Lexington, VA - When I entered the state of Virginia I stopped at the welcome center. I asked about convenience store and truck stop food. I was told few tourists ask about this. I was the first. Strange. I was told not to miss LeeHi Travel Center off I-64 in Lexington. How many people in welcome centers would think about a truck stop hours away? This was a place I had to … [Read more...]
Large Shrimp Sandwich-(not an oxymoron)
Abbeville, LA - Bourbon Street Delis are located in many ShopRite convenience stores in south Louisiana. If you’re going to pay $50 to fill up your tank, you might as well treat yourself to fresh Louisiana seafood at a very reasonable price. Abbeville is a picturesque little town about 25 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. People here take fresh seafood for granted sometimes. The … [Read more...]
Big Store-Big on Customer Service
BROUSSARD, LA- Blanchet's Exxon is profiled in the September issue of NACS Magazine. This is the first two-story c-store with a food court I've visited. Subway and Krispy Krunchy Chicken are avaialble. Josh Blanchet throws in Cajun flare with great rice dressing, crawfish etouffee' and other Louisiana favorites. M&R Creole's stuffed bread is available here. It's … [Read more...]
Texas Best RIbs, Chicken Salad and Friendly Staff
Texas Best Smokehouse-Tyler, TX - is a must-stop truck stop on I-20. You should experience the food and the people here. These ribs are perfectly done. The meat falls off the bone. There's a big choice of sides. The hardest thing is making a choice. The building is beautiful, the bathrooms are super clean and the staff makes the traveler feel like welcome. It's like … [Read more...]
Cheesburger Hot Dog -They Said it Couldn’t be Done
A cheeseburger shaped like a hotdog. "Impossible" you say. No, not with today's technology. Scientists mapped the human genome long before Oscar Mayer came up with this ingenious link. You can see how much research and planning went into this. OM, thinking outside the bun since 1900. Some people see this and ask "why" - I see this wiener and say, "why not" - it's … [Read more...]
Texas Best Smokehouse – Longview, Texas
TEXAS BEST SMOKEHOUSE- I-20, Longview, TX- This is a chocolate fried pie from Mamaw's Fried Pies. This is a great pastry. If you're Cajun and famlier with sweet dough pies, it's similar to that with a few exceptions. The dough is not sweet, it's of course, fried. It is filled and I mean filled with an ample amount of chocolate filing. It's great! I found it … [Read more...]
MYSTERY OF THE DESERT
Dragoon, AZ-It's time to start thinking about summer travel. I'm going to share a few quirky places I've visited while working on the Gas Station Gourmet™. These are places you should not miss. Top on my list is a convenience store called The Thing. It's located on Interstate 10 right outside the town of Dragoon, Arizona. You'll know your heading the right way because a series … [Read more...]
Buccaneer Foods-Nathan’s BBQ & Touchless Restrooms- Yes, touchless
NATHAN'S BBQ / Buccaneer Food Store in Brenham, Texas is doing a lot of things right. Nathan Winkelman designed the barbecue pits to create his signature open-pit barbecue. There's no blowing smoke at you here, this is real barbecue, not smoked meat (of course we love smoked meat too), cooked on a barbecue pit. When you think of fine wine forget the vineyards of France, look … [Read more...]
Stress Free Thanksgiving Dinner
Ideas 2 Go: Talkin’ Turkey - NACS Magazine, October 2012 By Al Hebert Can a convenience store contribute to the mental well being of an entire community? It’s totally possible if the store helps harried customers deal with a stressful, seasonal disorder: Thanksgiving dinner preparation. “Holiday meal planning is a major stressor, especially for women who … [Read more...]
A Slice of Czechoslovakia in Texas
West, Texas- West is a town in central Texas. I have to clarify this point. It could easily be confused with the western region of the Lone Star State. Czechoslovakians came here in the 19th century to work on the railroad. They brought a culture rich in great food, my favorite, the kolache. A kolache is a pastry made of sweetened dough and is filled with meat or fruit … [Read more...]