Buc-ee’s ‘taste-testers’ suggest arriving for breakfast

Charlyne Mattox is the food and crafts director at Country Living magazine, headquartered in Birmingham, Ala.

Mattox, who was formally trained at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, laughs about the morning she found herself standing inside a gas station chain that originated in Texas, mulling over her assignment.

She and her staff were tasked with critiquing the food offerings at the Buc-ee’s mega-convenience store in Leeds, Ala., located off I-20, about 18 miles east of Birmingham.

 

The place is so big, “it’s hard to know where to start,” Mattox wrote, so she and her team opted to “taste-test their way” through breakfast, which is served daily from 4:30-10:30 a.m.

“Hello sausage, egg and cheese on a croissant. Buc-ee’s breakfast is incredibly popular,” she said. “All of the breakfast items are grab-and-go, so you don’t have to wait, but they still seem freshly made. The breakfast tacos are a good size, and the price is more than reasonable.”

 

“My personal favorite is the bean, potato and cheese taco,” Mattox said. “The tortillas are freshly made, and the potatoes are actually tater tots.”

“Want a sweet treat? Opt for a cinnamon roll. Covered in a light cream cheese glaze, the center (the best part of a cinnamon roll) is filled with cinnamon sugar goodness. Get one topped with pecans if you like a little texture,” Mattox suggested.

 

A trip to Buc-ee’s requires at least a sampling of the beloved staple, “Beaver Nuggets.” It’s a caramel-coated, puffed corn snack sold in 13-ounce bags and “has a salty-sweetness akin to kettle corn,” Mattox explained.

 

“Some Texans say they like to enjoy their Beaver Nuggets with milk, as you would cereal.”

Buc-ee’s “Beaver Tails” are a “super-flaky croissant-like pastry filled with brown sugar and cinnamon and topped with glaze – just the thing to pair with a cup of the Buc-ee’s house blend coffee,” Mattox said. “Ask nicely and they’ll heat the tail up for you at the pastry counter.”

 

Moving on from breakfast, Mattox recommended “Beaver Chips,” which are “light-and-crispy, fresh-fried potato chips,” and the glazed pecans.

 

“Pecans are the state nut of Texas, after all, and those Texans seem to know what they’re doing, given the super crunchy candied shell. Skip the prepackaged versions and head straight to the stand where a variety of different nuts are sold fresh by the cone.”

 

Mattox also favored the lime-flavored peanut packs. “The chili variety has just a little kick, and the salt and lime ones will really make your mouth pucker. Grab one of Buc-ee’s famous ICEEs to have with your nuts.”

 

“Nothing says ‘road trip’ quite like a fried hand pie” from Buc-ee’s, and the apple pie treat ranked as a favorite dessert item among the Country Living staff, trumping both the fudge and the banana pudding, Mattox reported.

 

Buc-ee’s is expected to open its first travel center in North Carolina in May 2027 in Alamance County, off Interstate 40/85 at Mebane. The project is in “the very early construction phase,” according to company officials.

The ultimate timetable will be influenced greatly by the highway and bridge construction work associated with the project that is being performed by contractors hired by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

The cost of the required infrastructure improvements is estimated at $38.7 million. Sources say Buc-ee’s, a privately held company, has committed to cover up to $11 million of the total cost. Buc-ee’s is not receiving any North Carolina economic development grants or incentives.

It all adds up to an enormous increase in state and local tax revenues…and 225 or more new full-time jobs. 

Wages for beef brisket choppers at Buc-ee’s are about $20 per hour, depending on location.