Todd in Tyler: A visit to Stanley's

From our man Todd Plunk:

A few thoughts from my first visit to Stanley's Famous Pit BBQ in Tyler, TX. 

On a recent trip to East Texas, I stopped in for lunch at Stanley's Famous Pit BBQ in Tyler, TX. Stanley's is no secret to Texas BBQ fans, as evident by the many "Best of" lists, so I was excited to experience it first-hand. 

I ordered sliced brisket (fatty with bark), chicken, baked potato and of course their baby back ribs! Brisket tends to be my meat of choice when measuring up a joint, and Stanley's did not disappoint. The bark, the smoke ring, the flavor all added up to a great piece of meat.

The ribs were equally as good...a great flavor without overpowering the meat. They were moist and easily fell of the bone for easy eating. It's no surprise their ribs have won more awards than a boy scout.

I capped the trip off with a visit with the Pitmaster himself. Shaw (@PitmasterShaw) came out to introduce himself and give a tour of the pits. Cooking an average of 50 briskets and racks of ribs a day is no easy task, but Shaw gave mad credit to his great kitchen crew, a true team player and leader.  Thanks for the pit tour, your time and of course a great lunch Shaw!

It's good to know East Texans have a great BBQ place to call their own, and I look forward to making another trip.

Todd

VIDEO: "The Southern Weekend" visits Stanley's

The Southern Weekend made a stop at Stanley's Famous Pit Bar-B-Q (Tyler, TX) and sat down with owner Nick Pencis. Check it out.

Last pics from Stanley's

Last of my pics from my 1st visit to Stanley's:

Rest from the table at Stanley's

Rest of the food pics from my 1st visit to Stanley's:

More from Stanley's

More pics from my 1st visit to Stanley's:

First visit to Stanley's Famous Pit Bar-B-Q (Tyler, TX)

First few pics from my first visit to Stanley's Famous Pit Bar-B-Q (Tyler, TX). On the table: brisket and brisket-&-turkey sandwiches, jalapeño-cheddar sausage, pulled-pork taco, baby-back ribs.

Catching up with old friends at Stanley's

Saturday, for the first time ever, I paid a visit to Stanley's Famous Pit Barbecue in Tyler, TX. I'd eaten their food before but had never been to the restaurant. Pics from the meal to come, but, first, pics with my buddies Nick Pencis (owner) & Jonathan Show (Pitmaster). Talk about guys who work hard at what they do. It had been far too long since I'd seen them, so it was awesome to catch up a bit.

Stanley's, Blue Ribbon, & Franklin on the cutting boards

(Brad's 2nd round of pics from the Super Bowl Media Party in Dallas)

Super Bowl Media Party: BBQ Caterers (Round 1)

NOTE: This last picture is of Blue Ribbon Barbecue. I could never get a clear shot of their sign! I suspect the banana puddings they served had something to do with that.