Gas Station Food

[snowangel]

One of my favorite stops is at the gas station in Hinkley, MN. A White Castle is part of it. A bag of sliders and onion chips and we are set. Makes a great breakfast. There's also a great little stop just north of Cotton, MN (home of the Fiddle Festival, usually first week of August) that has great ice cream cones. Nothing like driving and having that first dip land plop in your lap.

[My Confusing Horoscope]

On your way to "the islands" of south Vermilion parish, Louisiana (Cow Island, Forked Island, and Pecan Island), stop at Suire's Grocery to put a tiger in your tank then lunch on turtle sauce piquante or fried catfish.

Edited July 21, 2004 by My Confusing Horoscope (log)

[turckie]

Susan-

Love that station in Hinkley. On our many trips to St. Croix State Park for our horse camping weekends, we either swing in there or to Tobie's and bag about 2 dozen of the cinnamon rolls, which never make to the park, which is only 15 miles further east; and if they do, they're usually gone by the time the horses are unloaded.

If we're not headed that way, it's usually liters of water, beef jerky, some sort of flat, salty items and various forms of chocolate. Oh, and a small bag of Four Cheese Doritos for my horse (he loves 'em).

[sequim]

Snowballs! Especially if there's a holiday and they've got colored ones...

Juice drinks. Plenty of types to choose from.

Check out the store for anything local-made, like Poppers.

Ben & Jerry's ice cream bars, love Peace Pops.

I have a strange fascination with these places and how everything is crammed in. So much to look at, so much designed to draw the eye with bright colors and packaging. I feel like buying yet I know it's all poison...

[LEdlund]

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.

[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.seriouseats.com/2011/05/chivito-from-fast-gourmet-inside-dc-gas-station-14th-w-streets-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.