Stanley's Famous Pit Bar-B-Q Far From 'Sold Out'
Tyler Morning Telegraph
August 13, 2008
All photos by TMT - Tom Turner
THE BROTHER-N-LAW: A Sandwich
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.
THE HUSBAND: Nick Pencis, owner
"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."
THE WIFE: Jen Pencis, owner
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."
