Went to Stanley's a few times while in Tyler for business. It's listed in Daniel Vaughn's new book and appeared to be the consensus pick for best barbecue in town.
Went for dinner both times. Carried out the first night. Went with a two meat combo, brisket and sausage. The brisket had a nice peppery bark and very minor smoke ring. The meat was just a tad on the dry side and the smoke flavor was muted at best. That said, it was still far above average. The sausage was dry but very tasty, with a good chew and noticeable kick.
Sides of potato salad and beans were unremarkable, though in fairness I just think the beans weren't my style. They were good but not as sweet as I prefer them. Same with potato salad. I prefer mustard style and theirs had mayo.
Ate in the second time. Got a rib and sausage combo plate. I had heard someone say they were running low on ribs, which probably explained why the combo was about 75% sausage and just two end bones of ribs. The ribs were decent but fell apart a bit too easily and the smoke flavor wasn't there. The sausage was fresh this time and much more moist. I again found the sides to be perfunctory.
They don't have air conditioning, so even though it was 95 degrees out (at least) we sat out on the covered patio. It was packed and a pretty cool live band was playing. It was a nice atmosphere. But the meat leaves a bit to be desired.
SUCH GOOD BBQ! My beau and I used the ever so faithful Yelp to help us get into a local eatery while visiting Tyler and boy am I glad we did! Stanley's is great - live music, incredible food, and a stellar atmosphere make this place 5-star worthy. We also got a killer Yelp check-in deal.
Definitely come to Stanley's and keep this place thriving.
Stanley's made the rankings on the Texas Monthly 50 best this year, so when my wife said she had a itching for BBQ while headed east on I20 toward Louisiana, my truck naturally veered off the road and down to Tyler. Located 11 miles south of the highway, Stanley's was a little difficult to find in the heart of the town. It is worth the driving frustration.
My 5 star synopsis:
--The brisket had great flavor. It was a tad undercooked for me (too much visible fat vs marbling)
--The pulled pork was the best I have tasted in Texas.
--The ribs were sweet dry rubbed which is not my personal favorite, but they nailed what they were going for.
--The hot link was tasty and actually had a little heat.
--My wife's brisket baked potato was literally a thing of beauty.
--Outdoor patio with live music
--The peppery sauce was hot... and delish.
Overall, this would not have won a brisket showdown with some of my other favorites, but I would absolutely not turn down an opportunity for them to wow me on my next trip.
Really good Texas BBQ. Their beef ribs are the second best I've ever had (only Louie Muellers in Taylor are better). The pork ribs and brisket are both outstanding. The sausage is really good but I wish they would develop a spicy or jalapeno version. The sauce is ok, but the meat really doesn't need it. Great sides as well. This is easily in my top 10 BBQ joints in Texas.
Review Source:Best BBQ I've had in Texas! Delicious! The staff is awesome and I love the environment. It reminds me of hanging out in a backyard enjoying some wonderful food! I had The Ex-Wife and wow! The pork and brisket were cooked to perfection! My hubs had the Brother-in-law equally delicious! There is also a nice little bar in the patio area with great happy hour special!
We have not found many go to places in this are but Stanley's is now #1 on our list!!!!
Made the trip to Stanley's today after seeing them make the Top Fifty Barbecue List in Texas Monthly. Definitely worth the drive from Lufkin.
My son and I had the 4 meat sampler. Between the two of us we had brisket, sausage, pulled pork, Â hot links, and the last three ribs they had. It was all amazing
We did find out that they do run out of meat later in the day.
The brisket had a bark on it that I could not get enough of, I think I will try and get just ends next time.
Ribs were tender and had a great flavor.
Sausage was very good, great flavor.
My wife had brisket and potato salad, we went back for more potato salad, it is awesome. They are super friendly and we talked a little on our way out when we were buying some rib rub and sauce. They gave me part of the recipe for the potato salad, but had to leave out a few items.
This is great barbeque, if you are in Tyler, make this a place you try, you wont be disappointed..
So I already had a good start to my East Texas trip by eating at Bodacious in Longview the night before. Now, for lunch the next day we went to Stanley's, due all the great things we heard about it.
