Cedar Point opening Quaker Steak & Lube next to Castaway Bay

I dunno. It's not exactly prepackaged egg salad in the plastic triangle.

https://www.sheetz.com/_etc/docs/sheetz_take_home_menu.pdf

With the touchscreen ordering, easy customization and made to order, it's better than most fast food and/or quick sub places.

It's a bandwagon more and more convenience/gas chains are jumping on.

If you're looking for the best cost/covenience ratio, you're not going to beat the quality of the food at Sheetz or Wawa. It's surprisingly good.

The fumes? Really? I've never smelled gas fumes inside. Ever. It's no different than the thousands of travel plazas that have been successful for decades.

Sheetz has great subs and really great salads. Every item is made to order. And having worked for the company I can tell you they really care about food quality. Have you ever even tried the food?

Jeff said:

Sheetz or Wawa, whatever, the food sucks.

It's not my first choice of dining venues either, but can't deny the fact it became a million dollar idea.

Tekwardo said:

The fumes? Really? I've never smelled gas fumes inside. Ever. It's no different than the thousands of travel plazas that have been successful for decades.

And I don't eat at those either. Obviously since you've never smelled gas fumes, no one else has ever, right?

No one has to agree with me, but disagreement certainly isn't going to change my opinion either. You enjoy your gas station food. I'll pass.

Lord Gonchar said:

With the touchscreen ordering, easy customization and made to order, it's better than most fast food and/or quick sub places.

...

If you're looking for the best cost/covenience ratio, you're not going to beat the quality of the food at Sheetz or Wawa. It's surprisingly good.

Yes.

We used to have a convenience store chain here in Chicago, White Hen Pantry, which also offered the touchscreen ordering for their made to order sandwiches. A White Hen sandwich was quick, affordable, and both tastier and fresher than anything found at Subway or the like.

For one thing, I enjoyed being able to get just what I wanted on my sandwich without having to face off with the so-often surly Subway staff. (I once ordered a chopped salad at Subway...if she'd directed those daggers she was staring at me while she chopped at the salad, it would have been chopped in half the time.)

Sadly, 7-Eleven bought the chain and custom ordering was one of the first things to go.

It's one thing to not like the food. It's another to talk about gas fumes and say the food is gross because it's at a gas station.

Have you ever had their food?

"Do you even know what a Wawa is?"

The second best BBQ I've ever had was in a gas station: http://www.joeskc.com/about/

My wife ate some Sheetz Sliders (mini burgers) a few months ago and threw up. Was it the food? Maybe, hard to tell 100%. But their sandwiches are very good.

Travis, I ate at a Wawa last night in Atlantic City, and noticed the same thing. There was no pricing on the sandwich I was ordering. Perhaps I'd never noticed it before, but it was a little weird. Before that, last time I ate at one was last summer in VA near Kings Dom and I really can't remember.

Oh, and back on topic, as for Quaker Steak, there's one in the Cleveland Airport now. Seemed a little strange to me when they opened it. I suppose wings are okay to be eaten in the restaurant, but could you imagine taking them to go and trying to eat them on the plane? Gross.

I'll second SteveSoA's vote for Get-Go, although the ones we have in Columbus aren't the fancy-schmancy ones.The first time I ran into a really nice one was in Erie. It came really close to the prepared foods section in the big groceries.

Some of the best fried chicken I've ever had came out of a gas station. When I drove for AT&T I had a lot of small towns on my route. There was a place in New Lexington, Oh that was a combo gas station and general store, with everything from beer to salt licks. In there was ChesterFried Chicken, which I believe is broasted, and it was awesome. At lunchtime guys would line the aisle (me included) to get that delicious chicken and wedge fries.

Fast food will often co-brand with gas stations, examples I've seen are White Castle, Popeyes, Subway, Dairy Queen, and you get the idea, but it's common.

And let's not forget the American mainstay, the truck stop diner, the epitome of locations where you can fill up and get fed up in one stop.

RideMan said:

Tekwardo said, quoting me:
Catastrophic failure?

Yes. That's what it is called when you sit down on a plastic resin chair, the back leg splays outward, and you hit the floor. It happened to me once, once was enough. Subsequently I was in an ice cream parlor where I noted my distrust of plastic resin chairs, and so sat on a wooden chair instead. A young woman about one third my size sat on the chair that I had avoided, and promptly hit the floor when the chair failed.

