Pitmaster IndexJohn Lewis
Pitmaster & Founder, Lewis Barbecue
John Lewis
Lewis Barbecue20+ years activeEl Paso, TX
Signature:Beef brisket with a peppery bark and silky fat cap; jalapeño cheddar sausage made in-house
John Lewis trained under Aaron Franklin at Franklin Barbecue in Austin, then became the pitmaster and partner at La Barbecue in Austin. In 2016, he made the unexpected move to Charleston, South Carolina, bringing his Texas-trained brisket craft to a city with its own deep BBQ tradition. His restaurant serves both world-class Texas brisket and whole-hog cooked in the SC tradition — the result is among the most technically accomplished BBQ in the state.
Technique
Lewis uses custom-built offset smokers — the largest in South Carolina — fueled by post oak. Briskets cook for 12–16 hours. The whole hog is cooked on a separate open pit over live coals.
Recognition
- Texas Monthly — Top 50 BBQ Joints (La Barbecue, Austin)
Influences
Aaron FranklinTexas brisket traditionSouth Carolina whole-hog tradition