Pitmaster John Lewis is Bringing Texas Barbecue to Atlanta

Atlanta knows good barbecue. There’s Michelin-recommended Heirloom Market BBQ, Rodney Scott, 2018 James Beard Best Chef: Southeast, with his namesake, and the multiple locations of Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q that have left us licking our fingers. Now South Carolina pitmaster John Lewis is joining the greats, bringing his popular Texas-style barbecue joint to Ansley Mall next year.

This will be the third location for Lewis, adding to his Charleston and Greenville locations in South Carolina. The brisket is most popular menu item, along with pork spare ribs, sausages, pulled pork, and turkey. Expect to find seven vegetarian sides like collard greens, green beans, and Cowboy-style pinto beans, with no addition of smoked meats or bacon. As for taking on Atlanta barbecue flavors, Lewis says he won’t be deviating from his original recipes.

“I’m gonna go with what I know already,” says Lewis. “I’m staying in my lane.”

Said lane comes with a lot of handiwork. Formerly a pastry chef, Lewis says he builds his own 24-feet long smokers and plans on making four new ones for the Atlanta location.

“You teach yourself how to weld and you buy a lot of tools,” says Lewis. “I can’t saying anything about the smokehouse except it’s gonna be wild.”

Lewis grew up in El Paso, Texas, and moved to Austin where he helped open Franklin Barbecue in 2010. He then launched La Barbecue with LeAnn Mueller, quickly gaining major popularity in Austin. He opened Lewis Barbecue in Charleston in 2015, becoming an essential spot for a pulled pork sandwich.

Lewis Barbecue Atlanta is expected to open next summer in the former Laundry Lounge and the Hideaway space, facing the BeltLine. It comes nearly a decade after the first location opened its doors. Right now, the restaurant is looking for local Atlanta breweries to partner with for pop-up events.