The best snacks and made-to-order food to eat at Buc-ee’s

But deciding what, exactly, to eat there is no simple task. Buc-ee’s sells hundreds of prepared, made-to-order and packaged food items. Many are good. Others, not so much. And with gas prices reaching record highs, nobody wants to be deflated when they bite into something better suited as road kill.

This week I’ve undertaken the daunting challenge of noshing through as many of Buc-ee’s offerings as possible to identify the best. I only sampled items made in the Buc-ee’s kitchen or bearing the Buc-ee’s brand and then only those that don’t require a fork or knife and can be noshed from behind the wheel.

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Start your engines. This is the best of Buc-ee’s food.

Pre-packaged foods

10. Lemon Crisps

These cookies are light, airy and melt-in-your-mouth perfection. They stand out from many other types of lemon cookies with a noticeable flavor of real butter and lemon zest.

9. Better Than A Bagel Cashews

Any kind of nut is a sensible, satisfying and reasonably nutritious snack to have in the car. Buc-ee’s makes it interesting with these jumbo-size cashews sprinkled with the same kind of seasoning blend you’d find on an everything bagel.

8. Chamoy Peach Gummi Rings

It would take a lifetime to sample all of the gummy candy at Buc-ee’s, so we’ll save you some time. Reach immediately for this option, which is packed with the puro Texas taste of fruity peach and tangy chamoy.

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7. Dried Veggies

It’s always a good idea to have at least one healthyish option on the road, and this assortment of crisp sweet potatoes, squash, green beans, carrots and other vegetables provides just that.

6. Cinnamon Glazed Pecans

Part of the fun of visiting Buc-ee’s is watching the magic happen behind the main food counter. One of the things you’ll see are these plump pecans swimming in an industrial mixer with sugar and cinnamon before getting placed into a paper cone under a heat lamp.

5. Chili Limón Pork Rinds

You can hardly call it a road trip in Texas without a bag of pork rinds riding shotgun. Buc-ee’s Chili Limón version i spiked with a potent hit of heat and tang and provides all the crackling texture you’d expect.

4. Himalayan Pink Salted Pistachio Nutty Bites

While Buc-ee’s offers a multitude of both sweet and salty things to snack on, this sophisticated snack offers the best of both. The level of sugar and salt is pleasantly restrained in these squares of nutty goodness, allowing the pistachio’s flavor to shine through.

3. Buc-o’s Sweet Onion Snack Rings

These delightfully crisp treats are like improved Funyons. The Sweet Onion option is the best of a few flavors available. Warning: there is a chance you’ll munch through the entire 2-ounce bag before you reach your destination.

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2. Bohemian Garlic Beef Jerky

Buc-ee’s does beef jerky better than nearly any other place in Texas. There are at least a dozen flavors to choose from, but the store’s best-selling Bohemian Garlic option delivers the most satisfying balance of flavors.

1. Beaver Nuggets

These things are insanely popular for a reason. They’re like caramel-coated kettle corn on steroids, full of crunch and coated with a crisp layer of sugar. And the best part: you won’t get any kernels stuck in your teeth.

Prepared or made-to-order food

5. Alamo Turkey Sandwich

Buc-ee’s treats turkey with the respect it deserves in many of its offerings, including this spot-on cold-cut sandwich. It’s a restrained affair, stuffed with a silly quantity of tender turkey, pepper-laced cheese and a few slices of tomato. You can buy the sandwich with or without mayonnaise, but the former makes for a superior sandwich.

4. Chopping Block Sandwich

If you’re still asking “where’s the beef?” in 2022, the answer is here. This hoagie is overflowing with tender, ruby-hued roast beef, several slices of cheese and a few slivers of red onion. It’s not fancy, but it is a perfect option for anyone on the move.

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3. Apple Pie

The Golden Arches have nothing on Buc-ee’s when it comes to apple pie. This petite and delightful confection is wrapped in layers of flaky pastry and stuffed with a generous quantity of fruit. The delicate sprinkling of sugar on top is a nice finishing touch.

2. Club Melt

This sandwich delivers an excellent layering of flavors courtesy of juicy turkey and crisp bacon bound with gooey cheese, spicy mayo and a splash of barbecue sauce served on a tender roll. If you’re craving oodles of spice and protein, this sandwich is a hit.

1. Pulled Pork Hatch Green Chile Burrito

This beast of a burrito is comically overloaded with tender and flavorful pulled pork accented with the verdant heat of roasted Hatch chiles. It’s simple, satisfying and a perfect one-handed calorie delivery system for any motorist on the go.

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