59 replies to this topic

[eunny jang]

If I need fuel, then I get a pepperoni stick or beef jerky and string cheese. If I want a "treat" then it has to be a Chick-o-stick.

What is a Chick-o-stick?

[tastykimmie]

If I need fuel, then I get a pepperoni stick or beef jerky and string cheese. If I want a "treat" then it has to be a Chick-o-stick.

What is a Chick-o-stick?

It is a peanut butter crunchy flavored candy stick. it is orange in color and i must say mighty tasty.

[tastykimmie]

If I need fuel, then I get a pepperoni stick or beef jerky and string cheese. If I want a "treat" then it has to be a Chick-o-stick.

What is a Chick-o-stick?

It is a peanut butter crunchy flavored candy stick. it is orange in color and i must say mighty tasty.

[eunny jang]

It is a peanut butter crunchy flavored candy stick. it is orange in color and i must say mighty tasty.

Oh. I thought maybe it was a chicken-jerky kind of thing.

I'm a big fan of the original Cow Tails myself. What is it with naming candy after meat?

[lesfen]

With all of the uber gas stations popping up, it's hard to decide what to get! I end up wandering around the place, picking up everything that strikes my fancy, and spending $30 on top of my gas. Sheetz actually makes some decent sandwiches and wraps, if you're looking for something hot. If I'm just making a quick stop I'll usually grab some combination of Diet Coke, jerkey, Slim Jim's, pork rinds, Nutty Buddy's, Donut Gems, Twizzlers (keeps the man of the house quiet), and some kind of salty snack mix.

Yum. I wanna go on a road trip now!

[sparrowgrass]

When I was pregnant with my first son, I craved those hot dogs that roll around on the gas station grill for hours. The harder and saltier, the better. Haven't had one since, I don't think.

Now it's a diet coke/pepsi and something crunchy salty--cheese popcorn or pretzels. If I am desperate for a "meal"--I will eat the pizza from those spin-around cases.


Round here, sometimes the best/only restaurant in a little town will be in the convenience store--meat and two plates, daily specials like chicken and dumplings or kettle beef.

[LEdlund]

It is a peanut butter crunchy flavored candy stick.  it is orange in color and i must say mighty tasty.

Oh. I thought maybe it was a chicken-jerky kind of thing.

I'm a big fan of the original Cow Tails myself. What is it with naming candy after meat?

I think there's coconut in them too. They stick in your teeth to make the snack last even longer

My turn: What's a Cow Tail?

[eunny jang]

What's a Cow Tail?

Ahh. It's a soft, long caramel tube, with sweet white creamy stuff (like the filling of an oreo, but softer, which I suppose means it has more hydrogenated fats or whatever) inside. It is absolutely delicious, in a make-your-teeth-itch sort of way.

[GlorifiedRice]

I am a Wawa Market girl. I worked at one and know the quality and love the fact that I can get a NUTRITIOUS and fresh meal any time of the day or night.

HOWEVER, I stopped a Sheetz Market 2 months ago and something caught my eye in the ready made sandwich case!

A MUFFALETTA!

OMG even though I had just spent $300.00 at Shady Maple Farmers Mkt, I bought it.

Look, I never buy ready made sandwiches, EVER. I took it home and it was so friggin good. The rosemary foccacia is excellent. So today I drove 15 miles out of my way for another.
I bought the last 2 they had plus 3 other samiches.

See pics below

http://i.imgur.com/OzCK1.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/4fCBf.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/kKNrb.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/lNklr.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/d4eBj.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/xLfEP.jpg



What have you found that surprised you?

[heidih]

About ten years ago we hired a guide to take us canoeing in the swamp outside of New Orleans. He went to his favorite poor boy shack and it was unexpectedly closed due to a family emergency. His backup was at a gas station; a full blown get every packaged snack know to mankind type of place. Even though we held them for an hour or more to eat when we stopped for a break, my dressed shrimp poor boy held sweet crunchy shrimp, iceberg lettuce that retained integrity and was not soggy. I was starving, then amazed and happily satisfied. You never know.

[kayb]

Back before the gluten-free thing, I knew every convenience store along I-40 and I-30 in Arkansas (and most of I-40 in Tennessee) that had deep-fried corn nuggets. Love those things.

[ScoopKW]

1) Drive to the Florida Keys.

2) Look for a small chain of gas stations called "Dion's"

3) Order the fried chicken. Be prepared for shortages and/or long lines.


I would gladly pay $100 for a $5 box of Dion's Fried Chicken right now.

[GlorifiedRice]

http://i.imgur.com/xXvsu.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/qNlQT.jpg
^^The Asian Chicken Pita

http://i.imgur.com/8YvjW.jpg
^^^The insides of the yummy Tuscan Beef Wrap

[Tri2Cook]

I would gladly pay $100 for a $5 box of Dion's Fried Chicken right now.

I wish I lived near a Dion's. I'd send you as many boxes as you want at that markup.


I guess I'll have to hang my head in shame with all of the quality food being mentioned. A frozen burrito tossed in their microwave is about as far up the food ladder as I get in gas stations.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

For me, it's the Llapingachos and Horneado (potato-cheese pancakes fried in lard and achiote with roast suckling pig) and a foam cup of orange Fanta. at the little gas station on the way into the Kiss the Sky Pass heading towards the hot springs at Papallacta. The bus will always stop there to tune its engine for the pass (which tops out around 13,000 feet), and that means that I get to get off, stretch, and stand in the (busses-full) lineup for some greasy piggy glory.

