Buc-ee Mania: Hitting Up Every Buc-ee's In Texas

Exterior view of Buc-ee's convenience store and gas station with large parking lot under partly cloudy sky in Texas

Everything's bigger in Texas. I know you've heard that before. Texas has a way of taking things to the next level. The average gas station is just a blip on the map. It's a simple place to get gas and maybe a few snacks. If you're lucky there will be a clean restroom to use. The whole experience will be as memorable as brushing your teeth in the morning.

Highway view from car driving under overcast gray skies with Buc-ee's billboard visible in distance

While your typical gas station experience is boring, leave it to Buc-ee's to take it up a few notches. They may call Dairy Queen the "Texas Stop Sign," but Buc-ee's is the Texas Rest Stop. Buc-ee's embraces that Texan pride and puts itself in a league of its own. It's such in a league of its own that its New Braunfels location is the largest gas station in the world. The Katy location holds the world record for longest car wash.

Buc-ee's yellow NEXT EXIT billboard along Texas highway with commercial development in background

So yes, everything is bigger in Texas, including the gas stations. A Buc-ee's travel center is around the size of a Walmart Neighborhood Market. In many ways, you almost have to see it to believe it. The first time I drove past the New Braunfels location, I was in disbelief. I had just moved to Texas and decided to drive to San Antonio. As I drove by on I35 my jaw dropped and I was like, "Is that really a gas station?"

Buc-ee's red ALWAYS OPEN! sign at gas station with palm trees and vehicles visible

I've blogged about Buc-ee's before, but the brand has always intrigued me. If there's one in the area, it's one of my go-to stops. You will often see billboards advertising the nearest Buc-ee's away. In some cases it can be 75+ miles!

Gas pump screen displaying AUTH DECLINED 200 error message

You will usually see more billboards along the way, but the most important one is knowing which exit to exit. There's usually a bit "exit now" billboard.

Weather radar map on mobile phone showing Austin, Texas area with rain system along Gulf Coast at 5:38 AM

Buc-ee's isn't just a gas station. It's really a destination that adds more character to any road trip. They also boast the cleanest bathrooms around. Being that Buc-ee's is a destination in itself, I decided to hit up every single one in Texas. That's right! I literally drove around 1,600 miles just to visit all 33 Buc-ee's gas stations in Texas.

Wet hotel parking lot during rainfall with parked vehicles and beige multi-story building

Reading the name of this blog, you know I'm impulsive by nature. I'm not the biggest planner when it comes to road trips. I really just thought of this road trip about a week prior to taking it. Considering there's 33 Buc-ee's in Texas, I had to do a little planning. I took all the addresses of the Buc-ee's from their website and punched them into a route optimizer.

White Ford sedan parked inside covered garage or storage area

It calculated I would have around 30 hours of just driving. I knew I'd have to stretch it over a few days. I brought out my project management skills and the good ole y = mx + b. I broke it up over three days and then had my list of locations to visit.

View of rainy hotel parking lot from under covered walkway with parked vehicles Car dashboard display showing Trip 1 statistics: 173.2 miles driven, 39.7 MPG average, 311 miles remaining range, 79°F outside temperature, total odometer at 30,125 miles

I'm glad you're still with me after that long list. I can tell you it was a heck of a drive! I got to see some nasty weather along the way. I also got to be a bit sketchy along the way. Usually this is reserved for border crossings, but this time it was via my credit card. After visiting about a dozen Buc-ee's the fraud alert was going nuts and it was getting declined. I mean, you know every credit card thief takes steals the card and then proceeds only to use it at a single chain.

Interstate highway view while driving under cloudy gray skies with light traffic

I decided the first day I'd head north. This was on June 19th. Judging by the radar and just a quick look outside, it was going to be a wet day. I got in the Focus and started my trip.

Safety rest area building with metal roof and person walking toward entrance under overcast sky Highway construction area or service road with overpass and commercial buildings visible Buc-ee's store exterior viewed from under gas station canopy during overcast weather White Ford sedan refueling at Buc-ee's gas station under cloudy skies Ham and cheese croissant sandwich held in hand inside vehicle with red upholstery visible

When I started, I had 30,125 miles on the car.

Open rural highway stretching into distance with flat agricultural landscape and scattered clouds

Knowing I had a lot of driving, I drank a bunch of coffee to wake up. While the Buc-ee's signs tell me I can hold it, I decided not to. I stopped at the Bell County rest area.

