Steveats: The Gas Station Hot Dogs

Cheese dog, steak and cheese taquito.

Debuting a new, semi-regular feature! I tryout questionable food items so that you don’t have to in… Steveats. (Note: Title developed in about 10 seconds of brainstorming.)

I started out this feature with a relatively simple item – the Burger King hot dog. At the time, I noted that it wasn’t really all that different than a gas station hot dog, except that it cost almost double, since gas station hot dogs are typically $2.50 or $3 for a pair.

Some people reacted in surprise, because they were unaware that those hot dogs were actually edible. I think I first became curious about how they tasted because I wasn’t ever allowed to get one as a kid, and because they seem like they would be the most disgusting food item of all-time. I also have a habit of liking to grab a snack while at the gas station, with a past obsession being peach rings.

Steak and cheese taquito.

Let me reassure you with today’s entry – They absolutely are edible, or at least as edible as any hot dog, even the weird varieties. Although, it’s most likely that this is the case because the hot dog is the cockroach of the meat world, or the Twinkie, if you will, given that they have similar shapes. After the nuclear holocaust of Fallout becomes reality, the only edible meat will be hot dogs.

Anyway! I mostly eat like a grown-up nowadays, except for this feature. But on the rare days I’m feeling peckish and don’t want a fast food burger, the gas station hot dog is my second or third choice, after a sandwich from various places. Cumberland Farms is usually my vendor, and it’s where these wieners come from, but 7-Eleven has OK dogs as well.

For the purposes of this entry, I picked two kind of weird hot dogs – the cheese-infused dog, and a steak-and-cheese taquito thing. The latter, you might notice, is not actually a hot dog, but it is on those heating rollers, so I definitely think it still counts. The taquito is kind of mushy, but it did taste of steak and cheese. I wouldn’t get it again, but it was fine for the price. At Cumby’s, that was two for $2. (Note: I used a bun for it, because it looked super greasy.)

Disappointing cheese dog.

The cheese dog was slightly disappointing. The cheese wasn’t all that good, and such small portions! (As the classic saying goes.) Again, it was still plenty good enough to eat, but I’d just opt for the normal hot dogs next time.

The normal dogs are your best option when it comes to the gas station meat – don’t get ensnared by the bells and whistles of the “special” flavors. This is a bit of a golden age for gas station food in general though, as both Cumberland Farms and 7-Eleven are seemingly in an arms race when it comes to offering pairings of hot dogs, pizza and soda for less and less money. Again, pretty much all of it is edible, and at least comparable to the more hyped bargain fast food (Subway’s “sandwiches,” Wendy’s and McDonald’s not-actually-a-dollar menu).

If you have a request for a future Steveats, leave it in the comments on here or on my Facebook. To check out some of the past Steveats, go here!