The food is pretty good...not bad. The employees are nice and you don't have to wait forever to get your food.I guess...the only bad thing about it is the temperatures.It was extremely cold when I went during the summer. I understand there trying to get customers to leave sooner but my goodness! Other than that I recommend going...if you have some extra cash to spend $$$ (pricey) read more

I absolutely recommend trying Mission BBQ if you like bbq! They have a variety of sauces to please most pallettes and the meat is prepared excellently every time! read more

Great food and atmosphere. Love the seasonal creamed corn. The staff is always friendly and would definitely recommend this place.

Food is AMAZING. Staff were friendly. It's a wicked cool place, with flags and patches and pictures of different military branches and units everywhere. Very military/law enforcement friendly. Loved it! read more

I had a surprisingly excellent dinner experience at Mission BBQ with my husband (E). We went out to eat to celebrate our wedding anniversary and decided to keep it casual--and wore the corresponding attire. We ordered ribs/pulled pork, and decided to share sides of macaroni & cheese and green beans. We picked up our food, sat down, and decided to order 2 more sides. E goes to the counter to order, is asked what he would like, and told, "Sure - I'll bring it to you in a minute." No need to pay for the extra sides! I asked E, "Do they know it's our anniversary?" And he said he hadn't mentioned it. Then the gentleman (Jim) brings it to our table, and E introduces me as his wife (still no mention of anniversary). Jim, who is also the manager, proceeds to talk about how it is his pleasure... if there's anything he can do for us... etc. He said I don't recognize you, and asked if we had been to Mission BBQ before. Then he asked about us, and we explained how we had met and our history with the area. Jim also shared a brief story about his background and how he came to be running this location. Such a genuinely friendly, welcoming interaction. We enjoyed the brief conversation, then turned back to our dinner and experimenting with the variety of BBQ sauces. (Memphis Belle was my favorite.) We also said to each other, "We should have told him how thoughtful that was and how much we appreciate it, since we're out celebrating our anniversary." As we finished up our dinner, Jim came over with a dish of their signature banana pudding, also on the house. E and I looked at each other and E said to Jim, "You know--today is actually our wedding anniversary, so this means a lot to us. Thank you." Jim was genuinely touched, and said he was honored to have us enjoy our anniversary there. After we ate the banana pudding and were deciding whether to go to the movies or to Redbox the evening, Jim came over, mentioned again how it was his pleasure to serve, and offered to take our trash for us (in a fast-casual restaurant - where there aren't waiters!) This was my first trip to Mission BBQ and I must say, it made an impression! That is service! Maybe we will make this a tradition... TL;DR version - Wearing casual clothes, E and I went to dinner for our wedding anniversary at Mission BBQ (fast-casual, patriotic/military & public-service-focused restaurant). Without knowing it was our anniversary, the manager (Jim) treated us to two extra side dishes--and then also to banana pudding for dessert. We also had the most friendly and genuinely welcoming conversation with him. When we finally disclosed that it was our anniversary, Jim was honored (and also came over to take our trash!) Well done all around, Mission BBQ. read more

I'm a frequent traveler and eat at a lot of different restaurants. Mission BBQ does have a nice ambiance to it. Honestly though, the food is only slightly above average. I suspect that if you can get meat when it is fresh it is probably better. I'm here for supper and found that the meats that I tried have all been sitting too long. The sauces are good. The North Carolina vinegar sauce is especially welcome as I used to have access to the real thing regularly. Here in southern Maryland the choices for BBQ are thin so come here if you have a craving. Just don't be too surprised if you leave not completely satisfied. read more

Food was horrible! It had no flavor and was barely edible. Service was also horrible, the cashier was rude and very unhelpful. the seating was dirty and sticky. The soda machine wasn't clean either. read more

Sooo delicious, very friendly. Welcoming atmosphere an a great variety of bbq sauce.

Very tasty! I was impressed, as I'm not a big BBQ fan but I think this place may have changed my mind.

