Buc-ee’s promotes Texas food specialties, like kolaches

People may come to a Buc-ee’s giant convenience store for the beef brisket, but “they stay for the kolaches,” according to Tiffany Pelkey of Junction City, Ore., creator of the Coconut Mama food blog.

Buc-ee’s offers a delicious assortment of kolaches, which are popular “Tex-Czech pastries,” typically made with a soft, pillowy, sweet dough and filled with sweet fruits and/or cream cheese.

Buc-ee’s also uses kolache-style dough to make klobasnek, a type of “a pig-in-a-blanket” – a sausage wrapped pastry that is baked. (Many people casually refer to them as “sausage kolaches.”

It makes sense that Buc-ee’s would carry kolaches and related baked goods, as the company was established by Arch Hartwell Aplin III in 1982 in the Lake Jackson-Clute market in Brazoria County, within the general boundaries of the “Czech belt” of east Texas.

 

In an article for Southern Living magazine, food writer Taylor Tobin (shown below) of Austin, Texas, interviewed Barrett Black, a fourth-generation pitmaster at The Original Black’s Barbecue in Lockhart, Texas, one of the “most iconic BBQ joints” in the state.

 

“Growing up in Texas, road trips meant stopping at the same places my parents always swore by, and there always seemed to be fresh kolaches from Buc-ee’s,” Black said. 

“Even now, when I stop at Buc-ee’s, I’m drawn straight to the kolache case – the bright fillings, the soft, fluffy dough, and whatever that mystery crumbly topping is. The cherry kolache is my go-to, and I like to pair it with tortilla chips.”

Chris Borges, executive chef at the Virgin Hotel in New Orleans, told Tobin that his favorite item at Buc-ee’s is the jalapeño, cheese and sausage kolache. 

“I just love the visible jalapeño slice baked into the bun on top. It has the perfect balance of sausage and cheese, as well as the perfect mix of savory and spicy and sweetness from the hint of sugar in the bun.”

 

“I highly recommend dipping it into the little (free) green salsa ramekins available at the Texas Round Up counter in the middle of each store,” Borges said.

As a Registered Dietitian, Pelkey’s mission at Buc-ee’s was to seek out nutritious and healthy foods, while keeping in mind “they’re a travel center, not a farm-to-table restaurant.”

No. 1: Vegetarian burrito. The beans are a good source of protein, rich in fiber and iron. Pelkey said: “It’s likely to be slightly lower in fat and calories (as well as sodium) than the burritos loaded with processed meat,” like sausage and bacon.

 

No. 2: Turkey sandwich. “Out of all of the sandwiches on the menu, the turkey sandwich is probably your best bet at Buc-ee’s,” Pelkey said. “Turkey is a lean protein. The accompanying layer of cheese keeps the protein content high. If you’re watching your fat intake, choose mustard over mayo.”

 

No. 3: Chicken fajita taco. “Like turkey, chicken is a lean protein source when compared to red meat and processed meat,” Pelkey said. “I always recommend corn tortillas over flour, because they are higher in fiber and lower in carbohydrates.”

 No. 4: Egg and cheese kolache. “If you’re going for a kolache, I’d suggest egg and cheese filling,” she said. “I’d recommend meat over fruit filling, since the pastry is already high in refined carbs from the dough, so adding a sweetened fruit filling only raises the carb and sugar content without contributing protein to help balance it out.”

 No. 5: Brisket sandwich. “The brisket sandwich at Buc-ee’s is one of their most famous,” Pelkey said. “Beef brisket can be lean or fattier depending on the cut. Assuming it’s a leaner cut of brisket, I’d recommend this sandwich over Buc-ee’s pulled pork sandwich.”