Stanley's Famous Pit BBQ -- Tyler TX
N 32° 20.649 W 095° 17.639
15S E 284109 N 3580896
Stanley's ENTIRELY JUSTIFIABLY Famous Pit BBQ near downtown Tyler TX won Best Pork Ribs from Texas Monthly Magazine in 2010 and 2011.
Waymark Code: WMJYZT
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 01/19/2014
Views: 4
Blasterz are Texans and are therefore always on the hunt for real non-chain barbecue made with love and talent. Our search led us inexorably to Stanley's Famous Pit BBQ in Tyler.
We had to stand in line outside before we could place our order at the counter -- ALWAYS A GOOD SIGN!!!! <-- Our best great-BBQ finding tip: If people will wait outside for it, it is worth putting into your insides. EVERY TIME!
Pitmaster Jonathan Shaw was there the day we stopped in for lunch, and we knew him IMMEDIATELY -- his iconic beard and hearty enthusiasm for his barbecue would have given him away, even if there was NOT a drawing of him outside the restaurant (on the THANKFULLY BLANK on our visit "Sorry! Sold out of the following today:" Whiteboard of Heartbreak).
Blasterz usually do a tasting of all the meats, but no one was sure if she or he would be willing to share, so we instead decided to order what we wanted and just share 1 bite.
Older Sister Blaster had the smoked turkey, which we agree with Texas Monthly about: It's the best in Texas.
Younger Sister Blaster had the renowned baby back pork ribs. Mama and Daddy Blaster had to two meat plates with the baby back ribs and fatty brisket. (You see that the Blasterz are not very sharing when it comes to ribs -- especially award-winning ones.)
The ribs were tender and juicy, with just the right amount of bark. Too much and the ribs are dried out. Too little and they are not crisp on the outside and boring. These were PERFECT -- tender and chewy, fat not completely rendered away, with a burst of flavor and toothsomeness from the bark. Y-U-M.
And then there was the brisket.
Blasterz are spoiled forever by Black's BBQ brisket in downtown Lockhart. Once you try Black's amazing succulent smoked brisket with the fat on it, you wonder why ANY barbecue pitmaster would ever closely trim their briskets again -- but they do. All over the state, they do. Except at Stanley's.
Stanley's brisket is second only to Black's -- and this is HIGH PRAISE INDEED. It was tender, smoky, succulent, capped by a layer of delicious partially-rendered fat and a peppery dry rub that made us close our eyes, the better to concentrate our senses on enjoying it. The smoke ring in our brisket was evident and perfect.
Blasterz mean no disrespect to Shaw's awesome pork ribs when we say that we preferred his brisket -- we are Texans, and have a natural preference for beef barbecue. Like the accent, it is just IN us and there's nothing we can do to change it.
Shaw makes his barbecue sauces (hot and regular) fresh from scratch every day. You can see the ground spices in each sauce -- and (unlike most hot BBQ sauces) his hot BBQ sauce is REALLY hot!!! Mama Blaster loved them both, even though she suspects that the hot sauce has a prepared Louisiana hot sauce in it (Shur-fine? Louisiana? We know it's not Crystal or Tabasco -- our personal preferred Louisiana hot sauces). But the blend of spices in the sauce is Shaw's, maiking a unique and very tasty sauce.
Mama Blaster mixed both sauces together in dipped the ribs in them -- heaven. Brisket is ALWAYS best without sauce.
Sides are excellent fresh pinto beans, thick and hot with coarse black pepper. The cole slaw was fresh and crunchy, with a sweet dressing. Mustard potato salad (of course) rounded out the sides we tried.
The meat and sides are served as they should be - on brown butcher paper with two slices of white bread.
Stanley's Famous Pit BBQ is well deserving of every accolade they have earned, and worth a pilgrimage. Next time we come, Blasterz will be off the While Life Challenge diet and will try the Brother-In-Law sandwich -- local grilled hot links, chopped brisket, white bread and cheese. Everyone says it's to die for -- especially with a cold Shiner Bock.
Address:
525 S Beckham
Tyler, TX
Website: [Web Link]
Budget Price Range: 9.00 (listed in local currency)
Pig Out Meal: 13.00 (listed in local currency)
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