Late summer road trips are in full swing, and hunger has a way of striking at the most inconvenient moments — when the road feels longer than expected and your destination is still hours away. These chefs have their favorite stops covered, from major chains to regional gems hiding just off the highway.
Katy, TX, USA – Apr 12, 2025: Exterior view of the BUC-EE’S store and gas station in Katy, Texas. BUC-EE’S is a chain of travel centers based in Lake Jackson, Texas.
(hapabapa via Getty Images)A pastry chef drove out of her way for gas station candied nuts
If you find yourself driving through Texas, pastry chef and founder of Bakers Against Racism Paola Velez has one non-negotiable stop: Buc-ee’s.
Velez discovered the beloved roadside institution on a drive to Houston for the Southern Smoke Festival. “I had the opportunity to stop at my very first Buc-ee’s and gosh, I’ll tell you, it was an experience. It was better than an experience,” she says. “My mind was absolutely blown to see such a robust, bustling rest stop. Between you and me, I may or may not have run through the aisles like a kid in a candy shop.”
Her must-have are the candied nuts. “They are just so good — so, so good — so much so that when I went to Austin, I stopped at a Buc-ee’s even though it was admittedly out of the way.”
The gas station fried chicken that a Charleston chef calls the best she’s ever had
Chef and food writer Amethyst Ganaway, who hails from Charleston, South Carolina, makes a strong case for the South’s finest gas station fried chicken. Her two picks: Dodge’s Southern Style and Parker’s Kitchen.
“Dodge’s in particular has a location outside of Charleston on Savannah Highway. This has been the number one spot to stop and get some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever had,” she says. At Parker’s Kitchen, she points to the fried chicken gizzards as the underrated item most people overlook. “Parker’s are fairly new to the area, but they’re taking over like crazy. They have the perfect fried chicken gizzards.”
For Ganaway, there’s something deeply personal about the tradition. “I love that it’s a little piece of home for those of us from the South as we travel.”
A chef who grew up in the Philippines dreaming about American diners found his spot off the highway in Troy, New York
Champ Peralta, chef and owner of Chee-Bog in Cohoes, New York, grew up in the Philippines dreaming about American diners. His go-to off-the-highway spot, Alexis Diner in Troy, NY, delivers exactly what he always imagined.
His usual order starts with crunchy onion rings, followed by the breakfast steak and eggs. “I was surprised with their breakfast steak because it’s marinated the way I would marinate a steak,” he says, rounding out the meal with home fries, bell peppers, onions, and a side of sausage links. “I always order a side of their sausage links — they’re really good.”
One chef’s road trip order is always the same: Popeyes
Detroit native and chef Jon Kung keeps it simple on long drives: Popeyes, full stop. “My road trip staple has always been Popeyes. I honestly hate being in the car for long, so if I am, I’m just going for my favorite comfort foods, which on the road is always fried chicken.”
For those passing through Detroit, he strongly recommends a detour to Eastern Market, one of the country’s largest open-air farmers markets. Highlights include DeVries, a 125-year-old specialty food and cheese shop, and Supino Pizza, alongside dozens of food stalls that draw around 45,000 visitors every Saturday. “Help yourself to one of the last truly functional farmers market districts in the country,” Kung says.
The Cajun meat shop just off I-10 that means “I’m home”
Originally from New Orleans and now based in Austin, Grace Stephanie Aguilar has a ritual whenever she heads back home. Her first stop is always Nonc Kev’s Specialty Meats, a Cajun deli and meat shop located just off I-10 at the Rayne exit, open seven days a week.
“Gas is the last thing you think of when coming to Nonc Kev’s,” she says. The stop is loaded with boudin, chicken cracklin, crawfish pies, smoked meats and stuffed chickens, plus daily plate lunches. Her specific recommendation is the chicken cracklin. “It makes me not even miss regular pork cracklin because it’s so delicious.”
For Aguilar, the stop is about more than food. “It’s nostalgic. As a kid, I would get off from school, go to similar gas stations, and buy links of boudin and a loaf of Evangeline bread to make boudin sandwiches. Every time I arrive, the first spot I hit is Nonc Kev’s. Because it means I’m home.”
The fried chicken chain hiding inside gas stations across L.A.
In Los Angeles, Breana Jackson’s road trip essential is Krispy Krunchy Chicken, the Louisiana-based fried chicken chain tucked inside gas stations across the city. With over 3,400 locations nationwide, it’s easy to spot — follow the smell.
“The glass case display of biscuits and chicken may scare one away, but don’t let it,” Jackson laughs. “The chicken is juicy and well seasoned, the honey butter biscuits are fluffy, only made better by more honey on top.” Her go-to order is an eight-piece dark chicken with biscuits. Note that menu offerings vary by location, so it’s worth checking ahead if you’re after something specific.
For Jackson, the nostalgia attached to Krispy Krunchy Chicken runs deep. “There’s definitely some nostalgia attached to Krispy Krunchy Chicken for me. The fried chicken and biscuits hark back to my southern roots. I remember running in after a sports game, so eager to bite into each piece of chicken.”
Dining and Cooking