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Also, the most expensive McDonald's is actually connected to a gas station, which might be part of the high price. It's actually one of two on opposite sides of

Also, the most expensive McDonald's is actually connected to a gas station, which might be part of the high price. It's actually one of two on opposite sides of the highway (for travelers in either direction). The westbound side is more expensive and the eastbound side is cheaper. Wild!

hiAndrewQuinn 3y ago
I'm a connoisseur of combination gas station/food joints worldwide. People get away with such interesting and varied culinary sins in those places. My favorite so far has been a place that sold moose steaks shot by the owner up in Finnish Lapland for way, way more than any sane person would pay for.
- yial 3y ago
  Can you share the restaurant? I suddenly want to visit.
  - mynameishere 3y ago
    Why would you want to pay too much for moose? Go to a place with reasonable moose pricing.
    - wahnfrieden 3y ago
      They think that high price is a valuable novelty
      - yial 3y ago
        I didn’t say I necessarily wanted to buy moose. It’s attached to a gas station. Visiting sounds like a potentially interesting experience. Plus, I don’t know how common it is to have restaurants serving moose shot by the owner.
- cylinder714 3y ago
  - If you ever find yourself in Reno, Deli Towne U.S.A. is locally known for making amazing sandwiches in a Chevron station at the corner of Lakeside and Moana. - Maverik stations in the western U.S. are about the nicest convenience stores I've ever visited, and their onsite kitchens prepare pretty decent gas-station food. Lately, they've rolled out premium pizzas in their larger locations; I had a thick-crust Detroit-style slice recently and it was absolutely restaurant quality. - I understand Wawa stations in the eastern U.S. are known for their food; can anyone here comment?
  - ascagnel_ 3y ago
    Wawa has generally good hoagies (they’re a Philly-centered chain, so I’ll use their vernacular), and above-average coffee. Their hot food is usually pretty disappointing, because they put all of it through convection ovens (vs frying/grilling/deep frying/baking as is usual). They recently rolled out pizza in my area (northern NJ), and while I haven’t personally tried it, friends say it doesn’t hold up to what local pizza places can do, but it’s better than big chain pizza.
    - yial 3y ago
      I don’t know if they’re considered big enough, as they both have <5 locations. But Lykens Markets and Ingrams Fuel in the center “centre” of PA both have surprisingly good food for gas stations. Made fresh. Usually they’ll stock some surprising items from Local dairies too.
  - metaphor 3y ago
    > I understand Wawa stations in the eastern U.S. are known for their food; can anyone here comment? The only thing that Wawa food has going for it is that it's prepared hot at any hour; the quality of the food itself is quite mediocre. Different story for Buc-ee's, which I thought was of exceptional quality and value.
  - gonesilent 3y ago
    Lots of the Maverik stations now popping up along hwy 5 love them.
- qingcharles 3y ago
  Is moose taster than reindeer? When I did a gig at Nokia HQ the first thing they told me was "Eat reindeer", and it was delicious.
- nktrnk 3y ago
  My absolute favorite is the Farmshop chain in the UK. For example: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Wn4frCqKwjPyZUo8A?g_st=ic https://maps.app.goo.gl/Wn4frCqKwjPyZUo8A?g_st=ic. I haven’t seen anything even remotely comparable in other countries I’ve visited.
m463 3y ago
Are they in the same state/county/city? The Valley Fair mall in the bay area is in both San Jose and Santa Clara, and the minimum wage is different at different locations in the mall.
ourmandave 3y ago
They get you coming, but not going.
deathanatos 3y ago
On a toll road, so there's something like a local oligarchy of food and gas at service plazas. I figure the pricing is more akin to airport pricing, but it seems like Lee Plaza manages to beat even the airport McDs… (Unlike the freeways elsewhere in the US, where you can easily get on/off, so there's a bit more options for food and gas.)
blamazon 3y ago
Regarding that turnpike, it may be of interest that the service stations were a public-private partnership between McD's and the commonwealth, and that the contract is up soon and the commonwealth gets a cut of the sales: > Under a 25-year deal brokered two years ago, [the year 2000] McDonald's has spent more than $25 million to overhaul the Pike's 11 service plazas. In return, the Pike receives at least $9.3 million annually in rent, plus a percentage of food sales. https://www.milforddailynews.com/story/news/2002/08/17/having-it-their-way-mcdonald/41269530007/ https://www.milforddailynews.com/story/news/2002/08/17/havin...

