Florida Mission Barbecue Shut Down After State Inspection

Photo byForsaken Fotos, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

For some Floridians going out to enjoy a nice barbecue meal feels like a decadent treat - particularly if you opt for an eatery that slow cooks their meats. Unfortunately, one restaurant in this genre - a Mission Barbecue in Panama City - was recently temporarily shut down after a state inspection.

About Mission Barbecue: This eatery opened up 10 years to the day after 9/11 and it serves three different types of barbecue - Texas, Kansas City, and North Carolina. Meat is smoked for up to 16 hours and sauces are homemade.

The restaurant in question at 508 E 23 Street has been reviewed over 1,400 times and receives a 4.6 on Google reviews.

Many patrons had positive things to say about the food and service. A reviewer named Aubrey wrote:

"Delicious food! Very fair pricing and portion for the price. (A) comfortable and patriotic atmosphere makes you feel welcome. The pulled pork sandwich is always an exceptional choice. You choose your own sauce at the table so you can decide the flavor and the amount added. 7 sauce flavors to pick from."

What Happened At Inspection?: According to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Development, an inspection occurred on July 17, 2024. At that time, 5 violations were noted.

Basic violations came because of a "grease/residue build up on (the) outside of (an) ice bucket" and an employee's water bottle being stored on top of a pan of potato salad.

High-priority violations came because the dish machine failed to heat up to a temperature of 160 degrees, roach activity as evidenced by live roaches, and raw burger patties being stored over pork ribs in the walk-in cooler.

Because of some of the above violations, the restaurant was temporarily shut down. At a follow-up inspection on July 18th, the dish machine was still not heating properly. Finally, at a follow-up inspection on July 24, 2024, no violations remained and the restaurant was free to reopen.

Please note that an inspection is one moment in time and not necessarily how a restaurant conducts itself every day.