A trailblazer in the neo-traditional style of Central Texas barbecue, Pitmaster John Lewis uses his custom-made smokers to produce expertly smoked pork spareribs, beef ribs, “Texas hot guts” sausage, and his legendary beef brisket. John’s unerring devotion to his craft has him up at 4 a.m. most mornings, tending to his smokers, and constantly striving to improve his product.

Born in Brooklyn, NY, John moved to El Paso, TX when he was a kid. At 18, he packed up and moved to Austin to start his culinary career. Around this time, John’s parents gave him a New Braunfels smoker for his birthday, and he started dabbling in Austin’s longstanding tradition of the backyard barbecue. He was soon getting creative with both his smokers and his meats, taking liberties with the design and construction to yield a better result.

After a stint in Denver honing his craft on the competition barbecue circuit, John returned to Austin in 2010 to help his friend Aaron Franklin open Franklin Barbecue. While there, John pioneered the flavor profile that helped put Austin barbecue on the map.

John partnered with LeAnn Mueller to open La Barbecue in Austin in 2012. He quickly became the rising star of Austin’s barbecue scene and in just a few short months after opening, La Barbecue made Texas Monthly’s “Top 50 List” and was voted the “Best BBQ in Austin” by the Austin American Statesman.

To this day, John has never purchased a premade barbecue pit or smoker, preferring instead to forge his own by hand. Through many years of trial and error, he’s been able to achieve the results he was after—a signature “John Lewis barbecue” flavor and texture.

In June 2016, John brought his signature style to Charleston, SC, with Lewis Barbecue, his first restaurant in the city’s emerging Upper Peninsula. Since opening its doors, Lewis Barbecue has become a staple in the local restaurant scene. Since opening, Lewis Barbecue has been lauded by the likes of Garden & Gun, Southern Living, The New York Times, and Food & Wine for its one-of-a-kind flavor.

In 2017, John and his team launched a successful food trailer called “Juan Luis,” showcasing food from his El Paso roots and offering a taste of New Mexican cuisine. They dreamed of one day launching a more permanent space for the concept and in spring 2022, opened a reimagined restaurant concept, Rancho Lewis, in downtown Charleston.

The Rancho Lewis story begins in the land before borders, in the place where West Texas, Chihuahua, Mexico, and New Mexico meet. John is honored to share his interpretation of the food he grew up eating, with a menu inspired by regional ingredients from the Northern Rio Grande Valley including Hatch red and green chiles, pinto beans, mesquite firewood and beef. He made countless trips to the region to cultivate relationships and source straight from the area’s best local farms, cooks and purveyors and is immensely proud of the food they are offering at Rancho.

In 2017, John and his team launched a successful food trailer called “Juan Luis,” showcasing food from his El Paso roots and offering a taste of New Mexican cuisine. They dreamed of one day launching a more permanent space for the concept and in spring 2022, opened a reimagined restaurant concept, Rancho Lewis, in downtown Charleston.

The Rancho Lewis story begins in the land before borders, in the place where West Texas, Chihuahua, Mexico, and New Mexico meet. John is honored to share his interpretation of the food he grew up eating, with a menu inspired by regional ingredients from the Northern Rio Grande Valley including Hatch red and green chiles, pinto beans, mesquite firewood and beef. He made countless trips to the region to cultivate relationships and source straight from the area’s best local farms, cooks and purveyors and is immensely proud of the food they are offering at Rancho.