Texas' Gas Station Foods Are Like Nothing Else In The Country

When commuting or road-tripping, it's essential to stop by the gas station to fill your car and body up with fuel for the drive ahead of you. From obscenely large fountain drinks to sides of beef jerky, we all have our go-to convenience store snack favorites. If you're in Texas, Atlas Obscura notes that you can get a side of Nepalese dumplings while topping off your tank, making the unique restaurants at the local quick mart the destination instead of just another stop on the drive.

Texas is big sky country, and under that sky lay thousands of miles of land dotted with small towns and large cities linked by seemingly endless roadways and interstates. The Lone Star State's unique landscape created a culture of drivers and an opportunity for entrepreneurs trying to break into the food service scene. It was a very welcome addition for commuters, long-haulers, and road-trippers looking for more than a bag of chips at the nearby station.

For some gas station restaurateurs, a small corner of a Conoco station was all they could afford. Others were members of Texas' diverse immigrant population looking to feature the unique tastes of their culture's signature foods. Like Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry's, the owners of these convenience store restaurants were all taking a chance on their dreams. It was a risk that paid off, with travelers stopping for food first and gas as an afterthought.

Under the Shell gas station sign in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas, The Dallas Observer notes that one might find customers skipping the snack aisle and digging into some Peruvian-style ceviche like it's no big deal. Casual and high-end dishes are becoming more commonplace in gas stations all over Texas, and customers don't need a key attached to a tire iron to access the deliciously unique fare that these restaurants are serving.

Texans know tacos, but even the biggest Texas hair might be blown back after a taste of La Salsa Verde's tacos de lengua (tongue) fresh out of the Chevron station. If your tank was full when you passed that taco spot, you could fill your belly with authentic trompo (pork slow-roasted on a vertical rotisserie) at the next highway gas station. Next-level comfort foods like lobster mac and cheese or Monte Cristo sandwiches are on the menu alongside Bloody Marys and mimosa flights at the Chef Point Bar and Grill inside a Conoco station. Whatever food you're craving, there's likely a Texas gas station restaurant churning out flavorful fare that will exceed your expectations.

The cuisine choices at gas station restaurants in Texas have become so sought after that many eateries have shut down the pumps and dedicated their spaces to the mouth-watering foods customers crave, per Atlas Obscura. Filling up at a gas station in Texas might have more to do with the food being served than the gas being pumped.