Person walking small dog across parking lot under dramatic stormy sky with commercial buildings in background White Ford sedan with Texas license plate refueling at Buc-ee's gas pump

I quickly hit the road and the first Buc-ee's was in site. This would be the Temple location. Since I drive I35 north to Wisconsin all the time, this is one of the ones I personally frequent the most. For this trip, I just filled up with gas.

Multi-lane highway traffic view from vehicle with overcast skies and concrete barriers Highway view through rain-covered windshield with water droplets and overcast gray skies

With a full tank of gas I headed to Terrell. This meant skirting around the DFW metro area. The clouds that were breaking up earlier became receiving. It was soon raining on and off again.

Buc-ee's store exterior with crowded parking lot full of pickup trucks and SUVs under partly cloudy sky Brisket sandwich with meat and toppings held in hand showing cross-section of filling

I made it to Terrell and got myself a brisket sandwich for lunch.

Divided rural Texas highway with fenced ranchland on both sides under blue sky with scattered white clouds Highway view with ominous dark storm clouds overhead and tree line along roadside

My next planned stop was the Madisonville Buc-ee's. The sky turned from somewhat clear to very ominous.

Silver Ford Explorer SUV parked in Buc-ee's parking lot under dramatic stormy sky

When I arrived at the Madisonville Buc-ee's, it was very busy. Part of me was thinking it is the main attraction in that area. I fought through the crowds to get a cup of Big Red and also a snack cup. I love Buc-ee's snack cups because they contain my favorite food groups, meat and cheese.

Buc-ee's branded white foam cup with red straw held in hand inside vehicle with red upholstery Buc-ee's branded clear parfait cup with layered fruit, yogurt and granola topping held in hand inside vehicle

My last destination for the day was the Bastrop Buc-ee's. For this stop I got gas and pickled quail eggs. That's the one thing about Buc-ee's, they have some very unique items!

White Ford sedan with Texas license plate refueling at Buc-ee's gas station with residential neighborhood in background Buc-ee's store exterior and gas station area under overcast sky with residential development visible Glass jar of Buc-ee's Pickled Quail Eggs with yellow label held in hand over tiled floor

The drive back to Austin was what I expected. A large traffic jam at the start of rush hour.

Highway traffic jam view through rain-spotted windshield with overpass and buildings under gray sky

The next morning on June 20th, I decided to check what kind of weather was in store. Outside appeared to be a bit drier from a first glance.

Weather radar map on mobile phone displaying Austin, Texas area at 6:38 AM with active rain system along Texas coast

Buc-ee's was founded in Lake Jackson, TX. This is in the Houston area so it makes a lot of sense there's a bunch of them clustered there. The previous day I had hit up 5 of them with a ton of driving in between. Today, I had 21 planned and they were much closer to each other.

In addition to more Buc-ee's, I got the see the "Baby Buc-ee's." These Buc-ee's are normal gas stations and some can be very small. If you have only been to their travel centers (like I only had before), it's like a shift in the universe to see a Baby Buc-ee's.

Another shift was in the awkwardness of taking pictures. When I was at a travel center, everyone was taking pictures. Normally, people won't take pictures of a regular gas station. I caught the attention of a couple different managers. All these managers ended up being very helpful and first asked me if I needed help finding something.

When I told them about my Buc-ee Mania quest, they seemed very receptive. I had some cool conversations with them and it's clear that Buc-ee's hires some good people. At the end of this blog entry, I'll get more into what I think about Buc-ee's employees and their hiring process.

Elevated view of wet hotel parking lot after rainfall with parked vehicles and large mature tree in landscaped island Buc-ee's gas station canopy with multiple fuel pump stations and store building under overcast sky Black folding step stool with white CLOSED FOR MAINTENANCE sign in tiled public restroom Buc-ee's beef jerky package and Southwest Trail snack mix bag placed on red textured car seat Wide angle view of Buc-ee's complex with expansive parking lot and DEF diesel service area under cloudy sky Hand pressing fountain dispenser button filling Buc-ee's branded foam cup with beverage Buc-ee's store building with wet parking lot and scattered vehicles after rain under gray overcast sky Hand holding open package of Buc-ee's Hill Country Pound garlic beef jerky with piece of jerky visible Tall Buc-ee's beaver mascot sign on pole with BAYTOWN text under dramatic cloudy sky with power lines Buc-ee's store and parking lot view from street with decorative light pole in foreground under cloudy sky Sausage sandwich with meat and toppings on bun held in hand showing cross-section Buc-ee's gas station canopy with multiple vehicles fueling under partly cloudy sky Large bag of Buc-ee's orange Nug-ees cheese puff snacks on red textured car seat Tall Buc-ee's beaver mascot sign on pole with TEXAS CITY text under dark stormy sky Buc-ee's store entrance with red signage and parked vehicles under dramatic cloudy sky Glass jar of Buc-ee's Candied Jalapenos with yellow label on red textured car seat

That's right! Baby Buc-ee's. Well, let's start with the very first Buc-ee's. I drove down to Lake Jackson and walked up to the store! It may not look huge, but Buc-ee's pulled away from their roots and decided to really go big!

