So I decided to go a few times before writing my review. Cute little place and very military oriented. Love the parking for veterans as well as all the items on display regarding the armed forces. On to the food. So after reading several reviews regarding the brisket I decided to give it a try. The meat alone was dry. Flavor was okay but definitely was overshadowed by the dryness of the meat. Ended up using a lot of the Tupelo sauce in order to eat the meat. Tried the chicken sandwich which was a massive amount of meat. There was enough meat for two to three people to eat. The meat had a nice taste to it and paired well with the sauces. The last meat that I tried was the smoked turkey and I must say this was my fave. My husband also tried their jalapeño sausage but didn't care for it. I taste it and didn't like it either. The casing was very rough and the meat not appealing. There was also a generous portion of meat with this serving also. For the sides the fries are amazing! If you love the taste of fresh cut fries these will be sure to please your pallet. After reading several rave reviews about the Mac and cheese I had to try it out and it didn't disappoint at all. The cornbread was okay and not something that is a must to order. The staffers were very friendly and pleasant. They gave me full details regarding the program for veterans and told me exactly how to sign up. Food orders and taken quickly and food served up typically but definitely doesn't have fast food appeal as everything was very fresh. The portion sizes here are large. Initially I thought I got a staffer that was generous with the meat but every visit since has given way to large portion sizes. If you're in the area stop in as it won't disappoint. read more

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1st time going to mission BBQ, they didn't have brisket or pulled pork. Really???? The barbecue was average at best. Without the different sauces they had, this bbq would be below average.I do not recommend this restaurant. Don't waste your money or time. read more

Great service and a high energy group of employees. I am going to give them one more try as I didn't find their meats to be cooked to my liking. BBQ is a very personal taste. I tried four different sauces and truly didn't find one I would like and at least one the West Virginia, that I never want to taste again. The meat cuts were very fatty - sampler brisket and sausage. The sausage was very good. The brisket was lacking. Also sampled the smoked meatloaf special. It was ok. Sides were average. Cheesy potato was the best of those. With so many other BBQ options in the area (many I have reviewed) -- the rank low on the list. And this is tough because I love what the stand for and the causes they support. read more

It's an unusual day for me to eat this kind of food, as much as I love it. Today I felt the siren song of smoked meats, and I wanted to give this new establishment a taste. The Concept Mission BBQ is the brainchild of two successful entrepreneurs and friends, a founder of Underarmour and an executive with Outback Steak House. Founded on September 11, 2011, the idea is premium fast-casual barbecue in a hyper-americana environment. All of the memorabilia in the place refer to the armed forces, police, fire people, and first responders, i.e., "those who serve." This is the 70th outpost of the growing chain which started in Maryland. The founders' children were in the military, and it seems that they don't preferentially hire military or public service people at least here in Gurnee. However, the appeal can't be understated in this community: the place was packed. Mission BBQ does sponsor benefits for the military and they offer a special cup of soda at $3.99, $1.99 of which goes to the USO. The Food If my tastebuds are judging, this was all five star food. I asked what the most popular meats were, so I tried a two meat combo of the brisket and the pulled pork. They smoke the meat on the premises with dry rubs, and it shows. Brisket was best in class, and I got it juicy. Pulled pork was very good, but elevated to delicious with a douse of the North Carolina vinegar which was on the table with a six pack of different sauces. Portions were carefully measured, meaning on the wrong side of generous. The cider vinegar was slightly sweet with a mild heat and tasted pretty good on the brisket as well. Of the six sauces to choose from, my tastes leaned toward the Memphis Belle, "the sweet sauce," and the KC Classic, which was smokier with a touch of mustard. The meat plates come with a square of cakey cornbread which was all right. A brief gander at the corporate website has me wishing they offered some of their other regional sauces that had more bite and a little less sugar. Sides, all priced separately at around $2 each unless you bundle one or two for a small discount with a drink, are almost all off-the-chart good. Maggie's Mac and Cheese is a standout. Topped with toasted bread crumbs, it's unquestionably illegal for weight watchers. The baked beans loaded with brisket chunks were also crazy good. I also tried the fresh green beans liberally peppered with bacon and loved the flavor. I was underwhelmed with the "Cold Slaw" [sic], which was better because of the celery seed, but neither sweet nor creamy as I would prefer it. One hostess walked around the dining room with a tray of "freedom" fries (not French fries-- God forbid in this place) with a seasoned salt which were just browned enough to give them that double-fried flavor. There's a raft of other meats on the menu, including smoked turkey, chicken, sausage, baby back ribs, spare ribs, and salmon. That's certainly enough to warrant another trip, if not for the sides alone. The Service Service was also across the board five star. I had engaging conversations with the people who took my order, cleaned my table, and asked me how my food was as I was eating. Management is doing something very right here to elicit this kind of behavior from its staff. The Value Value here is all right. I'm no connoisseur of barbecue places which seem to be sprouting up these days like mushrooms, but my dinner of two meats and four sides with a drink (and the lemonade is too sweet) was about $18. This seemed a bit high to me. Final Impressions There's something calculated about the concept of this place which is clearly working from an appeal standpoint. It strikes me as brazenly opportunistic. If they actually are giving back, then that's a good thing, despite the fact the founders aren't among "those who serve." I think the place could stand alone on food and service without the theme. I don't think it matters to the people who are coming here, eating great food, and forking over their money without asking too many questions about the concept. It makes many people feel good to eat great food in a place dedicated to proud, American service personnel. read more

