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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 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 …