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Michael Karl Witzel
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Barbecue Road Trip: Recipes, Restaurants & Pitmasters from America's Great Barbecue Regions Kindle Edition

by Michael Karl Witzel (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 out of 5 stars 8 ratings
With its fervent aficionados, traditions, and wildly varying regional styles--each with its passionate advocates--barbecue is much more than a way of cooking meat: It’s a cultural ritual. A history as entertaining as it is informative, this book is the first to explore American barbecue’s regional roots. Nationally renowned food commentator Mike Witzel takes readers on an eye-opening (and mouth-watering) tour of the histories, techniques, culture, competitions, traditional side dishes, and classic hot spots associated with barbecue’s four major regionally based styles. With hundreds of photographs and illustrations, print ads, signage, and more, this account offers a rich picture of American barbecue in Texas, North Carolina, Memphis, and Kansas City (home to at least 100 barbecue restaurants and the world’s largest annual barbeque contest). Pork or beef, sweet or spicy, marinated or rubbed, basted or slathered in sauce, cooked slowly or seared, over coal or wood chips, here are the styles from which all American barbecue is derived, in all their rich flavor and folklore. For those who wish to do further research, the book provides a listing of top barbecue joints in all 50 states.
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  1. Print length
    459 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Voyageur Press
  4. Publication date
    October 15, 2008
  5. File size
    53.3 MB
  6. Page Flip
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  7. Word Wise
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  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael Karl Witzel is a writer, photographer, historian and folklorist devoted to American roadside culture. An award-winning author, he has penned several books including American Drive-In, The American Gas Station, The Sparkling Story of Coca-Cola, Cruisin': Car Culture in America and The American Diner.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004PLNRR8
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Voyageur Press (October 15, 2008)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 15, 2008
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 53.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 459 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 8 ratings

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Michael Karl Witzel

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4.6 out of 5 stars
8 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Jon A. Kruse Sr.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book
    Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    I saw this book at a friend's house. He is actually in the book, a pitmaster at one of the BBQ's featured in the book, so it was of special interest to me. The rest of the book is just as interesting! I can't wait to try some of the BBQ's in other areas!
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  • RyGuy2484
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Great book. Really enjoy it. Describes all the different styles of BBQ and good BBQ joints to hit all across the country.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Brad Mattix
    4.0 out of 5 stars Well done!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    This is a nice book with great stories, plenty of great pictures, and reviews of some great barbecue joints. I don't think that you would be at all disappointed. The reason that I rated 4 stars, rather than 5, is that it lacked on original recipes.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • connie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
    Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Got this book as a surprise for my husband after spying him looking through it at a Barbeque restaurant...He loves it!!
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  • Thai4U n BBQ2
    3.0 out of 5 stars Lack of recipes, more about history - good on the few restaurants mentioned, but lacks on too many not mentioned.
    Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2012
    The published price for this book is $30 at full retail. The main focus of this book is 2 states - Texas, and North Carolina, and 2 cities - Kansas City (KC, MO) and Memphis. Most of us know that BBQ can be a very encompassing topic where everyone has an opinion, and everyone does it their own special way. So, it is understandable that there had to be a limit to the areas of coverage for a BBQ book to expose thorough details,the legends, the opinions and the history. However, this book was a bit dissappointing for me having paid over $15 for it. I believe that it failed to provide a strong scope of information for the limited locales selected especially when the book was clearly not targeting recipes as a focus. For the limited informational content of this book and an extremely high retail price, I would have liked to see more recipes, or an emulation of recipes produced by the author to mimic some favorite dishes sold by the establishments. That is not there. In addition, several of the establishments provided recipes requiring the purchase of their products (i.e. rubs, sauce)to complete the recipes. If you aren't going to make it a decent recipe book, then provide more details on more restaurants for those areas. For me the author failed to deliver a home run to earn 5 stars on BBQ restaurant content, history, details, recipes, competitions, and pictures as well. There are other existing BBQ books of similar intent that I believe do better in recipe content, information and quality at a much lower price.

