City Barbeque Vs Mission BBQ: Which Chain Is Better, According To Reviews

Nothing beats a local mom-and-pop barbecue restaurant for authentic, high-quality food. Still, barbecue chains have their place, offering a convenient and consistent experience across multiple locations. Two of the most popular options are City Barbeque and Mission BBQ, and according to fans, there's one clear winner. In our ranking of 14 barbecue chain restaurants based on customer reviews, we ranked Mission BBQ as the top spot you need to try if you're craving a great brisket. City Barbeque also earned high marks, but we ranked it number nine due to reports that some locations can be inconsistent. Even so, both chains bring something different to the table for barbecue fans.

"Mission BBQ takes our top spot because people absolutely loved it, giving it some of the highest praise possible," our writer noted. The chain earned plenty of five-star reviews, with customers loving the sauce selection and the quality of the brisket. As for City Barbeque, "the majority of reviews praise this chain for delicious food, stating that it was freshly made like they were at a friend's house for dinner," explains our writer. However, they also noted that too many customers complained about cold food being served, bland flavors, and portions that were too small for the price. While both chains have loyal fans, customer reviews suggest that Mission BBQ delivers a more consistently satisfying experience overall.

With over 150 locations across 23 states, Mission BBQ has a major presence in Florida, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, giving it a much bigger footprint than City Barbecue's nearly 80 locations throughout the country, which are primarily in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and North Carolina. In areas where diners have both options nearby, though, most prefer Mission BBQ over City Barbeque. Generally, you'll find these chains in the eastern half of the U.S., though Mission BBQ has expanded slightly west into states like Arizona and Colorado, while City Barbeque remains strictly in the Midwest and Southeast.

Mission BBQ boasts a traditional, Texas-style barbecue with options like brisket, pulled pork, ribs, turkey, and sausage. You can order sides such as mac and cheese, baked beans, and collard greens, as well as sandwiches and meat sampler platters. At City Barbeque, you can find similar options, featuring options like the Texas Rueben and pulled pork sandwiches, as well as a pastrami crispy baked potato, St. Louis-style ribs, fried pickle chips, and hush puppies.

As far as prices go, they vary slightly by location, but they're about the same at both barbecue chains. At Mission BBQ, sandwiches can range from $8 to $14, with sampler platter ranging from $14 to $21 for a two-meat or three-meat option, respectively. 10-bone ribs will run you about $26. At City Barbeque, a two-meat two-side sampler is $15.99, while the three-meat two-side option is $19.99. A full slab of St. Louis ribs costs $29.99, while sandwiches typically run about $8 to $12.

While both barbecue chains have loyal followings, Mission BBQ seems to pull ahead of City Barbeque according to customer reviews. Customers frequently praise Mission BBQ's friendly and fast service. "I came for the food, I stayed for the love," states one happy Google reviewer at the Pensacola location. People also appreciate Mission BBQ's commitment to first responders and military service members. America's best barbecue chain donates millions to national and local charitable organizations. But ultimately, it's the food that earns the chain excellent reviews.

One Redditor states that Mission BBQ's "food was terrific and reasonably priced." On Yelp, the positive reviews are overflowing. Happy customers say the "mac & cheese is perfect." "I only like my ribs falling off the bone and they always are here," says another satisfied diner. While some diners are turned off by the chain's overt patriotism and some call it average or overpriced, most diners are glad they have a decent barbecue joint nearby. 

City Barbeque also has plenty of fans for its homestyle flavor and broad menu selection, but reviews aren't as glowing as Mission BBQ's. "If McDonald's did BBQ, I think this is what it would taste like," states one Yelp reviewer who gave a Charlotte-based location two stars. That may sound a bit harsh, but others have felt similarly that it's low quality or decent at best. In comparison, Mission BBQ has a 4.3 average rating on Yelp based on over 22,000 reviews across 71 locations. It's safe to say that Mission BBQ tends to leave a stronger impression on diners overall.