John Lewis is the El Paso-born pitmaster who brought Central Texas barbecue tradition to Charleston with his cult-famous brisket.
• Founder and pitmaster of Lewis Barbecue in Charleston, South Carolina, with a second location in Greenville
• Author of the barbecue cookbook Pitmaster: Recipes, Techniques and Barbecue Wisdom and co-author of Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto
• Creator of his own line of sauces, rubs and merchandise under the Lewis Barbecue label
Please note: The editors of this list acknowledge that John should have been placed higher. This was an oversight on our part.