Food

By KELLY PREW Food Editor The first thing Nick Pencis will tell you about Stanley's Famous Pit Bar-B-Q is that its cornerstone is family and friends. Beyond that, it is a tradition of good food and friendly service that makes the little building on Beckham a standing-room-only lunch stop.

"The core of it all," Pencis says, "is pride of a tradition that's 50 years old."

Pencis said his ownership with wife, Jen, "fell into my lap," and now they're working to fulfill the legacy of the place Tylerites have loved for five decades.

Without their decision to take over, Nick says the place probably would have died, and daily passers-by would have never known it existed.

They're succeeding, too. Stanley's has twice been featured in Texas Monthly as one of the state's 50 best, most recently this year with four and a half out of five stars. The barbecue stand also was acknowledged with a spread in "BBQ Joints: Stories and Recipes From the Barbecue Belt" by David Gelin.

"What sets it apart is that we don't have a large crew of people," Nick says, sitting casually at one of the restaurant tables in the calm after the storm of a "sold out" day. "We all really love the food, and it is important to all of us what we put out."

He credits longtime friend and coworker Michael "Hippy" Burnett as his right hand man, while Zac Wesson and Dujuan Jackson make up the rest of the crew he says he couldn't operate the business without.

"It is a great joy for us to see, when we put it out, the look on a customer's face when they take the first bite," Nick says. "That's the thing that drives us all to do what we do. It's very personal to us." Stanley's is a personal place for Nick and Jen for reasons other than his commitment to uphold the legacy of original owner, J.D. Stanley. It was there they met and where he proposed. Now, they're new, happy parents.

Nick gives Jen credit for influencing the menu, pushing the abolishment of trans fats from the traditional dishes and developing new recipes that broaden the customer base. Both of them were raised by parents with talents in culinary arts, making the quest for healthy, delicious food and a seamless transition of old recipes an idea they could fulfill.

"We've made it healthier without people knowing," Nick says with a slow-spreading grin. "We make those our personal choices in our life, and we cut out the unnecessary stuff and use better ingredients. But we've not lost the flavor. It actually tastes better."

Options for lunch include the famous Brother-in-law, a hotlink and brisket sandwich folks around Tyler know well, chopped beef, pulled pork and double rubbed baby back ribs you'll come back for; but the real surprises are items like The Big Swimmer and Pescado Tacos, both made with fresh Tilapia.

If you ask Nick, he'll say the best times are the busiest times at Stanley's.

"It happens 20 times a day," he says, leaning back to visually take in more of the joint. "At the height of the lunch hour and there's a line out the door and it's loud ... it's that buzz. That's when it hits me how really grateful I am.

"I guess the most humbling moment I have is at the end of the day and there's a stack of dishes left. There are also times when the deck is packed and there's a great band playing and people come up to us and say 'thank you.' That's a cool, joyous moment."

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The Brother-In-Law
Courtesy Stanley's Famous Pit Bar-B-Q And Nick Pencis

"Butterfly hotlink and grill that bad boy on the flat side, then the round side. Toast a bun of your liking until lightly browned. Lay a piece of good ol' American cheese on the bottom bun and, in ascending order, place link, sauce, chopped beef brisket sauce and top bun."

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If you go

Hours of operation: Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. or until sold out; Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. or until sold out; closed Sunday.

Address: 525 S. Beckham, Tyler

Contact information: 903-593-0311 and www.stanleyspitbbq.com

The Brother-In-Law
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