Before our arrival, a local gave me the tip to definitely try Lewis BBQ. Said and done. The restaurant itself offered many guests a seating area. The order was taken quickly. Steffi treated herself to a brisket sandwich, I took the 'El Loco' sandwich with brisket, pulled pork, and sausage. We also ordered a pint of coleslaw.
Our order was quickly prepared. Steffi was very satisfied with her brisket sandwich. The meat, which was sliced neither too thin nor too thick, looked really good and tasted accordingly. I must admit that I was a bit overwhelmed, taste-wise, with my sandwich. Too many types of meat with one bite can be a little 'loco'. But once again, I realized that I am not necessarily a fan of smoked sausage. The coleslaw had a high vinegar content. In addition, thin green pepper strips and parsley were incorporated into it. I had not experienced that before. But it still tasted delicious and really fresh. There were three different sauces to choose from: a mustard/hot sauce, a vinegar/sweet sauce, and a vinegar/hot sauce. As if that wasn't enough, my gaze fell on the daily special: Reuben sandwich (sandwich with pastrami and sauerkraut), while Steffi's gaze turned to the homemade fries. So we placed another order. The fries were nicely cut, crispy on the outside and beautifully soft on the inside, and perfectly seasoned. My Reuben sandwich was also delicious (but it didn't quite compare to Katz's Deli in New York). After the main course, there was a little dessert, chocolate pudding and banana pudding. Both were tasty as well.
Stuffed, we hung on our chairs when the server offered me to take a look at the smokers. I didn't have to be asked twice and followed her. In the smokehouse, there were 4 huge offset smokers. She explained to me that these were once huge propane tanks. I had only read before that Aaron Franklin from Franklin's BBQ in Houston, Texas, made his smokers from such tanks. Lewis, I was told, had apparently learned from Franklin and got the idea with the tanks from there. Anyway, because the self-made smokers were simply too big, the smokehouse was built around them. By the way, smoking is done with red and white oak. Around 120 briskets come into the smokers every evening. Both pork and beef are always rubbed with mustard and then rubbed with a mix of seasonings (including salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder). One rub is used for all types of meat. Unfortunately, there was no more meat on the smokers at the moment, as the restaurant wanted to keep closed the next day because of Ian...
My conclusion for Charleston: Super South Carolina BBQ location. You can't really go wrong there. Lewis BBQ was just barely the number 1 for me, while Steffi still raves about the chicken wings at Bessinger's BBQ to this day. Next up is BBQ in North Carolina!
