Lewis Barbecue in Greenville
“It’s been over six years since brisket mania took over Charleston with the opening of Lewis Barbecue, and now it’s time for Greenville to get a taste of smoky, fatty goodness. The second outpost of Lewis Barbecue will open at 214 Rutherford Street,” wrote Eater Carolinas days before Lewis Barbecue Greenville first opened its doors.
A master of Central Texas barbecue, Pitmaster John Lewis brought a new style of BBQ — and lots of adoring fans — to South Carolina at the original Lewis Barbecue. But it took a while for Lewis to find the right reason to open a second location.
“We’ve been approached a lot of times to open up a second location but it never felt right,” Lewis told Eater. “I wanted the second spot to be in a city that had a solid food community and was also close enough so I could easily drive there often and check-in.
Photo courtesy of Lewis Barbecue. Andrew Cebulka, photographer.
“What we do is so methodical and I’m really dedicated to making sure it feels and tastes the same as our first location. Greenville made perfect sense because it’s filled with food lovers and an easy drive for me and the team. Since we started construction I knew we made the right choice.”
Making Texas-style barbecue, Lewis serves a variety of meats, sandwiches, sides, ice cream, and extras such as pickled jalapenos, hunks of cheddar, and whole dill pickles. (Can’t visit the Charleston or Greenville restaurants? Lewis ships meats and more nationwide via Goldbelly.)
Photo courtesy of Lewis Barbecue. Savannah Bockus, photographer.
In addition, Lewis Barbecue Greenville offers a full bar and indoor and outdoor seating in its Southwestern-themed restaurant. It was important to Lewis to get both the feel and the food right.
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You’ll find the Greenville location at the location of the former Tommy’s Ham House, a staple in the community for over three decades. Lewis took more than a year to revamp the building.
The new buildings and grounds echo the ambiance and feel of the original in Charleston.
Meat offerings include brisket, pulled pork, turkey, spare ribs, and Texas “hot guts,” his homemade beef sausage.
(To make your own South Carolina-style sausage, check out this homemade onion sausage recipe.)
In addition to sandwiches, sides include cowboy pinto beans, creamy lemon slaw, green bean salad, green chili corn pudding, and buttermilk potato salad.
Customers will order at the counter and have the meat sliced in front of them. It will be served on trays on butcher paper. Learn more about the Central Texas BBQ experience you’ll find at Lewis Barbecue.
Photo courtesy of Lewis Barbecue. Leslie Ryann McKellar, photographer.
Lewis Barbecue is excellent. That’s the reason why Lewis Barbecue earned a spot on our feature entitled “BBQ in Charleston, SC: The Definitive Guide.” When we publish the Greenville guide, it will certainly make the list.
John Lewis Background
To begin, Lewis grew up in El Paso, TX.
He moved to Austin at 18 to start his culinary work in pastry, believe it or not. Sometime later, Lewis’ parents gave him a smoker, and he began trying his hand in Austin’s longstanding tradition of the backyard BBQ.
During this time, a passion was born and Lewis became creative with both his smokers and his meats.
He began taking liberties with the design and construction to find the best process and the best results.
Photo courtesy of Lewis Barbecue. Savannah Bockus, photographer.
Moving to Denver, Lewis continued to sharpen his skills by joining the competition BBQ circuit.
In 2010, Lewis returned to Austin to work with his friend Aaron Franklin who was working to open the now-famous Franklin Barbecue.
During his collaboration with Franklin, Lewis developed the flavor profile that helped put Austin BBQ on the map.
In 2012, Lewis and LeAnn Mueller opened the much-beloved La Barbecue in Austin. Lewis quickly became a rising star of Austin’s BBQ scene.
Before long, La Barbecue worked its way onto Texas Monthly’s “Top 50 List” and earned the distinction as the “Best BBQ in Austin” by the Austin American Statesman.
By March 2015, Lewis packed up his smokers and moved to Charleston to introduce the Holy City to the great world of Texas BBQ. He and his “barbecrew” opened Lewis Barbecue in June 2016 and Lewis Barbecue in Greenville in 2022.
Meet Pitmaster John Lewis on CBS’s The Dish:
John Lewis appeared on a CBS This Morning segment called The Dish, where the hosts interview important chefs and an occasional pitmaster. Lewis shared some information about his background as well as a few recipes.
What Folks are Saying
Google Review
Among the early Google Reviews, Local Guide Jimmy Su shares his experience from opening day and a few pro tips:
Best BBQ in the Upstate because the next best BBQ place is in Charleston at their main location.
Came here with the wife on opening day. Took us about 1.5 hrs from when the doors opened to get our food. Order everything and come hungry because you won’t leave hungry.
