Follow Along the North Carolina Barbecue Trail

Earlier this week, Lafayette, Louisiana, photographer Denny Culbert and food historian Rien Fertel, grandson of Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse founder Ruth Fertel, set out to document the barbecue culture of North Carolina. Their monthlong excursion is part of the Southern Foodways Alliance’s Southern BBQ Trail project. The duo is traveling in an RV deemed “The Barbecue Bus” and plans to hit major North Carolina cities like Lexington, Raleigh and Chapel Hill, as well as a few smaller towns along the way.

Fertel, who is completing his dissertation on Creole culture at Tulane University, and Culbert, a former newspaper staff photographer, are posting interviews and photographs daily on their blog, as well as tweeting their way through the experience. “We seek the stories behind the food and the tales from the people who have dedicated their lives to the barbecue craft,” said Fertel in the project’s press release. They’re also asking Barbecue Bus followers on Twitter to suggest stops along the trail.

Currently parked in Lexington, the Barbecue Bus blog has documented stops at Tar Heel Q, Lexington Barbecue and the Bar-B-Q Center. The photos of chopped pork, hush puppies and pork skin alone ensure we’ll be checking this blog daily for our barbecue fix.