hiAndrewQuinn 3y ago

I'm a connoisseur of combination gas station/food joints worldwide. People get away with such interesting and varied culinary sins in those places. My favorite so far has been a place that sold moose steaks shot by the owner up in Finnish Lapland for way, way more than any sane person would pay for.

yial 3y ago
Can you share the restaurant? I suddenly want to visit.
- mynameishere 3y ago
  Why would you want to pay too much for moose? Go to a place with reasonable moose pricing.
  - wahnfrieden 3y ago
    They think that high price is a valuable novelty
    - yial 3y ago
      I didn’t say I necessarily wanted to buy moose. It’s attached to a gas station. Visiting sounds like a potentially interesting experience. Plus, I don’t know how common it is to have restaurants serving moose shot by the owner.
cylinder714 3y ago
- If you ever find yourself in Reno, Deli Towne U.S.A. is locally known for making amazing sandwiches in a Chevron station at the corner of Lakeside and Moana. - Maverik stations in the western U.S. are about the nicest convenience stores I've ever visited, and their onsite kitchens prepare pretty decent gas-station food. Lately, they've rolled out premium pizzas in their larger locations; I had a thick-crust Detroit-style slice recently and it was absolutely restaurant quality. - I understand Wawa stations in the eastern U.S. are known for their food; can anyone here comment?
- ascagnel_ 3y ago
  Wawa has generally good hoagies (they’re a Philly-centered chain, so I’ll use their vernacular), and above-average coffee. Their hot food is usually pretty disappointing, because they put all of it through convection ovens (vs frying/grilling/deep frying/baking as is usual). They recently rolled out pizza in my area (northern NJ), and while I haven’t personally tried it, friends say it doesn’t hold up to what local pizza places can do, but it’s better than big chain pizza.
  - yial 3y ago
    I don’t know if they’re considered big enough, as they both have <5 locations. But Lykens Markets and Ingrams Fuel in the center “centre” of PA both have surprisingly good food for gas stations. Made fresh. Usually they’ll stock some surprising items from Local dairies too.
- metaphor 3y ago
  > I understand Wawa stations in the eastern U.S. are known for their food; can anyone here comment? The only thing that Wawa food has going for it is that it's prepared hot at any hour; the quality of the food itself is quite mediocre. Different story for Buc-ee's, which I thought was of exceptional quality and value.
- gonesilent 3y ago
  Lots of the Maverik stations now popping up along hwy 5 love them.
qingcharles 3y ago
Is moose taster than reindeer? When I did a gig at Nokia HQ the first thing they told me was "Eat reindeer", and it was delicious.
nktrnk 3y ago
My absolute favorite is the Farmshop chain in the UK. For example: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Wn4frCqKwjPyZUo8A?g_st=ic https://maps.app.goo.gl/Wn4frCqKwjPyZUo8A?g_st=ic. I haven’t seen anything even remotely comparable in other countries I’ve visited.

m463 3y ago

Are they in the same state/county/city? The Valley Fair mall in the bay area is in both San Jose and Santa Clara, and the minimum wage is different at different locations in the mall.

ourmandave 3y ago

They get you coming, but not going.

deathanatos 3y ago

On a toll road, so there's something like a local oligarchy of food and gas at service plazas. I figure the pricing is more akin to airport pricing, but it seems like Lee Plaza manages to beat even the airport McDs… (Unlike the freeways elsewhere in the US, where you can easily get on/off, so there's a bit more options for food and gas.)

blamazon 3y ago

Regarding that turnpike, it may be of interest that the service stations were a public-private partnership between McD's and the commonwealth, and that the contract is up soon and the commonwealth gets a cut of the sales: > Under a 25-year deal brokered two years ago, [the year 2000] McDonald's has spent more than $25 million to overhaul the Pike's 11 service plazas. In return, the Pike receives at least $9.3 million annually in rent, plus a percentage of food sales. https://www.milforddailynews.com/story/news/2002/08/17/having-it-their-way-mcdonald/41269530007/ https://www.milforddailynews.com/story/news/2002/08/17/havin...