Now, at the time of publication, Mission BBQ's presence has grown to reach 23 states.

For a time, Mission BBQ held a tradition of having customers stand for the national anthem every day at noon; it's unclear whether this practice is still in place, or at which locations. Still, as fans in one Reddit thread share, even folks who aren't as sold on the Americana overtones regularly patronize Mission for its top-tier BBQ. Another Reddit poll asks veterans how they feel about Mission BBQ's manifest military theming; responses fall somewhere between "it's great" and "it's fine," with the top response by a landslide being "I'm just here for the bbq."