Can't say enough good about this company. While a bit pricey, the portions are generous, the food connsistent & the service & staff great! read more

Not bad! Definitely nice to have some fresh bbq to mix things up! If they had a super hot sauce with ghost pepper or Carolina reaper I would of given 5 they definitely need something to spice up things! read more

Their food and service is great. I just hate feeling like I am back in the military and eating in the chow hall, which is how I feel here.

It's great barbecue but if you live in the area you'll get tired of it due to the lack of menu. I apologize because I forgot to mention that the macaroni and cheese is an 8 read more

Jame is a great guy. The fella always goes that extra mile. I made a goof in placing my order and James fixed it. He's the kind of guy that keeps the customers coming back. read more

Well finally we have some good BBQ in southern MD. I have never been happy with the other places that have fatty pulled pork or brisket you can't chew, but Mission is the real deal. Good smoke flavor, great variety of sauces. The sides were delicious too. I liked the green beans and baked beans. read more

I was in town for business a few years ago, and tried Mission BBQ at that time. I do a lot of traveling for business, and I always remember the good places I've found to eat. A few years later, and I'm back in town for business again. Seeing Mission BBQ, it became a priority for dinner, so here I am! I'm having the pulled pork sandwich tonight, and it is very tasty. California, MD isn't the easiest place to reach for a business trip, but it does have a reward in Mission BBQ! read more

My wife and I discovered Mission BBQ in North Carolina. This one in Maryland is as good or better. Excellent food, fast service, and great prices. The people there really care if you have a great meal. read more

I had the brisket and it was the best I have ever had. I liked having 6 sauce choices right at my table. The sides were a la carte which made the meal a little pricey. Give it a try! read more

I've had two here and neither of them that good. I had the pork rib platter. They were dry and cut down so there wasn't much left. Mac n cheese was dry and cornbread was terrible. Cole slaw wasn't tasty at all. My other meal was a brisket sandwich that was dry and tough. Fries were just barely warm and not good at all. No more meals here. Save your money and go elsewhere. read more

I had the brisket and while the flavor was fine, it was very dry. I drowned it with sauce and ate it, but a good brisket should have very little or no sauce. It could have just been an off-night for it, but overall I wasn't impressed. In terms of prices, $12 for a half pound of brisket, a side, and a medium drink is very high. My girlfriend had the baked beans and that cup was very small. Even the highest priced BBQ places I've been to would include 2 sides for that price. We were also constantly harassed for a $2 drink upcharge for a cup that could be brought back in for a discount. When I told the gentleman we were from Northern Virginia he said they have locations up there as well. That was not true and there's no way I would add an additional $2 to an already over-priced meal. read more

I don't like this place, the food is dry or salty or over cooked. The Mac and cheese was ok and the baked beans were alright. The price is too high for the quality of food. I tried this place because I have heard so much about it, but to my surprise it was not all that everyone said it was. Too me it doesn't even smell like BBQ and that was an instant turn off. I just ate here because I didn't feel like going elsewhere. My nose was right, my fiance tried the brisket and he is a chef and had to double check to make sure it wasn't roast beef. Won't be back here, I'm sorry. At least the people were nice. read more

This was my first time at a mission BBQ and within the first 5 minutes of being here we were greeted with open arms. The whole staff and their manager Jim were very inviting and happy to take our orders. I got the "moist" brisket and pulled chicken meat sampler and not only was the food awesome but Jim, the manager, made sure to come over and speak to us. Once he found out that we weren't from the area and we were first timers he disappeared to the kitchen and can't back with an assortment of meats for us to try. Completely for free! I didn't eat a single thing I didn't like. I'll definitely be back for the jalapeno cheddar sausage before I leave! read more

