Sweet Lew's BBQ
Barbecue restaurant · Belmont ·
Wood-smoked BBQ meats, ribs, fried chicken, beer, wine, cocktails
Wood-smoked BBQ meats, ribs, fried chicken, beer, wine, cocktails
"If you were dropped blindly into Sweet Lew’s, you’d think you were in a small-town BBQ joint, not a restaurant in North Carolina’s largest urban city. It’s small and humble, with Coca-Cola, Cheerwine, and RC Cola memorabilia on the walls alongside vintage photos from when the building used to be a Texaco service station. Order the Sweet Lew Sampler at the counter from a menu scrawled on a chalkboard. You’ll get brisket, chopped pork that tastes great doused in classic Eastern North Carolina vinegar BBQ sauce, and ribs, plus two sides (the best being the mac and cheese and meaty collard greens). When the weather’s nice, take your metal tray to the patio’s picnic tables and enjoy your ribs in this quiet neighborhood." - tess allen, g clay whittaker
"I grab a few smoky sampler plates from Sweet Lew’s BBQ when I want classic, portable barbecue for a tailgate or pre-game spread." - Kayleigh Ruller
"In the Belmont neighborhood, I saw that Sweet Lew’s — opened Dec. 5 by co-owners Lewis Donald and Laura Furman Grice — aims to deliver a “real North Carolina barbecue experience” from a flipped old service station with a smoker burning a blend of hickory, pecan and peach woods. The core menu stays consistent with daily smoked meats: Lexington-style chopped barbecue made with North Carolina pork shoulder, dry-rubbed ribs and smoked chicken, plus other options such as brisket, fried chicken and fried fish. I wouldn’t overlook the classic sides — baked beans, collards, mac and cheese, boiled peanuts and Carolina boiled potato — and you can finish with a sweet serving of banana pudding." - Katie Toussaint
All-wood, old-school Carolina ’cue served until it runs out. Celebrated by Charlotte Magazine and Axios Charlotte, pitmaster Lewis Donald’s Belmont joint is community-rooted and lunch-perfect—pork, ribs, and sides that taste of smoke and patience.
A converted service station with wood-only pits turning out Lexington-style pork, ribs, and smoked chicken that sell out. Celebrated by Thrillist nationally and praised by Charlotte Magazine and the Charlotte Observer, it anchors Belmont’s barbecue identity.