With summer right around the corner, many people are going on vacation. With this, there are a good number of people planning big road trips. Road trips mean gas, and there is no better “gas station” than the one and only: Buc-ee’s.

But with such a big selection of food, clothing, drinks and everything in between, what is the best thing to get at Buc-ee’s?

The best food is easily anything with brisket in it. Buc-ee’s is famous for their brisket and has many different vehicles for its meaty goodness. The best, however, is the brisket taco, which has enough brisket for you to taste it, but not enough for you to get too full (and car sick).

“I like when they announce the fresh brisket on the board, it’s so funny and the brisket is so juicy,” said sophomore Talei Williamson.

Buc-ee’s also offers the classic brisket sandwich, but I have found that these are too filling, and lead to extra stops along the road. There are also many different modifications that you can make to the brisket taco. The biggest is adding eggs to make it a breakfast brisket taco, but my favorite way is by adding salsa verde and cheese. The brisket can be found at the brisket counter in the center of a Buc-ee’s.

The best sweet is easily the Gummi Bears. Their Gummi Bears are perfectly soft, yet chewy and they are the perfect amount of sweet. They too have different variations, most notably Chamoy Gummi Bears and Sour Gummi Bears. The Gummi Bears can be found in the “Old Classics” and “Gummis” sections of Buc-ee’s.

An underrated section of the Buc-ee’s is the bakery. The bakery is home to two of my favorite Buc-ee’s items, the cinnamon roll and the sausage kolache. 

The Buc-ee’s cinnamon roll is a roller coaster. About 15 percent of the time, it is so overly sweet and slightly stale, that it is terrible. The other 85 percent of the time, it is one of the best things in the building. With the perfectly sweet cream cheese icing and the pillow-soft roll, it is absolute perfection.

The other best item from the bakery is the sausage kolache. It is basically a sausage baked in a perfectly soft roll. You can get it plain, with cheese, or the best option, with cheese and jalapenos. The cheese adds a perfect amount of creaminess to the kolache and the jalapeno adds just the right amount of spice.

Another thing that Buc-ee’s is known for is their ultimate selection of jerky. Their flavors range from garlic to ghost pepper, and all the spices in between. Even if you don’t like beef, they’ve got you covered with turkey jerky. The best selling beef jerky is the bohemian garlic flavor, but the best overall is the classic teriyaki. Jerky can be found in the Buc-ee’s at the jerky counter and the jerky wall.

Like any good gas station, Buc-ee’s has a wide selection of fountain drinks. Buc-ee’s has some special sodas that are different from the standard coke and pepsi. They have Buc-ee’s branded sodas like cherry lime, blue coconut, and their own root beer. It is definitely recommended to check these out, instead of the classic Coke products that you can get anywhere.

Another underrated Buc-ee’s selection is the Buc-ee’s mints. These are at the front of the store and look just like a tin of Altoids, but they are specially made Buc-ee’s mints. These mints come in interesting flavors too, like cotton candy, sour orange and the classic peppermint and cinnamon.

Buc-ee’s isn’t all about the food, even though it may be great. They also have a wide selection of shirts, pants, cups and all other types of merchandise. While most of the merchandise is way overpriced, I recommend that you at least get a location-specific shirt the first time you go to that Buc-ee’s location. Then it is not only a Buc-ee’s souvenir, but a souvenir for where you went as well. 

Overall, a stop at Buc-ee’s is worth it when you are traveling long distance. Its food selection alone is enough for most people to go, but the lower gas prices and pristine bathrooms are also cited as reasons to stop by. 

Sadly, there is not yet a Buc-ee’s in North Carolina, but there are plans for one to be constructed in Mebane, NC. Until then, North Carolinians have to drive to Florence, SC for their favorite beaver.