Worker in safety vest standing at gas pump under Buc-ee's station canopy with cloudy sky Interior view of Buc-ee's convenience store showing beverage displays and product aisles with checkered wall decor Roll of Mentos candy in mint and fruit flavors on red textured car seat Buc-ee's gas station and store entrance viewed from under canopy with vehicles parked under stormy sky Smarties candy roll on red textured car seat

My next few Buc-ee's were also pretty small. I got more of the "Baby Buc-ee's" feeling. I managed to see some of the rough weather along the way!

Buc-ee's gas station canopy with multiple vehicles during or after rain under cloudy sky Seabury's peanut butter bar candy wrapper on red textured car seat Wet Buc-ee's parking lot with puddles and vehicles after rainfall under stormy sky Bag of Buc-ee's Beaver Nuggets corn puff snacks on red textured car seat Gas pump screen displaying AUTH DECLINED 200 error message

I soon started to notice a trend when it came to the Gulf Coast Buc-ee's. The closer you got to Houston, the bigger the facility got. This could be seen in the Freeport and Angleton Buc-ee's which were much bigger!

Buc-ee's store building with wet parking lot under dramatic dark storm clouds White paper bag with yellow Buc-ee's receipt attached containing food purchase Buc-ee's store entrance with American flag flying on pole and wet parking lot under overcast sky White Ford sedan with Texas license plate refueling at gas station with trees and small buildings visible in background Orange tanker truck refilling fuel tanks at Buc-ee's gas station under dark stormy sky with highway overpass Buc-ee's branded white foam cup with red straw containing frozen blended beverage in vehicle cupholder Buc-ee's car wash facility entrance with signage under dramatic dark stormy clouds Wide view of Buc-ee's complex showing gas canopy and store building with American flag under overcast sky

My next three destinations were really close to each other. There were the Buc-ee's on I45 in League City, Webster, and Baytown. At the League City location, there's a drive-thru! I stopped to get some coffee.

Buc-ee's drive-thru building exterior with palm tree, landscaped lawn and signage under cloudy sky Package of Buc-ee's Brazenly Texas Pecan ground coffee on red textured car seat Buc-ee's store exterior with wet parking lot and several parked vehicles under overcast sky Hand holding small fried pastry or kolache showing melted cheese filling inside

As I drove to my next set of locations, I drove by the petrochemical plants. I soon learned most Americans depend on refineries along the Gulf Coast.

Petrochemical refinery complex with multiple smokestacks emitting white steam under dark stormy sky with vehicles in foreground Highway driving view through heavily rain-covered windshield with water droplets under dark gray stormy sky

My next Buc-ee's was in Texas City. This was the first one of the day that was also open during my last trip to Texas. I knew the weather would be nasty so I made plans that day to run down to Surfside Beach. I was about 15 miles from the Gulf.

Weather radar map on mobile phone displaying Surfside Beach, Texas area at 4:36 PM with active rain system along Gulf Coast Weather app on phone showing Surfside Beach, Texas current conditions at 78°F with 30% chance of light rain at 4:36 PM Weather app displaying Beach Hazard Statement alert for Surfside Beach with coastal hazard warning details Beach shoreline with rough choppy waves and dark ominous storm clouds over Gulf of Mexico waters Highway view with dramatic dark storm clouds showing possible rotation ahead, vehicles visible on wet roadway

Even though most of my trip had been miserable weather, I got to see the ocean once again. I soon got back on the road and kept doing what I was doing all day, which was hitting up Buc-ee's.

Buc-ee's store entrance during rainy conditions with pickup trucks parked outside under gray overcast sky Buc-ee's Chewy Coconut Pecan praline candy with yellow label wrapped in cellophane on red textured car seat Buc-ee's store entrance with wet parking lot after rain and red pickup truck parked outside under cloudy sky Package of cheddar cheese stick snack in yellow and orange wrapper on black car seat

Before I knew it, I was in Pearland on S. Main St. This felt like the babiest of Baby Buc-ee's.

