Anyone tried Mission BBQ yet?

[FSUTribe76]

I haven't been yet but was curious if anyone has given it a go. Tallahassee has always been in desperate need of good BBQ yet our best options are overpriced Four Rivers with its hit or miss performance (and its Tritip is especially %*^^ when compared to the real deal in Cali) meanwhile Dreamland is just a faint tick above Sonny's.

 

[LesClaypool]

Haven't tried it yet and don't imagine I will anytime soon.

Taziki's, next door, was decent Greek/Mediterranean fast food though.

 

[RunRonnieRun]

Haven't tried it yet and don't imagine I will anytime soon.

Taziki's, next door, was decent Greek/Mediterranean fast food though.

One of the partners for the Taziki's chain (dad & 2 brothers) was a Kappa Sig at FSU.

 

[TexaNole]

Mission is all over the place up here (DC/Baltimore). Among the best in the area, but that's a low, low bar. Brisket is decent, sausage is pretty good, pulled pork is tolerable. They have a rotating seasonal thing that's usually worthwhile (most recent was grilled shrimp that were tasty).

Sides are very good, especially the mac 'n' cheese.

We eat there a lot because they're very safe for food allergies. Almost no egg, dairy is only in the obvious things. Fryer only has fries in it.

VERY military-friendly. They even close on Veterans/Memorial Day, when you'd think a BBQ joint could make a mint.

 

[GoNolesTX]

One of the partners for the Taziki's chain (dad & 2 brothers) was a Kappa Sig at FSU.

One of these JUST opened about half a block from my office in Plano, good enough reason to give them a try.

 

[vevois23]

Nope, not yet

 

[kc78]

Where is it at in Tally?

 

[FSUTribe76]

Where is it at in Tally?

In the new little strip mall called Magnolia Grove on Magnolia about two blocks from Apalachee. It's where the new Blaze Pizza, Smashburger, Which Which and Oishi Bento are located.

It's also where the new Stanton Optical is located. I went there when it was first opened and got an amazing deal, a two year supply of contacts, three pairs of skechers glasses, one pair of a bargain brand of glasses that I liked and the exam all for a little over $500.

 

[montconole]

Mission is all over the place up here (DC/Baltimore). Among the best in the area, but that's a low, low bar. Brisket is decent, sausage is pretty good, pulled pork is tolerable. They have a rotating seasonal thing that's usually worthwhile (most recent was grilled shrimp that were tasty).

Sides are very good, especially the mac 'n' cheese.

We eat there a lot because they're very safe for food allergies. Almost no egg, dairy is only in the obvious things. Fryer only has fries in it.

VERY military-friendly. They even close on Veterans/Memorial Day, when you'd think a BBQ joint could make a mint.

Never heard of it and I live in Clarksburg.

Twelve locations in Maryland and nothing in Montgomery County. Another example of companies shying away from one of the richest counties in the country due to anti-business sentiment.

 

[FSUTribe76]

Truthfully I hope Tally gets an outpost of Moes BBQ. It may be owned by a bunch of Bammers but for a larger chain they get a lot right. If my facilities take off like I think they will and Tally is still a BBQ desert in a couple of years I'll have to see if they do franchising.

 

[KitingHigh]

I haven't been yet but was curious if anyone has given it a go. Tallahassee has always been in desperate need of good BBQ yet our best options are overpriced Four Rivers with its hit or miss performance (and its Tritip is especially %*^^ when compared to the real deal in Cali) meanwhile Dreamland is just a faint tick above Sonny's.

I like tritip, but in all honesty Californians can't que for crap. People out there actually grill ribs. As in they take raw ribs and pop them on a hot grill for 20-25 minutes.

Tritip is kind off a bailout cut for Californians. It's pretty good even when the chef doesn't know what he's doing, but on the other hand, it will never beat a good brisket, ribs or a good steak when they are done right.

 

[FSUTribe76]

I like tritip, but in all honesty Californians can't que for crap. People out there actually grill ribs. As in they take raw ribs and pop them on a hot grill for 20-25 minutes.

Tritip is kind off a bailout cut for Californians. It's pretty good even when the chef doesn't know what he's doing, but on the other hand, it will never beat a good brisket, ribs or a good steak when they are done right.

I assume you're talking pork ribs and I have zero problem with grilled ribs done right. Rendezvous in Memphis which really started the fascination with ribs as a separate cut/item as opposed to the Carolina whole hog or shoulder approach does their ribs on direct heat only and they are amazing. While I personally prefer their lamb ribs to pork ribs, their pork ribs are still definitely in my top 5 or at worst 10 ribs I've ever had and I go to a lot of competitions as the husband of a friend of mine does the circuit. I personally like a little bit of the char on my ribs and at home I do a bake or sous vide and then finish on the grill.

