Lexington Barbecue: A Hickory-Smoked History - Paperback

by Caleb Sink (Author), Lee Jessup (Foreword by)

How Food Became a Point of Pride

For more than a century, hickory smoke has shaped the identity of Lexington, North Carolina. Long before food television and festivals, pit fires burned behind canvas tents and small-town joints, giving rise to what the world now knows as Lexington-style barbecue--slow-cooked pork, kissed by wood smoke, served with tomato-based dip and red slaw, passed down through generations of hardworking families.

Author Caleb Sink takes readers inside the true heart of North Carolina barbecue history, tracing the evolution of Lexington-style barbecue from its earliest pioneers to the legendary restaurants and pitmasters who carried the tradition forward. Learn the human story behind the pits--of families like the Monks, Conrads, and Stameys, and of countless unnamed workers whose labor built a culinary legacy.

Get a place at the table for a cultural history of barbecue in Lexington NC, exploring how a simple sandwich became a point of civic pride, a tourist destination, and a symbol of resilience. Along the way, readers encounter friendly rivalries, vanishing icons, presidential visits, and the annual Lexington Barbecue Festival that draws over 100,000 visitors each year.

Author Biography

Caleb Sink is a lifelong resident of Davidson County, his family settling in the area before the county's establishment. He is a graduate of Davidson-Davie Community College, where he earned his associate's degree in paralegal technology. This is his second publication with The History Press, having authored Davidson County Murder & Mayhem in October 2024. Besides being a freelance writer, Caleb works in the North Carolina Judicial Branch and has served as president of the Genealogical Society of Davidson County since 2021.