I have always been a person of habit. Once I get into a routine, I can stick with it for a long time and be perfectly content with little to no change. An iconic part of my routine while I am in my hometown of Clermont is getting gas (and food) from my local Wawa station. Before the Wawa in Clermont was built, I didn’t know it was possible for me to love a gas station so much. But with smoothies, sandwiches and more, it has quickly turned into one of my favorite places to both fill up my car and grab a quick snack (and dinner sometimes). Gainesville has plans to establish four new Wawa gas stations in different parts of the city, and I could not be more excited to once again have one of my favorite places near my apartment. Here is a list of five food suggestions to help you with the Wawa learning curve. You can thank me later.
- Coffee
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Wawa has plenty of fancier coffee drinks on their menu, but the one that has served my family well is their plain drip coffee that they keep out for customers to make their own cups. They offer several types of coffee in their coffee bar. I usually mix the French brew and the hazelnut or dark roast together. My brother is a big fan of the Columbian roast. They also have a ton of creamer options like Irish cream, French vanilla and your staple half & half. Since Wawa is a 24-hour business, their coffee is always available. This is great for late-night road trips. Or, if you’re like me and my siblings, a good excuse to leave the house at 11 p.m. for some family bonding and a late-night caffeine splurge.
- Peach mango smoothie
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Sticking with a drink theme, the peach mango smoothie is the perfect drink to make you think you have died and gone to smoothie heaven. Its sweet and fruity taste serves as the perfect pick-me-up when the day seems to be dragging on, or you’re just in the mood for a treat. With the Wawa still being built in Gainesville, the closest one to my apartment is in Ocala. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t stop there whenever I was in transit between home and school to pick up my favorite frozen drink before leaving Wawa in my rearview mirror. When you order the smoothies, they give you an option of having yogurt or not, and they ask if you’d like whipped cream. You can also add protein, energy and immunity boosts to your smoothies for .99 cents each.
- BBQ chicken and cheese quesadilla
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If you’re looking for something cheesy and delicious, the BBQ chicken and cheese quesadilla has always been a favorite of mine. It’s the perfect size for a large snack or lunch item. I sometimes got them after church, or in that weird before-dinner period when it’s still far enough away that you should eat if you’re hungry but not too much if you plan on eating again. I like to have my quesadilla made with Pepper Jack and Cheddar cheese, but they also have American, Provolone and Swiss available. The chicken is tossed in the BBQ sauce before it is seared into the tortilla and cheese. I highly recommend eating this dipped in sour cream if you really want to please your taste buds.
- Cuban hoagie
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I love a good Publix sub as much as the next girl, but Wawa is easily a runner up. I usually order the Cuban hoagie the way that it is made without changing the ingredients. But, if you are on the picky side when it comes to food, or you have food limitations, Wawa can easily change what comes on the sandwich and make it special to you. My family has had many nights when we were rushing from school to sports practices and my mom just swung by Wawa for dinner. On those nights, this sandwich was always the first thing on my list. It can be ordered in the “classic” size, which is basically a full sub or in a “shorti,” which is a half.
- Create your own bowl
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One of the newer items that I have come to love on Wawa’s menu is the create your own bowl option. I always start out with rice and beans as my base. For meats, you can choose from roasted chicken, beef steak, chicken strips, meatballs and pulled pork. I usually stick with the chicken, but the pulled pork did not disappoint me last time I ordered this. I then like to add cucumbers, spinach and feta cheese to my bowl for my toppings. I’ve come to like this option because the vegetables and greens make it feel a little healthier than other fast-food options, but it is still filling. If you don’t feel like having to create your own bowl, they offer already dictated recipes for bowls that you could alter to fit your tastes.
Ordering at Wawa is pretty simple, and that’s one of its many appeals. All you have to do is walk into their ordering station. There are usually about five or six laid out around a counter. It’s then just a touch screen device that allows you to filter through the different food items and place things in your cart. Once you have everything you want selected, you click “submit” order, and the machine will print out a bar code with your order number. You take the receipt up to the cashier, and you can pay while you wait for the food to be made. They will call your number as the items come out. If you want even faster service, Wawa has a free app where you can place an online order ahead of time and pay before you get there.
Wawa easily makes my list of top-three gas station chains (yes, I really do have a list). Whenever people tell me they have never been to a Wawa, I feel both excitement to show them what they have been missing and sadness that they have not known the same joys as me. By trying these foods, you can build up your love of Wawa to the same (probably strange) levels of me. It may seem weird to love food from a gas station but trust me when I say you don’t want to miss out.