Holy Moly…what a convenience store!!! Buc-ee’s, established in 1982, is by far the coolest, cleanest and most fun convenience store that I have ever experienced. Most of my convenience store stops have been to use the restroom, get gas and possibly get a few snacks or drinks for the road. I made a trip to Buc-ee’s with my wife yesterday.
Gas Pumps
If you are waiting in line to get gas, you are not looking hard enough for an open pump. There are at least 100 or more pumps to be used. They have your normal gas selections along with diesel. For those that drive small buses and need DEF, no worries. They have it. What I found fabulous about getting in and out of the gas pump area, is that you don’t have to navigate the parking lot around big semi trucks and trailers because they are not allowed in the pump area.
Restrooms
Buc-ee’s boasts that they have the cleanest restrooms. It was true for the Calhoun location. According to Buc-ee’s website, they have the World’s Cleanest Restrooms. Cintas, in 2012, ran a nationwide restroom contest. This contest officially allowed Buc-ee’s to stake their claim.
Convenience Store
One side of the store is pretty much every convenience store that you have visited in the past. What makes Buc-ee’s a little more special are the wide aisles and plenty of selections to choose from in snacks and drinks. We ended up getting some Buc-ee’s brand white cheddar popcorn and jalapeno white cheddar popcorn. We also got a Diet Coke and Sunkist Orange Zero.
Beaver Nuggets
No beavers were used to make these nuggets, I think. They come in a variety of flavors including white cheddar, bold’n spicy, cinnamon sweet and sea-salted caramel. They also have plain for those not needing variety.
World Famous Jerkey & Deli
If you like jerkey, we chose from a whole wall of meats that have been cured and packaged to perfection. For those wanting fresh steaks, wraps, sandwiches, the Deli is available to place an order and have it prepared to your desire. There were specialty sausages and rare types of jerkey behind the counter and were a libit more expensive than the otions hanging on the wall.
Brisket/Meat Sandwich and Flavored Nut Kiosks
A majority of our purchases cam from this area. We bought several fresh sandwiches for our family. I purchased the XXL chopped bbq brisket, club melt, pulled pork, sliced brisket and bbq turkey sandwiches. I was full after the XXL sandwich with my Sunkist Orange Zero. The sandwiches were around six dollars each except the XXL was $11. They were worth every penny. We purchased a few of the flavored nuts in adjacent nut kiosk.
The Rest of the Store
The rest of the store reminded me of a mini Bass Pro Shop and Cracker Barrel combined. There was little bit of everything. There were grills, coolers, pajamas, truck accessories, kitchen and cooking items, 40 lb bags of corn and so much more.
The Employees
Most importantly, there are certain companies that come to my mind when it comes to over the top customer-friendly service, including Chick-fil-A, In-N-Out Burger, Bass Pro Shops and Cracker Barrel. Likewise, Buc-ee’s can take a rightful place among these companies because we found the employees to be helpful and so polite. For instance, we were asked at least 10 times if we needed anything or just simply greeting us. This was so impressive.
World Records
In conclusion, Buc-ee’s has a couple world records. They have the largest convenience store located in New Braufels, TX just off I-35. The store is 66,335 square feet. A colleague of mine, who has visited 8 different Buc-ee’s, shared that a larger one is being planned for Sevierville, TN in 2022. Second, they have a world record for the world’s longest car wash located in Katy, TX off I-10.
Be blessed and safe travels!!!