    One of those to consider might be Dr. BBQ's Big-Time Barbecue Road Trip!. Another similar book to consider is Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book: Recipes and Secrets from a Legendary Barbecue Joint. Another similar book to consider would be America's Best BBQ: 100 Recipes from America's Best Smokehouses, Pits, Shacks, Rib Joints, Roadhouses, and Restaurants. And finally, another book that focus on the Southern BBQ regions, BBQ Joints . So, it's not like this authors book was an original in its conception, but I do think it failed to take the leadership from these former 5-star books.

    I spent a lot of time in Kansas City, and tasted most of the regional BBQ restaurants there at the time. I'm glad that the author captured Jack Stack's lamb ribs and BBQ beans - my two favorite items at his restaurant. Sadly, no recipe for their BBQ beans was provided in the book. Fortunately, you can find it on Food Network's website to anyone that might have an interest! Also, it would have been nice to see something mentioned about Ricky's Pit BBQ whom President Clinton specifically visited when in KC while he was President. Their ribs are among the best in KC in my opinion and maybe the former President. Also, no mention of a smaller pit master that I feel beats Gates BBQ ribs, and most others within Kansas City - it is LC's BBQ. Another one missed was Oklahoma Joes BBQ. On a larger commercial scale establishement, he missed KC Masterpiece as well. So, if you are going to make a book about BBQ with no recipes, shouldn't you have tried nearly every place in the city, or state that has a reputation, or longevity? Maybe he did, but I wouldn't have known as a reader. In addition, I would have liked the author to mention those among his personal favorites for the areas such as ribs, burnt end, brisket, beans, coleslaw, atmosphere, etc. Let us know what each does so well, and maybe not, but give us an epicurean adventure or experience though the pages and descriptions so as a reader I can feel as though I have visited each of these places when I'm done reading. Let us practically taste those items they do so well through a vivid description of each BBQs specialty. The author could have done a better job at showcasing the best of Kansas City with BBQ passion, and covering the many others establishments that are missing in some fanciful, but concise detail leading to an epicurean explosion in the readers mind. While I was in KC, I was fortunate to eat some really good BBQ, however, I ate some really bad BBQ as well. The experiences are out there, but sadly, they have not been fully detailed by this book in my opinion.

    Some of the pictures within this book are a bit blurry as well, so not even the photography was top notch in my opinion. Yet, there are many colored pictures and some really good pictures that make the book of special interest to the BBQ aficionado. It is layed out nicely. The book does serves a purpose of exposing some regional BBQ restaurants, BBQ history with a lot of pictures which is inviting for the BBQ enthusiast, but I give it 3 stars for not doing a more comprehensive job in this regard. If I am going to buy a book that lacks recipes, then give me information and personal experience from all the BBQ joints in the city, or state that have been there for at least 7 years. I feel the author failed to deliver this so I give it 3 stars for that reason. The establishement that the author did choose were written about nicely. Unfortunately, I think this book should be priced under $15, and nowhere near $30 retail. It is about 190 pages in size (3/4" thick), but I think the author could have added 30-40% more informational content, or 270 pages plus doubling the recipes to make it worthy of a $30 book price at about 300 pages. If he had done this, this book may have been the golden standard for BBQ books, and worthy of the price and 5 stars.

    Fortunately, Amazon is the harbinger of very low prices, and this book was priced right at under $15 with shipping included in December 2013. Hopefully it stays that way.

    For detailed information on a particular state, Texas, there is another book Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook: Recipes and Recollections from the Pit Bosses, where the whole focus is to dive deep into the history of BBQ for that state, its cities and its region. It quotes from many of the living legendary BBQ personnas, or their families. It includes many recipes, many B&W photos, and a span of over 150 years of BBQ history for the big state of Texas.

