Feast logo

Mission BBQ—Thanking Vets with Brisket

Local Flavors #2

By Adam WallacePublished 5 years ago 4 min read
Like

Hello, and welcome back to Local Flavors where I find new dining experiences in the Nashville area.

Now, originally I didn't intend to cover chains in this column. It was supposed to be about spotlighting little-known spots that could be missed, similar to the purpose of my Second Chances series. However, I do feel it worth talking about the Mission BBQ chain for three important reasons:

  1. The food's excellent.
  2. Community service is at the forefront.
  3. It is new to the area, having opened not far from me only last year.

Mission BBQ

2314 Medical Center Parkway

Murfreesboro, TN 37129

I'd mentioned before that my girlfriend and I are always on the lookout for new dining experiences. However, barbecue is one area where I can be an EXTREMELY harsh judge. The best barbecue I could ever remember having was from a small local chain in San Antonio, TX, called Bill Miller Barbecue. Since moving to Tennessee in the 90s, I've never been able to find anything that truly reached that high-water mark. Most of the barbecue places around here tended to have limited options on the menu and made up for cooking deficiencies by overloading the meat with the one hickory-based barbecue sauce that seemed to be everywhere.

When Mission BBQ opened up nearby, my first instinct was to ignore it. After decades of trying almost everywhere else, I was sure it would be nothing special. However, after seeing overwhelmingly positive rating on Google and Yelp, I looked into them. Apparently, the chain only started with one location in Maryland on the tenth anniversary of 9/11. That's significant as the whole theme of the chain is giving thanks to our servicemen, similar to what Firehouse Subs does for firefighters.

The theme is present before even entering the building. In the parking lot is an old troop transport vehicle outfitted with a smoker. I got to talk to the cooks on it. As it turns out, it's often used to meet high demand as well as for catering. The interior has simple hardwood decor that wouldn't look out of place in a cabin, and the walls are absolutely covered with service memorabilia from unit patches to pictures, all donated by retired servicemen. The military theme even extends to the serving trays used which wouldn't look out of place on the chow line at Fort Knox.

Of course, all this attention to the look of the place means nothing if the food sucks. Considering Ally and I made four trips here in three weeks, I'd say they got it right. During those visits, we've tried almost everything on the menu, meats and sides alike, and we haven't found a single thing that was sub-standard. Not one. Being from Texas, I was most keen to try their brisket. Beef brisket is absolutely terrible if it's done wrong; there's much more leeway when it comes to pulled pork. However, not only is the brisket so tender that you'd never need a knife, but they are so confident in it that they offer a dry option. Most places drown the brisket in sauce as a band-aid (as well as the other meat options), but this place offers the kind that is perfect even without it. The other meats receive the same kind of confident care. Ally was even impressed with their salmon. I'll take her word for that as I'm not as big on seafood as she is. Even their sides are top-notch, especially their baked beans which have a wonderfully thick sauce and bits of brisket and their seasoned fries which are so good that they never require ketchup. The tables even provide a variety of sauces from all over the country. Though I enjoyed the sauces from West Virginia and Missouri, the addition of a mesquite-based sauce from Texas really made me smile.

However, their dedication to high-quality barbecue is nothing compared to the dedication to our veterans. The cup you see above is a drink option that donates to both local and national veterans' organizations ranging from the USO and the Wounded Warrior Project to Murfreesboro Fire Rescue. The chain has donated thousands of dollars to these organizations over the last eight years. Unlike so many who just pay lip service to helping our veterans, Mission BBQ is actually doing something about it.

Mission BBQ is one of the best barbecue choices I've ever had. The food is excellent with prices better than others like Jim & Nick's, and they go out of their way to support our servicemen. Helping our veterans is something I can always get behind; I even donated to the Wounded Warrior Project on my birthday last month. Getting to help them while enjoying great barbecue is a bonus. There are locations in 16 states. Check them out!

What do you think? Anywhere else I should check out for dinner? Let me know, and bon appétit!

restaurants
Like

About the Creator

Adam Wallace

I put up pieces here when I can, mainly about games and movies. I'm also writing movies, writing a children's book & hosting the gaming channel "Cool Media" on YouTube! Enjoy & find me on Twitter!

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.