This barbecue joint was named the best in South Carolina. What makes it so special?

Simone Jasper
·2 min read
Screengrab from Lewis Barbecue on Facebook

A restaurant brings Texas-style barbecue to South Carolina — and customers can’t get enough.

So much so, it now ranks as the No. 1 place to eat barbecue in the Palmetto State, according to results published March 23.

Lewis Barbecue, located in the popular tourist destination of Charleston, topped the list after the restaurant review website Yelp studied restaurants that serve the smoked staple. It then “ranked those spots using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning” barbecue over time, results show.

Yelp stoked the longtime barbecue debate after users gave Lewis Barbecue more than four out of five stars.

Some customers took to the website to praise the restaurant’s beef brisket, pork ribs and other favorites. And several said they were fans of the barbecue joint’s inviting atmosphere and quality customer service.

While Lewis Barbecue has expanded its footprint to Greenville, its location on North Nassau Street in Charleston is the one that received the honor from Yelp.

John Lewis, who grew up in Texas, started his namesake restaurant in 2016, according to its website. Over the years, he has become known for his “legendary” beef brisket, the restaurant’s most popular dish and one that historically has helped to define barbecue from the Lone Star State.

Meanwhile, South Carolina is a state that boasts a variety of barbecue sauces — but only one smoked meat reigns supreme. As Southern Living reported in January, “winning over a bunch of pork-eating Carolinians” is part of what makes Lewis Barbecue’s success impressive.

“Barbecue in South Carolina means pork and only pork,” the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism said on its website. “Other things, such as beef and chicken, can be barbecued, but only pork is referred to as barbecue.”

The rankings were released after a different Charleston barbecue joint earned the top spot on another statewide list. Southern Living recently named Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ the best in South Carolina after it surveyed its readers, The State reported March 10.

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