Mission BBQ - Two meat combo with brisket and pulled pork, baked beans, cole slaw, and corn bread, with drink, $14. - Barbeque Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

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Went in there a week ago feeling hopeful for another edible BBQ place in the area and their Mac and cheese was great, however the pulled pork was really dry and the fries were ice cold and had clearly been sitting out under the warmer for awhile. The Texas twang sauce really has no twang rather an overwhelming smoky chipotle flavor. Overall I was pretty disappointed. Edit: Went in again today because I felt like giving them a second chance. They improved on the fries and the Smokey mountain barbecue sauce was fantastic(although I asked for two and they only gave me one for takeout), but the pulled pork was even dryer than last time and this time I went in the middle of the lunch rush when I figured the food would be at its prime. Beyond all of that the food made me violently ill tonight and it's safe to say I'll never be returning to mission BBQ. Would've given 0 stars if I could. read more

Having only had two of the meats here I cannot really say much for the rest of them. The ribs are great. Expensive but great. The brisket was entirely too dry for me. The sides are quite good. I'm more of a fan of those than the meat. What sets this place (gurnee) apart from the other restaurants in the area is the shear pleasantness of the staff. Seriously, the food is par, the atmosphere is heavy on military and civil EMS but the staff is just delightful. Two tips - if you don't like dealing with having your noon time meal interrupted with a singing of the national anthem (seriously, they will stop everything and expect everyone there to at least stand)... and they also do colorguard on certain holidays... well, if you don't want the ceremonies of those two things... avoid them for those times. read more

Super friendly staff. Great set up. Good food. This is a casual, fast food rib place. They are new opening and still tweaking things but overall yummy. Even people on keto diets can eat here. The ribs are dry and cooked pretty well imo. You add sauces later. Hence, good for keto. There are six of them. Probably something to appeal to every one. I, personally, enjoyed the St Louis Red the most. Then the Tupelo Honey and the Texas one. Kc was pretty good as well. My bff and I, of course, HATED the two most popular ones. Lmao. The Memphis Belle and the something Smokehouse. Nice sweet corn bread comes with the ribs. The sides are all a la carte. Unless you get a combo of one or two sides with a drink. Well worth the add. The prices were a little high for just 5 or 10 ribs. $10.99 and $18.99 respectively. You can also get them per rib at $2 something each of you want a tiny amount or to add on. Their bean were superb. Fresh cut fries (not frozen. Says it right in the signage.) were good. They are nice and will let you sample sides before getting them. They have Mac and cheese, green beans and potato salad as well. They have other typical bbq fare such as pulled pork, chicken and brisket. The manager came around and talked to us quite a while. Brought us a try with a liner to sample all the sauces easily. Other employees came by the tables to check on everybody multiple times. Great hospitality. I'll definitely be back. read more

Mission BBQ - A baby back rib order with baked beans, fresh cut fries (not frozen) and cornbread. Mmmmm. - Barbeque Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

Tonight was my first time and I was not disappointed! Let me start with the customer service. Kallee took our order and was very nice and knowledgeable about the menu and help us pick the perfect meal. The brisket was moist and the pulled pork was great! Their Mac and cheese was super cheesy and we even ordered an extra side to take home. The potato salad was fresh and delicious as well. Their corn bread was sweet and moist. They have a great atmosphere and I especially liked the tool box condiment holder. We will be returning! read more

Mission BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

Amazing sauces, very VERY good meats. Good atmosphere- all about veterans & first responders. Well-run, they got through the crowd quickly, and served the called us for the food quickly. Friendly staff too! Liked it so much, I took a bumper sticker! read more

This is my first time here and absolutely not the last. I'm so proud to have found this place. I have too much to share but I just have to say I am in tears for a place so clean, and take pride in our country. We stood for the national anthem at Noon. I will share this with every veteran and proud family! Thank you for honestly the BEST EXPERIENCE AT RESTAURANT IN MY LIFE. read more

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This place checks all the boxes, patriotic, class, happy faces, and great food. Thank you for what you do!

