Road trippers get very attached to their gas station foods.
After hours on the road, stretching your legs and browsing the snack aisles at a gas station is practically a revelation. Anything would taste good in that context. But gas stations are also a chance to indulge -- in junk food, in nostalgia, in defenses against hangry driving -- so there’s plenty to legitimately love among the snack brands and meaty little meals.
Everyone on the internet has opinions on the best gas station snacks, from Thrillist to Time Out to even the New York Times, but you can forget all those lists and concentrate your love- and hate-filled feedback on this definitive roundup of the absolute best gas station snack foods.
Jerky
We would honestly go on a road trip just to have an excuse to eat more jerky. There’s nothing like gnawing on a meat stick while flying down an interstate at 85 miles per hour. Grab a local specialty jerky or go with a Slim Jim if that’s how you roll, literally, with gas station meat.
Taquitos
The roller grill is the only reliable source of gas station sustenance that can really replace a meal on a long day of straight driving. We don’t spurn gas station hot dogs, but taquitos are an even better vehicle for hot greasy cheese and ground chicken.
Doritos
Depending where your road trip takes you, you may be able to find regional potato chip brands like Zapp’s and Golden Flakes. But no matter where you are, Doritos are there for you. Whether you’re a Cool Ranch stan or a Nacho Cheese loyalist, grab a bag of Doritos and get your steering wheel all dusty.
Takis
If Doritos have you snoozing in the car, opt for Takis, which will wake up your senses and your taste buds with their smoldering heat.
Funyuns
Every road trip we thank the genius chemist who converted onion rings into a packaged snack. Just direct your breath straight ahead as you snack through a bag of greasy, oniony joy.
Combos
Packaged for easy consumption while driving, Combos deliver cheese or pizza stuffing in a cute little pretzel pocket.
Clif Bars
The little rock climber on the label is all the inspiration you need to power the next leg of your road trip with a Clif Bar. The nutty, sometimes chocolatey bars feel virtuous compared to some other packaged goods, but they’re not as depressing as that bowl of waxy apples and starchy green bananas.
Pork Rinds
Chicharrónes, cracklins, whatever you call them and whatever brand name is on the bag pork rinds are always a hit. More umptuous than chips, less explosive than taquitos or hot dogs, more satisfying than jerky (yeah, we said it), pork rinds are an all around king.
Snickers
Snickers will tell you you’re not you when you’re hungry. While you won’t quite turn into a complaining granny on a long stretch of open road, you also won’t be the most fun companion. So do everyone in your car a favor and grab a sweet treat at the register.
Pop Tarts
The driver who pulls the morning shift is an unlucky soul, except for the chance to fuel up with Pop Tarts while any co-pilots snooze. Unwrap that crackly blue wrapper and unveil something a lot better than a golden ticket.
Twinkies
Unless you’re regularly chowing down on Twinkies (which, kudos to you if so), a road trip is the perfect chance to indulge in the apocalypse-ready dessert.
Chex Mix
You won’t die from eating Chex Mix. You also won’t go to snack heaven. The individual items are more satisfying in texture than taste, but all around a bag provides an enjoyable experience.
Brandless bran muffin
If you are literally going to starve and the rest of the store is entirely empty, then yeah, get a muffin.
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