It was quite the nice Texas spring day and walking into Stanley's, with its bare brick and divey countenance, I was hit by this feeling that I was about to experience some damn good BBQ. I was not wrong. As per the usual, I never get sides when trying out a new BBQ place to ensure I get to try out as many delectable BBQ meats as possible, potato salad be damned. So I was excited to see they had a plate that  seemed to made just for me: the four meat combo. A restaurant after my own heart. Onto the meats!
The Ribs: So I was surprised that they served baby backs at Stanley's. Most places serve spare ribs to reduce cost to them and the customer and I usually smoke spare ribs when I do BBQ as well. Needless to say if you are cooking baby backs, they better be good since you are paying at times almost double for them. Well Stanley's gamble definitely pays off as these ribs were quite good, as can be shown by Stanley's competition award from Texas Monthly in 2010. Â The pepper rub was coated lightly by BBQ sauce, they must hit the ribs with a light coating just before taking them off the smoker/pit. Delicious and the meat fell off the bone.
The Brisket: Wow, the brisket was simply amazing. I feel that many places have solid brisket, but it is truly an art to get brisket just right. I feel Stanley's does that. The brisket had an amazing bark, supported by the great pepper rub they have on the brisket. This was accompanied with a nice smoke ring and light smoky flavor. I meant to take a picture of the bark but I ate the brisket too fast. I also got a great cut, it was the lean side (flat), but still had a nice layer of fat to give it some flavor. The brisket here is a delectable combination of smoke, rub, and art.
The Sausage: OK, so one issue I have with so many BBQ places is that sausage is often an afterthought. Usually so many places just throw some Eckrich Farm on the smoker and focus on their other meats. Not here. Nice sausage with a pinkish tan casing and a great, unique flavor that ended slightly sweet on your tongue. It was hard to say what meat was my favorite and the sausage put up a good fight for my emotions. Can't go wrong with the sausage and I definitely want to try out the hot links next time I am around.
The Turkey: I didn't know what I wanted to try out for my fourth meat. I love pulled pork, but that isn't simply the forte for BBQ in Texas so I don't usually bother. I went with the Turkey and it too, was great. The pepper rub works nicely on the turkey and the meat was moist and flavorful. I think you are noticing a trend here that you really cannot go wrong with what meat you order here.
The Sauce: The sauce had a moderate tanginess and like at Bodacious, had a rust-colored hue to it. It was also thicker than it put on and had some flakes of pepper in it as well. The quintessential tangy-but-sweet sauce. I also noted some unique sweetness from the sauce whose source I couldn't quite put my finger on. As with most Texas BBQ lovers, sauce is always on the side for me and I thought this stuff was pretty good. Â
Needless to say I was impressed by Stanley's. I love BBQ and doing BBQ reviews was what got me into Yelp in the first place. I do not give out a whole lot of 5 star reviews and living in DFW we have access to quite the bevy of BBQ places and I think Stanley tops most of them quite easily. Also, we came to Stanley's at the right time, as we were able to enjoy some beers and margaritas on their nice, newly expanded patio. It seemed the BBQ gods were intent on blessing us with a nice outing. Appease the BBQ gods and make a pilgrimage to Stanley's some time.
Divey and I love it....used my yelp check in coupon and loved it also.
ONLY thing I hated and I mean hated...was $1.69 for a side that was 3-4 small spoonfuls...in a container that you would normally put a side of pickle chips in...
I ate here twice and would go back...just no sides unless they were part of the platter as the $ for them ala carte is a waste
Shut the front door! Â This place is legit!!
As being what some might consider a food snob from Austin where eating at chains is  worse than voting Republican (sigh, oh those hippies), this place rocked my socks off.
I got the sliced brisket sandwich, potato salad, and peach cobbler- LOVED ALL OF IT!
The brisket was tender and cooked to absolute perfection, the potato salad was SO yummy, and the peach cobbler was oh so wonderfullllllll *drools*
AND this place was CHEAP!! Â Makes me want to move to Tyler, TX!
If I'm ever back in town, I WILL be dropping by!
