Excellent choice to cater a college graduation/NBA finals watch party on 6/13/26. I ordered a package with ribs chicken and tri tip and lots of sides that fed 10-12. I should've ordered extra ribs too because we all wanted more. The order included large aluminum covered trays, plates, bbq sauce, cutlery. I ordered with less than 48 hours notice and it wasn't a problem. Staff even helped me out to my car. I'd order the same meal again for a crowd. And I'll Return for their holiday ham again. read more

The BBQ here was really solid, but as a craft beer enthusiast, I especially appreciated their great beer selection. The staff were also incredibly kind and helpful; when I got cold sitting outdoors, they went out of their way to get a heater turned on for me. To top it off, they had live music playing, which created a really great atmosphere and made the whole experience even better. I'll definitely be back! read more

Mission St BBQ - Beer - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Mission Street BBQ is a casual BBQ restaurant in the heart of Santa Cruz. Great place to coming after biking or beaching. They have indoor and outdoor seating. Big beer selection. The food came fast,but we found it pretty average. Aptos BBQ is also owned by them. 4.1 on Yelp. 4.3 rating on google. Safety Pluses - Online menu, Delivery services available, online ordering. Food Review: 3 Meat Meal ($36) in 2026 with pork ribs, pulled pork, tri tip gives a nice view on their meat quality. BBQ Sauce was slightly sweet with a hint of spiciness. Tri tip is thinly sliced, juicy, smokey, and very good. 8.5/10 Brisket was sliced just right and also juicy 8.5/10 Ribs has big bones, meat lacked flavor but way tender. 8/10 Pulled pork is not as finely pulled as most also very salty. 6.5/10 Garlic bread and bean sides are okay, nothing special. 7.5/10 Brisket Sandwich ($15.75) has the same brisket in a small sandwich. 8/10 Overall - Very Good Food - Very Good Decor - Very Good Service - Good Value - Good Would we come back - Yes read more

Love this place! Great for meat lovers, salad lovers and everyone in between! I personally love the baked potato with pulled pork or brisket.... just awesome! Very frequently, they will have live bands which really adds to the ambience. The staff is great, friendly and fast. A great spot! read more

Their breakfast tacos and sandos are sold until 11 AM. They both rely too heavily on the BBQ sauce, but they are still good. I recommend asking for the jalapenos and BBQ sauce on the side: 5/5: The breakfast taco. Perfect ratio of ingredients. 5/5: The breakfast sando. Good quality bun. Can be eaten open face for greater flavor impact. read more

Mission St BBQ - Breakfast taco and breakfast sando; served until 11 am daily. - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Great place to stop before heading to the beach. Really nice and friendly staff. Super helpful and fast service. The bbq plates are generous and everything was well seasoned and came out hot and juicy. We liked everything we tried-and we got pretty much everything. The ribs were tender but still had a bit, brisket juicy and fall apart tender, chicken moist and tritip perfectly cooked. Definitely stop by when you're near. read more

Mission St BBQ - Chicken and brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Santa Cruz and the surrounding areas have been only hits so far with food! Mission St BBQ was suggested to us by someone we know that goes to UCSC and it was the perfect suggestion to close out our trip to Santa Cruz. We got one of the family platter and ordered the loaf of garlic bread (which was cheaper than buying per slice). The brisket was so tender and delicious; the ribs were a bit dry but yummy nonetheless! The mac & cheese is made with white cheddar and the potato salad was so good! The side of pickled veggies is a nice touch and adds an acidic & crunchy touch to the meal! I will definitely be back! read more

Mission St BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Just had this yesterday while we were in town and already craving it. I got the bbq meal plate with brisket, beans, and coleslaw. Came with a choice of bread and opted for the corn bread but only had a small bite just to try it. It was ok. Back to the brisket - it was soooooo juicy and flavor was on point. The beans were really yummy too. Food came out pretty fast and staff was friendly. On the way out we saw they had a sign that said live blues every night. We said we would come back here again next time in town. Would recommend this spot if you're craving bbq! read more

