I bought my MES 30 Gen 1 for convenience (I wanted an electric smoker) and for the price. But I imagine the BBQ turned out by offset stick burners is going to taste and look different from the electric smokers. Electrics use wood chips or pellets. Also, electric smokers can't produce smoke rings without employing a few hacks, if smoke rings are important to someone.
Also, my smoker is small and fits on a hand truck so it's easy to move in and out of my garage. If I had wanted a charcoal smoker, I would've bought a 22.5"
Weber Smoky Mountain. But I've been very happy with the little MES that I've owned for 3 years.