Now in its seventh edition, Jane and Michael Stern’s “Roadfood: The Coast-To-Coast Guide to 600 of The Best Barbecue Joints, Lobster Shacks, Ice Cream Parlors, Highway Diners, & Much, Much More!” (Broadway Books; Paperback) has been hailed by USA Today as “a bible for motorists seeking mouthwatering barbecue or homemade pie.”

The newest edition covers nearly 600 of the country’s best local eateries from Maine to California. With more than 200 completely new listings and updates of old favorites, the new Roadfood offers an extended tour of the most affordable, enjoyable dining options along America’s highways and backroads.

Filled with enticing alternatives for chain-weary travelers, the guide provides vivid descriptions and regional maps to direct readers to the tastiest eats. You’ll find the best lobster shacks on the East Coast; the ultimate barbecue joints down South; the most indulgent steakhouses in the Midwest; and dozens of top-notch diners, hotdog stands, ice-cream parlors and unique regional finds in between.

“When we wrote the first edition nearly 30 years ago,” say the Sterns, “we believed we were documenting the end of an era. Good, inexpensive food served in colorful places along the road seemed to be a thing of the past, and we saw a bleak future of soulless franchised restaurants from coast to coast. While there is no denying the awful ubiquity of national chains and their depredations against good eating, we are happy to report that delicious regional food is alive and thriving.”

The criteria for inclusion are simple. The Sterns pick restaurants that express the soul of their region or neighborhood, primarily by serving wonderful food not found anywhere else. They love places where locals come to eat, whether it’s Barney Greengrass in New York City, Mamie’s Kitchen outside Atlanta, Gnaw Bone Food and Fuel in Southern Indiana, or a tiny chili parlor called El Farolito in El Riton, New Mexico.

Restaurants earn high marks if they serve their good food in a location or manner that’s unique to the area. For example, a wharfside lobster pound in Maine, an Oyster market along Highway 101 on the Oregon coast or a drive-in custard stand in Milwaukee are featured in the book.

New entries in this edition include:
• Simon Pearce Restaurant in Quechee, Vermont, which abounds in comfort food made using local cheese, grass-fed beef, and New England seafood.

• Sally Bell’s Kitchen in Richmond, Virginia, a charming Old South bakery and sandwich shop.

• Russell’s Short Stop Po Boys in Metairie, where you can find Creole gumbo, jambalaya, and some of the best po-boys in Louisiana.

• Maverick’s in Roseville, Minnesota, an inconspicuous strip-mall eatery whose specialty is soft, pink, velvety roast beef.

• Buckhorn Exchange in Denver, Col., which serves wild western fare like Rocky Mountain oysters, rattlesnake marinated in red chile and lime and buffalo tenderloin.

• Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles in Los Angeles, Calif., one of America’s few one-of-a-kind waffle houses, where the thin, buttery waffles are served alongside crisp-skinned chicken and delicious side dishes.

Roadfood is available at local bookstores or online at roadfood.com, randomhouse.com/broadway or amazon.com.

Claire Yezbak Fadden is the Associate Editor of LifeAfter50.com.