I thought this was supposed to be THE place to go for fabulous BBQ! Â However, the food wasn't so great. Â I ordered take out... didn't get silverware, napkins, or BBQ sauce. Â Did notice no pickles/onions so I asked and got a tiny container with a few pickles and another container of chopped red onions. Â
Ordered the 2 meat plate with 3 sides. Â The potato salad was good, the coleslaw was ok, but the cowboy beans were inedible! Â The beans were sooooo salty! Â The sliced brisket had a half inch of fat on each piece. Â The actual meat was good but, again, NO BBQ sauce. Â Two ribs came with my order. Â They were ok, but I've had better. Â
So, I will go again for the live music and the atmosphere but, I think I'd have been better off with a simple sliced/ chopped beef sandwich and maybe the potato salad. Â This was definitely not what I had expected to find after reading the reviews and hearing about this restaurant being in Texas Monthly Magazine. Â All in all, a big disappointment!
Stanley's brings an Austin vibe to the deep woods. I dig the ample patio seating and live bands. The ribs are top notch, and you won't find any better around. Go early or else certain menu items will be sold out. The sides are average at best, but the ribs make up for it. This is a big local's hang-out, and it's rare I don't fun into friends here.
The outside full bar is a nice touch, and IPA on draft makes me not want to leave. The only thing lacking are some TV's on the back patio.
Yelp is usually my go to source when I'm looking for a place to eat, but when it comes to Texas BBQ...Texas Monthly Top 50 ( <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tmbbq.com%2Ftop50&s=99676872a3de068c824047f77520af630dc4a634482948f1a792551e454fef23" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.tmbbq.com/top…</a> ) is generally my resource. The only reason I'm mentioning this is because if you're on a BBQ bender like I currently am, it will save you from eating at a place like Bodacious or Dickey's which could possibly have high ratings on here.
There was nothing unpleasant about my visit here. Service was extremely good. Food outstanding. What I will say though is you're bound to find better brisket options out there. It's not that the brisket was bad, but when you compare it to John Mueller's you likely to be disappointed. What really shined was the pork ribs. I mean really shined. I can't currently think of another place I'd rather get ribs at to be perfect honest. It was nice to see others thought the same as I saw awards on the wall for Best Ribs at Austin BBQ Festival. The turkey was ridiculously moist and flavorful too. As for sides, their brisket beans were off the chain. Seriously.
Live music on Friday nights. Nice environment for the entire family. Outdoor bar with patio seating. I will return.
I haven't been to Stanley's in several years, so was very surprised to pull up and the parking was overflowing. We ordered at about 8:15pm Friday night and found out they were out of brisket and potatoes. My husband and I split a full rack of ribs and this was MORE than enough for us. We even had a few ribs left over. The full rack came with potato salad, cole slaw, and beans. The ribs were excellent, potato salad was good, beans were good but had way too much black pepper. I didn't try the cole slaw. The BBQ sauce made by Stanley's is exceptional as well. There was a live band for entertainment. I have to say, this is one of my 'old' new favorite places in Tyler. Great good, GREAT patio, all around great place to hang. Will definitely be back!
Review Source:Having to make my once a month drive to Tyler, I stopped in here on the way back to the metroplex for lunch. Â I have been here before and, this time I ordered the brother in law.
I do not know why, but the majority of DFW BBQ places do not offer hot links. Â Well, I ordered the jumbo brother in law, Yankee style, with peppers and beans. Â MAN, what a great messy sandwich. Â The chopped beef was so tender and with the crispness of the link, and cole slaw, my friend, true heaven on a bun. Â The beans were spot on as well.
Next month, I will be back.
I enjoyed eating in the comfortable atmosphere of this little place, despite the difficulty of finding a parking spot ! I arrived at nearly 2:30 p.m. and that may have been why the ribs tasted a little on the dry side, but VERY Â tasty they were wqith a signature sweetness I really liked. Definately needed some "gnawing" on the ribs, but the meat did have a unique smoky flavor that sets it apart from the pack of "average" places.
The brisket was extremely tender and moist, without much fat and nearly "melt in your mouth " delicious ! I wish my wife had been with me, because she is the brisket lover in the family, I really prefer eating ribs. My side orders of potato salad , pinto beans & slaw were pretty average like most bbq places. The sweet tea did not need any Sweet & Low added to it, and the bbq sauce was tasty & mild but kind of runny.
