In 1924, Bob Melton of Rocky Mount opened one of North Carolina’s first sit-down barbecue restaurants. About the same time, Sid Weaver and Jess Swicegood built modest structures to replace the side-by-side tents on Lexington’s courthouse square where they had been selling barbecue since 1919. Ever since then, one of the favorite pastimes in the state has been searching for good barbecue joints. In 1994, Bob Garner began doing short features about barbecue for UNC-TV’s statewide public-television magazine program, North Carolina Now. In 1996, he published North Carolina Barbecue: Flavored by Time and produced a one-hour television special based on the book. He was soon known as “the barbecue man” in North Carolina. In this book, Garner describes what he feels are the 100 best barbecue restaurants in the state. They range from well-known establishments to little-known holes in the wall. In Bob Garner’s Guide to North Carolina Barbecue, you’ll find the authoritative reference for those interested in preserving the tradition of a disappearing, rural-based lifestyle through the patronage of great barbecue joints from the mountains to the sea.