Mission St. BBQ — Restaurant in Santa Cruz

After being transferred to Santa Cruz, I was on the lookout for an exceptional spot to savor some delicious BBQ ribs and tri-tip. For an entire year, I had passed by this establishment daily, which piqued my curiosity enough to try it out. Upon our arrival, we were warmly welcomed by an exceedingly cordial individual named Nick. He meticulously walked us through several menu options we were contemplating for our meal. Ultimately, we opted for the tri-tip and BBQ pork ribs.

Nick's presentation and description of the offerings were impeccable. For our sides, we chose potato salad and beans, along with some toasted garlic bread. I selected a blonde IPA to accompany my meal, which proved to be a delightful beer choice. We settled into a window seat, enveloped by the tranquil ambiance of the place.

Our visit was timed around 4 pm, which meant it wasn't overly crowded, but guests began trickling in shortly thereafter. Unbeknownst to me at the time was their Saturday night live blues band performance. While I'm uncertain if they perform during weekdays, Saturdays are definitively lively with music.

The generous portions meant we couldn't finish our meal in one sitting. It was a lesson learned for future visits - to order less. Nonetheless, the food was scrumptious, leaving us with leftovers for the following day. We're already planning to make tri-tip sandwiches with them - Yum Yum!!!

So, if you ever find yourself craving some top-notch BBQ fare, this is your go-to destination. The service is outstanding - Nick is phenomenal - and it seems Saturday nights are particularly vibrant. It's an ideal setting for a delightful evening filled with great food, excellent service, and a...

Went into misssion bbq tonight to get a bite to eat , made sure to get there before 8: 30 because i know they close at 9pm weeknights . Upon looking over the menu a new girl stepped up and offered to take my order obviously she was in a hurry to go somewhere as i hadnt yet decided on something to eat . She then informed me that i may order but i will have to take it to go as they are closing at 9 pm . I look at the time and its only 8 : 30 but for some reason , probably she wants to go home i cannot order my food and eat it in the dining room even though there were at least 5 other tables where people were enjoying there food . Now I know for a fact they are open until 9 pm as i have been coming in since they first opened on the westside years ago . Apparently the cashier thought i was a newbie and didn't know there hours . I politely declined to order and left , decided to give my business to a more friendly establishment that will let you eat in the dining room before they are officially closed . I suggest management need s to train their new employees on how to interact with their customers especially their local customers . Honestly it used to be pretty good but the last time I was in before tonight the food was horrible and the live music was way to loud , like so loud its hard to order . Not sure I will going back...

Very good looking restaurant it is very clean along with having employees with amazing attitude and very welcoming. I came in around 5:00 p.m. and there wasn't anyone customer-wise there but the smell of the smoker had me interested in what I wanted to order, after speaking with the gentleman at the counter who was very helpful and provided different options I ended up settling for the burnt ends meal with potato salad and macaroni and cheese.

The good The employees and customer service

The not so bad The burnt ends were well...burnt but tasty, the portion size was ok but could have been better.

The UGLY The side items are horrible with an capital H, bland flavorless mac and cheese that by far is the worst i hae ever tasted. You can get better mac and cheese from a grocery store deli. I can't tell you what queso Blanco or mystery cheese that was used but a big miss and at best is a 1/5

Potato salad is what they call it, as for me it's the progresso soup of potato salad, flavor void and an disappointment for your pallet.

Pro tip Just serve meat and bread, and 86 the thin lifeless cornbread that failed the skillet cornbread academy for cooks that can't cook. If these side items are a family recipe, please tell me the family name so I can never be invited to the cookout.

3/5 and a...