Shi Lee's Barbecue & Soul Food Cafe

My wife and I went here on our cross country journey.
This is the best choice for local brisket and greens.
It was a very good price compared to the others, and the two ladies showed us that family hospitality we hold dear.
We will be back when we come back through Amarillo❤️

Food/Taste/Flavor: 5/5 - ordered a Cat Fish Dinner with brisket gumbo and cowboy mac & cheese with a full slab of ribs.
The cat fish was recommended and fried superbly with a crispy outside and a moist inside.
The lemon based rub added a tartness that went well with the tartar sauce.
The mac & cheese was good but quite salty depending on the bite so it wasn't our favorite.
The gumbo was very tomato based and quite yummy overall.
The ribs were fall off the bone tender that you don't need a knife at all! Absolutely delicious with a touch of smokiness that goes so well with the BBQ sauce. Service: 5/5 - super friendly owners but it does depend on who you get.
The gentleman was chatting with the other table and interacting with their children providing samples of drinks and sides for them to try.
The lady was to the point and really quick on the service but think she was juggling the cooking as well. Ambiance: 4/5 - scary looking place from the outside but cozy once you walk in.
It was a tiny place with only 6 tables.
And while it's worn, the tables are cleaned and wiped down (but the windowsills are quite dusty with dead flies).
It can get quite smokey in the restaurant depending on what's being cooked Value for price: 5/5 - delicious food at a reasonable price point.
So happy we gave this place a try!

Passing through Amarillo,Texas, we had one shot to get some proper down home barbeque.
Having once lived in these parts, this was no laughing matter.
Especially since my wife had never experienced the true bliss of slow cooked smoked meat falling off the bone with the sweet tang of that accompanying sauce.
Enter Shi Lee's Barbecue.
This litlle whole in wall could slip right pass you but when it comes to barbecue I will not settle for flash over substance.
Shi Lee's is the real deal.
We had ribs, brisket, sausage, catfish, colard greens, red beans and rice, and cornbread.
All for under $30, enough for 2 with left overs to take with us.
Everything was excellent, just like mama used to make...
Well, my friend's mamas, because mine couldn't cook for sh...
Well you know.
Now, not only was the food great, the local banter friendly and welcoming, but behind the great food and energy, is Tremaine Brown, the heart and soul of not only Shi Lee's but of Amarillo itself.
Aside from the grub that would get me to come back any day, I would just go to hang with Tremaine, as it seems so many do.
Asside from filling our bellies with joy and keeping Shi Lee's running, he heads Vessel, an organization with the intention of making the lives of Amarillo's children and community one to envied.
My insticts guided me to Shi Lee's and my belly, my heart, and my soul are all the better for it.