Those cheap plastic stacking chairs are Bad News™.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Those are the ones that they sell by the truck load at Costco. As I recall it says on the bottom of them that they have a 200# weight limit and not intended for commercial service, and I know from experience that they have a very finite life in that application. I saw one explode (really) when an associate of mine (who was not a small person by any means) sat down to eat lunch. These were the same chairs that were used for seating in the food court. After a few lawsuits they switched to cast concrete (it was outdoors).

FWIW, we have a Quaker Steak & Lube in Council Bluffs IA (Omaha), so they have branched out some. I have been twice and the food was alright both times I went.

Altoona has an awesome Sheets store, the largest in the chain. The beverage cooler is huge. The food selection is larger than the other stores. Plus, a nice dining area to sit and enjoy the food.

Jeff, I don't know if anyone here can change your mind. You just have to try it to understand. You are certainly entitled to your opinion, and I totally understand where you are coming from. Who actually likes gas station food? The thing here is, Sheetz is not gas station food. The company is more like a counter-service restaurant with a gas station than anything. They work hard to create delicious, high quality food, and it shows. It's not fast food either. They make it after you order it, just for you.

I'd take Sheetz over fast food anyday.

If we're concerned about getting food at the same place we can get gas, I suppose most modern grocery stores (Giant Eagle, etc..) are out of the question, too.

Every new big box/bulk retailer/Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, BJ's, Costco, etc.. seems to open with a gas station out front, as well.

It's not like they're preparing and serving you food while you pump gas. I just don't get the hate, and I certainly don't put it on the same level as "gas station food"

I've been to the Sheetz in Winchester, Virginia a number of times, and to others once or twice during travels out east. They seem to me to be stores (convenience stores, in the case of Sheetz) that, like Kroger, Jewel, Meijer and so on, also sell gas rather than gas stations that also sell sandwiches.

I consider Sheetz more along the lines of stopping at a travel plaza on the turnpike.

It's certainly not my first choice for a meal, but if I want food in less than 10 minutes, they're better than most other options.

RCMAC said:
I'll second SteveSoA's vote for Get-Go, although the ones we have in Columbus aren't the fancy-schmancy ones.The first time I ran into a really nice one was in Erie. It came really close to the prepared foods section in the big groceries.(...)

Try US-23 at Polaris, or the new location on 3rd near Grandview. Also, they've opened a GetGo convenience store *without gas* in the old 7-11 on Lane Ave. at Neil. So Columbus is starting to get the fancy ones.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Awesome Dave, thank you. I'm often near the new Market District in Grandview, and I've been in there, but paid no attention to the GetGo. I'll definitely check it out.
I live in German Village so my Giant Eagle is that crappy one on Whittier with no gas pumps so I usually turn my points into grocery dollars. (2.50 equals 25 bucks) and that's ok- whenever I'm near the closest GetGo, (Grove City, Grandview, or Clintonville) I usually have plenty of gas.

The Market District stores are really awesome... The newer ones have huge bar areas with upwards of 15 or so craft beers on tap with a huge selection to buy, as well. The food they serve in the store is really good, too... Each store is different, but the closest to me (Aurora) has made-to-order pizza, sushi, really great BBQ, hot/cold bar and subs and fresh gelato. Some MD's do fresh crepes, Indian & Mexican food, have juice bars and other specialty stuff as well. The location Strongsville has a nice cane-sugar only fountain drink selection, which I never saw before. I really like what GE has been doing with those stores and the Get-Go locations! I wouldn't be surprised if they phase out the standard GE stores in a few years for Market District and hope they do!

Anyway, back on topic... I am not excited at all about the QS&L at CP to be honest. I have lived 5mins from one for many years and only have been three or four times. I don't really care for chicken wings though or their food/atmosphere in general. It will sure be a big hit though for those who like the food and are willing to drive over to it. I will stick with Famous Dave's when we do eat at CP.

I wasn't that impressed with the Strongsville Market District as a grocery store (I didn't make use of the restaurant although I did glance at the beer chalkboards). For one, unlike the welcoming, brightly lit Giant Eagle stores, Market District is dim with industrial-looking shelving. The freezer aisles in particular. Even warehouse clubs aren't that dark. And of all the strange things, the freaking checkout line was confusing (I don't recall how exactly, I just remember there was both a handmade sign and an employee pointing people where to go).

However, I do appreciate that they have more Ohio-made foods now. And as someone who almost never needs a full-size shopping cart, I like those smaller-but-taller carts they have.

As for Quaker Steak, I do like their wings, and the ribs are decent, but I too hate the dollar store patio furniture. I try to get a booth instead if I can. The CP location is moot for me though, because if I want wings, I'm going to the Thirsty Pony.