Mission St BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I love this place. You can smell the bbq from the moment you park your car. They have breakfast too until 12 am. They use wooden logs as you can see them stacked next to their bbq burners outside in the back . The prices are unfortunately very high but the bread and meat quality , the courteous service more than makes up for it. We had the sandwichs the brisket and tri tip. I was expected the root beer to be more bigger but I'm used to an A&W Mug I guess. This place is popular amongst the construction workers and blue collar clientele. Not so much as the UCSC students. The location on main is perfect . They also sell rubs and bbq sauce which I passed on this trip because lunch for 3 hungry guys costed around $82! I do really love the bread they use and should've got the small tri tip instead of opting for a large. Had no room for deserts either so that will wait until next visit . If you looking for a bargain lunch or meal this place is not it. You like quality bbq then it is! Definitely Looks like a Santa Cruz staple and here to stay . read more

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Summary: solid Q, fast food atmosphere, busy with decent amount of parking Details: Hungry? You can smell the BBQ driving by, enticing you to come in. Summary of a half dozen visits over the years... Brisket Biscuit Breakfast Sando - solid biscuit with two eggs. Wish it was cheddar and not American cheese. Do top it with the housemade jalapeños and cucumbers. My ranking of the meats: Brisket -- very good Pork Ribs (St Louis Style) Tri-Tip Chicken -- solid Burnt Ends Hot Links Pulled Pork -- eh I'm not a huge fan of any of the sides . Cole slaw is defn too bland. Solid choice of beers and draft soft drinks. Workers are always pleasant and helpful. read more

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Food was Delicious!! The live blues musicians were such a great addition to the memorable dining experience. The family stopped by after spending the day in S.Cruz. Young lady at the counter was very friendly and her suggestions were a great help. We ordered the bbq pulled pork sandwich - it came with lots of meat and the barbecue sauce with spot on. BBQ mac & cheese was delicious and a great size portion. BBQ spud was as well a great portion and very delicious. I would highly recommend everybody to stop by. Beware of the spicy barbecue sauce. It does have a kick at the very end. I will definitely be stopping by again. The only little small suggestion I have is that the Stout beer be a little colder. read more

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Ambiance and service was great! Ample seating with a lot of parking to choose from. It took a pretty short time for them to cook up the food and it was good! I got the large pulled pork meal with mac n cheese and beans. The portion size was more than enough! I usually still am hungry after my meal at restaurants but this one for sure filled me up to the brim! The mac n cheese was super densely packed and the beans had burnt ends in them! The pulled pork was good, not the best Ive had but a great deal at only $23 for the whole thing! They also gave some Andes mint chocolates free of charge which was such a fun touch! read more

Mission St BBQ - Pulled Pork Meal - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

My husband and I stopped by this place after coming into town from up north. The service was great and fast. The food was so delicious! I had the Mac n cheese, I would get this every time! 10/10. read more

Mission St BBQ - My husband and I stopped by this place after coming into town from up north. This place was so good! It did not disappoint! 10/10 - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

They have a stage for live music which is really cool! We got our food to go and it was done pretty quick. The meat was very tasty. It had great flavor and their house barbecue sauce complemented everything well. But while the meat is the focus and was amazing, the sides fell a bit short. We got the cornbread, the beans, and a loaf of garlic bread. Each of them felt a bit lacking. Just blander and less flavor than we'd hoped. The meat was incredible though, and that's obviously the bigger hope at a barbecue place. read more

Mission St BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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We were enjoying the beaches and wanted to enjoy a protein meal before heading back home. I searched for bbq and this came up right away. Neat building and signage as you pull into the parking lot. Then headed to the entrance you can see the smokers outside. It was early evening but it still smelled good. A large menu is seen as you walk in. Then you place your order at the counter. They have a display of swag and bbq sauce and rub for purchase. They also had a cool selection of fountain drinks so we tried something different. Our order came out really quick. And tbh, that regular size meal was the perfect amount to fill our bellies and not feel over stuffed. We got the regular brisket meal with coleslaw and beans. I needed the fiber. It was all quite good, tasty. But the coleslaw was a bit bland. Bestie suggested we add the pickled onions and pickles to it and it completely transformed to yumminess. I highly suggest doing that. I'd totally hit this place up the next time I visit. I have to try their dessert. read more

