18 Gas Station Coffee Bars, Ranked Worst To Best

It's hard to find a legitimate café while traveling the interstate or driving through unfamiliar areas, and that's where gas station coffee comes into play. Some gas stations flaunt freshly roasted beans, balanced brews, and coffee bars loaded with all the fixings. On the other hand, others offer only burnt, watery, low-quality coffees that sit in carafes all day long, and maybe some old, lukewarm milk to splash in your cup — if you're brave enough, that is.

I tend to take frequent, excruciatingly long, caffeine-fueled, cross-country road trips, so I've had the pleasure (and displeasure) of stopping for coffee at every station on this list. I know which spots offer barista-level service, exceptional brews, and well-stocked coffee bars and which stations have nothing but the bare minimum fixings, plus terrible coffee to boot. For this list, I've ranked gas station coffee bars, from worst to best, primarily based on the coffee quality and selection. So whether you're fueling up for an epic trip or just need a place to stop for a quick, satisfying pick-me-up, use this list to find the best coffee bars on the road and avoid the ones that are responsible for gas station coffee's egregious reputation.

There are about 150 Loaf 'N Jug stores and gas stations located around middle America, particularly in Colorado. Loaf 'N Jug stores offer most of the basic essentials you might need on a road trip, including regular drip coffee, usually under the Cumberland Farms Farmhouse brand. The coffee itself isn't the lowest quality coffee you can find at gas stations, but the coffee bar at Loaf 'N Jug is a different story.

Loaf 'N Jug's coffee bar is seriously lacking, offering just the basics to fix your cup of coffee. You typically won't find plant-based milk or a variety of syrups, and certainly no espresso. More often than not, the coffee carafes are nearly empty, so your only option for a caffeinated drink is the sludgy, lukewarm stuff that you know has been sitting out for at least eight hours.

Allsup's are typically found all over New Mexico, West Texas, and the Texas panhandle. Allsup's stores often function more like tiny grocery stores than traditional gas station convenience stores, but prioritizing its food (with a specific focus on burritos) and toiletries selection means that the coffee gets put on the back burner (literally).

Some Allsup's stores brew up freshly ground beans, but I've been to plenty of Allsup's locations in recent years and have usually only found limited selections of coffee and fixings at their coffee bars. The coffee is far from the most egregious on the road, which is why it didn't fall in last place on this ranking, but the coffee bars are usually only stocked with the bar minimum add-ins — like little cups of half-and-half, white sugar, and sometimes Coffee Mate creamer — making for a disappointing coffee pit-stop.

7-Eleven has been one of the world's leading convenience stores and gas stops for nearly 100 years. The brand manages to retain a cult following of loyal enthusiasts, but these 7-Eleven fans are usually more invested in the famous Slurpees. Despite its ubiquitous presence on American highways and its recent upgrades — including the addition of cold brew coffee and a better snack selection — 7-Eleven coffee still falls flat, and its bar of fixings doesn't do much to elevate this gas station brew.

Some locations — usually those in and around major cities — are decently stocked with syrups, milk, toppings, and fresh-ground coffee, while rural locations and those just off the interstate typically offer a much different experience. But, no matter the location, the coffee at 7-Eleven is known for tasting burnt. It offers a variety of flavored coffees, but these only add chemical-like, artificial flavors to the bitter beans.

Kwik Trip is an upper-Midwestern gas station that's known as Kwik Star in some states. It maintains an overall positive reputation, although this stems primarily from its tasty breakfast sandwiches and not its lackluster coffee.

Although some Kwik Trips have machines that grind beans to order — so you can watch as your coffee beans transform into grounds for your freshly brewed cup — this creates more of an illusion of freshness than anything else. The beans at Kwik Trip usually taste stale and over-roasted, and there aren't many add-ins outside of some low-quality flavor syrups to mask the taste of the stale coffee. The chain still offers its house blend in a carafe for those rare, dedicated lovers of the old version of Kwik Trip coffee, but the joe from the machines with freshly-ground beans is a step above this room-temperature vat of coffee.