Love the quality, staff and taste. Delicious everything from the sauce to the Cole slaw. Great char, bark and smoke flavor. They have a lot of sauces that rock. Next try the smoked Prime rib. Can't wait. read more

First time and love it! Staff so friendly and walked us through the menu and samples. Food was great and huge selection of sauces. Will be back over and over. I had a sampler of brisket chicken and pulled pork also tried there are sausages and their baby back ribs. How are exceptional. read more

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One of the best bbq joints that I have been to. I've been all over the U.S and have always thought some to be ok but not great. The pulled pork and chicken were delicious from the first bite. The spicy bbq sauce was my favorite. Definitely will be back for more. read more

Just stopped in at the newly opened Mission BBQ and had to write a review! I wanna start off by noting I'm from NC and I'm military so I'm always looking for a piece of home. I've many "Carolina" style bbqs, but this place is the closest I've ever come to it. The NC Vinegar on the table is great, traditional apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, chili flakes, and a little more, mix it up with their Tupelo Honey sauce and it gives it that little extra tangy heat that it only slightly needs. The pulled pork was great and smoky. The coleslaw was fantastic and the green beans scream southern all day with their bits of bacons, grease, and onion. Sweet Tea was great, it was fresh and not spoiled tasting. The environment is great, good music, very patriotic, and I dig It. All in all, I'll be coming back here again. read more

Mission BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

I literally wanted to stand up and give around of applause . I usually telll people the best bar b q comes from my yard !!!! Well holy smokes these folks here have for me . Let's start with the turkey first it's turkey that's been smoked to perfection and it's healthy secondly they have great sauces lotsa of em I used a sweet sauce called Molly I and believe man was she nice woooooo. The brisket was splendid almost liked smoked pot roast and there was soooo much brisket in the beans they should change the name to " beans and brisket" and let's just call it " Smac and cheese " cuz it was like dope man I gotta tell ya I say there until I ate everything to put it mildly yea sure did and skipped dinner I was so full. It was wonderful to find out one is only 15 minutes away I wonder if I'll go there for lunch again today read more

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First visit to Mission - like the concept, very clean, friendly employees. Wife and I order a three meat sampler, with pulled chicken, brisket, sausage link. Sides of beans, fries mac n cheese...and corn bread. We agreed that everything tasted average - equal or better than other chain BBQ places, but not nearly as good as a few of the "family" owned places which are located in Waukegan or Third Lake. read more

Went to Mission BBQ for the first time and I am disappointed we did not try it sooner! Food was great, good portion sizes for the price, and the staff was beyond friendly. We also loved the decor, kids had a fun time looking at all the patches and pictures. We also met the kindest woman cleaning tables. She made our night just by being so kind and saying hi! We will definitely be back. read more

Dickies who? This place takes the crown for fast food BBQ. I ordered the brisket with fries for my first of many visits. Although they were busy food came up quick, hot, and juicy. First impression was wow that looks so good. I found my seat and broke off a piece of brisket. Full of flavor, juicy, and just plain good first bite. Fries are fresh cut and just plain good. They keep six bottles for sauces on the table, so I tried each one. They were all good but I favored the spicy one. I loved the food I had here. And I will for sure return for more. On a side note, at noon everyday the stop everything and sing the national anthem. I found that to be pretty interesting seeming as I'm not used to doing it without sitting down and watching the Brewers. read more

I have been here a couple times and the staff has always been great. I really didn't want to cook today so I went by to get some St. Louis ribs and mac & cheese. Simply amazing. Ribs here are so tender and the staff let me pick out as many sauces as I needed to take home. The mac & cheese is incredible and is one of the few places I love getting take out mac. Everything came out so fast. I walked in and was out in about 5min. The staff was so friendly and I felt so welcomed there. When I got home I found a note thanking me for my support during this difficult time. This place is a must. Hot fresh food served with love. Please support this location. Thanks team Gurnee read more

My sister and I visited here for the first time today for lunch. I liked that they support our military and first responders. The restaurant was very clean. The staff was very friendly. We had brisket sandwiches and French fries. The brisket was very tasty. Good bark. However we found it to be a bit tough. Very good flavor. Possibly just a touch dry. When ordering the fries they call back to have them made fresh, but the ones we recieved were not freshly cooked and honestly weren't even warm. Portions were good sized. Didnt leave hungry. Service was super fast. I would say things were good. I would go back, but its not someplace I'd crave and recommend to friends as a must go. read more

Good bbq with big portions. Had the pulled pork sandwich NC style and it did not disappoint. Glad to have finally tried it. The decor is interesting too seeing all the different pictures. read more

Great BBQ and very friendly service (rare in this area). I had the sampler platter with brisket, pulled pork, and baby back ribs--all were excellent! They have six sauces on the table, and I tried all of them (liked the Texas sauce the best). The baked beans were good, but a little too sweet for my tastes. read more