Mission St BBQ - Regular Brisket Meal with coleslaw, beans and garlic bread. - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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First time trying here yesterday, and this place has actually the best food, I also recommend the jalapeno sausage which is pretty goood too, service was pretty great, I recoomend this place because the staff here do a lovely job, they do have great outdoor seatings!! read more

Mission St BBQ - i think brisket, cornbread, mac and cheese with beans, and jalapeno sausage - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Food: Amazing food,best BBQ I had ever. Smoked chicken is off the hook. Service: Great service friendly staff Ambiance: Good ambiance,but food trumps it. Price per Person: $$ 10-20, read more

Looked up bbq and this popped up busy street so kind of hard to get in. Very busy place the ambiance is family friendly. Live music in the floor they play The Blues. The mac n cheese was delicious and the peppers with onions was something different. It's a family friendly place .everything was delicious ! read more

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This was our dinner spot of choice for a Santa Cruz day trip. I'd been fiending for some classic barbecue these past few weeks, and Mission St BBQ had plenty of reviews already! We heard the music from the parking lot and I personally loved the vibes. Live music, some laughs, and open seating. I shared the three meat combo with mac n cheese + cole slaw as our sides. We were accidentally given potato salad, so they gave us mac n cheese and let us keep the potato salad. It was a good amount of food for three people, surprisingly. The cornbread wasn't as I expected, but with some butter and honey on top, was still good. Not my favorite, but killed the craving. The ribs were our favorite out of the three we tried, but the brisket had a really nice flavor. I do wish we ended up getting extra bbq sauce on the side though. Otherwise, the meal was complete with pickled sides and some mint chocolates. Overall, not a bad place to stop at for dinner on your way out of town! read more

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Was super hungry after a hike, I forgot to take a photo. However you can tell I loved it. I had the brisket, max n cheese, & potato salad. You can't go wrong! read more

Mission St BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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My wife and I had dinner at Mission Street BBQ on Friday night; it was a nice evening, so we ate outside on the patio. Both of us had the Berry Blue salad with tri-tip and really enjoyed it - the greens were good, the fruit and pecans were a real enhancement, the other veggies (a few tomatoes and peppers) added a spot of color, and the tri-tip and the blue cheese were spectacular. The salads are generously sized; I was full but not stuffed. They had blues playing on the audio system (loud enough to enjoy, not so loud as to make conversation difficult). The service was quick, and we enjoyed our beers, too. In fact, we had such a nice dinner that we came back the next afternoon for lunch! Again, we had the Berry Blue salad, but in the interest of health, my wife skipped the meat entirely while I had the BBQ chicken. Next time, I'll either skip the meat or (more likely) go for the tri-tip - the BBQ chicken was perfectly OK, but why settle for OK when spectacular is available? read more

Mission St BBQ - Berry Blue Salad with BBQ Chicken - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

We did Mission St BBQ catering for a work event recently, and it was incredible! Not only was staff attentive and helpful, but they were very accommodating even though we did not give them significant notice. The food was spectacular (as always) but we especially appreciated the efficiency and consideration of the staff we worked with. read more

Definitely stop by for the brisket and tri-tip. They were so tender and juicy. The chocolate pie was used with dark chocolate. This is an order at the counter restaurant where they bring you you're food and you need to bus your own tables. read more

Mission St BBQ - 2 meat plates: * brisket, pulled pork, cole slaw, mac and cheese * brisket, tri-tip, baked beans, and potato salad - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

One of the best bbq and dining restaurants when in Santa Cruz!! It's a lot of good food for the price and generally they have live music on-going. this last time went in the Dec weekend with the kids and they enjoyed the Mac n cheese and we got the chicken and ribs meal. The pork ribs are the best and so is their garlic bread. Must try place in Santa Cruz!! Highly recommended!! read more

