House-smoked meats from Texas served in an industrial-chic setting with a bar and outdoor tables.
The gigantic, custom-made smokers, welded by the pitmaster himself, are the first thing you’ll notice when you pull up to Lewis Barbecue. Inside, you’ll place your order at the counter, where John Lewis is slicing up authentic Central Texas barbecue to order. We also have a massive bar and a backyard patio to keep you occupied all year.
Meat John Lewis is a barbecue master and the owner of Lewis Barbecue in Charleston, South Carolina. Unless you’re talking about burnt ends, John never cuts corners. The pitmaster’s cult-like following can be ascribed to his unwavering passion to barbecue, which includes welding his own custom-designed smokers and waking up at 4 a.m. to tend to the fire. For years, barbecue fans have come to his pits, waiting in lengthy lines to sample his perfectly smoked pork spareribs, beef ribs, “Texas hot guts” sausage, oxtail, and famed beef brisket.
John relocated to Austin at the age of 18 after growing up in El Paso, Texas. Around this time, John’s parents gave him a New Braunfels smoker for his birthday, and he began dabbling in Austin’s long-standing backyard BBQ culture. He quickly became inventive with both his smokers and his meats, experimenting with design and construction to achieve a better result. After spending time in Denver perfecting his skills on the competition barbecue circuit, John returned to Austin to assist his buddy Aaron Franklin with the opening of Franklin Barbecue, and then joined with LeAnn Mueller to open the much-loved La Barbecue.
John packed his smokers and moved to the Holy City in March 2015 to introduce the Lowcountry to the amazing world of Texas BBQ. Lewis Barbecue, which he and his team debuted in June 2016, has been acclaimed as one of the greatest in the country by the likes of Southern Living, Conde Nast Traveler, Garden & Gun, and others for its famed brisket, honky tonk music, and laid-back attitude. If you can’t make it to the physical location, you’re still in luck! John sends all of his smoked meats across the country through our online store.
Rancho Lewis, John’s second design, will launch in April 2022. Rancho Lewis embodies the spirit of West Texas, an area rich in varied cultures, and was inspired by his youth growing up in the Southwest Texas-El Paso region.
Six years after launching their first brick-and-mortar restaurant in Charleston, the team behind Lewis Barbecue is delighted to announce a second location will open in August 2022 at 214 Rutherford Street in Greenville, SC.