The staff was very friendly and attentive and made you feel welcome, and the atmosphere of the place was "toe tapping upbeat " with classic light rock music from the 80's providing the ambiance for the afternoon,lol. The food prices here were VERY reasonable ( about $15.00 for my meal and beverage ) and I was surprised by the generous brisket portion my two meat plate came with. Â This is a "better than average " type bbq place that I will look forward to visiting again when in this town.
Be aware that the restraunt is located on a sometimes very busy street, and it would be very easy to back out of your parking spot right into traffic ! In my younger days, I could very easily see myself hanging out in this kind of place to relax and down a few cold beers while eating ribs and listening to good music. in a relaxed atmosphere..........fond memories, lol. I plan to return here on my next visit to Tyler !
Why go anywhere else for BBQ? This place is right up there with the best in Texas, rivaling the likes of Franklin's in Austin. The ribs are stellar, the turkey is delicious, the brisket is melt in your mouth goodness. I would give the hot links a pass if I had to choose over. Have yet to try the pulled pork, it seems you have to get here a bit early to get your hands on it, I suspect it would be delicious as well.
A decent tap of beers for Tyler, but pricey at over five bucks for beer in a plastic cup. They do have Fireman's 4 and a few IPA's on tap so its not bad considering.
The patio is nice to sit on when the weather is good. A somewhat younger crowd seem to frequent this place, and for good reason since its a great place to drink, eat and socialize. It is awesome that this place exists in Tyler!
I was heading out of Texas and wanted one last taste of BBQ before I headed to the land of beef sandwiches and deep dish. Â I found this spot via Texas Monthly BBQ app. Â The reviews on Yelp reinforced my two hour diversion to Stanley's.
If you can be disappointed in a four star experience this was probably it. Â I am a brisket centric bbq eater and this is a pork focused BBQ shack.
I had the 4 meat sampler, brisket (3 stars), pulled pork (5stars), ribs (5stars), sausage (4 stars). Â I asked for the the pulled pork to have some bark and the brisket to be moist. Â The Pulled pork was spot on, but they either didn't hear me about the moist or they have some dry brisket. Even though this east Texas, it is still Texas and for me BBQ joints are measured on good old fashioned low and slow fatty brisket.
The family friendly atmosphere pulled this from a three to star to a four star. Â The journey from bastrop to Tyler was an easy 5. Â
If I am within an hour, I'll be back.
We have had the absolute pleasure of eating at Stanley's several times in the last few weeks. I am obsessed with the chopped beef sandwich, but Josh (marketing manager) got us to try the ribs. I must say, they are the best ribs I've ever put in my mouth.
They also have a fish taco that is supposed to be fantastic. I plan on trying it the next time we come here. I know right, in a BBQ joint!?! Â but they swear by it and I'm willing to step out on faith. They were definitely right about the ribs.
We are really excited that they are now open for dinner and will have live music on the covered deck. Along with a full bar, we now have another local place to go hang out. on Friday nights.
Having never heard of @Stanleysfamous Pit Barbeque before I attended Meat Fight 2012...I went into this joint with no prior knowledge, no reviews read, and no word of mouth from anyone. Who were they? What are they known for? I don't fear the unknown but with BBQ...you're asking for indigestion problems if you're not careful. But they were asked to judge Meat Fight, something must be right. After Meat Fight I forgot about Stanley's or their location. I found myself in Tyler for business this past Wednesday. Happen to be driving along Beckham and after scoping other Q joints and taco stands...I saw the neon sign of Stanleys. Almost like the rays of Heaven from a BBQ Jesus who lead me here and opened my eyes. I had another purpose that day.
I arrived at 1:40 pm...folks were still coming in although the lines I have now read about weren't in existence. Thank ya BBQ Jesus for I had to head to Longview soon after. From outside appearance and interior...this place would fit in Austin or Dallas. John Lee Hooker blaring within among other notable blues musicians. Blues posters along with random stickers littered among the walls. Perfect. Now would the meat match the atmosphere?
Yes.
