Rancho Lewis

At home in buzzy NoMo in the city's Upper Peninsula, Lewis Barbecue is a Charleston tradition. Led by renowned Austin pitmaster John Lewis, the menu is simple but abundant, with large slabs of slow-smoked, melt-in-your-mouth brisket, smoked sausages, pulled chicken and pork, and sides of fluffy cornbread and tangy coleslaw. To keep up with demand and continue his passion for smoking hearty meats, Lewis recently opened up another brick-and-mortar called Rancho Lewis, an homage to the food Lewis grew up eating in West Texas, Chihuahua, Mexico, and New Mexico.

Located on King Street in Charleston, Rancho Lewis offers a unique dining experience where West Texas, Chihuahua, Mexico, and New Mexico flavors converge. Under the expert guidance of Pitmaster John Lewis, this fine Mexican restaurant brings the best of border-food-meets-cowboy cookin’ to your table. The menu is inspired by regional ingredients, featuring Hatch red and green chiles, pinto beans, mesquite firewood, and top-quality beef from the Northern Rio Grande Valley.

The food and drink menu at Rancho Lewis is a nod to Pitmaster John Lewis’ Texan roots in both El Paso and Austin, which means lots of green chiles. The chiles star in the ever-popular spicy margaritas at this downtown restaurant, and the most unique way to taste these chiles is in the frozen margarita. Fresh Hatch Green Chile juice adds a kick to a margarita on the rocks or the Mexican martini, but the frozen margarita gets its own special treatment.

At Rancho Lewis, acclaimed barbecue pitmaster John Lewis pays homage to the cuisine of his native El Paso. The menu is built on a foundation of red and green chili peppers trucked in from Hatch, New Mexico, along with fresh heirloom corn tortillas from the restaurant’s in-house tortilleria. They come together in a flavorful array of enchiladas, tacos, and burritos, and they’re joined by a parade of mesquite-grilled steak, shrimp, and quail.

The owners of Charlestons’ beloved Lewis Barbecue are the creators behind Rancho Lewis—one of Charlestons’ top Mexican restaurants. Rancho Lewis is a Tex-Mex-inspired restaurant in the North Morrison area of Downtown Charleston right near Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co. and Sushi Wa. Rancho Lewis sources high-quality ingredients to make their popular dishes like Rancho Fajitas, House Made Tortillas, Seasoned Tortilla Chips, and House Margaritas.

This tex-mex spot is one of the most family-friendly restaurants in Charleston, and is located right next to Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co – where they share a big patio and lawn outside that kids and toddlers love. On weekends, you can post up outside for happy hour while the kids mingle and run around the (shaded) lawn and both Rancho and Edmund’s Oast both have outdoor bars open with fresh margaritas and beers on tap.

Several places downtown were also mentioned such as Basic Kitchen, Taco Boy, Rancho Lewis, Lewis BBQ, and Republic Ice Cream. From personal experience, I know that Lewis BBQ knows exactly what is in all of their food items and can tell you which ones are safe and which ones are not. Check out the Facebook group page mentioned above, and ask around for places you may be interested in trying.

You can’t go wrong with Rancho Lewis’ traditional Mexican fare — the Christmas burrito is a staple for a reason. If you’re looking for something a bit lighter, but still filling, order one of Rancho Lewis’ big salads. The West Texas Wedge takes the classic wedge salad, made with bacon and cheese and takes things up a notch with avocado, grilled corn and pico de gallo.

What it's known for: Pitmaster John Lewis channels an El Paso vibe at Rancho Lewis. Grown-ups will love the menu featuring fresh-from-the-press tortillas and house-made red and green chile sauces. The Los Ninos menu hits all the right notes for the kiddie crowd: burritos, quesadillas, chicken tenders, chips, corn dogs, rice, beans, and a Cowpoke Sundae.

While you tuck into a plate of tacos, your little one can enjoy mini corndogs, Little Juan’s Chicken Tenders, or a cheese quesadilla with an ice cream sundae for dessert. What makes this place even more of a must-visit for families is the astroturf lawn right outside of the restaurant – a fantastic place for kids to run around.

We live right around the corner so frequent Rancho Lewis (located at the same spot as above mentioned EOBC). It’s got a lively patio, ample indoor seating, great bar space, and amazing tex-mex food. The kids menu is great and I actually have been ordering from it a lot lately when we get take out (pregnancy diet lol)!

I personally haven’t had a chance to try Rancho Lewis yet, but I’ve only ever heard good things from friends and family. Their menu is a blend of West Texas, Chihuahua, Mexico, and New Mexico. With this combination, you’ll find that the menu has a unique spin on Mexican food.

Rancho Lewis is a restaurant that offers fine Mexican food and drinks. As soon as I walked in, I was greeted with a warm welcome and a cozy atmosphere. The restaurant is decorated with beautiful Mexican art and has a spacious courtyard where you can enjoy your meal and drinks.

Home of the self proclaimed, “border-food-meets-cowboy-cooking,” Rancho Lewis prides itself on serving food that has roots in both Mexico and Texas. Its expansive menu includes everything from Mexican favorites like old fashioned tacos to sizzling fajitas fresh off the grill.

One of the newest restaurants on King Street, Rancho Lewis is bringing the flavors and decor of El Paso, Texas to Charleston. It’s the second restaurant of John Lewis, who also owns Lewis Barbecue Lewis and the Texan-inspired design is by Betsy Berry of B.

Rancho Lewis’ corn dogs and cheese quesadillas have us wanting to order off “Los Ninos” menu. While you sip on a marg, the kids can enjoy strawberry limonada, apple juice or milk. Bonus: there is an astroturf lawn right outside for the kids to play on!

Located inside the former Workshop space on King Street Extension, Rancho Lewis offers fine Mexican food and drink from Pitmaster John Lewis. The popular spot for lunch and dinner offers a robust happy hour from 4 - 6 p.m.

Rancho Lewis John Lewis’ other restaurant is not a barbecue restaurant per se, but the mesquite smoked beef back ribs is one of the top barbecue bites in the city. 1503 King St, Charleston, SC 29403 rancholewischs.com/

No reservation required (you might have some wait time) - I love their nachos and margs. Xiao Boa Biscuit is another spot if you're looking for unique cuisine. Asian cooking in a converted gas station and soooo good.

Pitmaster John Lewis pays homage to the culture and cuisine of the West Texas/New Mexico region with Rancho Lewis, a border-food-meets-cowboy-cookin' restaurant and bar.

- Rating: 4.1/5 (259 reviews)- Price level: $$- Address: 1503 King St. Charleston, South Carolina - Categories: New Mexican Cuisine, Mexican- Read more on Yelp