This Tennessee Smokehouse Serves A Sampler Platter That Barely Fits On The Table

There are barbecue plates, and then there are the ones that make you wonder where the rest of the table space went.

This Tennessee smokehouse serves a sampler built for people who have a hard time choosing just one thing. Ribs, smoked meats, sides, and Texas toast crowd the plate until it looks more like a challenge than lunch. That is exactly what makes it so much fun.

The first few bites usually turn into a debate over which meat deserves another piece. Maybe it is the brisket. Maybe the ribs win. Then a forkful of something else changes your mind again.

Barbecue lovers know that variety can be the best part of the meal, and this place leans into that idea completely. Tennessee takes smoked meat seriously, but a platter this generous still manages to stand out.

The Sampler Platter Arrives Ready To Test Your Appetite

Most sampler plates give you a polite taste of everything. Ty’s Smokehouse takes a different approach entirely.

The Sampler Platter starts with a full half-slab of ribs. Not two ribs. Not three. A half-slab, bone after bone, laid out like a fence across the plate.

Then come two 6-ounce portions of smoked meat, chosen by you. Add two sides and Texas toast, and the plate runs out of real estate fast.

Do the math and you are looking at three-quarters of a pound of extra meat before the ribs even count. That is why the edges of the platter start doing overtime.

Sharing is the smart move here. Two moderate appetites can split it comfortably and still leave with a box. What makes the platter work is balance rather than pure volume. Each meat is smoked separately, so nothing tastes like a copy of its neighbor.

Order it once and you understand the appeal immediately. It is a full tour of the pit in a single sitting, no guesswork required.

Bring an appetite. Bring a friend. Preferably both.

Where To Find This Bartlett Barbecue Counter

Fancy addresses do not smoke meat. Strip malls, apparently, do it just fine.

You will find Ty’s Smokehouse at 7174 Stage Rd #101 in Bartlett, TN 38133, a short hop northeast of Memphis. The storefront is easy to miss if you are driving fast and thinking about something else.

Inside, the space is low-key with red walls and simple seating. You order at the counter, then find your own table. Food tends to arrive quickly, often within a few minutes. That speed makes it a favorite for people squeezing a real meal into a lunch break.

Hours matter here. Tuesday through Saturday runs 10:30 AM to 8 PM, Monday closes early at 3 PM, and Sunday is a rest day. The phone number is 901-384-8111 if you want to call ahead. Ordering by phone saves time when the counter line stretches toward the door.

Parking sits right out front, which is a small mercy in a busy corridor. No valet, no wait list, no fuss. Show up hungry and the rest handles itself.

Ribs With A Competition Pedigree

Before the restaurant, there was a trailer, a circuit, and a lot of early mornings. Owner Tim Theisen competed on the KCBS circuit with a team called TNT Smokers.

That background shows up on the ribs. They come out with a firm bite, a clean smoke ring, and a rub that does not need rescuing by sauce.

Dry is the popular way to order them, which fits the Memphis tradition perfectly. The seasoning sits right on the surface and stays there.

Ribs are the single most talked-about item on the menu at Ty’s Smokehouse. That is a heavy crown in a region where every corner has an opinion about pork.

The half-slab inside the sampler gives you a real serving, not a token. You get enough to judge the technique properly. If ribs alone are your goal, a full slab is available too. Plenty of people order one and take half home for later.

Competition cooking rewards consistency above all else. That habit clearly followed Tim Theisen indoors, and the ribs are better for it. Start there. Everything else builds from that first bone.

Choosing Your Two Smoked Meats Wisely

Here is where the platter turns into a strategy game. You get two 6-ounce picks, and the menu makes it genuinely difficult.

The lineup usually includes pulled pork, beef brisket, smoked turkey, rib tips, and smoked chicken. Every one of them earns its spot.

Brisket is a strong contender, sliced tender with real smoke running through it. Rib tips are the other heavyweight, meaty and heavily seasoned rather than the small riblet pieces some places pass off.

Pulled pork is the traditional Memphis anchor and pairs naturally with sauce and slaw. Smoked turkey is the lighter option if you want contrast on the plate.

A good rule of thumb is to pick one beef and one pork. That way you are comparing two different smoking styles instead of two versions of the same thing.

Groups can coordinate their picks and pass plates around. Between two platters you can cover the entire meat menu in one meal.

Whatever you land on, the portions are honest. Six ounces of good smoked meat goes further than you expect once ribs are already on board.

Sides That Refuse To Play Backup

A barbecue place lives or dies by its sides, and this kitchen clearly got the memo. The platter includes two, and the list is longer than most.