Stewart's is a New York icon that's as celebrated in the state as pizza and the Knicks. Stewart's is known for its hot dogs, pizza, ice cream, — the gas station convenience store acts as an ice cream shop and offers a variety of pints to take home — and coffee. Its coffee selection includes plenty of flavors, like blueberry crumble and maple french toast, along with regular and decaf brews, iced coffee, and house-made cold brew.

The pre-sweetened iced coffee at Stewarts is allegedly perfectly sweetened, but that's only true if you like equal amounts of sugar and coffee in your brew. The iced coffee is violently sugary, while the cold brew comes unsweetened, yet too dark and robust to enjoy black. Brewed coffees taste much better here, but Stewart's doesn't offer many add-ins — like flavor syrups or a variety of milk — to customize your drink.

Pilot Flying J is one of only a few truck stop chains located on interstates nationwide. Compared to regular gas stations, truck stops usually offer more amenities, and — most importantly — more coffee options. Pilot Flying J swoops in with decent, freshly-ground coffee in eight blends exclusive to the chain, but compared to other truck stops, it's still lacking when it comes to add-ins.

While the coffee tastes fresh at Pilot Flying J, albeit a little too dark, the only milk options usually come from machines in which you press a lever and a thin stream of cream or milk enters your coffee cup. I've always been wary of these milk dispensers, since they don't appear to be easy to clean, and will often take my coffee black when that machine is the only option for milk.

A Love's sign on a dark, desolate highway is like a lighthouse on a stormy sea. The ubiquitous truck stop is found on interstate highways all over the contiguous U.S. and is known for providing safe sleeping spots for truckers and road trippers and higher-than-average-quality snacks and coffee.

The staff at Love's are known to keep the coffee fresh and the station neat and tidy. Coffee here might not be made from the highest quality beans on the interstate, and there's no espresso or any fancy brews, but its freshness is what sets it apart from other truck stops. The coffee station is typically stocked with plenty of syrups and sugar substitutes. Most Love's locations only keep milk and creamers as tiny, shelf-stable cups or in large, chilled machines rather than fresh bottles, but this tiny grievance doesn't take too much away from its enjoyable coffee.

Turkey Hill is an EG America brand with locations limited to Pennsylvania and Ohio. The chain is known for its eponymous brand of dairy products, especially its wide selection of classic and uncommon ice creams. In terms of coffee, Turkey Hill serves Cumberland Farm's Farmhouse coffee at its convenience stores, which is typically regarded as a slightly elevated gas station brew.

Plenty of U.S. gas stations serve Farmhouse brand coffee, but what sets Turkey Hill apart from others is that the coffee usually tastes fresh — as long as you show up during the busier times of the day. There aren't many options as far as milk and syrups at most Turkey Hill locations, and there's no espresso, but you can usually find the flavor syrup mainstays: Vanilla, caramel, and hazelnut. Coffee stations here are usually clean and well-stocked with cups and stirrers.

Speedway is well-known for its coffee program, which features a stocked coffee bar and a few popular blends that stand out among other gas station brews. Its espresso blend is a fan favorite, which showcases bold, spicy flavors in a dark roast. It also offers a house blend, Colombian, a 100% Honduran blend, and a light-roasted decaf coffee, which is a rare find in the coffee world. Speedway doesn't offer flavored coffees, but its coffee station provides plenty of opportunities for adding sweet flavors to coffee, whether it be through syrups, spices, or flavored creamers.

My favorite aspect of Speedway's coffee bars is that they're always squeaky clean. Gas stations are known for their sticky, dirty coffee stations, so this is a welcome surprise at Speedway. I find the coffees here are roasted too dark, but employees are always keen on keeping the pots fresh.