As far as "BBQ beef", while it's true my favorite of all time is Kreuz Market (which may have just been an awesome day, it's usually behind other famous Texas places despite being 100+ years old), my second favorite is the Far Western Tavern in the greater Santa Maria region and my third is the Hitching Post also in Cali. Both do more than just tritip (we got the bone in rib steak at Hitching Post and a ribeye at Far Western) and I liked them both better than the other Texas BBQ I've been to (Franklins, Blacks, Salt Lick, Pecan Lodge, Cousins just to name those off the top of my head). For the most part other than Kreuz, the Texas places seem to like to kill the brisket by taking it way past well or at least that's been my experience. The high quality Cali places keep their beef rare or medium rare and that works for me FAR better.

I'll have to throw a couple of pics from last Friday at the Far Western and this Monday at the Hitching Post along with my pics from Texas BBQ places a couple of months ago up here for comparison.

 

[BelemNole]

I live in CA. I can't recall ever seeing direct cooked pork ribs but once.
Tri-tip is delicious, and is probably harder to do right than pulled-pork, which any novice can pull off.

 

[FSUTribe76]

I live in CA. I can't recall ever seeing direct cooked pork ribs but once.
Tri-tip is delicious, and is probably harder to do right than pulled-pork, which any novice can pull off.

I'll be honest, I don't recall seeing ANY pork in the Santa Maria "BBQ" places but I was going with the flow assuming he might have been somewhere I haven't.

Plus as you know living in Cali...it's actually semi-tough to find tritip (or at least good tritip) in restaurants because it's impossible to "hold" the tritip at medium rare which is what everyone likes in a restaurant setting with warmers as it all goes to well the way they like it Texas under the warmers. So you either "know a guy", go to a tailgate, the Elks Lodge or its like, or go to the Far Western which cooks most of its tritip to order. Most of the Cali "BBQ" places are closer to steakhouses...absolutely delicious, cooked on red oak wood steakhouses but Steakhouses nonetheless.

 

[FSUTribe76]

Mission is all over the place up here (DC/Baltimore). Among the best in the area, but that's a low, low bar. Brisket is decent, sausage is pretty good, pulled pork is tolerable. They have a rotating seasonal thing that's usually worthwhile (most recent was grilled shrimp that were tasty).

Sides are very good, especially the mac 'n' cheese.

We eat there a lot because they're very safe for food allergies. Almost no egg, dairy is only in the obvious things. Fryer only has fries in it.

VERY military-friendly. They even close on Veterans/Memorial Day, when you'd think a BBQ joint could make a mint.

I tried it yesterday in Tally and your assessment is the same as mine other than the pulled pork which I found to be quite good.

I got the two meat combo with brisket and sausage and my wife got the pulled pork sammy and then we split them in half.

The first thing I would say is that all of their seven sauces are EXCELLENT!!! My main problem with both Piggies and 4 Rivers was that while their meat was better than Sonny's, their sauces were not. Mission on the other hand had great sauces and even the "worst" of the 7 imo, the Tupelo Honey Heat was still decently high quality. Even their "Bay BQ" sauce with Old Bay seasoning in it which is supposed to reflect Maryland was surprisingly good. But their Texas Style and KC Style were great, some of the best chain sauces I've had. My ONLY complaint sauce wise (and it's tiny) is I wish they had a South Carolina yellow mustard style and a Florida Fatboys/Sonny's mustardy red sauce to compliment all of their delicious red sauces.

As far as the meat itself, the brisket was one notch below Piggies and 4 Rivers when they were at their best but better than the worst versions I've had from Piggies and 4 Rivers. Since I've been to Mission only once now, I'm not sure if they will consistently have slightly worse brisket or if that's a one time thing. However, their pulled pork was on point for a NC style and it worked great with both their Vinegar "sauce" and all of their red sauces. It wasn't the best pulled pork I've ever had as I frequent Red Bridges in Shelby NC, Bill Ellis in Wilson NC and Pierces Pitt in Williamsburg VA at least once a year or so, but it's the best I've had in Tally by miles. The sausage was great as well.

The sides were decent too. The baked beans obviously use their Texas Twang which has an A-1 style tanginess to it so they were pretty decent. I probably prefer Sonny's beans though. Their mac and cheese was better than Sonnys and their fries (which were given to us as a freebie) had a good seasoning on them and were crispy.

Dare I say...Tallahassee may not be a BBQ wasteland anymore? I don't know, one trip isn't enough to say definitively but it is a very promising start. I would say that a Moes chain would still be worthwhile as an addition.

 

[DanC78]

I tried it yesterday in Tally and your assessment is the same as mine other than the pulled pork which I found to be quite good.

I got the two meat combo with brisket and sausage and my wife got the pulled pork sammy and then we split them in half.

The first thing I would say is that all of their seven sauces are EXCELLENT!!! My main problem with both Piggies and 4 Rivers was that while their meat was better than Sonny's, their sauces were not. Mission on the other hand had great sauces and even the "worst" of the 7 imo, the Tupelo Honey Heat was still decently high quality. Even their "Bay BQ" sauce with Old Bay seasoning in it which is supposed to reflect Maryland was surprisingly good. But their Texas Style and KC Style were great, some of the best chain sauces I've had. My ONLY complaint sauce wise (and it's tiny) is I wish they had a South Carolina yellow mustard style and a Florida Fatboys/Sonny's mustardy red sauce to compliment all of their delicious red sauces.

