Mission BBQ Proud to be American

Opening on Sept. 11, 2011, in the Harundale Mall shopping center has quickly made itself at home in the Glen Burnie community.

As tight-knit as I’ve learned that Glen Burnie can be, I was surprised when Lisa Vogel Penix suggested it as a place that every new resident in town should know.

And so was Steve Newton, co-founder of Mission BBQ.

“That’s just so humbling,” he said when I mentioned why I was there for dinner last week. “The community’s been incredible. I’m in awe of the support that we’ve gotten.”

I’d been to the restaurant once before, but I wasn’t going to ignore the opportunity to check it out again at Lisa’s suggestion. I stopped in Mission BBQ between assignments last Thursday and opted for a NC pulled pork BBQ sandwich, which is topped with coleslaw, with the macaroni and cheese as a side. They also have an assortment of sauces to choose from to top your entree.

But it’s not even the food that’s the main draw of this establishment—though the food is good, don’t get me wrong. It’s the business's commitment to service members.

“The American spirit is still very strong everywhere—not just in Glen Burnie. But the values of [honoring] heroes and veterans is strong here,” Newton said.

The restaurant is decorated with all types of police, fire and military memorabilia, including patches that Newton said some people rip directly off their uniforms to add to the collection on the walls.

Some of the proceeds from the restaurant’s sales go to local firefighters and police officers. In the first week it was open, Mission BBQ raised more than $10,000 for volunteer firefighters in Anne Arundel County, the Fraternal Order of Police and Wounded Warriors.

“They protect, serve and save us. It’s just a small token of what we can do to thank them,” Newton said.

I definitely enjoyed my meal at Mission BBQ and the impromptu interview that Newton granted me when I showed up just to grab some dinner.

So tell me, should I go next?