By now anyone who reads these reviews are familiar with what I order...my standard so to speak. 1/4 lb of brisket (fatty with some bark) or burnt ends, 2 ribs and link of sausage. The sausage was the hot link. It was provided from the local meat market so I had faith. Good snap but...nothing over the top special. Pretty indifferent about it. Good flavor. Next I decided to dissect the brisket. The fat was well rendered throughout thus providing a moist product. Moist is good. If not moist, you may have to use the sauce as a lube. I'm glad this wasn't the case. Brief explanation of bark is the coming together of the sugars, rub and protein from the meat while in the smoker. It essentially seals the juices. Lastly were the ribs. They were meaty and came covered with a sauce. I generally frown upon that. I dug into these meaty morsels and had a "q-gasm". Heavenly. They were pink throughout and came off the bone with ease. Dry rubbed with this unique sauce that after research...no clue what goes in it. A hint of mild cayenne and maple? These were special.
It was a memorable experience. After I did my homework, come to find out...they've won best ribs in Texas within the last few years. A couple times. Stanley's has been around for a bit...but has apparently had a renaissance of sorts. It was good going into a place with no previous knowledge.
Five stars because the brisket and ribs made up for the generic sausage...throw in the blues music and you have a deal. Don't worry...I've some bad reviews to complete but I've hit a good streak this week. @BBQsnob ...Sam's Midland...
While I don't favor the lean brisket that Stanley's serves, I had to admit they smoke a well-cooked piece of beef. The smoke ring on the brisket approached mahogany red, but it wasn't too dry a cut and held together even when sliced. Given the proximity of business offices and hospitals and the line of patrons to the door, Stanley's main trade was in the sandwich lunch crowd...and their menu showcased a short list of creatively named bread/meat combos. However, I stuck to my normal protein plate and enjoyed ribs (sweetly rubbed with a nice crusty bark) and smoked turkey (moist and thoroughly smoked). Â The hot links were a misnomer, not spicy at all but more of a black peppery sausage. Kudos to Stanley's neutral bbq sauce which struck a perfect balance between sweet and tangy; it drew out the flavors of all the smoked meats exceptionally well. But this is Texas, and sauce is optional just the way it should be. I did try out their housemade fresh coleslaw, which proved to be chock full o' dill--recommended if you like a heavy application of dill in your slaw.
With all the smoked meats well represented here, Stanley's is a worthy stop for East Texas BBQ. Next time I'll be be back to try the sandwiches and/or the stuffed spuds.
When people call this place life-changing, it's a must go. Â Although I've rarely encountered food that is life-altering, I will admit to being blown away by food. Â Stanley's provided that rare encounter. Â The BBQ here is so good, you realize that what you've been eating is the equivalent of crap. Â
With creative names headlining the potential calorie intake - the crazier the name, the more artery clogging. Â To up the ante, replace the regular bun with a jalapeno cheese bun, and definitely get the red-skinned potato salad. Â If you're feeling hungry, or just wanting to beat some sort of personal eating record, go for the jumbo of any sandwich.
Careful of those lines. Â In good weather at prime lunch hour, this place is packed. Â Service is quick though and if you have a little patience will be rewarded with a great meal.
5 stars for perhaps the best lunch BBQ ever. Â It is unfortunate that they don't serve other meals, as I would have preferred consuming this much food at dinner.
P.S. If you order the Ex-wife, and someone asks you how you're doing later in the day, you can say: "Not good man, must've been the Ex-wife." Â That means two things.
Stanley's is one of those BBQ joints that truly spoils you with extraordinary barbeque. Eat here enough and no mere mortal with a pit can quite satisfy your need for meat anymore. You've been...spoiled. As have I.
The rub on the meat and the sauce are a bit on the peppery side, but not overwhelming. Personally, I like Country Tavern's sweeter, more vinegary sauce a bit better, but let's be honest, neither of these places actually need sauce for anything. Insert rib into mouth-hole, chew, wash, rinse, repeat--often. It's a sure-fire recipe for total bliss.
Throw the fork out while you're at it. I haven't had a piece of meat here that's needed any kind of heavy instrument to pull it apart into chewable chunks besides the sausage, and that's only because sausage has casing that holds it together. Everything else is beautifully, artfully smoked and just falls apart. The smoke ring on the ribs comes out a vibrant pink--a tell-tale sign that they're doing it right.
