Lewis Barbecue

The story

Lewis Barbecue Charleston | Central Texas BBQ with Michelin Bib Gourmand

The first thing you notice at Lewis Barbecue in Charleston are the massive, custom-made smokers. Pitmaster John Lewis welded them himself. Inside, you order at the counter while he slices true Central Texas barbecue, cut to order. The scene is simple, direct, and built around the meat.

John Lewis grew up in El Paso, Texas, and moved to Austin at eighteen to start his culinary career. A birthday gift of a New Braunfels smoker set him on his path. He began tinkering with smoker design and construction, always chasing a better result. After honing his craft on the competition barbecue circuit in Denver, he returned to Austin to help his friend Aaron Franklin open Franklin Barbecue, and later partnered with LeAnn Mueller to open the much-beloved La Barbecue. In March 2015, he packed up his smokers and moved to Charleston to introduce the Lowcountry to Texas barbecue.

Lewis Barbecue opened in June 2016. The restaurant has been hailed as one of the best in the country by Southern Living, Condé Nast Traveler, and Garden & Gun. The recognition is earned daily, with John waking at 4 a.m. to tend the fire. His dedication has also earned the restaurant a Michelin Bib Gourmand award, a nod to the quality and value of the barbecue served here.

The menu centers on expertly smoked meats: legendary beef brisket, pork spare ribs, “Texas hot guts” sausage, and oxtail. The atmosphere is laid-back, with a huge bar and a backyard patio that keeps things lively year-round. Honky-tonk music plays. No reservations are taken. It is counter-service BBQ, pure and unpretentious, backed by the craft of a pitmaster who takes his meat very seriously.