You’ve heard the name, and you might have heard terms like “Beaver Nuggets” and “Romanian garlic beef jerky” and wondered what is this place and what are they selling? Well, it’s Buc-ees! The world’s largest gas station, truck-stop and convenience store chain, and it is incredible.
We’d heard whispers about Buc-ee’s for a long time, and I was always curious about this super-sized gas station convenience store. Now, on multiple road trips to the beach, we’ve been able to really soak in the Buc-ee’s travel center experience in various locations and can confirm it’s one of the best places to stop on a trip.
We are entirely smitten with the ever-expanding Texas chain of gas stations and truck stops.
Fudge? Brisket? Home Decor? T-shirts? Beach towels and chairs? A jerkey counter? Christmas ornaments? It’s all at Buc-ees.
Freakishly clean public restrooms? Check! I can say in my multiple decades of life that Buc-ee’s restrooms are the cleanest public restrooms I have ever entered! I have three children, and we’ve frequented a lot of public restrooms over the years…some I’d like to forget, but Buc-ee’s? They win the restroom game. They win, period.
The first thing you notice when approaching a Buc-ee’s store is the size. The campus is massive. When they say everything is bigger in Texas, Buc-ee’s took that to heart and is spreading it around the country.
The New Braunfels, Texas, store is the largest convenience store in the world, boasting a massive 66,335 square feet. The one in south Alabama isn’t as big, but it’s nothing to shake a stick at. Here’s another fun fact, Buc-ee’s has a Guinness World Record for the longest car wash at its Katy, Texas location. So basically, Buc-ee’s took the good, better, best ideology and bested it.
Everything about Buc-ee’s is top-notch. The shopping experience, the customer service, and the interior signage are all on-point with Buc-ee’s brand–the biggest, and the best.
During this latest trip to Orange Beach, I realized that I’d rather have the food items from Buc-ee’s than almost any fast food place I’ve ever stopped at on a road trip.
Although many people do, I’m not saying you should take the family out for a meal at Buc-ee’s, but the fact of the matter is Buc-ee’s is a great place to eat when on the road. No matter what your plans might be, Buc-ee’s is a great place to treat your taste buds if you’re traveling and don’t want to stop for a full sit-down meal.
We even take requests from friends who know we will pass through this magical place of beaver nuggets and pickled quail eggs and bring them back their favorite treats from everybody’s favorite gas station.
I’m not sure I’ve ever planned a vacation to visit a particular gas station or truck stop. Now, it’s a “must-do” whenever we have headed anywhere near a Buc-ee’s.
A lot can happen in a visit to Buc-ee’s. Let me tell you a story, or rather, a real-life experience…
It’s a Saturday afternoon, and my family and I stop at Buc-ee’s just outside Gulf Shores, Alabama. Naturally, it was hoppin’! We were anxious to get to the beach, so our goal was to get in and get out quickly. My husband offered to stand in line and get our food while I took our children to the bathroom. In minutes, my husband bought brisket, homemade potato chips, beaver nuggets, fudge — a lot of fudge — several kolaches, and some drinks.
Meanwhile, I took our kids to the cleanest bathrooms in the country, and we somehow ended up with Buc-ee’s t-shirts and a Christmas ornament adorned with the famous beaver mascot on the front. Oh! I can’t forget that before we left the building, we took a family picture in front of the red Buc-ee’s truck, with the giant oversized beaver on it, in addition to another family photo outside with a bronze beaver statue. Again, all of this in just minutes!
At this point, I find myself asking, “How did we get here?” “Why do we have so much fudge?” And, “Why do we love this place so much?” Everybody loves Buc-ee’s.
The good news was with multiple cashiers working, we didn’t have to wait long to check out despite the massive crowd.
Why does everybody love Buc-ee’s? I think it’s because there is something for everyone, honestly. The Texas-based and Texas-sized gas station chain has developed a cult following since its inception in 1982 for its clean restrooms, ample snacks, kitschy gifts, and adorable beaver mascot, and we are here for it! It’s a fun place to stop and an added novelty to any vacation or day trip.
There are 40+ locations in states all over the south, including its home state of Texas, plus Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, and Georgia. There is one coming soon to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
More states are continually being added to the Buc-ee’s roster; you can check and see if there is a Buc-ee’s coming to an area near you on their website, where the welcome message reads “Potty like a rockstar.” Think about it, if you’re on the road traveling, there’s nothing you’d like to do more than potty like a rockstar and get a delicious snack and maybe a cool hat. Done and done at Buc-ee’s.
If you’ve heard fanciful tales about this large travel center with a beaver mascot that people just can’t get enough of, here’s the truth… it’s amazing. Buc-ee’s is larger than life, and The Guinness World Record-holding nirvana promises the cleanest restrooms, a plethora of fueling positions, plus road snacks that put other stations – with higher gas prices – to shame. What could be better than that?
Just for fun, Pretty Southern has included a list of Buc-ee’s most popular foods:
- Beaver nuggets (puffed corn nuggets)
- Buc-ee’s nug-ees (kind of like cheese puffs)
- Dried fruit and veggies
- Gummy candy
- Trail mix
- The Jerky Counter (enough said)
- Breakfast tacos
- Candied jalapenos, pickles, and jams
- Hot sandwiches, the options are endless!
- Popcorn and pretzels
- Kolaches
- Sizzlin’ saltines