Southern Food News: Lewis Barbecue and Husk Put Charleston Pies in the Michelin Guide. Plus, Other Top-Rated Pie Destinations Across the South
Southern Food News: Lewis Barbecue and Husk Put Charleston Pies in the Michelin Guide. Plus, Other Top-Rated Pie Destinations Across the South
A chilled banana pie after brisket, or a rich chocolate pie at a celebrated Southern restaurant, can make dessert the meal’s best surprise. In Charleston, Lewis Barbecue and Husk both appear in Michelin’s 2026 U.S. pie feature, which names their desserts without ranking them or giving them awards.
The Michelin article highlights Lewis Barbecue’s Banana Puddin’ Pie and double dark chocolate caramel pie, plus Husk’s Mississippi Mud. Here’s what the guide says about each, what the restaurants list now, and what to check before you go.
What Michelin’s 2026 pie guide means for Southern food news
The Charleston pie news comes from a Michelin editorial feature, not a new restaurant award. That distinction matters if you’re sharing the news or planning a dessert stop.
The Michelin source and its exact wording
Published September 23, 2026, “The Ultimate Guide to the Best Pies in the U.S.” covers pies served at Michelin Guide restaurants across the country. Its Charleston section names Lewis Barbecue’s double dark chocolate caramel pie and Husk’s Mississippi Mud, while an earlier section describes Lewis’s Banana Puddin’ Pie.
The feature does not give the pies ranks, scores, or awards. Michelin says pies let chefs work with familiar flavors, textures, and seasons, but it does not publish judging criteria for this article. The safest description is that Michelin featured the restaurant pies in an editorial guide.
What the guide says about each restaurant
Michelin describes Lewis Barbecue’s banana pie as a family-recipe dessert tied to pitmaster John Lewis’s grandmother. The Husk entry calls its Mississippi Mud a take on a chocolate-pie classic. Neither mention means a Michelin Star or a separate pie award.
The guide is part of Michelin’s food coverage, while each restaurant also has a separate Michelin Guide listing. Those pages describe the restaurants, not a ranked pie contest.
Lewis Barbecue adds icebox pie to a barbecue meal
Lewis Barbecue is known for Central Texas-style barbecue, including brisket, house-made sausages, and smoked turkey. Its Michelin restaurant profile describes a casual setting with picnic tables, smokers, and meat sliced to order. Dessert brings a different temperature and texture to that meal.
Banana Puddin’ Pie is the standout icebox slice
Michelin says the Banana Puddin’ Pie layers fresh banana slices and crumbled Nilla Wafers, with homemade marshmallow fluff as the signature twist. The pie draws on a family recipe perfected by Lewis’s grandmother. The restaurant’s current Charleston menu lists house-made icebox pie slices, including Banana Puddin’, Lemon Curd & Raspberry, and Dark Chocolate & Salted Caramel.
Lewis’s menu lists the slices at $6, though prices and availability can change. Michelin also calls out the double dark chocolate caramel pie. That wording is close to, but not exactly the same as, the menu’s “Dark Chocolate & Salted Caramel” name.
A cool finish after smoked meat
Icebox pie fits naturally after barbecue: its chilled, creamy filling contrasts with warm, smoky meat. That’s a pairing idea, not a claim about the kitchen’s intent. Lewis’s Banana Puddin’ Pie also brings together two familiar sweets, banana pudding and pie, in a single slice.
The style has Southern roots. Southern Living’s history of Southern pies describes icebox pies as no-cook desserts named for the iceboxes where cooks chilled them. Today, the refrigerator does that job, keeping the filling cool until dessert.
Husk’s Mississippi Mud gives Charleston another pie style
Husk takes a different approach from a barbecue counter. The restaurant works with a network of farmers and suppliers and describes its food as a modern take on Southern ingredients and traditions. Its Michelin profile places it in a historic two-story house and notes its pies and cakes.
The guide names Mississippi Mud, not meringue
Michelin identifies Husk’s featured dessert as Mississippi Mud, not a meringue pie. The article describes fudge brownie, chocolate and coffee budino, whipped cream, and toasted pecans. The result combines dense chocolate elements with a soft topping and a nutty finish.
There’s a practical caveat: Husk’s after-dinner menu dated September 13, 2026 lists Mexican chocolate cake, PB & J Basque cheesecake, apple dapple cake, and seasonal scoops, but no Mississippi Mud. The Michelin mention confirms that Husk was featured; it does not confirm that the pie is still available.
A pie in a restaurant built around Southern ingredients
Husk’s current menu and supplier approach fit the wider story of regional cooking, but its pie recipe should not be treated as a statement of the restaurant’s sourcing unless Husk says so. The restaurant’s official site describes a culinary team working with local farmers and purveyors, using Southern flavors and traditions with seasonal ingredients.
That approach differs from Lewis Barbecue’s focus on smoked meat and casual service. Yet both settings make room for dessert with strong flavor and texture. Husk’s rich chocolate-and-coffee pie and Lewis’s chilled banana slice show how far a Southern pie can stretch beyond a bakery case.
Plan a Charleston pie stop with current menus in mind
The Michelin feature can help you spot two restaurants worth checking, but it isn’t a promise that every named pie is on the menu today. Lewis’s current online menu lists icebox pie slices; Husk’s latest posted dessert menu does not list Mississippi Mud. Seasonal changes and daily service can alter what you find.
Check hours and pie availability before visiting
Lewis Barbecue posts its Charleston location, hours, and menu on its official site. The restaurant lists service from 11 a.m., with closing times that vary by day. Check the menu or call before you go if a specific slice is the reason for your visit.
Husk posts its menus and dining details online. Ask whether Mississippi Mud is available, since it does not appear on the September after-dinner menu. A restaurant’s menu can change after the date printed on a posted PDF.
Share the news with the right details
When you pass along the Charleston pie story, use Michelin’s article title and name the exact desserts. Lewis is featured for Banana Puddin’ Pie and double dark chocolate caramel pie; Husk for Mississippi Mud. The feature is not a ranked list, a Michelin Star, or a separate award for either pie.
Charleston’s pie story starts with the details
Michelin’s September 2026 pie feature puts Lewis Barbecue and Husk in the same Charleston dessert conversation, but their pies and dining styles differ. Lewis’s banana icebox pie brings family-recipe flavors to a barbecue meal, while Husk’s Mississippi Mud pairs chocolate, coffee, brownie, cream, and toasted pecans.
The guide names the pies; current menus decide what you can order. Check Lewis’s listed flavors and ask Husk about Mississippi Mud before making dessert the centerpiece of your visit.
Top-rated pie destinations across the South include:
Charlotte’s Eats and Sweets (Keo, AR): Celebrated for towering coconut meringue and caramel pies.
Elliston Place Soda Shop (Nashville, TN): Famous for chocolate chess and coconut cream pies.
JaWanda’s Sweet Potato Pies (Birmingham, AL): Renowned for sweet potato and pecan varieties.
Emporium Pies (Dallas, TX): Recognized for diverse flavors including the Baltimore Bomb.
Kermit’s Key Lime Shop (Key West, FL): Florida’s official key lime pie destination.
Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop (Greenville, SC): Known for unique offerings like the I-40 pie.
Sugaree’s Bakery (New Albany, MS): Noted for daily pecan/chess pies and a massive Friday chocolate meringue.
Mary Mac’s Tea Room (Atlanta, GA): Famous for peanut butter pie.