I like memories of my childhood road trip to the south. When I was a child, we visited our family “down” the annual “south” from St. Louis, Missouri. I’m always looking forward to a gas station where you can get local snacks like the iconic uncle’s old-fashioned stage board, the packaging of raw inger cookies with pink icing, and the fried chicken plates washed with sweet nehi peach soda. We also thought about parents who had to travel south between Jim Crow and parents who were paradise for eating when these gas stations were denied the restaurant entrance.
“Great American Road Trip” is often made romantic in popular culture. However, for black travelers, navigating the highways around the US was never easy as they tend to encounter racism just to drive among black people. In the Jim Crow era of quarantine, when there was no safe place for them to eat, black travelers packed their food and fresh food in advance in shoe boxes for lunch. Negro driver Green Book, also known simply as Green Book, was published in 1936 by postal employee and travel author Victor Hugo Greene, and addressed this issue. The book was born from the idea that it would help black travelers find safe places to eat and sleep while traveling through the United States, particularly as Jim Crow travelled the South, where land law was.
The legacy of these kind gas stations is rooted in the resilience and wit of black people, highlighting the determination of black travelers to enjoy their journey despite the discrimination they face. Over time, some communities and businesses have been trying to support black travelers like the standard New Jersey oil company now known as Exxonmobil. It wasn’t just a stop at the standard southern oil featured in the Green Book. The company also encouraged black people to open the Franchise Gas Bureau since the 1950s.
After opening Horatio’s Esso Service Station #2 in Scotlandville, Louisiana in the 1940s, Horatio Thompson became the first black man to own the Esso franchise in the South. According to food writer and historian Deb Freeman, Southern gas station food and black culture thank the owners of black gas stations who serve green books and traditional Southern meals that cook at home like fried chicken, corn bread, okra and collard greens.
“We have a diet culture, but it doesn’t matter if we have to drive for 20 minutes,” Freeman said. “I think we have a really special relationship that we want to make sure we are always in close proximity to good food. Gas station restaurants serve as sources of information to feed the community. ”
Today, gas stations in the south are food meccas that reflect the region’s diverse culinary traditions. While traveling from New Orleans to Houston on a Greyhound Bath in 2017, I was able to get the most delicious boudin ball, a local snack of fried boudin sausages mixed with pre-cooked pork, rice, onions and seasonings at Rascal Cajon Express in Rain, Louisiana. That’s the I-10 highway between Baton Rouge and Texas You can find the best boodine balls and sausages at most gas stations.
Not all gas stations are the same. It will double as a grocery store with hot meals, especially in areas where grocery stores are not easily accessible. In one place, you may sell crunchy fried chicken or catfish, cheap and creamy mac and cheese, and homemade biscuits. Another could be to serve delicious barbecues or other local foods that are loved by the community. Hidden by its appearance, these amazing restaurants often use fresh ingredients and family recipes taught at home. Chekostop and Little Czech Bakery are located at Shell Gas Station in West Texas. this The deli/bakery and convenience stores are all caught up in one and are famous for KOlache, a Czech pastries are traditionally made from yeast dough filled with fruit and sweet cheese, which have been a staple in Texas food culture since the late 1800s.
Then there Buc-Ee’s is a beloved chain of southern gas stations and convenience stores, and is now also found in Missouri and Colorado. Food includes fresh salads, brisket sandwiches, the famous beaver nuggets and sweet and crunchy corn puffs. Austin-based author Gabrielle Pharms-barr Buc-Ee, who goes on a road trip with her husband, is her first stop before she begins her trip. The iconic oversized beaver mascot. “Buc-ee is more than just a gas station. It’s a way of life, a Texas rite of passage,” says Pharms-Barr. “Without visiting the convenience and charismatic cathedral of this iconic Texas Cathedral, the road trip will not be completed. From beaver nuggets, jerky walls, collashes, warm glazed pecans and BBQ brisket sandwiches are freshly chopped in front of you.
The scene at gas stations in the south is evolving with immigration to the area. In Hammond, Louisiana, after filling up tanks in Punjab Daba, you will then purchase Indian foods like Onion Baji and Chicken Tikka Masala. Kwik Chek in Memphis, Tennessee offers a blend of Korean and Mediterranean cuisine, including kimchi fried rice, bibimbap and gyros. Some gas station restaurants have even decided to leave gas stations behind as their business grew.
This happened to Chris Williams on Roy’s Grill. Williams has opened up a niche selling barbecues from Exxon gas stations for eight years. Lexington, South Carolina. In 2022 he opened a brick and mortar restaurant in Ilmo, just 16 minutes’ drive away. There, they continue to serve barbecues with homemade sauces, including sweets and mustard-based “all gold” along with sides like coleslaw and cheese from the seven-person cheese. The origins of Williams’ gas stations were spurred by financial constraints.
“I didn’t have the money,” Williams said. “I was 30 and had been working in the food industry since I was 15. I worked as a caterer at my mother’s job. One of her colleagues seemed to be “there is a gas station with a restaurant in Lexington and it’s open.” I spoke to the store owner and we moved to this place (in Lexington).
It has not been lost for Williams that he is connected to a gas station tradition that serves culturally black Southern food. “Some of the best hidden foods are at gas stations,” Williams said. “I’ve never seen it, as if I’m continuing the legacy. But now I’m here, so I take a step back and see it as continuing the homemade hustle heritage.”
Every time I take back the side of the state from Berlin where I base, I still travel south to see friends and family. But I get excited as the closer I get to those southern states, the better the snacks and foods become. Why do you have hot dogs and greasy pizza when you were welcomed by the roots with butter biscuits? Cracklin, fried chicken platter? I can’t think of a better homecoming.
