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Everything from Buc-ee’s Beaver Nuggets to 7-Eleven Hot Dogs get a lot of love. But this is your ultimate way to refuel, according to chefs.
Key Points
- Chefs share their favorite gas station snacks, from regional specialties to surprisingly high-quality hot foods.
- Learn what makes certain roadside bites stand out, including a crispy, craveable option that’s a clear winner.
For some road trippers, the interstate is an invitation to go from point A to point B as quickly as possible. For others, including Forte Hospitality chef-partner Saul Ramos, it’s an opportunity to fuel up your car—and yourself.
“I love going on road trips, and get way too excited about stopping for fast food and gas station snacks. Gas station shops are my mall! The moment I finish filling up the tank, I’m already thinking about what I’m grabbing to eat,” Ramos says.
Curious about what’s on the open road menu for Ramos and other food pros? Read on to learn about roadside snacks so good they’ll push the accelerator for. (Within legal limits, of course!)
Our Panel of Gas Station Snack-Rating Chefs
- Soo Ahn, a “Top Chef” alum and chef-partner at Adalina Prime in Chicago
- George Formaro, chef-partner of Orchestrate Hospitality restaurants in Des Moines, Iowa
- Dominic Iannarelli, chef-owner of Prime & Providence in West Des Moines, Iowa
- Dominique Leach, pitmaster, winner of Food Network’s “BBQ Brawl with Bobby Flay,” and the owner of Lexington Betty Smokehouse in Chicago
- Saul Ramos, chef-partner of Chicago-based Forte Hospitality group (which includes Ithaki, Sapori Trattoria, and Butcher & the Bear) in Chicago
- Alisa Woods, owner of Sift n Sprinkle Bakery in Des Moines, Iowa
Qualities of the Best Gas Station Snacks
If you ask chef George Formaro, “The best gas station snacks tell a story and remind you where you are.”
For this survey, we asked the chefs to help us celebrate gas station-specific creations—products you can’t find at every convenience store. Sorry, Coke, Nerds Clusters, and Cheetos.
With that in mind, the culinary pros believe the best gas station bites check the following boxes:
- It’s not kept warm on a roller grill. Both chef Dominic Iannarelli and bakery owner Alisa Woods steer clear of anything found spinning around on a roller grill. “Don't get me wrong, I am always curious about the next roller food creation, but these don’t seem to be a specialty of any certain brand,” Iannarelli says. Plus, who knows how long those taquitos or egg rolls have been circling (and getting stale) on the warmer.
- Any condiments are kept on the side. This is a recipe for soggy buns, Iannarelli admits. All sauces and condiments should be offered separately to allow for application just before eating.
- The savory cold food isn’t chilled. “Sushi, salads, those glossy sandwiches sitting in a fridge that probably haven't been inspected since 2014? Just walk away,” warns chef Soo Ahn. “No one needs to be humbled by $3 sushi.”
- Bonus: It’s a brand or regional specialty. In this circumstance, Formaro and Iannarelli are perfectly happy following the crowd. If a gas station food has a cult following, there’s probably a reason. “I never want to miss the thing that a certain gas station or region is known for,” Formaro says. Whether it’s donuts, pizza, chicken, barbecue, or otherwise, Iannarelli is happy to join the fan club. It need not be fancy, Formaro tells us. “I look for immediate comfort, not anything gourmet. I want something that transports me to another time or place,” he says.
The Best Gas Station Snack, According to Chefs
There were several strong contenders in this fight, but the gold goes to an order you can find at the chain that was voted the best convenience store in America earlier this year. The chow down champ, with a gold medal from three of our six panelists? Kwik Star/Kwik Trip Fried Chicken Tenders.
“These chicken tenders are the GOAT,” Iannarelli says. “I love chicken tenders, and hands down, these tenders are as good as any fast food chicken tender—and better than most casual restaurants and sports bars.” (And this chef has strong feelings about nuggets!)
In case you’re unfamiliar, Kwik Trip (in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan), aka Kwik Star (in Illinois, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota), offers gas and grub at more than 850 locations across the upper Midwest. This includes the tenders that the brand claims are “fresh, never frozen, [and] hand-breaded daily.”
Deemed “surprisingly amazing” by Ramos and “extremely high quality” by Formaro, these fried chicken tenders are truly tender and juicy on the inside, and crunchy and well-seasoned with punchy black pepper on the outside. The crispy fried chicken is also available as bone-in or as a fried chicken sandwich, but the tenders are top-notch to enjoy with one hand as you drive or play passenger.
Reminiscent of broasted chicken, according to Iannarelli, “The fried chicken tenders at Kwik Star stand out because they’re consistently crispy, well seasoned, and fresh. This feels like a real regional staple rather than generic gas station food,” Formaro says. While you’re making your Kwik pit stop, the chef recommends also snagging an old-fashioned donut—“the ones with the craggy cracked edges and those perfect little ridges that catch the glaze. Cherry, plain, chocolate. They are all great,” Formaro tells Allrecipes.
Also Worth a Stop
If you don’t have a Kwik Trip or Kwik Star on your route, or aren’t in the mood for chicken tenders, consider these very worthy runners-up.
Gas Station Pizza
You won’t be disappointed by the pizza from several chains, the pros declare. Thorntons, with more than 200 locations in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee, “has a pizza that is so unbelievably craveable, it has me filling up my tank twice a week,” says pitmaster and restaurant owner Dominique Leach. Look for Thorntons Garlic Bread Crust Pizza, made fresh daily, and opt for Cheese, Pepperoni, or Meat Lovers. Any are amazing, Leach confirms.
Casey’s Breakfast Pizza “is iconic and worth the stop alone,” says Formaro, who tells us in his native Iowa, Casey’s Pizza is a way of life. “With a tasty, tender crust, a brilliant cheese sauce base, eggs, sausage crumbles, crispy bacon, and more cheese, it’s the perfect flavor explosion to start your day,” he says. Mom of two, Woods agrees, and will drive past other gas stations to get a slice of Casey's breakfast pizza—or make a special stop for a pie for the whole family to share.
Last up in the superb slice selection? “One of my absolute favorite snacks is 7-Eleven’s Pepperoni Pizza," Ahn says. "But there’s a very specific way to order it: Ask them to run it an extra 23 seconds in the TurboChef [countertop oven]. That’s the secret for a crispy bottom crust with pepperoni that cups just right, plus cheese that turns ultra caramelized,” he says. It’s so delicious it should be “borderline illegal,” Ahn jokes.
7-Eleven Slurpees
While you’re at one of 7-Eleven's 10,000+ locations across the U.S., Woods says you'd better not depart without a 7-Up Slurpee—ideally, blue raspberry and cherry swirled together in the same cup. Nostalgic, sweet and sour, and with “a little bit of carbonation that makes it extra delicious,” Woods notes, she craved this icy beverage daily when she was pregnant with her daughter…and gladly fed that urge.
Circle K Cookies
If you, too, have a sweet tooth, follow Ramos' lead and keep your eyes peeled for one of the thousands of Circle K locations across 48 U.S. states. This is where you’ll find what he declares “the best cookie situation on the road.” Circle K Cookies are soft, chewy, and fresh-baked daily, resulting in a dessert that is “dangerously good,” Ramos says. The gas station selection varies, but often includes Chocolate Chunk, Peanut Butter, Butterfinger, Snickerdoodle, Sugar, Salted Caramel Chocolate, and/or White Chocolate Macadamia. Ramos’ faves? The Oatmeal Raisin and M&M's cookies.
Read the original article on Allrecipes