The only thing I was a little meh about here were the tacos. The tortillas could have been warmed up a little more and just weren't an adequate pairing for the BBQ fabulousness inside. I can't in good conscience ding them for trying, though. Everything else I've had here is beyond fantastic.
My usual order here is a big ol' take-out box full of pork ribs. Don't get me wrong, the sides are good, too, but why would I fill up on sides when I could have a few more ribs? Sometimes I mix it up and get sausage and brisket, too, but to be honest, the ribs are my favorite.
Big box of meat? It's probably not healthy, and I don't care. YOLO, &etc. Go eat some meat, but go early because they usually run out by 2.
Yummy!!!
After spending the weekend at a retreat near Tyler, a bunch of friends and I decided to stop by Tyler on the way back to DFW to try Stanley's. Its reputation surely precedes it. And it was indeed good. Really good.
Unlike most well-known and award-winning BBQ places in Texas, where beef is the main atttraction (brisket all the way, baby), what sets Stanley's apart is that they're famous for their pork (pulled pork, sausage, ribs). So, with that in mind, we came to Stanley's with an empty stomach and much anticipation.
Sadly, by the time we got there (around 12:30pm), they had already run out of their famous ribs. I decided instead on trying one of their sandwiches. I had the Ex-Wife (pulled pork and sliced brisket) and half a pound of their hot link.
The Ex-Wife--wow. So good. The meat was very moise and the pork and brisket went together very well. Very minimal sauce was needed.
The Hot Link--again, very moist and tasty! Many times, with store-bought sausages, the casings are pretty tough and it makes the sausage hard to break down and chew. However, with Stanley's, the sausage is of perfect texture. Taste-wise, it's one of the best I've had. Yes, it was a little spicy (it's a hot link, duh) but it didn't take away from the taste of the pork itself. Everything about it was perfect. No joke.
I was also a fan of Stanley's sweet and spicy pickles. They make it themselves and even sell jars of it for around $4. It is exactly as they describe--sweet and spicy. By spicy, the spicy-ness of the pickles itself does not have a flavor. The flavor is sweet but somehow they make it spicy. Really interesting, really tasty, goes really well with the meat.
If you love BBQ and want to make the "pilgrimage" to Tyler, it's worth it. Hopefully the line will be shorter and the day will be less hot than when we went. And hopefully they won't have run out of their ribs. But seriously, they know their meat!
Some damn good BBQ.... Really in an odd location, but man was that place the best.... Ribs were spectacular... To the point that I bought a container of their RIB RUB to take back home... Short story- I made em this past weekend and they were DELISH....
I had the Chopped BBQ Brisket sandwich with the YELP DEAL!!! Great deal... sandwich, side and a drink for like 6$......
Great place. when back in Tyler, I WILL BE BACK (said in an Arnold S. kinda voice)
I honestly do not get it. Â Maybe the regular pitmaster was on a day off, but I was not impressed one bit. Â Again, I gave the secretary the credit card and she went out to pick up lunch (I totally hate driving in Tyler). Â She got the rib platter and I got the Brother-in-Law sandwich with "cowboy beans". Â And since just everybody raves about their ribs, I ordered a half rack just to try them and to keep in the fridge for later.
Well, the sandwich was so-so. Â I didn't pay attention that it was chopped beef. Â So much can be hidden with chopped beef. Â I'll ask for sliced next time. Â But the portion was okay (go to Smokin' Joe's in Davis OK for a REAL BBQ sandwich), the chopped was ok, and I hardly could tell there was any sausage on it. Â And I really didn't understnd the need for cheese on it. Â The sauce? Â Eh, at least it wasn't a sweet sauce. Â And I thought the "cowboy beans" were bland, except for a little kick at the end of each bite, there wasn't much to them. Â
And the ribs? Â Refer to my opening statement. Â Absolutely no bark, with a very small, very pale smoke ring. Â I do have say they were very meaty and tender, but I detected little if any smokiness to them. Â Almost like they spent maybe an hour in the smoke, then the rest of the cooking time in a gas oven. Â And that was yesterday. Â To refresh myself, I just had a couple of the leftover ribs, and my initial impressions were confirmed. Â And the rub? Â I can't put my finger on it exactly, but there is a component to the rub that seemed alien for pork ribs. Â I can't say what it was, just that to me, it didn't belong on there. Â And although the secertary cleaned hers up, she was famished and said otherwise, she didn't think they were that tasty.