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Excellent BBQ - some of the best I've had, and I've had a lot. I didn't get a chance to ask, but the food, service, and the menu are very similar to Salinas City BBQ and Cross Roads BBQ (in Carmel, CA). I'm guessing they're connected. I had a 3-meat combo with coleslaw and beans. The food was hot and fresh, the flavor was top notch. Perfectly smoked and seasoned. The burnt ends are extremely tasty.... be careful! The woman who took my order was very polite and friendly. She ended up bringing my order to my table. I highly recommend giving this place a try. I live on the Monterey side of the peninsula, but often visit Santa Cruz - I'll be back for more of their delicious BBQ. read more

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The food was good the prices are reasonable for the amount you get The service was great first time there so they were very helpful in showing us the menu selection Also there was live music which I truly enjoyed thanks read more

The star of this barbecue was the burnt ends. That is what my partner ordered and I should have as well. They were cooked and seasoned just right - smoky, sweet, meaty chunks of brisket. My pork ribs were okay, but not as succulent as I like them and needed barbecue sauce to liven them up a bit. The sides were acceptable. read more

Mission St BBQ - Burnt bits, corn bread, Cole slaw, beans - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

We shared the brisket meal and ribs meals. For sides we got beans, potato salad, cornbread, garlic bread, Mac n cheese, and a bag of chips. The portions are as is in the photo below. The service was extremely fast. The meat is delicious and out of this world! Went on a Saturday they had live blues music. AMAZING southern bbq. You must try! read more

Mission St BBQ - Brisket Meal and Rib Meal - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Overall good food. You order at the counter and they bring you the food. It's a typical bbq restaurant, decorative, bbq sauce on the tables. Bus your own dishes. In my opinion the BBQ ribs and brisket needed more. Missing smoke rings not always an indicator but it did lack the smoke you may be looking for. The pork was a bit on the dry side. Needed the bbq sauce. The burnt ends were a bit sweet. Plenty of local brewery beer options. I've been wanting to try this place for sometime I heard the wait may be long. Strange it didn't have a crowns at all that day. It was a Sunday just before lunch. I tried it, I recommend others to try. I will likely go again and try different option when I'm in the area. read more

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Can't wait to visit again, loved the blues playing in the background while we ate. I thought I was going to have room for dessert but the portions were just big enough to make me think twice. I had the 2 plate with ribs and tri tip my sides were Cole slaw and Mac n cheese I should've got some to go. read more

Nice vibe. Pretty typical bbq place. There was some music going on at the perfect volume level. The service was perfectly fine. You ordered from the front and then they bring it to you. The actual food was just OK. The ribs were a bit dry and there was nothing extremely special about anything. The brisket was nice and the sides were decent. The beans were not too sweet. read more

Our go to lunch spot when we're in Santa Cruz! Dropped off our youngest for the start of his Sophomore year and after a long day of moving him in, we got out fix at Mission BBQ. If you like good southern style BBQ and Blues then this is the spot! read more

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Had the brisket sandwich this time. I'm usually a ribs guy, but I wanted something a little quicker. When I get ribs, it's an event not just lunch. The brisket was delicious although way too fatty. I'm gonna ask that they trim it down next time and see if they'll do that for free. There was far too much fat on it. I know some people say fat is flavor but to me, fat is... Fat. The role is tasty and toasted and the barbecue sauce is just right. Not too spicy not too sweet although you can add a spicy barbecue sauce if you like. The mac & cheese was good also. It was still hot when it came to the table which is a big plus. overall another nice experience. The staff is very friendly, so yet another great visit to our favorite barbecue place. read more

Holyyyyy shit the barbecue was sooooo goood! And the price was nothing you've ever seen before for these humongous portions. The BBQ spud was amazing, everything was just right and maybe I'm crazy but I would've loved if there was more sour cream but I think that's just me lol anyways this is the best BBQ place I've tried so far (besides some places here in LA) but go try it!! read more

