Most "secret menu" articles are invented. This one separates what a Mission BBQ counter will genuinely do for you from what is circulating online with no basis — because asking for something that does not exist wastes everyone's time and asking for something that does is worth knowing.
Mission BBQ prices at a glance
The prices referenced on this page, collected up front. They vary by location and change without notice.
| Order it as | What you get | Roughly |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Meat Sampler + 2 sides, split between two | A shared meal cheaper than two sandwiches | $20.17 |
| Cornbread + baked beans + cold slaw | A genuine light meal for under $8 | $7.42 |
| Turkey sandwich + Alabama White | The closest thing to a smoked chicken sandwich | $9.49 |
| Pulled pork + NC Vinegar + cold slaw on the bun | An Eastern Carolina sandwich, assembled by you | $12.03 |
| Chopped brisket + Texas Twang | The best-value beef order on the menu | $12.69 |
The genuinely off-menu item
The Black Plate Special
This is the real one. A rotating daily plate around $13.49 that changes by location and day of the week, is not printed on the menu, and is often not on the board either. It is usually the best value in the restaurant because it is built from whatever the kitchen has most of.
How to order it: "What's the Black Plate Special today?" That is it. More in the specials guide.
Modifications that always work
These are not secret so much as unadvertised. All are normal requests that the counter will handle without hesitation:
- Half lean, half moist brisket. On any Meat Market order. There is no reason to commit to one cut.
- Meat unsliced. On by-the-pound orders — it holds moisture dramatically better on the drive home.
- Sandwich on a tray instead of a bun. The standard workaround for anyone avoiding gluten; see the allergen guide.
- Extra pickles and onion. Free at almost every location.
- Slider rolls instead of a bun from the catering bread list, for a smaller sandwich.
- Ask when the brisket came off. Not a modification, but the single most useful question you can ask — it determines whether sliced brisket is a good idea right now.
Build-your-own combinations worth knowing
That fourth row is the one worth trying. Mission BBQ does not sell a Carolina-style pork sandwich, but it sells every component of one — pulled pork, NC Vinegar at the wall, and cold slaw. Put the slaw on the bun.
What is not real
Claims that circulate online with no basis:
- A "secret" burnt ends order. Mission BBQ does not run burnt ends as a standing item. If you want them, Famous Dave's sells them as a platter.
- Free refills on anything other than the Heroes Cup. Refills are $0.99 with the cup and full price without it.
- An off-menu "double meat" sandwich at a fixed price. You can add meat, but it is priced as an add-on, not a hidden item.
- Secret sauces held behind the counter. All eight sauces are on the wall. There is no ninth.
The one thing everyone should ask
Not a secret menu item, but the highest-value question at any barbecue counter: "When did the brisket come off?"
Mission BBQ pulls product through the day rather than holding one cook from open to close. If the answer is "twenty minutes ago", order sliced brisket. If it is "this morning" and it is now half past three, order chopped — it is mixed with its own rendered fat and holds far better. The hours guide maps the whole day.
Everything actually on the menu, with prices, is on the Mission BBQ menu page.