Everything was amazing, and I am so bummed that I was so excited for the meats and side that I forgot to order the banana pudding. 🤦🏻♂️
Smoked turkey breast, Mac and cheese (the bomb), corn pudding with chile (so good), the pork ribs (so good), and the king of meats, the brisket 😽. I would skip the beans next time it’s not my jam.
Some pro tips: Come early to avoid being in a long line. You don’t need the sauce and avoid the Ranchwater (sparkling water with tequila/lime), it’s ok.
Photo courtesy of Lewis Barbecue. ProBros, photographer.
Yelp Review
Over on Yelp, Alexander L wrote a bit of a novel for his review of Lewis Barbecue. Some excerpts are shared below:
It was a bittersweet moment today, standing in what seems like just yesterday was Tommy’s Country Ham House. After a complete overhaul and remodel, the place was unrecognizable, although looked outstanding.
Photo courtesy of Lewis Barbecue. Savannah Bockus, photographer.
When I entered, the line was nearly at the door. Some of the best advertising a business can have! So I queued up and began to look around. As folks picked up their orders and walked by, I could tell I was in for a treat.
With plenty of time to think and mull, I decided it best to sample a little bit of everything. They charge by the weight, and you’re in no way obligated to order a whole pound of anything. The cutters take care to make sure you only get as much as you need.
I had one sausage, one rib (which I normally don’t eat, but when in Rome…), two lean slices of brisket and a small scoop of pulled pork. For sides, I had the macaroni which I’d heard praise of and cowboy pinto beans which featured a nice little scoop of pico on top.
Photo courtesy of Lewis Barbecue. Andrew Cebulka, photographer.
Starting with the sausage, it was a nice and spicy flavor with what I believe is a small hint of cheese. Nice and juicy. The rib meat slid off the bone like butter and was soft and tender. The brisket was succulent and easily cut with my plastic fork. Richly smoky and very flavorful. The pulled pork, I’ll be honest, was very heavy on vinegar. If you like vinegar you may enjoy that. Still great, though!
The macaroni and cheese was rich and sharp; definitely a blend of white and yellow cheddars and jacks, and lots of milk. The cowboy pintos were aptly named; evoking a flavor reminiscent of an old wild westerner cooking up grub over an open fire. Zesty but not too hot. Perfectly balanced.
Overall, my visit far surpassed any expectations I could possibly have had and I will definitely be back. My advice: do what I did. Treat yourself to a little sampler plate.
The bar was extremely high here and Lewis knocked it out of the park. Mr. Stevenson is surely proud, and here’s hoping and knowing confidently that Lewis BBQ will become the local favorite its predecessor was for so many years.
Menu for Lewis Barbecue
Note: Menu prices and options are subject to change over time. Contact the restaurant for the most up-to-date information.
Read our Lewis Barbecue posts:
Read Our Review of Lewis Barbecue in Charleston
Our First Interview with John Lewis
Read about the Lewis Barbecue Experience
Want to cook like John Lewis?
Several of John Lewis’ recipes can be found in our latest cookbook: SCBBQ Recipes: Going Whole Hog cookbook Read more about the cookbook and find out which recipes here.
Lewis Barbecue FAQ
Yes, Lewis Barbecue offers catering. “Imagine our smoked meats and sides served up with a smile at your next event,” they write. To learn more, simply reach out to them here: [email protected]
Lewis regularly offers plates or sandwiches with meats like brisket, pulled pork, turkey, Texas “Hot Guts” sausage, and pork spare ribs. Sides include potato salad, coleslaw, Cowboy pinto beans, corn pudding, collards, mac and cheese, and fries. Desserts, sauces, and “fixin’s” are also on the menu. Drinks of all sorts are offered. Find the Lewis Barbecue menu here.
Yes, indeed. You can buy the following items from their Goldbelly page:
1) Smoked meats, including brisket, turkey breast, pork ribs, beef ribs, pulled pork, and sausage. Lewis also offers meat combo packs.
2) Sauces, including their Tangy, Original Red, and Hatch Green Chile sauces. You can even buy all three in a combo pack.
3) Clothing, “cool stuff,” including various T-shirts, hats, mugs, koozies, and pins.
4) Gift cards are also available.
John Lewis has shared his recipes with several publications, many of which can be found with a simple search. Several of those were gathered and included in our SC BBQ cookbook.
At Lewis Barbecue, you’ll find plenty of outside seating. As for animals, Lewis is certainly pet-friendly. You will regularly see dogs with those in the outdoor seating area. Similar to dogs, other animals are likely welcome as long as they are well-behaved and don’t interfere with the enjoyment of other guests.
Location, Hours, Contact Info, and More
Map
Directions
Contact Lewis Barbecue in Greenville
Greenville, SC 29609
Hours of Operation
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Review Sites
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