Rancho Lewis, Charleston: Reviews & Ratings (November 2026)

Name: Rancho Lewis
Price range: $$ - $$$

#2 Mexican ▼#4 Barbecue #10 Best Lunch ▼#16 Outdoor Dining ▼#62 Best Overall ▼

Good for Lunch

Pitmaster John Lewis (of Lewis Barbecue fame) brings West Texas to Chihuahua border food to Charleston. House-made tortillas, smoked-meat fajitas, Christmas burrito (green chile beef), proper margaritas, and cowboy-meets-Mexico flavors in a massive courtyard setting on Upper King Street.

4.3

TasteSignal Crowd ScoreBlended across 2 platforms · how this is calculated

Google★ 4.41,067 reviews Yelp★ 4.1about 320 reviews

Diner ratings checked Nov 2026. Platforms with fewer than 50 reviews are not counted.

Address1503 King St Ext, Charleston, SC 29405

Open inGoogle Maps Apple Maps Waze

Phone(843) 414-2545

Websiterancholewis.com

HoursDaily 11 AM to 9 or 10 PM

ReservationsBook on OpenTable

Walk-inYes. Large covered courtyard plus indoor seating. Bar seats turn quickly.

Hours, prices and booking details are from our 2026 checks. Confirm with the restaurant before you go.

Why Rancho Lewis ranks where it does

Best Mexican Restaurants in Charleston, SC

▼ from #1

Critic recognition from Post and Courier, Charleston City Paper and 3 other outlets in the last five years.
Fresh critic coverage in the last six months (Post and Courier, Oct 2026).
Diner ratings: 4.4 on Google (1,067 reviews); 4.1 on Yelp (about 320 reviews).
On major critic lists in 4 different years (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026).

Best Barbecue in Charleston, SC

No change

Critic recognition from Post and Courier, Charleston City Paper and 3 other outlets in the last five years.
Fresh critic coverage in the last six months (Post and Courier, Oct 2026).
Diner ratings: 4.4 on Google (1,067 reviews); 4.1 on Yelp (about 320 reviews).
On major critic lists in 4 different years (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026).

#10

Best Lunch in Charleston, SC

▼ from #9

Lunch recognition: Post and Courier (Feb 2026).
Critic recognition from Post and Courier, Charleston City Paper and 3 other outlets in the last five years.
Fresh critic coverage in the last six months (Post and Courier, Oct 2026).
Diner ratings: 4.4 on Google (1,067 reviews); 4.1 on Yelp (about 320 reviews).
On major critic lists in 4 different years (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026).

Rank history

Category	Oct 26	Nov 26
Mexican	#1	#2
Barbecue	#4	#4
Best Lunch	#9	#10
Outdoor Dining	#11	#16
Best Overall	#51	#62

A dash means it was not ranked in that category that month. See everything that moved this month.

What critics and guides say

Post and Courier: The holidays are fast approaching. Which Charleston restaurants do you recommend for large parties? (Tip Jar) (Oct 2026)Charleston City Paper: Our Top 50: Summer 2026 (DISH Dining Guide) (Aug 2026)Southern Living: These Are The South's Best New Barbecue Joints Of 2024 (Aug 2024)Charleston Magazine: Charleston Barbecue, Generation Next (Aug 2023)The Local Palate: New Restaurants in South Carolina (May 2023)

Also top-ranked for Mexican

Maya del Sol Kitchen, El Molino Supermarket Taqueria, Santi's Restaurante Mexicano, Taco Boy. See the full ranking →

Frequently asked

Is Rancho Lewis good?

Rancho Lewis ranks #2 for Mexican in Charleston on TasteSignal for November 2026. Critic recognition from Post and Courier, Charleston City Paper and 3 other outlets in the last five years.

What is Rancho Lewis' TasteSignal Crowd Score?

4.3 out of 5, the average of its ratings on Google and Yelp (platforms with 50+ reviews), checked Nov 2026.

Where is Rancho Lewis?

Rancho Lewis is at 1503 King St Ext, Charleston, SC 29405 (Downtown).

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