    Finally, if you want some southern regional BBQ recipes with a real bang for your buck, get Brother Jimmy's BBQ: More than 100 Recipes for Pork, Beef, Chicken, and the Essential Southern Sides which Amazon has discounted right now for a checkout price of $4 - shipping included! Merry Christmas from Amazon I guess :)

    Again, this is BBQ, and everyone has their own opinion. Some may think this is a wonderful book with enough recipes. However, I believe for your money, if you don't own any of the ones I have mentioned in place of this book, then you might consider these first as better value, and more recipe and informational content. If you have many BBQ books like myself, then you may just want to add this to your collection, and I can't fault you for that. It does have some wondeful pictures in trying to capture the essence of BBQ. If you catch Amazon's great pricing just right you may be able to get this book a a very good bargain. Last, I saw it was $11, when the week prior it was in the mid-twenties. For a price closer to $10, I could give it a 4-star rating, so please keep that in mind.

    The following is the list of all 27 recipes within this book. Four recipes are not complete as marked, leaving you to buy the establishment's ingredients to complete the recipe:

    NC-style Brunswick stew;
    Lexington-style Pulled Pork and Vinegar sauce (2 recipes);
    Lexington Red slaw;
    Morehead City Famous Tar Heel Hush Puppies;
    Parker's BBQ Mustard-style slaw;
    Eastern-style NC sauce;
    Neely's BBQ Restaurant Wet BBQ ribs;
    Wildhorse Saloon Pulled Pork;
    Aunt Ruthies Memphis-style Mustard Slaw;
    Rendezvous Restaurant World-Famous ribs (rub recipe not given - just a vinegar baste);
    Bar-B-Q shop BBQ Spaghetti;
    John Wills BBQ Bar and Grill Memphis BBQ sauce;
    KC BBQ Brisket;
    Buffalo Wings KC-style;
    Jack Stack Denver Lamb ribs;
    Arthur Bryant's Burnt Ends (spice recipes not given);
    Ollie Gate's Rib rub;
    Ollie Gates BBQ Beans;
    Copycat Ollie Gate's BBQ Sauce recipe (via Food Network);
    KC Sloppy Ribs (adapted from Smoke and Spice);
    Juniors Creamy Coleslaw; Driftwood Old Fashioned Peach Cobbler;
    Doc's Brocolli Cornbread;
    Doc's Roasted Potatoes (spice recipe not given);
    Salt Lick-style rub;
    Salt Lick Smoked BBQ Brisket (BBQ sauce recipe not given);
    Salt Lick's Smoked Pork Spareribs

    Enjoy! At a good price, it might be a splendid book to add to a BBQ collection, but not at the retail price of $30 for a value conscious shopper.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • D. Norris
    5.0 out of 5 stars Yummy Recipes!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    Lots of good recipes and fun and interesting information. A really good read and cookbook
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  • Doug Mosley
    4.0 out of 5 stars Excerpted from my January 2009 review column in The National Barbecue News
    Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2009
    "Barbecue Road Trip: Recipes, Restaurants & Pitmasters from America's Great Barbecue Regions" by Michael Karl Witzel ($30, Voyageur Press, 192 pp.). Witzel took on the Herculean task of trying to encompass the four major barbecue regions - Kansas City, Memphis, North Carolina and Texas. Further, he crammed it full of pictures - 250 in 192 pages. So with a lot of information and a lot of pictures, something had to give, right? Well, it was the recipes. There are only about two dozen included here, although they are set off in a graphically pleasing format that brings to mind a lined index card. So is it a problem to be light on the recipes? Not necessarily, especially when you deliver on content and illustrations to the degree that Witzel did here. Just know going in that there is a difference in this book and many others that fill up page-after-page with recipes and go light in other ways. If you're a fan of barbecue (and if you're not, what are you doing here), then you'll love this book.
    6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Gill Dyer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 16, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    BRILL ITEMS AS ALWAYS ...XXXXXXXX
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