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Dining Guide

Stanley’s Famous Pit Barbecue

Photograph by Daniel Vaughn

The Brother-in-Law, a sandwiched smorgasbord of chopped beef, butterflied hot links, and cheese, has a powerful (and well-deserved) reputation in East Texas, but order the old-fashioned hand-pulled-pork sandwich, filled with juicy shreds of perfectly smoked pork shoulder. Nick Pencis, the owner and pitmaster, follows a fifty-year-old smoking method—meats housed for sixteen hours in the pecan-fueled pit—to turn out some of the best barbecue in this neck of the Piney Woods.

City: Tyler

Cuisine:

Method: Pecan; gas-fired smoker (ribs); indirect-heat pit (everything else)

Pitmaster: Nick Pencis (since 2006) and Jonathan Shaw (since 2009)

Pro-tip: Try a "breakfast bowl." Then go back to bed.

Rating: ★★★★

Address: 525 S. Beckham Ave., Tyler, TX, 75702

Hours: Breakfast Mon-€“Fri 7-€“10; lunch and dinner Mon-€“Sat 11-€“9

Phone: 903-593-0311

Website: www.stanleyspitbbq.com

Year Opened: 1959

Last updated: May 3, 2013

Reviews

  • Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q (Top 50)

    By

    In 2009 Nick Pencis—a rock and roll drummer, two-time business-school dropout, and owner of Stanley’s—had an epiphany. He had driven all the way to Lockhart to eat at the legendary joint Smitty’s and, in his words, “to try to figure …

  • Stanley’s Famous Pit Barbecue

    By

    Owner Nick Pencis isn’t going to take it anymore. For years he felt compelled by regional tastes to serve lightly seasoned briskets without a speck of fat on them. But when he renovated his restaurant in 2012 (adding a new …

  • Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q

    By

    On a trip down to Nacogdoches, the family stopped for ‘cue in Tyler at Stanley’s. I’d visited once before with a friend and found many faults with Stanley’s although it seemed to have potential. After meeting owner Nick Pencis at …

  • Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q

    By

    The four meat sampler plate should become a staple of every self-respecting BBQ joint. The idea of piling a plate with multiple proteins, and diggin’ in without the distractions of cole slaw, pinto beans or anything else to slow down …

  • Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q

    By

    The Brother-in-Law, a sandwiched smorgasbord of chopped beef, butterflied hot links, and cheese, has a powerful (and well-deserved) reputation in East Texas, but order the old-fashioned hand-pulled-pork sandwich, filled with juicy shreds of perfectly smoked pork shoulder. Nick Pencis, the …