Smoked turkey is the one thing Mission BBQ makes that fits a Thanksgiving table better than anything you can cook yourself in a domestic oven, and the chain runs a pre-order programme around it. Here is how it works, what it costs, and the mistakes that cause people to miss the window.
Mission BBQ prices at a glance
The prices referenced on this page, collected up front. They vary by location and change without notice.
| Guests | Turkey | Cost | Suggested sides |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 lb | ~$40 | 1 quart mac, 1 quart green beans |
| 6 | 3 lb | ~$60 | 2 quarts |
| 8 | 4 lb | ~$80 | 2–3 quarts |
| 12 | 6 lb | ~$120 | 4 quarts |
| 20 | 10 lb | ~$200 | 6 quarts |
| Addition | Per pound | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sliced brisket | $27.38 | The showpiece. 2 lb transforms a table of eight. |
| Pulled pork | $18.78 | Cheapest way to add volume; excellent as next-day sandwiches. |
| Smoked sausage | $19.98 | Holds indefinitely, disappears first. |
| Side | Quart (feeds ~6) | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Maggie's Mac-N-Cheese | $14.99 | Buy it. Baked with a crust — hard to match at home. |
| Baked Beans with Brisket | $14.74 | Buy it. Real brisket in the beans. |
| Green Beans and Bacon | $14.54 | Optional — easy to cook yourself. |
| Cold Slaw | $14.04 | Skip. Not a Thanksgiving side. |
| Baked Cheesy Potato | $15.19 | Buy it if it is on the seasonal list. |
The short version
- Mission BBQ restaurants are usually closed on Thanksgiving Day itself.
- Pre-orders are collected in the days before, typically the Tuesday or Wednesday.
- Book two to three weeks ahead. Turkey pre-orders sell out, and the kitchen has a fixed smoker capacity.
- Sliced turkey by the pound runs about $19.98; catering sides are $14.04–$15.19 a quart.
Why smoked turkey is worth outsourcing
Turkey breast is lean, which makes it the easiest large cut to ruin and the hardest to keep moist. It is also the item that most reveals whether a barbecue kitchen knows what it is doing — a chain that smokes turkey well is telling you something.
Mission BBQ brines and smokes whole breasts, which is a three-to-four hour cook in equipment most homes do not have. Outsourcing the turkey and cooking the sides yourself is, for most people, the sensible split.
What to order and how much
The rule is half a pound of sliced turkey per adult when it is the centrepiece — more generous than the third-of-a-pound used for mixed barbecue spreads, because at Thanksgiving people go back for seconds and want leftovers.
Adding a second meat
A quietly good idea. Turkey is what the table expects; a pound or two of something else is what people remember.
Sides worth buying rather than cooking
Cornbread at $0.99 each is the easiest addition on the whole order. Buy one per person.
Timing, precisely
- Three weeks out: call your local restaurant and ask when pre-orders open. Do not rely on the website alone — this is a location-level programme.
- Two weeks out: place the order. Confirm the collection day and time in writing.
- Collection day (usually Tue/Wed): collect, refrigerate immediately.
- Thanksgiving morning: reheat.
Restaurant hours around the holiday are covered in the hours guide — expect closure on the day itself.
Reheating smoked turkey without ruining it
This is where a good pre-order gets wasted. Smoked turkey is already cooked; you are warming it, not cooking it again.
- Ask for it unsliced when you order. A whole piece holds moisture dramatically better and takes a minute to carve.
- Wrap in foil with a splash of stock. 275°F for 25 to 30 minutes for a 3 lb piece.
- Never microwave sliced turkey. It goes rubbery and grey.
- Rest 10 minutes before carving.
- Sides: covered dish, 300°F, 20 minutes. Mac-n-cheese benefits from 3 minutes uncovered at the end to re-crisp the top.
Cost against cooking it yourself
| Mission BBQ pre-order | Cooking at home | |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey for 8 | ~$80 (4 lb sliced) | ~$35 raw bird |
| Your time | ~20 min collection | 5–6 hours |
| Oven space | Free for everything else | Occupied all morning |
| Risk of a dry bird | Low | Meaningful |
You are paying roughly $45 for six hours, your oven, and the removal of the single biggest thing that can go wrong on the day. Whether that is good value is a personal calculation, but it is a clear one.
For the everyday menu and prices, see the Mission BBQ menu; for large-group planning, the catering guide.