Mission St BBQ - BBQ Mac - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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3/9/24 Zach, Coco and I were in Santa Cruz for the day and decided to check out Mission St. BBQ for lunch. There's limited parking in the back. We were lucky to get a spot since we didn't see any available street parking. You go inside to order and you can either sit in there or sit outside on the patio. Here's what we got: - BBQ chicken sandwich with a side of corn bread (mine) - Firebird BBQ sandwich with a bag of chips (his) The food came out in a few minutes after we had ordered. With the food and utensils on the tray, napkins and moist towelettes are provided as well which I think was very thoughtful since eating a sandwich can get messy. They also placed a mint on the tray so you can snuff out that BBQ breath haha. BBQ is not something I seek out intentionally, but I did enjoy the meal. The cornbread was soft and moist; it comes with honey and butter also. The chicken sandwich was full of flavor and the bread was soft too. Zach's firebird sandwich was supposed to be a spicier version of mine.. he said it wasn't spicy at all, but then again his spice tolerance is higher than most. Overall, I'd say the meal was pretty good. Maybe next time I will add some greens/veggies since it's so carb and meat heavy. read more

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Brisket Mac and cheese! O M G !!! If you like either of those please try it. SO yummy. They do not have draught beer, just in cans (I was bummed about that) but still a good selection. Friendly staff, counter service and self seating. Bright and chill setting, very casual. Off of a busy street but worth the stop. read more

I called my order in today & the young lady who answered was AMAZING. It wasn't until I got into the store that I realized this BBQ spot was TRASH. Upon arriving to the store I walked in to pay & the young guy (Hat on, White, and brownish hair) looked at me up with the most nastiest look ever. When we made eye contact he looked away when he seen that I caught him. I got up to the register where he was & I wasn't greeted like the other customers before! I was rudely looked at until I said " I placed a order online." He rung me up & barely wanted to put my money in my hand. While my order sat on the counter he wouldn't even hand it to me. He just kept staring at me so I had to just grab my order myself! It's 2025 all this blatant racism is STUPID! We get it (Blacks) that Santa Cruz is for everyone but Blacks, but we are here so deal with it! The food was 0/10: Brisket - Was stiffer than life! He was tough to chew and my child almost choked on it Ribs : I asked for no sauce & they had sauce on them. It looked like they scrapped them right before I came and took off what they could! - If I asked for NO SAUCE its a reason. I could be allergic but hey maybe because I'm Black you wouldn't care anyways Trip tip- We had all fat pieces! No meat was really able to taste! I would NOT recommend this place to anyone and if you are Black STAY AWAY! read more

Mission St BBQ - The ribs with sauce I asked not to have on them - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Really good place with good service and good vibes. Can't go wrong with the Two Meat Meal, I love the brisket and tri tip. Recommend trying the baked potato as a side PS - Their signature BBQ Sauce is a go to! read more

I love Mission St. BBQ! Every time I go in there, the staff is friendly and helpful, and the food is delicious! Even though I've enjoyed just about everything on their menu, I look forward to their smoked corned beef around St. Patrick's Day. Mission St. BBQ is also kind and generous to the community. They do fundraisers for the local schools and other non profit organizations. They are quite generous with their donations. read more

Mission St. BBQ is a good BBQ place. They have lots of combinations to choose from, with good meats smoked in their own smoker that's right outside the restaurant! Enjoy Brisket, Pulled Pork, Chicken, Tri Tip, Sausage, Ribs and my favorite Burnt Ends! If you love good smoked BBQ, (like I do!), you Have to try the "burnt ends"! Burnt ends are beef cubes that are usually made from the tip of a brisket, that are smoked and sauced until the coating has caramelized. They are smoked long & slow, so that the result are tender, sweet, smoky and intense! (I call them "meat candy") Of course you can't go wrong with any of their other meats, trust me, they are All Delicious! They offer meat combos, many sandwich choices and even family packages! Also, they offer meat specials around holidays, so check them out if you're hankering for some good old smoked meat goodness, in Santa Cruz, at Mission Street BBQ! read more