Options run through BBQ Beans, Cole Slaw, Potato Salad, Mac and Cheese, Green Beans, Fried Okra, and BBQ Spaghetti. That last one is a Memphis specialty worth trying at least once.

Mac and cheese and fried okra are the two that get requested most often. The okra comes out crisp, which is harder to pull off than it sounds.

Potato salad shows up on plenty of trays as well. It is cool and creamy, which balances a hot pile of smoked meat nicely.

Corn nuggets are another counter favorite, sweet and crunchy in a way that surprises first-timers. They make a good add-on if your platter somehow has room.

Pairing matters more than people think. A rich meat combination goes better with slaw or green beans than with another heavy side.

Pick one creamy and one crisp. That simple split keeps the whole plate interesting from first bite to last.

Three Sauces And One House Recipe

Sauce is a personal subject in Tennessee, and arguments about it never really end. Ty’s Smokehouse sidesteps the debate by making its own and offering three versions.

You can choose Original, Smokey, or Hot House barbecue sauce. All three come from the same homemade base recipe.

Original is the middle path, balanced and easy on the palate. Smokey leans deeper and darker, and it has a loyal following among regulars.

Hot House brings heat without wiping out flavor, which is the whole trick with a spicy sauce. It works especially well on pulled pork.

The bottles sit out so you can experiment freely. Try each one on a different corner of the platter and pick a winner.

Bottled sauce is available to take home too. It is a practical souvenir, far more useful than a keychain.

One tip worth remembering: taste the meat plain first. The rub and smoke deserve a fair hearing before anything gets poured over them. Then sauce away. The kitchen clearly does not mind either approach.

Trophies On The Shelf, Not On The Menu

Glance toward the wall and you will spot a row of shiny hardware. The trophy display is one of the first things people notice after the smell.

Ty’s Smokehouse has collected multiple Bartlett Express Readers’ Choice Awards. Categories include Best BBQ, Best Ribs, and Best Fries. Recognition from Restaurant Guru sits in the collection as well. That is a decent haul for a counter-service spot in a strip mall.

What makes the display charming is how casually it is presented. Nothing is roped off or spotlit, and the awards are not printed across the menu. Fries earning their own award is a nice detail. Barbecue places often treat fries as an afterthought, and this one clearly does not.

Awards do not guarantee a great meal, but they do tell you a neighborhood keeps voting with its feet. Bartlett has had many chances to move on and has not.

The doors opened on July 1st, 2013. More than a decade later, the shelf keeps needing room. Take a look on your way in. It sets expectations honestly.

There Is Plenty More To Try Beyond The Sampler

Not everyone arrives ready to face a half-slab. Fortunately the menu has plenty of alternate routes.

Loaded BBQ Nachos are a standout, piled with smoked pork and nacho cheese. They disappear quickly when shared across a table.

Stuffed Baked Potatoes are the other big hitter. Each one comes loaded with pulled pork, shredded cheese, and barbecue sauce, and a single potato is a full meal.

Sandwiches cover the practical crowd. Pulled pork, brisket, and a pork tenderloin version all show up regularly on trays.

There is a Cuban-style sandwich too, though it follows its own interpretation rather than the classic formula. Treat it as a house creation and you will enjoy it more.

A cheeseburger, fried catfish basket, and even a barbecue pulled pork pizza round things out. The catfish basket comes with fries and hush puppies.

Banana pudding waits at the end for anyone with willpower left. Most people do not have any.

Weekday lunch specials run Monday through Thursday, which keeps costs reasonable. Ty’s Smokehouse rewards repeat trips simply because the menu is deeper than the sign suggests.

Smart Timing For A Table And A Full Plate

Popularity has a downside, and it usually arrives at noon. The dining room fills fast on weekdays, and seating is limited.

Arriving right at 10:30 AM or after 1:30 PM makes the whole experience smoother. You get a table without circling and your order lands in minutes. Monday is the short day, closing at 3 PM. Sunday the doors stay shut entirely, so plan around it.

Bring a container mindset. The Sampler Platter almost always produces leftovers, and smoked meat reheats beautifully the next day.

Cash or card both work, and the counter service keeps things moving. There is a small shelf near the entrance for returning your basket when you finish.

Takeout and delivery are available if the room is packed. Calling ahead at 901-384-8111 is the simplest workaround.

Family groups do well here because the pricing stays reasonable and portions stretch. Splitting one platter plus a sandwich often feeds three.

Bartlett sits close enough to Memphis that a detour costs almost nothing. Tennessee has no shortage of smoke, but this particular counter earns its place on the list.