Our friend Kurt, who is a Texan and knows where to find great barbecue, told us about Tyler's when he read Doug's Facebook post mentioning that we would be driving through Amarillo. He said we should stop here for lunch. He was emphatic. We usually listen to what Kurt says about food, and we're glad we did. Tyler's Barbecue has only been in business since 2010, but it already has a loyal following on the foodie sites, and now we understand why.
When you walk in you're greeted by cheerful red and white checkered tablecloths and Texas inspired art, with saddles hanging from the ceiling and cowboy boots lining the walls. The menu is straightforward and simple, with pulled pork, ribs, beef brisket and sausage all sharing the limelight. We both went for a pulled pork sandwich lunch special, which comes with a drink and one side. Mim went with the baked beans and Doug had the slaw. You can also order just one additional rib, which we both thought was a nice touch. Sometimes we're up for sharing an additional half slab and sometimes we're not. Doug ordered 3 ribs and Mim exercised some restraint and just had one.
The pulled pork is fairly finely chopped, with nice flecks of bark and fat throughout. The smoke flavor was just about perfect. There were two sauces on the table, one that was thrillingly spicy, and one that had a nice balance between sweet, heat and tang. They're both truly excellent sauces, and both did much to enhance the flavor of both the pulled pork and the ribs. Speaking of ribs; these are terrific...nice smoke and a simple, non obtrusive rub. They're St. Louis ribs, with the fat and tip left on, so lots of flavor in these porksicles. The baked beans are cowboy style and the slaw was simple, with a hint of garlic powder. Tyler knows to let the flavors of the ingredients speak for themselves, and his food is delicious. We didn't want to leave without sampling the brisket, and they were kind enough to give us a little taste. I'd come back for this brisket, which was smoky and meltingly tender. We finished with the peach cobbler. Yum. Service was very friendly here, and Tyler made the rounds, asking folks where they were from, and even having a seat with some diners. Don't miss this place if you're in Amarillo. This is the best Texas barbecue we've had yet.
