MISSION BBQ — Restaurant in Naples

I frequent the humidor at Total Wine in the vicinity of Mission BBQ—after what seems like ages of smelling their smoke while driving by, I decided to stop in and give it a taste…Chick-Fil-A and Culver’s next door have no business being as busy as they are with Mission tucked in between the two of them—in my humble opinion, I had a better meal for the money that I could have spent at either of those places!

I ordered the 2 meat Market Sampler(Moist Brisket and Pulled Pork) with a side of slaw and a soda for around $20–ordering was a breeze thanks to the fine gentlemen manning the order counter. My order was up before I knew it—very prompt service(I guarantee I got my food faster than anyone in the Chick-Fil-A drive-thru)! The dining room was clean and well kept with ample seating and each table has a bottle of vinegar and a 6-pack of different BBQ sauces that cater to different palates—I tried them all and liked the Smoky Mountain and Tennessee Belle the most, but don’t pass up the Georgia Mustard over by the soda fountain! I don’t have time to eat out often and I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this meal—I cleaned my plate and mopped up the drippings and sauce with the corn bread! In retrospect, I regret not getting some collards(I LOVE collards), but I don’t think I could have eaten anymore during this visit—I was stuffed! There’s always next time, and there WILL be a next time in the very near future!

Now, the food really hit the spot for me after digging trenches all day, but the service was the cherry on top: it was such a pleasure to hear staff acknowledge patrons as they walked in the door—almost nobody is doing that in a casual, walk-in, seat-yourself type of restaurant…Shoot, you don’t even see that in a number of the places in town with assigned seating, wait staff, and way stiffer price points(I’m looking directly at the places that include 30% gratuity in a bill with staff whose eyes glaze over with contempt upon having to do what they’re paid to do.) What surprised me even more was seeing Ricardo, another excellent member of their excellent staff, going from table to table to check in with folks(myself included)during their meals—PURE CLASS AND NOTHING LESS.

Bottom line: why would I ever settle for fast food when I could conveniently have a fine BBQ meal in the same amount of time or less, for the same amount of money, all from people that are inviting?

I wouldn’t, and if you’re reading this, you shouldn’t either!

-A final THANK YOU from me to the staff: you guys and gals ROCK—the pride you all take in what you do does not and should not go unnoticed! And a note to the corporate bean counters: these folks deserve a rai$e...

We had heard great things about Mission BBQ, so we decided to give it a try. Boy, were we impressed. From the moment, we entered the parking lot, we could see that they were true American patriots. Parking spaces are reserved for veterans and an American flag is proudly flying over the front door.

The restaurant is set up like a Chipotle, where you order your food and they bring it to you. We were greeted by Alondra, who patiently walked us through the menu. Alondra was incredibly friendly. She set the tone for our experience and is truly a value to the restaurant. And, throughout our meal, she came over to make sure we were happy with everything. She is a real gem.

My wife ordered the pulled chicken, our daughter ordered a side of smoked chicken, and I ordered the lean brisket. Everything comes with cornbread, but the sides are separate. We ordered french fries, cheesy potatoes, and we also got desserts, which were a chocolate brownie and sweet potato pie.

Everything was truly fantastic. My wife sampled several of their many barbecue sauces and found one that was a perfect blend of sweet and tangy. Our daughter’s smoked chicken was cooked to perfection. The brisket was probably the star of the show. It was so tender, you could cut it with a plastic fork.

The sides were also excellent. The french fries were done perfectly, and the cheesy potatoes tasted like something your grandmother would make. The desserts also tasted like homemade.

As we left the restaurant, our daughter asked me when we would be coming back. I think that best summarizes...

Happy customer reporting for duty!!

Decided to try another Naples Florida bbq establishment, and was amazed by the attention to detail here: military and first responder style, from the atmosphere to its cleanliness and friendliness.

We were briefed by our host who recommended we try the 3 meat sampler platter. I chose the jalapeño-cheddar sausage, ribs, and wet brisket (dry was also an option). Their meat is smoked in-house and cooked to perfection. Easily the best Mac and cheese I’ve ever had. Coupled with beer and some corn bread, plus a variety of free reinforcement sauces made it a meal I’ll be grateful to have again next time.

Furthermore, and as you can see in some of the pictures, this establishment honours veterans, military members and first responders past and present- with appreciation discounts and ceremonies. National anthem is sung every day at Noon. The staff honour these heroes and also appreciate those of us like me who choose to dine there in support.

I am pleased to report my first ‘mission’ was a success, and looking forward to the next one when able!

Ps. HUGE THANKS to all veterans, active duty members and first responders who put their lives on the line in the name of democracy, peace, safety...