Amazing BBQ for a major occasion! I wanted to have the best BBQ in town for my retirement party and Mission BBQ delivered in a big way: tasty meats, friendly service, lots of great sides, and the BIG rig as a bonus! Bear was soooo patient as our party was slightly delayed. He stuck around to be sure we had everything just right and so I could see the behemoth truck parked in front of the Beach House. He let us borrow one hotbox to make sure we enjoyed the feast late into the evening. Awesome! I was proud to share such a great meal with my family and friends. The catering manager was really helpful and they followed up with a phone call after the event to be sure we were satisfied. Oh yeah! I would recommend Mission BBQ in California, MD, for any dinner party, big or small. We need more businesses like Mission who go above and beyond to support our military and first responders. Gratefully, CAPT Ben Shevchuk, US Navy, Retired read more

I visited Mission BBQ for the first time this past Tuesday. My family and I went to a funeral at Arlington National Cemetery then stayed in southern Maryland to see my nephew at the Navy Base at Pax River. When I asked my nephew where we should eat before heading back to North Carolina, he suggested Mission BBQ without hesitation. I expected either the food to be great or the service to be great, but my experience far surpassed my expectations. The environment of the restaurant alone was enough to send chills through my body (in a good way) especially having just been to a military hero's funeral the day before. The momentos of local heros on all the walls and tables and the flags posted and raised and of course the smell of good barbecue pouring into the air was enough to set this restaurant apart. As soon as we walked in, we were greeting by smiling staff who were all helpful above and beyond most restaurant staff I have encountered. Amy took our order and she was eager to help and offer suggestions and even samples. Yes, SAMPLES! Even as the line grew behind us, she kept her patience with us as we rattled off our order, and then our food was ready for us to pick up before we even finished getting our drinks. They also had a surprise peach cobbler for us as well. Amazing. We all ate our meal in awe of how great quality the food was and how quick these smiling faces prepared it for us. But it doesn't stop there. Throughout our meal, Jason came to bring us ketchup and extra forks and offered to clean the table as we finished. Then we were blessed again with Amy's smile as she came to our table to check on how everything was and offer any boxes or sauces to take home. We had to decline due to our 6 and a half hour drive home we were facing, but next time we are in California, Maryland we will for sure be visiting Mission BBQ. read more

Really great BBQ for a fast casual concept. You order at the counter and wait for you food there. It's excellent. The pulled pork was great as were the ribs. They brought over a sliced ribeye just to be nice and it was the best thing we tried. The smoky sauce was great (they offer 6) but I'd like to have had a hotter option among the sauces. Service was amazing. read more

I LOVE Mission BBQ. You know what they say, you can't have a barbecue without BBQ!! You certainly get BBQ here, and let me tell ya.. it's good. Great service, loving staff, and delicious food. Doesn't get much better than that. Shoutout to Amy G for superb service. Make America Great Again! read more

Very good, but pricey. I also think that there is better BBQ in the area. The place does put the profits to a good cause and they are very fast with a good selection. I would recommend this place. read more

Looked like a typical chain BBQ place - license plates on the wall, a bit of this and that on the menu. But, I was surprised how good the pulled pork was -- tender, flavorful, and generous portions. Great mac & cheese. Even the inevitable array of "regional" sauces on the table included a unique one -- Maryland style, with just the right amount of Old Bay flavoring. KC-style was also very good. Will definitely stop if my travels take me by a Mission BBQ again. read more

Yummerz! Loved the different sauces on the tables (which I for sure sampled) and the amazing sides (the cheese potato thing was seriously good and we picked up some to-go mac and cheese for dinner that night) are awesome. I had the brisket sandwich & really enjoyed the cut of the meat. Definitely recommend read more

Excellent food. Great service. The kids and I love eating here. KC Classic sauce is the best. The brisket is amazing. Just had a brisket burger as the black plate special, hit the spot. No frills, just great food at a good price. Highly recommended! read more

