The BBQ Chain Restaurant That Stops Service Every Day At Noon For 2 Minutes

When you go to a barbecue chain, you know there'll be several kinds of tempting meats to choose from, along with deliciously familiar sides. As with all chains that follow a basic food formula, different brands try to distinguish themselves with things like signature menu items, better value, ingredient quality, and branding. At Mission BBQ, there's a unique tradition of playing the National Anthem every day at noon at all its restaurants. Workers stop what they're doing, customers rise to their feet, and they all face the flag for what the company describes as "the best [two] minutes of our day."

The daily pause is part of the overall theme at Mission BBQ, which performed well in our ranking of popular barbecue chains. Friends and co-founders Bill Kraus and Steve Newton wanted their business to salute military members, police officers, firefighters, and other first responders. In addition to playing the anthem, the chain's 155 restaurants in 23 states have patriotic decor that features photos, messages, and other items celebrating those who serve. They're closed on Memorial Day and Independence Day, in addition to holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving. They're also shuttered on the chain's Day of Service, the first Monday in January, to help homeless veterans in their communities.

Kraus and Newton, former high-ranking executives at sports apparel brand Under Armour and Outback Steakhouse, respectively, purposely opened the first restaurant in Glen Burnie, Maryland, on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2011 in recognition of the people they're honoring. They've also donated millions of dollars to related nonprofit organizations, including the USO, Navy SEAL Foundation, and National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

Mission BBQ smokes its meat with white oak wood. Texas-inspired beef brisket, sausage, and pulled pork or chicken are among the entrees on the menu, which come with cornbread. Smokehouse Signatures include baby back ribs, a half chicken, and a smoked cheeseburger, and you can also get a sandwich filled with some of the meats. The sides are all made from scratch, with traditional barbecue favorites like coleslaw, mac and cheese, collard greens, fries, baked beans with brisket, and green beans with bacon.

The barbecue doesn't come with any sauce. Instead, each table has a selection of six sauces from among the chain's homemade signature flavors that represent different regional barbecue styles. There are also Craftsman Special sauces that are only available in certain locations around the country, such as St. Louis Red, Florida Gator Bite, and South Carolina Zing. Mission BBQ teamed up with McCormick in March 2026 to sell retail versions of four of its signature flavors: Memphis Belle, Blue Ridge Smoky Mountain, Texas Twang, and KC Classic.

Service members and veterans can get one of the sandwiches for free in the restaurants during Armed Forces Week in May. Customers can also choose The American Heroes Cup for their drink. They get to keep it, and $2 of the $4.99 cost goes to the charitable organizations the chain supports.