John Lewis

Pitmaster and restaurateur John Lewis is a trailblazer of the neo-traditional Central Texas barbecue movement, known for his legendary brisket, ribs, “Texas hot guts” sausage and delectable sides like Hatch chile corn pudding. Raised in El Paso, Texas, Lewis discovered a love of cooking by preparing meals for his family as a kid. He moved to Austin at 18, where he honed his craft before helping open Franklin Barbecue and later partnering with LeAnn Mueller to open La Barbecue. In 2016, he launched Lewis Barbecue in Charleston, South Carolina, earning national acclaim and awards, including a MICHELIN Guide Bib Gourmand in 2025.

Lewis expanded to Greenville, S.C. in 2022 and opened in Atlanta in December 2025 with a new location on the Beltline’s Northeast Trail. Featuring an open-air rooftop smokehouse and custom pits cooking Central Texas-style barbecue over Texas oak, Food & Wine named it a Hottest New Barbecue Restaurant to Visit in the US this year. John is also the founder of Rancho Lewis in Charleston, inspired by the foodways of his border town upbringing and the region where West Texas, New Mexico, and Chihuahua, Mexico, meet. Across his restaurants, Lewis remains devoted to the craft that launched his career: obsessive attention to fire, smoke, meat and the pursuit of better barbecue.