Wawa Site: Wawa.com
Location: Mostly in the Delaware Valley, the Canada Goose (that’s what "wawa" means!) is taking over the Northeast United States, with new stores popping up in Maryland and Virginia.
What the workers say: “I like the Italian hoagies because they taste good.”
Why it's worth a pit stop: “Because Wawa’s fresher.”
Sheetz
Site: Sheetz.com
Location: North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and other places where the teeth-per-person ratio is extremely low.
Why you should go: They have cleverly named Shmuffins, Shmagelz, and Shmiscuitz that are made to order any way you’d like.
What’s a Shmufhdgh?: “Just English muffins, bagels, and biscuits.”
What the workers suggest: “Anything chicken-chicken subs, chicken salads… Why? Because I like chicken.”
AMPM
Site: Ampm.com
Location: Visit them the next time you’re in the Northwest, Japan, or South Korea.
Why you should go: They have a three-meat Italian stuffed baguette for $1.29.
What the workers say about it: It’s really good. It’s, like, five inches.”
What else is really good?: “The pizza is good, the barbeque ribs is good, the chicken sandwiches is good.”
Why it's worth a pit stop: “I don’t know! Because we’re better.”
Casey's
Site: Caseys.com
Location: They’re all over the Midwest and heavily concentrated in Iowa. Wherever that is…
Why you should go: Each store has its own pizza maker on the premises and they run awesome contests. The last winners won a cardboard Elvis stand!
What the workers say: “It is really good pizza. I make a thicker crust, but I’ll make it any way you want it.”
Couche-Tard
Site: www.Couche-tard.com
Location: We hear they’re the original Canadian Circle K, but damned if we’re ever gonna go there in person to see for ourselves.
What the workers suggest: “The sandwich.”
Why it’s good: “It’s the best. We have chocolate, chips, and sandwich.” Where the eff is the poutine?
Our advice: Don’t call it "Couch Tard" like we did.
Turkey HillSite: Turkeyhillstores.com
Location: The stores are only found in central Pennsylvania, which is perfect if you're planning a trip to the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin. You can get the ice cream just about everywhere, though.
What the workers suggest: "We have the best ice cream."
What flavor do they suggest? "I don't eat ice cream. But if I had to pick, it would be the TastyKake Peanut Butter Kandy Kake." How can you resist a ringing endorsement like that?
Sprint MartSite: www.SprintMart.com (Be sure to check out the jingle.)
Location: Just look for a lineup of tractor trailers in Mississippi or Alabama. Chances are, they're heading for the nearest Sprint Mart.
What the workers suggest: The Sprint Mart we called was part of a large truck stop. "We have a different plate lunch every day. You can have lasagna, fish fillet, blueberry cobbler, pinto beans, okra, corn dogs, corn bread, or your choice from our 10 meats and three vegetables." Better than the average roller hot dogs.
What did the worker we talked to think of the jingle? "I've never heard it."
QuikTrip
Site: QTKitchens.com
Why it’s good: We included QuikTrip because they have their own corporate baker that has apparently spent years perfecting their baked goods, which they claim rival more high-end, non–gas station places.
What did the worker we called have to say about the quality baked goods?: "I haven't tried them."
So then why should you go? "We're very friendly." But apparently not very talkative.
United Dairy Farmers
Site: Udfinc.com
Location: Indiana, Kentucky, and the great state of Ohio. Just look for the cows.
Why you should go: As with Turkey Hill, the ice cream is the real draw at UDF stores. Flavors like Blue Moo Cookie Dough, Superman, and Fudge Nut Sundae will have you leaving Ohio a little bit fatter.
What flavor do the workers prefer? "I don't know. Cookies 'N Cream?" Cookies 'N Cream, indeed.
Kum & Go
Site: Kumandgo.com
Location: Mostly in the Northwest U.S., but they dabble in southern states like Arkansas.
Why you should go: Their site touts something called the Orange Kow Koolee, which apparently is "like one of those popsicles with the orange stuff and the ice cream." Only in drink form.
Do they have other flavors? You bet! "There's Frozen Coke; Strawberries and Cream; and Nuclear Freeze, which is some kind of energy drink or something."