There are a ton of reasons why I like visiting South Carolina and the food is a big one. Being part of the Barbecue Belt, which stretches from the Carolinas in the East to Texas and Missouri in the West and from Kentucky in the North down through the deep South, it’s not surprising that a BBQ spot would develop a cult following. Meet Lewis Barbecue, located in Charleston, one of the best areas of the state to find delicious food and ranked in a list of America’s Ten Best Food Cities by The Washington Post. Despite Charleston not being historically known for barbecue, when Lewis Barbecue opened in 2015, it took off like wildfire. Some would argue it’s now the place to get the best barbecue in South Carolina.
Meet John Lewis, the Pitmaster behind Lewis Barbecue. He has spent the majority of his life tending to an open flame. At age 18, his parents gave him a New Braunfels smoker for his birthday when he moved from El Paso to Austin. With it, he started dabbling in the city’s longstanding tradition of the backyard barbecue and participated in some competitions.
For John, barbecue is synonymous with smoke, and he soon became obsessed with controlling the perfect temperature and smoke when making BBQ. He eventually found the type of smoke he was looking for using a propane tank. He now builds his own custom pits with his father, welding tanks to smoke boxes. He attributes his barbecue's taste, texture, and consistency to the pit. And it is definitely some of the best barbecue in South Carolina.
Five of the pits they have built can be found at his restaurant in Charleston, which expanded and opened another location in Greenville in September 2022. The pits pictured here are at that location on Rutherford Street.
The Charleston location is on Nassau Street. Prior to coming to Charleston, John was instrumental in helping to open Franklin Barbecue in Austin, hailed by Bon Appétit as the best barbecue in America.
Be prepared for a line, especially at busier times. It could even take as much as an hour to get through the line at peak times for the best bbq near me in South Carolina.
There's both indoor and outdoor seating available.
The Lewis Barbecue menu features the Lone Star State’s meat trilogy: brisket ...
... pork ribs ...
... and Texas-style mildly spicy beef sausage (called “hot guts”).
More specifically, hot guts are house-made sausages, always served fresh. They are mostly beef with a little bit of pork, a bit spicy and snappy!
Pulled pork is also available on the menu. With all the fanfare over the BBQ, the options for sides are not to be disregarded. One fan would "drive the miles" just for the collards!
Visit the website for Lewis Barbecue for more information, including the option to have meats shipped to you if you don't live near one of the restaurant's locations. And follow the Facebook page for Lewis Barbecue for updates. Perhaps other areas of the state will be so lucky to have a location opened in the future!
Do you have a favorite on the Lewis Barbecue Charleston menu? What is your favorite spot for the best BBQ near me in South Carolina? Share all about it with us in the comments section below!
Work off those barbecue calories with a hike! Check out what AllTrails has in the area.
Plan an overnight trip to Charleston or Greenville to try this infamous barbecue and stay at one of the coolest places to spend the night in South Carolina!
https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/south-carolina/coolest-vrbo-to-spend-the-night-2/
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