I don't understand how this place made Top 50 BBQ joints in Texas, and certainly do not understand Best Ribs in Texas. Â Really? Â But then, poeple should understand that Texas Monthly is no longer a true Texas magazine and that it is run by Yankee libs trying to turn Texas into a Gucci place. Â For them to say that this place deserves Top 50 and Salt Lick gets only honorable mention is a total sham. I was truly disappointed, honestly hoping for something much better than what we got. Â For BBQ in this area, I'll just stick with Bodacious.
And to add insult to injury, my son told me that he took his Little Brother to Salt Lick in Driftwood yesterday for one final outing before he returns home to start his post-college life. The same day I'm disappointed eating Stanley's. Â His Little Brother, very familiar with those BBQ joints in Taylor, Lockhart and Elgin, proclaimed THOSE ribs the best ever!!!! Â Smart kid. Â My son mentored him well.
(update - Sent secretary back and I got the 4 meat sampler with brisket, ribs, sausage, and turkey with potato salad. Â Earlier opinion of the ribs and sausage confirmed, brisket was very good (nice flavorful bark and smoke flavor), as was turkey (tender, moist, light smokiness on a delicate meat). Â Potato salad was average. Â Still do not understand hype over their ribs).
Ahh, my first review for that short 9 months I lived in Tyler. Â And part of me would move back, near Stanley's just for the ribs and a brother-in-law. Â
I never thought inner peace would come at the end of a pork rib. Â But there is no other way to describe the feelings I get when I eat here. Â It's everything plus some that a BBQ place in Texas should strive to become.
I've even tried several times to make these mythical creatures myself, but laughably so - I tried and I failed. Â I should have just put the money towards gas for a trip to Tyler.
I even had a buddy bring me some Stanley's from his trip home, MICROWAVED them the next day and they were still better than any other rib I've ever had. Â
It's kinda like meeting the Pope, but for BBQ lovers.
I was in Tyler a few weeks ago on business and thanks to Yelp I found Stanleys BBQ. Â I love BBQ and I fell like I'm pretty picky when it comes to my BBQ. Â I'm not one of these BBQ guys that travels the state in search of the most amazing BBQ every, but I do appreciate good BBQ when I taste it. Â And thankfully, this was probably the best BBQ I've ever had! No lie.
I went with the 4 meat sampler so I could get a sampling of several different things. Â The pulled pork was the best. Â I also tried two different types of sausage(both excellent) and some sliced brisket. Â From what I ate you can't go wrong with anything from the menu at Stanley's.
For lunch get there early! Â I was there around 11:30am on a Wednesday and the line was already down the sidewalk. Â Well worth the wait!
If you don't love ribs where the meat literally falls off the bone, then you are going to hate Stanley's Famous Pit BBQ. Â But, you probably also hate bald eagles, the open road and America. Â Or, you're a vegetarian. Â In which case, why are you reading a review of a BBQ place?
Sweet baby Jane were these ribs good! Â I would love to tell you about the potato salad, pinto beans and cole slaw that were also part of our meal, but the deliciousness of those ribs has wiped it clean from my mind. Â This is the kind of slow cooking that Byzantine monks would look up to. Â
Don't let the line out the door scare you. Â It is there for a reason (awsomeness) and dissipates quickly. Â The fact that they have RC in the soda dispenser is like saying that Alexander the Great also found the cure for cancer. Â
If I lived withing 50 miles of this place, I would put on 71 pounds of pure rib meat.
Voted best pork ribs by Texas Monthly magazine, and they were absolutely right. Best ribs I have ever had. Previous favorite was Houston's/Bartlett's in Austin (still really great). But something about Stanley's is better--they leave a bit more meat on the bone, use a less-overpowering sauce, and just let the meat do its thing. Amazing. Plus the place is the kind of run-down dive that BBQ should be served in. They have a great big deck as well.
P.S. those aren't REAL Woodstock tickets. But still--incredible ribs. I've been telling everyone about them.
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