Cumberland Farms has over 575 locations in eight East Coast states. The gas station cements itself as a quality pit stop spot, offering clean amenities and cheap prices. The coffee at Cumberland Farms is particularly celebrated, although it's no different than the coffee at Turkey Hill and Loaf 'N Jug.

Cumberland Farms serves its own branded Farmhouse coffee, which is middle-of-the-road in terms of taste and quality. What sets Cumberland Farms apart from the other EG America brands, however, is that it almost always offers a more fully stocked coffee bar, complete with machines that dispense a variety of flavored syrups and a wider milk selection. I also find Cumberland Farms' coffee bars to be particularly neat and clean, and the coffee tastes fresher than at other chains that offer the same Farmhouse coffee.

Texans absolutely adore Buc-ee's, and their cult-like admiration for the cartoon beaver-themed chain is well deserved. Buc-ee's travel centers are known for their enormous, Texas-sized stores with a wide array of staple goods, famously fresh and delicious snacks, souvenirs, and coffee. Iced coffee is particularly popular at Buc-ee's, including iced lattés, vanilla sweet cream cold brew, and iced mochas. While some folks swear by Buc-ee's coffee, I find it lacking in terms of depth and intensity. It tastes mildly watered-down, and all of the pre-sweetened drinks are so sugary that the coffee flavor is completely masked.

What keeps Buc-ee's from landing further up on this list is its reliable cleanliness and well-stocked coffee bar. You can usually count on finding all of the essential fixings for your coffee, along with some more obscure goodies (I'm particularly fond of the Southern-inspired pecan syrup). Everything is kept spick-and-span, in classic Buc-ee's fashion.

RaceTrac started its journey in Atlanta in the 70s, and today has locations all over the Southeast and Eastern portion of the Midwest. RaceTrac is well known for its coffee, which is ground fresh per cup in modern machines for both hot and iced coffee. You'll usually find a regular, Guatemalan, Colombian, dark roast, hazelnut, and decaf served here. Most of the coffees are roasted on the darker side, but the Colombian is easily the most nuanced, lightest roast.

Although the coffee is exceptional for gas station joe, the milk selection is lacking somewhat at many RaceTrac locations. You'll usually find shelf-stable miniature cups of creamer or half-and-half, powdered, dairy-free creamer, whole milk, and almond milk for coffee, the latter two not offered at every RaceTrac location. There's usually no flavor syrups to be found here, either, although this can vary by location.

I always find myself in the Southwest, and when I'm there, I anxiously anticipate regular coffee stops at Circle K. Its medium-roast house blend and dark-roasted Colombian blend are both balanced, smooth, award-winning brews. The bean-to-cup machines mean the coffee tastes fresh with every cup, and it always comes out piping hot. Circle K also offers seasonal flavored coffees — like preeminent pumpkin spice — and iced coffees, but I find that the hot coffee tastes more vibrant and rich. 

Larger stores tend to keep coffee bars that are well-stocked, but smaller stores can sometimes lack fixings, including milk options, alternative sugars, and flavor syrups. Some of the smaller store's coffee bars can be rather dirty, too. To make up for this, Circle K offers outstanding fresh-baked donuts (yes, gas station donuts can be delicious) to go along with your morning brew.

Oncue is a relatively small gas station chain with about 75 locations in Oklahoma and Texas. Coffee is among its most treasured offerings, and for good reason. Oncue is home to multiple varieties of cold brew and single-origin coffee, a gourmet treat that's almost never found at gas stations. Its single-origin brew is a medium-roast Guatemalan coffee that's sweet and smooth, with pleasant acidity. The store also offers fresh donuts and pastries to get your day started on the sweetest possible note.

Oncue's blends and single-origin roasts always taste freshly brewed and come out piping hot. Although they're not quite as good as what you'd get from a real café, they still blow most gas station brews out of the water. Its coffee bars are stocked with enough fixings for the average coffee drinker but may be lacking for those who prefer alternative milks and a wide variety of sugars and flavors.

