Five Points West Library on June 18 to Host Book Talk by Owner of Bob Sykes Bar-B-Que

 

What: "The Birmingham Public Library Presents Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q: Celebrating 65 Years of Legendary Service" - -a Book Talk and Book Signing Event

When: 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 18, 2022 

Where: Five Points West Regional Library, 4812 Avenue W 

Details: Join us for a discussion on the art of barbecue and a book signing by Van Sykes, 2nd Generation Owner of Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q in Bessemer. Sykes, whose parents Bob and Maxine Sykes founded Bessemer's iconic restaurant Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q in 1957, tells the story of the family business he shares in the new book From the Pit to the Plate: The Story of Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q, written by Niki Sepsas. Attendees will receive free barbecue sliders from Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q to enjoy as they listen to Van Sykes shares the story of 65 years of the barbecue business. Attendees will receive free barbecue pork slider sandwiches, courtesy of Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q. After Van Sykes finishes his talk, he will sign copies of the new book, which will be available on-site for $30.

Birmingham, Ala. - Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q, 1724 9th Avenue North in Bessemer, has kept the fire burning in its barbecue pit since 1957. Join us at the Five Points West Regional Library, 4812 Avenue W, at 1:00 p.m. this Saturday, June 18, as second-generation owner Van Sykes shares the back story of how his family built one of metro Birmingham's most popular barbecue restaurants. 

Attendees will receive free barbecue pork slider sandwiches, courtesy of Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q. After Van Sykes finishes his talk, he will sign copies of the new book, From the Pit to the Plate: The Story of Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q, written by Niki Sepsas. The book is available at this link on the Bob Sykes page. 

In the book, Van Sykes discusses how his parents, Bob and Maxine Sykes, came up with the vision of what later became Bob Sykes Bar-B-Que. Readers will meet Van's parents as well as some employees who he credits with Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q's success, such as pie whiz Dot Brown and third-generation pit master Jason Jewell. 

The book closes with a chapter in which folks share lots of love for Bob Sykes Bar-B-Que. "Bob Sykes has been an anchor barbeque restaurant for as long as anybody can remember," writes Lee Sentell, longtime director of the Alabama Tourism Department.

"That's why it was in the first announcement for the Alabama Barbecue Hall of Fame. That's why Sykes' sauce won the coveted honor of 'BEST' in competition during the Year of Alabama Barbecue." Bob Carlton, longtime food writer for the Birmingham News/al.com, describes Van Sykes in the book as the "elder statesman" of Alabama barbecue. 

"I can't think of anybody in our great state who's been stoking the fire longer, or who knows more about the fine art of smoking meat, than Van," Carlton says in the book. 

"He was all of 12-years-old when his parents, Bob and Maxine Sykes, left him alone to work the pit at their Bessemer barbecue joint, and he would ply himself with bottomless cups of coffee to stay awake during those all-night fireside sessions. That's when you learn to become a barbecue man." 

 Learn more about Bob Sykes Bar-B-Que at this Saturday's event at Five Points West Regional Library. Sykes will do another talk and book signing on July 23 at the Central Library downtown.