By David S. Wallens
Nov 3, 2023
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Discussion,
Road Food
Photography Credit: David S. Wallens
It’s late–or maybe not.
You’re away from home–or maybe not.
But, no matter the circumstances, you’re out and you gotta gas up the tank–and not the one usually filled with petrol.
What are you stopping for? Are those highway rest stops an opportunity to take in some local fare, or do you stick with what you know? Does time spent off the road outweigh taste and experience? If you’re towing or driving some important, does parking matter?
Or do you just aim for Waffle House?
We’re all friends here, so no judgment to be passed. So, where are we eating?
If I don't have a lot of time to stop and eat, I'll usually aim for a Wawa or a RaceTrac for the sake of consistency (I know what I like that I know they will have.)
If I do have time to sit down and eat, I'll always prefer something small and local. Otherwise, I'm fine with settling for a Cracker Barrel or a Waffle House.
You know I have a thing for Waffle House. :)
Google Maps has been helpful in finding a place that is a locally-owned, single location. A place with it's own identity. Chains and national companies are great when an efficient and predictable experience is desired or needed. Perhaps it's a phase for me; I enjoy rolling the dice on a local joint. Sometimes it's good, sometimes the better choice was McDonald's.
In reply to JustinSchroder :
I need to access that feature more when on the road, especially when I have a co-driver.
If I am on a long road trip and there is a Cracker Barrel on the route I will stop for a sit down meal to rest for a few and enjoy some hot food. One problem is you cant depend on it to always be a quick stop. If I need to keep moving I will default to McDonalds or a snack from the gas station.
JustinSchroder said:Google Maps has been helpful in finding a place that is a locally-owned, single location. A place with it's own identity. Chains and national companies are great when an efficient and predictable experience is desired or needed. Perhaps it's a phase for me; I enjoy rolling the dice on a local joint. Sometimes it's good, sometimes the better choice was McDonald's.
Well said. If you have the time, that's definitely the way to do it.
I rarely stop for a meal while driving on a trip. Breakfast before starting (Cracker Barrel if I'm really hungry otherwise McDonalds or similar). The next meal is just prior to or after hotel check-in. Again Cracker Barrel if available. If not I'll ask hotel staff what they recommend and take my chances. On the road a fuel stop will usually include a coffee and a non-healthy snack of some sort.
I travel back and forth from PA to FL a few time each year and rarely stop other than for bathroom breaks. Ever since my youth, I have a road-tripping tradition that I still do. I have a favorite pizza place locally, so I order a large, thick crust, extra sauce, pepperoni and onion pie 2 days before leaving. I cool it in the refrigerator and then wrap each slice in aluminum foil. That along with water gets packed in a small cooler and when I leave, it gets put on the passenger seat. Throughout the day I snack on cold slices, ball up the foil and put it back in the cooler. Around 7-8pm, I grab a 5-Hour Energy while gassing up and down it for the final push. The older I get the less I enjoy the straight through trip, but being able to kill it in one day still works for me and I haven't got tired of the pizza as my nourishment(hardly) for the trip. It works for me, so I haven't changed my routine in many, many years. I can just make the trip if I leave at 7am and arrive in FL at midnight to 1am. If I stopped for a real meal it would just add to much time to the trip to still finish in one day.
Stopped by my usual while on the way home from Orlando earlier this week. 
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