From El Paso to Charleston: The Lewis Barbecue Story — Brisket, Border Cuisine & Backyard Roots

 

We had a great time finally getting John Lewis from Lewis Barbecue on. In this episode, John tells us all about his origin story — born in Brooklyn, raised in El Paso — and explains how border cuisine (a mix of West Texas, Sonoran Mexican, Native American and international trade influences) shaped his palate. He describes learning to cook out of necessity for his family, early outdoor-cooking lessons in the Boy Scouts, and a passion for baking and working in commercial bakeries that led him toward food as a career.

https://www.lewisbarbecue.com 

The conversation follows John’s culinary path through Austin (including his time with Franklin and building La Barbecue), backyard pits and competition barbecue in Denver, and the moment a Charleston invitation and crowd reaction convinced him to plant roots in the Lowcountry. He explains why he resisted the Austin saturation and chose to bring high-quality Texas-style beef barbecue to a pork-centric region.

Listeners get a close look at Lewis’s Barbecue — the menu, philosophy and techniques. John discusses a beef-first focus (brisket as king), making house sausage from scratch, vegetable-forward sides to accommodate non-meat eaters, fries and chicken-fried steak fried in rendered brisket fat, and serving traditions like weighing meat by the pound and using butcher paper. He also explains the ‘‘taste first’’ approach that helps convert diners unfamiliar with real brisket.

The episode covers Rancho Lewis (a border-cuisine spot with salsas and smoked influences), community outreach during COVID (free meals for hospitality workers), pop-ups that grew the brand, and benefit events like the chili roast supporting Friends of Joseph Lloyd Manor. John reflects on ten years of Lewis’s Barbecue in Charleston and how the team continually refines recipes and technique.

Growth and expansion are discussed: Greenville and Atlanta locations (including a rooftop smokehouse concept) and plans for Raleigh, plus the challenges of multi-city operations. John describes his role now — culinary leadership, travel between locations, and the business realities of licenses, staffing and sourcing USDA Prime beef from a Nebraska packing plant.

https://www.facebook.com/LewisBBQ/

https://www.instagram.com/lewisbarbecue