I just found a great BBQ restaurant! It is tough for me to find good BBQ restaurants outside of North Carolina (the home of BBQ), but Mission BBQ fits the bill. They have a great selection of BBQ, including pulled pork, beef brisket, Smoked Prime Rib, Chicken, Sausage, and Turkey. What really impressed me was how helpful the staff was to check on ingredients for me to make sure the items I was interested in were gluten free and corn free. Some BBQ restaurants will put a rub containing gluten and/or corn on the meat. And don't even get me started on the sauces...most of those are full of corn syrup. Not at Mission BBQ! The rubs on the meats are gluten and corn free, as well as all but one of the sauces (it contains A1 Steak Sauce in it). Love being able to have variety and the ability to try out the sauces. They even have fun names, like Memphis Belle, Smoky Mountain, Bay-B-Que, Tupelo Honey Heat, NC Vinegar, and Craftsman Special. The Texas Twang has gluten in it, so please avoid.
The staff was also quick to let me know once they found out my food allergies that the french fries are gluten free and the only thing they fry in the fryer! Yum! I had to try the fries, as well as the pulled pork and beef brisket. All were very good. The pulled pork and beef brisket were crispy on the edges with a nice smoked flavor. I tried a couple of the sauces and they were a nice compliment to the meat.
I visited the Fort Myers, FL location, but Mission BBQ has 21 locations up and down the East Coast in Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. You order at the counter and then wait for your number to be called. Another thing about Mission BBQ I really liked is all the service men and women memorabilia from police departments, firefighters, soldiers, and first responders everywhere in the restaurant. Fun fact, Mission BBQ opened on September 11, 2011 and the owners want to make sure our service men and women are represented and appreciated for all of their efforts. Giving back and good BBQ? A winning combination! God Bless America!
Mission BBQ
http://mission-bbq.com/
