A barbecue chain known for honoring veterans and first responders is still waiting to fire up its smokers in Western New York. Mission BBQ's Amherst location, planned for 1455 Niagara Falls Blvd., remains listed as “Coming Soon,” with no hours posted and no opening date confirmed.
According to WGRZ, Mission BBQ is expected to open its first Western New York location in Amherst, marking the fast-casual, slow-smoked barbecue chain's debut in the region. The station's report notes that the company announced plans for the Amherst restaurant nearly three years before this report, meaning Western New York diners have had a long time to anticipate their first taste of the chain's menu.
The address discrepancy adds a wrinkle to the story. Mission BBQ's own website lists the Amherst restaurant at 1455 Niagara Falls Blvd., but a January 2024 snippet from Buffalo Business First described a new national franchise restaurant building at 1459 Niagara Falls Blvd. in the Raymour & Flanigan plaza. The available reporting does not reconcile the two addresses.
No Hours, No Opening Date Yet
As of the latest search-result snippet from the chain's own site, the Amherst page still labels its hours “Coming Soon,” and hours have not been posted for the location. The site does, however, have an active menu link for the Amherst restaurant, and the company has posted phone numbers for both the restaurant and its catering service. Whether construction has continued steadily since that January 2024 building stage isn't established in the available record.
Once it does open, Amherst diners can get a sense of what to expect by looking at Mission BBQ's existing Western New York-area footprint. The chain's Henrietta location, south of Rochester, lists hours of 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday at 100 Marketplace Drive, Suite 100, per the company's own site. Mission BBQ also says across its locations that it is closed on eight major holidays and closes early six days a year.
A Chain Built Around Honoring Service
Mission BBQ has built its identity around honoring the people who serve, say company materials: the chain states it honors military personnel, police officers, firefighters, and first responders in its restaurants. “We believe there is nothing more American than BBQ,” the company says, adding that “nobody is more American than the brave men and women who have sworn to protect and serve our communities and our country.”
For now, Western New Yorkers eager for their first taste of Mission BBQ will have to keep checking back. With no confirmed opening date and hours still listed as pending, the Amherst location remains a waiting game for barbecue fans across the region.
