The 3 restaurants that matter right now.
Best Overall Best New Date Night Business Dinner Brunch Best Lunch Outdoor Dining Steakhouse Seafood Italian Sushi Mexican Vegan & Vegetarian Pizza Barbecue Casual Local Favorite Burgers Pick for Me Who Moved Food Voices Methodology

Lewis Barbecue

Downtown · $$–$$$ · Ranked in 2 TasteSignal categories

Updated October 2026

← Best Barbecue in Charleston, SC
#1 Barbecue#1 Best Overall

Central Texas-style pitmaster John Lewis brought Austin's brisket gospel to Charleston, slicing to order from custom-built smokers in a sprawling industrial space with a full bar. Order at the counter: brisket, beef ribs, hot guts sausage, pulled pork, and house sides. Sliced to order, so arrive early on weekends. Popular cuts sell out by mid-afternoon.

4.7
TasteSignal Crowd ScoreBlended across 3 platforms · how this is calculated
Google★ 4.88,777 reviewsTripadvisor★ 4.71,056 reviewsYelp★ 4.7about 2,475 reviews

Diner ratings checked Oct 2026. Platforms with fewer than 50 reviews are not counted.

Address464 N Nassau St, Charleston, SC 29403
Open inGoogle MapsApple MapsWaze
Websitelewisbarbecue.com
HoursWed to Sun 11 AM to 9 PM. Closed Mon and Tue
ReservationsNone for parties under 8. Walk-in only
Walk-inYes. Counter-order, then sit indoors or on the patio. Bar seats fill first.

Hours, prices and booking details are from our 2026 checks. Confirm with the restaurant before you go.

Why Lewis Barbecue ranks where it does

#1

Best Barbecue in Charleston, SC

No change
  • Critic recognition from Condé Nast Traveler, Michelin Guide and 4 other outlets in the last five years.
  • Fresh critic coverage in the last six months (Garden & Gun, Aug 2026).
  • Diner ratings: 4.8 on Google (8,777 reviews); 4.7 on Yelp (about 2,475 reviews); 4.7 on Tripadvisor (1,056 reviews).
  • On major critic lists in 4 different years (2021, 2023, 2025, 2026).
  • Readers' pick: Charleston City Paper Best of Charleston 2026 (Winner: Best Barbecue).
#1

Best Overall Restaurants in Charleston, SC

New to the top 10
  • Critic recognition from Condé Nast Traveler, Michelin Guide and 4 other outlets in the last five years.
  • Fresh critic coverage in the last six months (Garden & Gun, Aug 2026).
  • Diner ratings: 4.8 on Google (8,777 reviews); 4.7 on Yelp (about 2,475 reviews); 4.7 on Tripadvisor (1,056 reviews).
  • On major critic lists in 4 different years (2021, 2023, 2025, 2026).
  • Readers' pick: Charleston City Paper Best of Charleston 2026 (Winner: Best Barbecue).

What critics and guides say

Condé Nast Traveler: The Best Restaurants in Charleston (2026) (Jul 2026)Michelin Guide: MICHELIN Guide American South 2025 - Charleston selections (Nov 2025)Garden & Gun: The Garden & Gun Guide to Charleston, South Carolina (Aug 2026)Charleston City Paper: Our Top 50: Summer 2026 (DISH Dining Guide) (Aug 2026)Post and Courier: 3 days in Charleston: Our food editor's 2026 itinerary (Jan 2026)Southern Living: The Top 50 BBQ Joints In The South Right Now (2025) (Sep 2025)Charleston City Paper: Best of Charleston 2026 (May 2026)Southern Living: 2026 South's Best: The Best Barbecue Joint In Every Southern State, According To Our Readers (Mar 2026)Charleston City Paper: Best of Charleston 2025 (May 2025)

Also top-ranked for Barbecue

Palmira Barbecue, King BBQ, Rancho Lewis, Home Team BBQ (Sullivan's Island). See the full ranking →

Frequently asked

Is Lewis Barbecue good?

Lewis Barbecue ranks #1 for Barbecue in Charleston on TasteSignal for October 2026. Critic recognition from Condé Nast Traveler, Michelin Guide and 4 other outlets in the last five years.

What is Lewis Barbecue's TasteSignal Crowd Score?

4.7 out of 5, the average of its ratings on Google, Yelp, Tripadvisor (platforms with 50+ reviews), checked Oct 2026.

Where is Lewis Barbecue?

Lewis Barbecue is at 464 N Nassau St, Charleston, SC 29403 (Downtown).