It wasn’t until I moved to Seattle from Nebraska that I became a coffee snob. I would tell people that I like gas station coffee when I first moved there, and they would laugh at me. I figured out quickly why they laughed at me… it was because the gas station coffee up there didn’t even come close to the choices we have here in Iowa. We’ve got some pretty damn good options for coffee that you don’t have to pay an arm and a leg for!
I don’t usually get regular coffee at Kwik Star because they don’t have those little creamers that I like. They have the pump creamer. BUT for iced coffee, Kwik Star is by far my favorite.
The only time I buy regular coffee is before I come into work at 3:00am. At first, I’d always go to Kum & Go, because they have the machines where it brews your coffee by the cup, so I’d always know it was fresh. THEN, Casey’s stepped up their coffee game by getting a machine that does the same thing. (They used to just have the carafe.) So now, I’ll split my coffee runs in the morning between the two stores. Casey’s also has a decent flavored cold brew, but I prefer Kwik Star’s still.
Seriously though… the gas stations we have here are SO much better than other parts of the country. They have everything! Sandwiches, salads, pizza, breakfast food, fresh pastries, donuts, etc. I think growing up in the Midwest made me a gas station snob/junkie. I can’t get enough of them.
Where’s your go-to gas station for coffee?