No road trip is complete without frequent stops at the nearest gas stations, despite how unappealing and uninviting they look. While many of these stops are quick and forgettable (or so bad that they are unforgettable), here are the four gas stations that, no matter the location, tend to set the bar with convenience and cleanliness.
Sheetz
Easily one of the top places to grab a snack, Sheetz is easily one of my favorite all-around stops. Made-to-Order (MTO) food is always phenomenal and hardly anything can compare to their mac and cheese bites. The slushies paired with soft serve is one of the best combinations in the entire gas station industry, which greatly elevates their quality. Additionally, Sheetz’s restrooms are typically clean and fairly big. There is little room for improvement, but I do think that some Sheetz locations could expand their bottled drink options, my one knock on their establishments.
Overall Grade: A
Wawa
Though I absolutely love Sheetz, and the majority of elite gas stations in the Central Pennsylvania area are Sheetzs, I have to say that Wawa is my personal preference for gas stations. Though Sheetz’s hot food is slightly better, most Wawa’s have slightly better candy and bottled drink options as well as more convenient snacks in their refrigerator section that clear the latter. On top of that, by every register, the gas station has hot food featuring pretzel bites, jalapeño poppers and chicken nuggets to grab and go. Their bathrooms are also top of the line in cleanliness, passing Sheetz in that aspect.
Overall Grade: A+
Circle K
While I have only stopped at a select few Circle K gas stations, the couple that I visited were very nice. The snack options were comparable to an upper tier spot like Sheetz or Wawa but they also had fresh Cinnabon in the building. That alone elevates them quite a bit, and on top of that their restrooms are much better than the likes of 7-Eleven or Royal Farms (whose bathrooms are notoriously awful). While they are not the greatest rest stop, I do like Circle K and the cashiers were exceptionally nice at every location I stopped at. I can see them as an on the rise brand who could surpass the overrated aforementioned Royal Farms at any minute in quality.
Overall Grade: B
Buc-ee’s
I have never physically been inside of a Buc-ee’s, but all of the hype around the largest gas station in the world makes it seem as if I have. There is an incredible amount of space inside of them, endless unique snacks and freshly cut meat, all making for a great experience. Buc-ee’s is slowly rising in popularity up the east coast as word has spread about their apparent greatness. .From the hype alone, Buc-ee’s makes it into my Mount Rushmore for their on-the-rise success. Their grade is skewed a bit low for their lack of locations closer to Pennsylvania, but that could easily increase in the near future.
Overall Grade: B-