Every time I come into Pax River for work, I stop here. Mind you, I'm from Texas, so I have some experience in this food staple. This is legit Texas Style BBQ; I normally get the two meat sampler - brisket and baby back ribs with baked beans and cole slaw - also comes with corn bread. The staff always greet you coming in and leaving, and are extremely friendly. Each table has 6 bottles of various style BBQ sauce, but what hooked me and keeps me coming in is the one bottle of BBQ sauce that isn't on any of the tables - the Baja Bold. This is either kept between the two soda machines on top of the Craftsman toolbox drawers holding the miscellaneous straws, condiments, cup lids, etc., or ask one of the people behind the counter and they will hand you a bottle. The Baja Bold is a pretty spicy BBQ sauce, and I slather it on my brisket (I order it moist), baby back ribs, and even put some in the most excellent baked beans (which also have chunks of brisket in them). Since I use a lot of the Baja Bold, I usually work up a little sweat on my head which means its just about perfect heat-wise. I don't even bother with the standard six sauces. My only complaint is that they don't put the Baja Bold on every table. They can get rid of the pansy carolina sweet stuff to make a hole in the 6-pack. They are very pro-military here (I guess you would expect that just down the road from PAX NAS.) PS...If you don't want dry brisket, don't order the "lean" style brisket; order it "moist." read more

We like the food and the decor for this restaurant. The special smoked prim rib was fantastic.

I had the NC pulled pork which was too much for one person to eat. Topped with cold slaw it was outstanding. Fries were awesome too reminiscent of five guys. My fiancé got the brisket platter with two sides hers also was way too much to eat. she equally enjoyed hers. One of the best parts is the unique soda choices they have when you first walk through the door( I.e Big Red & Cherrywine). The theme of the restaurant is very patriotic. In fact at one point the national anthem played everybody stop what they were doing during , and applauded graciously afterward. read more

I tried four different meats and was very disappointed in two (brisket and pulled pork), ambivalent toward one (pulled chicken), and impressed with one (turkey). In fact, I thought the brisket was terrible, dry and crumbling. The pulled pork was more like shredded pork, and was below average in taste. The pulled chicken was fine, but what was very impressive was the turkey. I tried two sides, the green beans and the mac and cheese. Both were a bit better than average. Not impressive overall, although if I went back, I'd definitely (and ONLY) order the turkey. Needs a lot of improvement. read more

Wow, great barbecue in Maryland....who knew? The menu has a wide range of bbq staples including brisket, ribs, sausages and turkey. I thought the best idea was the 3 meat sampler, which gave you three choices of meat (1/4 each) and then I added a side. I had the moist brisket, sausage and ribs. All the meats were good, the ribs were my favorite. The sausage was also very nice, the brisket was a tad dry but was packed with flavor. They have close to 10 different tyhpes of sauces. my 2 favorites being Old Bay and Kansas City. Solid little BBQ place with good prices and great bbq. read more

A solid choice for BBQ and supports our troops!! It is very clean and the staff was very friendly. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich with slaw and mac & cheese. Everything was excellent. They have a ton of sauces...and you need to try everyone. They also have outdoor seating which is nice. If you're in the mood for great BBQ definitely give this place a try! read more

First time here and was greeted to standing for the national anthem at noon. That was a first. Food is decent and there's different flavored bbq options at the tables which is nice so you can do as little or as much as you like. Come hungry, otherwise you can order from the kids menu for better sized portions. read more

Love love love this place. And I come as much as I can for lunch and sometimes come for dinner. Since moving here a few months ago , everyone there at mission bbq are great. I even went to another mission restaurant because of the hospitality of this location. Great food great environment great staff! read more

This can be hit or miss. Their rolls for sandwiches can be very dry or really good. Menu selection is small and rarely changes.

I never leave reviews but after the service that Jim and his friendly staff gave me and some friends..I felt compelled to share. This place is fantastic. The food was great, the service was second to none, and the experience was phenomenal. A+!! Thank you for turning a dreary, rainy Monday into an exciting high-speed train ride into flavor town! read more