As far as the meat itself, the brisket was one notch below Piggies and 4 Rivers when they were at their best but better than the worst versions I've had from Piggies and 4 Rivers. Since I've been to Mission only once now, I'm not sure if they will consistently have slightly worse brisket or if that's a one time thing. However, their pulled pork was on point for a NC style and it worked great with both their Vinegar "sauce" and all of their red sauces. It wasn't the best pulled pork I've ever had as I frequent Red Bridges in Shelby NC, Bill Ellis in Wilson NC and Pierces Pitt in Williamsburg VA at least once a year or so, but it's the best I've had in Tally by miles. The sausage was great as well.

The sides were decent too. The baked beans obviously use their Texas Twang which has an A-1 style tanginess to it so they were pretty decent. I probably prefer Sonny's beans though. Their mac and cheese was better than Sonnys and their fries (which were given to us as a freebie) had a good seasoning on them and were crispy.

Dare I say...Tallahassee may not be a BBQ wasteland anymore? I don't know, one trip isn't enough to say definitively but it is a very promising start. I would say that a Moes chain would still be worthwhile as an addition.

Dude knows his BBQ

You should be a judge in those grill master shows.

Speaking of, have you been to the place in Thomasville? The guys who wins the majority of those competition has a place there. It might be his main one, not 100% sure though.

 

[FSUTribe76]

Dude knows his BBQ

You should be a judge in those grill master shows.

Speaking of, have you been to the place in Thonasville? The guys who wins the majority of those competition has a place there. It might be his main one, not 100% sure though.

I've been to Fallins and Granddaddys in Thomasville, both I thought were decent but not special. I'm not sure if those are what you're referring to.

The only BBQ place I've come across in the Panhandle and Big Bend I consider special is Goodmans in Perry and their dining room has been closed for remodel for months and I'm afraid may never reopen.

 

[DanC78]

I thought Myron Mixon from Pitmasters had a reasurant in Thomasville, but maybe I'm wrong.

 

[ericram]

I've been to Fallins and Granddaddys in Thomasville, both I thought were decent but not special. I'm not sure if those are what you're referring to.

The only BBQ place I've come across in the Panhandle and Big Bend I consider special is Goodmans in Perry and their dining room has been closed for remodel for months and I'm afraid may never reopen.

I have been to both as well. They are slightly above Sonny's. Or a Sonny's +1 scale.

 

[TC Nole OX]

...Goodmans in Perry and their dining room has been closed for remodel for months and I'm afraid may never reopen.

According to their FB page, they are open for carry out Tues through Friday.

 

[noleswaback]

I haven't been yet but was curious if anyone has given it a go. Tallahassee has always been in desperate need of good BBQ yet our best options are overpriced Four Rivers with its hit or miss performance (and its Tritip is especially %*^^ when compared to the real deal in Cali) meanwhile Dreamland is just a faint tick above Sonny's.

Pulled chicken with cabbage in center of bun

 

[LesClaypool]

Though I'm typically found hating in these BBQ threads, I confess that I tried Mission BBQ yesterday...and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I got the pulled pork sandwich w/a side of cheesy potatoes. My lady got a pulled chicken sandwich w/a side of baked beans. The meats were both incredibly moist and tender, dry-rubbed to perfection. The sides were tasty (though a bit on the small side). They have 7 sauces. We tried two - Memphis Belle and Smoky Outlaw. Memphis Belle was considerably better than the smokier variety.

We were both in agreement that the meal was excellent.

I'll be going back soon.

 

[RunRonnieRun]

Though I'm typically found hating in these BBQ threads, I confess that I tried Mission BBQ yesterday...and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I got the pulled pork sandwich w/a side of cheesy potatoes. My lady got a pulled chicken sandwich w/a side of baked beans. The meats were both incredibly moist and tender, dry-rubbed to perfection. The sides were tasty (though a bit on the small side). They have 7 sauces. We tried two - Memphis Belle and Smoky Outlaw. Memphis Belle was considerably better than the smokier variety.

We were both in agreement that the meal was excellent.

I'll be going back soon.

 

[TexaNole]

Mission on the other hand had great sauces and even the "worst" of the 7 imo, the Tupelo Honey Heat was still decently high quality. Even their "Bay BQ" sauce with Old Bay seasoning in it which is supposed to reflect Maryland was surprisingly good. But their Texas Style and KC Style were great, some of the best chain sauces I've had. My ONLY complaint sauce wise (and it's tiny) is I wish they had a South Carolina yellow mustard style and a Florida Fatboys/Sonny's mustardy red sauce to compliment all of their delicious red sauces.

Yeah, forgot to mention the sauces. I love that the ones that don't have a sugary name actually aren't sugary. They usually do have a mustard-style sauce up by the drinks and utensils and such, just not on the table for some reason. Obviously I can't speak to the Tally location, but you might look for it there.