MISSION BBQ — Restaurant in Ellicott City

Date of visit: Tuesday Aug 22, 2023 When we visited Mission BBQ -we were on our roguetrip through Maryland, and we were very hungry. we weren’t loving a lot of the options we were finding, but since we love BBQ, we decided to check this place out. I wont lie – due to the current political climate in the USA – abundance of “patriotism” has started to feel a bit intimidating. I am all for caring for and respecting service members, but the last 6 years of US political climate has left a bad taste in my mouth. This overly patriotic nature and décor of this restaurant – made me apprehensive to go in.

That being said – we bit the bullet and went in. And we are glad we did. You place your order off of an ala carte menu, at the cash, and then they put your order together for you. They offer traditional bbq meats – brisket, turkey, pork, pulled meats, sausages, etc. They have many different side dishes and corn bread. You order what you like and they call you when it is ready. It takes next to no time at all to get your meal. The meats are perfectly cooked/smoked – tender and juicy. The sides are all very delicious. We ordered the brisket, turkey, mac & cheese, and beans, coleslaw, and cornbread. When you are at your table – they have numerous BBQ sauces to enjoy with your meal – to find the one(s) you like.

The meal was not very expensve at all and very satisfying. AS this was our very first time at Mission BBQ, we did not realize it was a chain restaurant. There are many different locations throughout the Philly Baltimore, DC, area and beyond.

This turned out to be an excellent choice for us to have dinner. Great people, amazing food, very casual restaurant, and laid back. We will be on the look out for other Mission BBQ spots on future roguetrips. Tip: Order more food than you think - its so good - get more sides...

I had a dream about eating juicy BBQ ribs and a few pieces of dark meat BBQ chicken... So when I awoke I decided that I was going to eat exactly that for dinner. I considered buying the meat at the grocery store and cooking it on my gas grill on my back porch in 30° weather. I asked my dad for his opinion and he said "No! Just go to Mission BBQ". I am so glad I listened to him.

I called ahead and I picked up my order about 15 minutes before they closed. They didn't have a full rack of baby back ribs, so they completed my order with spare ribs and they gave me a few extra spare ribs for free as an apology. I also got half of a full chicken. I 👏 ATE 👏 IT 👏 ALL! I was done before any of the meat got cold.

The baby back ribs were the star of the show. I grabbed the end of a bone and it slipped out of the meat with no force. I pulled all the bones out in a few seconds then I cut the meat into dunkable portions with my fork inside the foam container! So juicy, so much flavor!

Now the spare ribs. I held the rib mass down with the flat underside of my fork and pulled the bones out. They had some meat on them so I used the fork to slide the clingy meat off. The meat was very juicy but more chewy than the spare ribs. Very, very good.

The half of the full chicken was next. The dark meat portions were incredible, the wing meat slide off the bone inside my mouth. The breast meat was about as juicy as the inferior white meat can possible meat.

Did I need to use any antacid after gorging myself on all that meat? I did not! There were no negative digestive repercussions aside from some delicious burps.

10 out 10, would...

This is a bit of a lengthy review because the experience was one of a kind and I believe in due diligence where credit is due. So here goes.

My first time at Mission BBQ and must I say what a memorable experience! I was instantly greeted by a cheerful and enthusiastic Belle Henderson. The vibe felt like everyone was family, very close-knit with a strong foundation. I later learned that she works alongside her mother Stacy Henderson who was also incredibly personable. Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree! Belle was exceptional. Friendly, fun, lighthearted, professional and eager to give me recommendations and samples of anything I wanted to try since I made her aware it was my first time. The food came quickly and was better than anticipated due to the wide selection of homemade BBQ sauces and delicious vinegar. The food was A+, the ambience and atmosphere of the restaurant was A+, and the customer service was A+. Belle came by to give me a brownie on a plate that said welcome, as well as a free sandwich coupon for when I return, which I most certainly will. That was the icing on the cake. I went to my car and grabbed my wallet to give a tip for this awesome experience (I use Apple Pay and don’t typically carry my wallet). 10/10 will definitely recommend, and will check out the Mission BBQ in my home state of...