[Hassouni]

Pretzels, sometimes nuts, VERY occasionally kettle chips or Fritos (though it's been years since I had a Frito..)

I often stop late at night, in which case Coke and chocolate are my stimulants of choice.

On a related note, the alleged best sandwich in DC is from a gas station....I haven't been, but Serious Eats seems to love it: http://www.seriousea...washington.html

[SylviaLovegren]

It's much more exciting to drive the back highways, especially in summer -- there are some Northern Ontario stops where you'll run into thrills like home-made blueberry pies in season and suchlike.

Where where where? Will you tell? We're new to Ontario and have driven up to Orillia and Georgian Bay so far, but haven't yet found any of the blueberry pie stops, only Tim's, et al.

[SylviaLovegren]

If you are in the mood for retro candy, find a Cracker Barrel restaurant. Mallo-Cups, stick candy, horehound drops, clove gum, and other faves from days gone by... Get 'em in the gift shop.

No doubt! I can never find anything I want to eat at the restaurant itself, but I love the salt water taffy.

Really? I love their "beef roast", which is a pot roast with natural gravy, served with wonderful mashed potatoes. Get a side of green beans which are full of pork fat and boiled to death in a delicious Southern way. Also, their biscuits are good.

[kayb]

My go-to at Cracker Barrel is the hash brown casserole. Cheesy,oniony, potato goodness.

[ScoopKW]

I would gladly pay $100 for a $5 box of Dion's Fried Chicken right now.

I wish I lived near a Dion's. I'd send you as many boxes as you want at that markup.

Send?

No. BRING. I'm not interested in three day old chicken from the postman. You'd have to fly it to me personally. Thus the markup.

Ringo Starr once commented that Key West fried chicken was "the only decent meal" he ever had in America. I doubt Dion's was in operation when the hurricane forced the Fab Four to stay in Key West instead of the Bahamas. But still, give me Key West chicken over than Kentucky stuff any day.

[GlorifiedRice]

http://i.imgur.com/XJFlk.jpg

The Bavarian Pretzel Sandwich was tasteless, the ham and cheesy mustard had 100% no flavor, the roll however was good

[Darienne]

Surprise of the year. A truckers' gas stop on I-40, San Jon, NM, near the panhandle of TX, Indian food and grocery store. Imagine eating Samosas at 9 am. Lovely.

[dls]

A couple years ago I stopped at a gas station in Dallas known as Fuel City to top off a rental car before returning it to Love Field. After filling up, I went inside to get a snack of some nature only to discover a taco stand. I went with the barbacoa, which some of the locals in line recommended, and it was some of the best I've ever had. If I recall correctly, it was $1.40.

[Soup]

I no longer eat stuff from gas station. I do buy drinks.

However, long time ago in college (I went to UVA in charlottesville), there use to be a gas station on the out skirts of town. They were pretty good on the fryerator arts. However, at 1 or 2am they would close down. If you got there right before closing, they would sell you what ever they had left for 2 or 3 bucks. corn dogs, fried chicken, etc., After a hard night of studying, I pick up a bag of fried stuff, a six pack and go back home eat/drink and hit the sack.

It was great to be young!!!

Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[naguere]

Nice one Soup.

Thread started 2004.. still a treat.

[tonyrocks922]

Before I decided I didn't want to die at 35 I'd stock the car with 4 double whoopers from burger king (eat 2 at a time about 3 hours apart) along with several bags of M&Ms, coffee, and cold water. These days it's usually beef jerkey or peanuts, coffee and water

Edited by tonyrocks922, 03 May 2012 - 07:30 AM.

[Rico]

A couple years ago I stopped at a gas station in Dallas known as Fuel City ...

Fuel City's got a strong rep here, but there are some other gas station places that rival or exceed them, in my opinion. I really enjoy Chupacabra's on Fitzhugh and Ross (I think it's a Chevron); they make their own tortillas, and along with the usual pork, beef and chicken offerings, you can get some excellent tongue and cabrito as well.

[Jane Randahl]

As a grown up kid who was on the road quite often, I have tons of experience with gas station food. If you don't really care about your health, I found that a lot of gas stations had really cheap (and sometimes fresh) pizza for a great price.

Beef jerky is a classic and one of the better things for energy and protein. Candy is of course a good choice for caffeine, sugar, and pain relief, while 7 Eleven taquitos are great for packing on the pounds.

Don't forget the plethora of drinks loaded with sugar and taurine to give you some faux energy while on the road. Or $1 tea loaded with sugar and artificial flavors.

I've since given up gas station food altogether, but I do miss it sometimes. It's so cheap and easy, but some of the worst stuff you can possibly put into your body.

[redfox1939]

Pumpkin seeds and grape juice – I know it sounds disgusting, but the overwhelming saltiness of David’s pumpkin seeds mixed with the staggering sweetness of Ocean Spray grape juice is a combination capable of bringing a man to his knees.

[Kouign Aman]

the overwhelming saltiness of David’s pumpkin seeds mixed with the staggering sweetness of Ocean Spray grape juice is a combination capable of bringing a man to his knees.

That is signature-line worthy!