Three Charleston barbecue spots today made the cut to be on Southern Living magazine’s list of the South’s best new barbecue joints. Ranked 14th was Rancho Lewis in the Charleston Neck area. Fifth was King Barbecue in North Charleston. And first? Palmira Barbecue in West Ashley.
“We are incredibly humble and grateful to have been ranked No. 1 in the Best New Barbecue Joints in the South list,” said Palmira Barbecue pitmaster/owner Hector Garate. “We are at a loss for words. Our deepest gratitude goes out to all our customers who have supported us and our community.
“Every member of our team brings passion and dedication to the table every single day. We also want to congratulate all the other establishments on this list and express our appreciation to Robert F. Moss. This milestone means the world to us as we proudly represent Charleston.”
The list was compiled by Southern Living’s contributing barbecue editor (and former Charleston City Paper contributor) Robert F. Moss, who traveled throughout the South to try a wide variety of barbecue restaurants. Parameters for “new” barbecue restaurants, in this case, mean places that have opened since 2021.
According to Moss, most of the places on the list are “traditionalists in at least some sense” but also, “each is doing their own thing, experimenting with new flavors and techniques, adopting less-common cuts of meat, and drawing upon family recipes and their own culinary heritage.”
Pitmaster John Lewis opened his border cuisine-inspired restaurant, Rancho Lewis, in 2022. According to Moss, a single barbecue item on Rancho Lewis’ menu deems it worthy of appearing on this best new barbecue list: A full rack of beef back ribs.
Moss wrote: “Beneath a crusty sear, the beef pulls from the bones into long, tender pieces tinged deep garnet by the pit’s mesquite smoke — a splendid re-creation of a kind of Texas barbecue that’s seldom seen these days.”
Corrie and Shuai Wang’s King BBQ is their second restaurant. It opened after years of success with Chinese American spot, Jackrabbit Filly. The Chinese American barbecue spot opened in Park Circle at the end of 2023. Moss liked the restaurant’s pork ribs, five-spice duck legs and noodle bowls topped with chopped pork, chicken and hash.
Garate’s brick and mortar restaurant, Palmira Barbecue, was a long time in the making, opening on Ashley River Road earlier this year. After popping up at breweries and spending some time at Market Street’s Port of Call food hall, Garate found a permanent space in West Ashley. Moss said that Garate’s blend of South Carolina and Texas styles with accents of his native Puerto Rico make for a “wonderful new take on Carolina ‘cue.”
- Find the full list of the best new Southern barbecue spots online.
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.