Amazing! What great food and a great team of people working! Love it!!! Your team at the front are just lovely! Alyssa, Alexis! Kelli! Thank you for your serving our men and women of the Services, Police. Veterans, Firefighters, EMTs, everything!! Your food, absolutely terrific!! Pulled Chicken, WOEEE, and your Strawberry Shortcake! My fav!! read more

Great BBQ food in a really friendly and comfortable environment. I was originally headed to Red Robin, but I saw this place next door and I'm happy I decided to visit. The cashier made ordering with all the right options easy, and the order arrived correct without any issues. There are 6 different BBQ sauces on the tables, and they were all delicious, but the "Smoky Mountain" was definitely my favorite. They also have a variety of draft beers available, and if you order a tall boy can of Miller Lite, they serve it with a can coozie. I recommend ordering the beef brisket, but I also sampled the pulled chicken, the mac and cheese and cornbread, and they were all great. They have a pretty nice outdoor seating area, too. Recommended! read more

Mission BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

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good vibes love the vet specials ribs variety of sauces to choose from!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The safest restaurant in Gurnee . Very solid BBQ with lots of choices and good sauces and sides. They do serve some decent local micro brews here too, like Tighthead and Revolution. A great addition to the local casual restaurant scene. read more

Mission BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

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The BBQ is really good here and prices are reasonable. They have a bunch of different sauces to try, which adds to the fun. Very nice, comfortable atmosphere. The staff has always been really awesome and friendly. They even offer to suppose our kids with desert if we want. Love the idea that they recognize and support first responders, military, and veterans. read more

We have been here at least 10 times and have been completely happy after every meal. The meat is also so tender and never dry. The only disappointment I have is that the restaurant does not have sweet potato fries. That said, it still gets 5 stars because we are there for the meat =) read more

The BBQ here is good. Prices have gone up which is understood during these times, but portion sizes have gotten smaller, which was disappointing. read more

I had high hopes after a friend recommended it but tonight was a miss. Had the 5 bone baby backs with fries. The ribs had a hint of smoke flavor so they were likely smoked, but the texture was more like they were boiled. Way way over cooked. Maybe because I came in at 7pm? They definitely fall off of the bone, but not in a good way. The Baja Bold sauce was tasty and had a touch of kick so that saved the day as did the fries. When I was done eating, you can actually see the oil in the bottom of the pan from the ribs which didn't make any sense to me. read more

Mission BBQ - The oil left over from the ribs, that shouldn't be. - Barbeque Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

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During the Coronavirus pandemic. Naval Base Great Lakes went on lockdown. Meaning none of the students were allowed to leave base to enjoy food or their free time off base. But Mission BBQ came to the base every weekend for most of the day, serving up some of the best BBQ I've ever had to sailors all day long. Great service, super friendly staff, and a great price for some really good BBQ. read more

Mission BBQ - Pulled Pork Sandwich, Chopped Brisket Sandwich, Baked Beans w/ Brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

Great BBQ and exception service. People are friendly and service is prompt. This restaurant has a tradition of stopping everything at noon and singing the national anthem. They also showed great respect and support for our military service members. Great place to enjoy good BBQ and show some patriotism. Definitely a 5 stars. read more

Great food and great service but don't go late expecting to see a full menu. Obviously with good bbq, you have to get there before it's all gone! read more

Great staff (Gurnee location)! It was our first time there, it is awesome to see a business not afraid to support our military, our law enforcement, our first responders!! That is AMERICA , will definitely go back next time in the area, or another location. Great job! read more

This restaurant is an example of American patriotism at its finest - recognizing and applauding all that come through the door regardless if you serve our country or the community. I would like to turn around and say "thank you for what you do!" read more

Mission BBQ - An example of an exemplary restaurant recognizing those that serve in all capacities! Five star restaurant and staff! - Barbeque Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

Excellent service! Great food! That's the formula that equates to return customer visits. I very much enjoyed the appreciation and respect this establishment has for the United States Military and all First Responders Police Depts and Fire Depts. Outstanding! Very welcoming atmosphere. Not pompous and condescending. Friendly and down to earth. read more

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We love mission bbq, tonight they were out of lean brisket, but the moist brisket was great. Fries are always good, cheesy potatoes are my husbands fave. Not a huge fan of the green beans because there is not much flavor there. Will definitely continue to come. Customer service here is top notch. read more

The food is delicious and the staff is very friendly. They are always checking that your experience here is a good one. They go above and beyond every time we come here. I definitely recommend this place. It's our once to twice a month stop for dinner. read more

Mission BBQ - Enjoying dinner with family - Barbeque Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

My favorite BBQ place . Excellent brisket and tasty sauces supplied at the table so you can try them all.