Maverik Is The Less-Hyped Gas Station Chain With A Seriously Stacked Food Menu

At one time, the primary purpose of a pit stop was usually to fuel up the car or else to relieve oneself. As neither activity is exactly appetizing, the idea of gas station dining may have been a trifle off-putting, so road trippers of old may not have asked for or expected anything beyond grab-and-go snacks like a bag of chips and a soda. These days, however, some gas stations are as well known for their food as they are for their gas — better, in fact, since all gas is pretty much the same, but a Buc-ees brisket sandwich is one of a kind.

While Buc-ees may get all the glory, there's one underrated chain that is fast closing in on whatever the gas station version of a Michelin star might be (a Texaco star, perhaps?). Maverik, a regional chain with stations throughout the Western states from New Mexico to Washington, specializes in Southwestern foods such as carnitas, steak and egg breakfast nachos, tomatillo-sauced chicken, and a chorizo-pepper jack breakfast burrito that goes by the Taco Bell-esque portmanteau "chorcheezo." 

What makes Maverik's food so special, though, isn't the smoked meats, the salsa verde, or even the cheesy names, but the fact that head chef Kyle Lore actually does have a fine dining background, so he pays attention to all the little details. Fresh-baked BonFire cookies, scratch-made beans, and a constantly-evolving array of options all combine to make Maverik into a destination dining station (that also sells gas).