QuikTrip (not to be confused with Kwik Trip) has some of the most famous coffee on American highways. In 2024, the company launched its "Coffee Wow" program, which features taps of nitro cold brew and iced coffee; a pioneering launch for American gas stations. The cold brew tastes fresh, crisp, and ultra-smooth, just like the cold brew from a legitimate roastery. The iced coffees, including an iced vanilla latte and iced mocha, were a little too sweet for my taste, but they were still fresh-tasting and refreshing.

Outside of iced coffee, QuikTrip offers the new, modern bean-to-cup brewers for hot coffee, although the hot coffee pales in comparison to its cold brew. At the coffee bar, there are plenty of Coffee Mate creamers and sugars available, but few to zero flavor syrups and no espresso.

Sheetz is a gas station-convenience store chain most commonly associated with Pennsylvania but found throughout the mid-Atlantic. It's primarily known for its fresh, hot snacks, but coffee is also a staple menu item here. Sheetz supplies brewed coffee from carafes, but the real pièce de résistance are the espresso drinks, which can be accessed via an ordering screen, much like Wawa's.

For iced drinks, Sheetz typically uses an espresso concentrate rather than brewed espresso, and it shows. The iced drinks at Sheetz — excluding the nitro cold brew, which is viscous, rich, and satisfying — pale in comparison to the hot coffees, particularly the lattés and cappuccinos. Espresso drinks here taste close to what you'd get at a real cafe, as long as you get your drink sweetened. Otherwise, the espresso tastes a little too bitter. But there are plenty of fun syrups and milk options to add sweetness and flavor to your brew — or get one of Sheetz's famous holiday-inspired drinks. 

Wawa is kind of like the Bucee's of Pennsylvania. The East Coast chain with a cult following offers a much larger coffee selection than most gas stations. Wawa's Rainforest Alliance Certified drip coffees include regular, Colombian medium roast, Cuban dark roast, three flavored brews, and decaf. But most Wawa customers aren't reaching for the chain's brewed coffee in carafes; they're ordering customizable drinks made with real espresso.

The quality of Wawa's espresso drinks and the cleanliness of its coffee bars can vary by location, but most Wawas brew decent coffee, especially for iced drinks. It offers sugar-free syrups along with a plethora of regular flavors, seasonal treats, and alternative milks (almond and oat) for your latté or cappuccino. The fixings station offers some basic add-ins for coffee, but you'll have to choose most additions when you order your drink on the touch screen.

And finally, I present the best coffee bar on the road: Quick Chek. Quick Chek — which is limited to New Jersey, Long Island, and New York's Hudson Valley — is known for good deals on gas, fresh subs, and excellent coffee. A huge selection of brewed coffees is always available, including different regional varieties, flavored brews, and extra-caffeinated coffee, perfect for those long nights on the road.

Like Wawa and Sheetz, Quick Chek offers espresso drinks via a touch-screen ordering system. You can choose from hot, iced, frozen coffees, and even matcha, as well as unique seasonal creations and funky toppings. The espresso tastes delicious on its own, or try it with just a splash of cream and a dash of cinnamon to highlight its natural sweetness.

Choose from a variety of flavors and plant-based milks, or get a plain drink and fix it up yourself. Quick Chek always has fresh, bottled milk available and tons of self-serve syrups, honey, and plenty of spices to add pizzazz to your brew.

As a regular road tripper, I've personally experienced each one of the coffee bars on this list on multiple occasions and can personally attest to their coffee quality and the state of their coffee bars. To rank them, I factored in the taste and quality of the store's coffee, the variety of add-ins available, and the cleanliness of the coffee bars. Gas stations are regional, and therefore a source of local pride, so I set aside any personal bias and preference in gas stations to rank the coffee bars' quality fairly.

It's worth noting that my experiences may not be identical to the experiences offered at all of each chain's locations. Most chain gas stations vary in quality, variety, and cleanliness from store to store.