Some of the best ‘roadside eats’ can be found in Illinois. Here’s where to go
.jpg "USA Today’s Readers’ Choice Awards recently named Casey’s and QuikTrip among the best gas station chains for food offerings.")
Two of the nation’s best gas station chains for food can be found in the Land of Lincoln, according to USA Today’s new Readers’ Choice Awards.
USA Today’s May 13 report, “Roadside eats: 10 gas stations that will satisfy any craving,” named QuikTrip/QT No. 3 and popular Midwest pick Casey’s No. 8.
The No. 1 gas station chain from the analysis, Kwik Trip, isn’t found in the metro-east, but QuikTrip and Casey’s have several local stores.
First-place Kwik Trip is best-known for its bakery items, USA Today reports, with options including fresh bread, bagels, donuts, muffins and cookies, along with other food items such as fried chicken, soups and more.
The similarly named QuikTrip, or QT, stood out in USA Today’s Readers’ Choice Awards for its menu with fresh, made-to-order items including pizza, tacos, sub sandwiches and breakfast sandwiches. The chain also offers grab-and-go options such as pizza by the slice, mac and cheese, roller grill hot dogs, donuts and wraps.
“We’re honored to be recognized by USA Today as one of the top gas station brands for food. At QuikTrip our focus has always been on delivering high-quality, fresh food that customers can count on, whether they’re stopping in for a quick snack or a made-to-order meal. Through our QT Kitchens program we prepare a wide variety of items fresh throughout the day—from sandwiches and pizza to breakfast options and tacos—while also offering a strong selection of grab-and-go favorites like fresh donuts, pastries, and roller grill items. This recognition is a testament to our store teams who work hard every day to ensure our customers receive great food, fast service, and a consistent experience across every location,” QuikTrip spokesperson Aisha Jefferson wrote in an emailed statement to the News-Democrat.
Casey’s is best-known to many for its pizza, with options from single-topping pies to specialty pizzas like the taco pizza, chicken bacon ranch pizza and breakfast pizzas. If a slice of pie isn’t your thing, Casey’s also has wings, chicken tenders, mac and cheese, sandwiches and combos.
The News-Democrat has contacted staff with Casey’s for comment about the USA Today mention.
Top 10 best gas stations for food
Here are the top 10 best gas stations for food, according to USA Today:
1. Kwik Trip (based in Wisconsin)
2. Royal Farms (based in Maryland)
3. QuikTrip/QT (based in Oklahoma)
4. Allsup’s/Yesway (based in Texas)
5. Dodge’s Southern Style (based in Mississippi)
6. Rutter’s (based in Pennsylvania)
7. Sheetz (based in Pennsylvania)
8. Casey’s (based in Iowa)
9. QuickChek (based in New Jersey)
10. Buc-ee’s (based in Texas)
Do you have a question about business or restaurants in Illinois for the News-Democrat? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Metro-east Matters form.