Buc-ee's store entrance with row of white ice storage freezers displaying 79¢ pricing signs outside under covered area Interior of Buc-ee's convenience store showing multiple product aisles and checkered red and white wall decoration Two bags of Sabritas Cacahuates Japoneses peanut snacks on red textured car seat

Pearland has a slightly bigger Buc-ee's. This is on Shadow Creek Parkway.

Buc-ee's gas station canopy with multiple fuel pump stations and wet pavement reflecting lights after rain under dark sky Clear bag of Buc-ee's 12 Flavor Gummi Bears with yellow label on black car seat

The second to last visit for the day was in Richmond. The Buc-ee's were starting to get bigger again!

Buc-ee's store main entrance with red signage and white pickup trucks parked in accessible parking spaces under overcast sky Hand holding Buc-ee's branded clear parfait cup with layered fruit, yogurt and granola topping inside vehicle

My last stop for the day was the Katy location. This location is a far cry from the Baby Buc-ee's. It is one of the larger travel centers and also has the longest carwash in the world! I had fought storms all day long, but the clouds left me a beautiful sunset. It made for some good pictures! I ended up getting some steak seasoning.

Parking lot at dusk with dramatic orange and pink sunset clouds above Buc-ee's car wash facility building Expansive Buc-ee's gas station canopy with numerous fuel pump bays at dusk under pink and purple sunset sky Empty wet parking lot at dusk with young trees and dramatic orange and pink sunset sky behind commercial building Buc-ee's store building with illuminated red signage at dusk with dramatic pink and purple sunset sky and wet parking lot with white van Bronze beaver statue sculpture in parking lot at dusk with dramatic pink sunset sky and vehicles in background Bottle of Buc-ee's Steak Seasoning with yellow label photographed in low light on car seat

The day ended up being long with me starting around 7am and not getting home until after 11pm. I was definitely tired after all this driving and a bit in a daze from hitting up so many Buc-ee's in a day.

The driving for the day took me in a lot of interesting places. Some of the roads I took were the back scenic roads and I got to see a lot of cool things along the way. The weather was on and off nasty, but I was able to drive fine. I guess it beats driving in Canadian blizzards.

Rural Texas two-lane highway stretching into distance with trees and fenced fields on both sides under overcast gray sky Highway view with advertising billboard visible in distance along roadside under overcast cloudy sky Wet highway during rainfall with Buc-ee's or commercial development visible on elevated area to right side Rainy highway driving view through windshield covered with water droplets showing tree-lined road ahead Multi-lane urban highway with concrete overpass bridges and elevated roadways under overcast sky

On Thursday 6/21, I decided to delay my trip. My fiancee Victoria and I made last minute arrangements to do some cake testing for our wedding. It was also nice to sleep in after a long day on the road. I proceeded to hit the road Friday. The plan was to visit the remaining seven Buc-ee's.

The morning started off cloudy, but I knew it was going clear up and get hot. I hit the road and started down Texas 71. Just like the night before coming to Austin, I went past the Bastrop Buc-ee's again.

My first stop was Eagle Lake. It was time for some gas and breakfast.

The next stop was Wharton. More Mountain Dew to run through my veins.

From Wharton was El Campo. Time for a roast beef sandwich!

On my way to Port Lavaca, I made a little detour. Well it wasn't much of a detour since it was right along the way. A jerky I love is from Prasek's. I had it on my list of places to visit and it would be stupid not to stop since it was on the road I was driving. I got some jerky there and headed to the Port Lavaca location to get some spicy peanuts.

The list of remaining Buc-ee's was really starting to dwindle. Gonzales was the third to last one to visit.

Second to last was Luling. Like Madisonville, this place was insanely packed. It was almost shoulder to shoulder trying to get around! I got some bread and butter pickles.

Last but not least was the biggest of them all, New Braunfels! This was the first Buc-ee's I ever visited and I visit often when I'm headed to San Antonio. I went a bit gung ho with the pictures here. If you wanted to see the depth of Buc-ee's offerings, the individual blog entry on this location is the one to look at.

The drive for my final day of Buc-ee Mania was the opposite of the previous days. It started out a bit cloudy, but the clouds cleared fast and it got hot. You could still see some water standing from the previous rain and the humidity was awful. In many ways it was nice to get back to Austin and sit in my apartment.

I realized that I had put on over 1,600 miles in the last couple days and was accumulating a lot of garbage. My back seat became littered with Buc-ee's plastic bags.

Highway traffic approaching Exit 234 for Parmer Lane with elevated highway overpass above, dark SUV ahead and white pickup truck on shoulder Vehicle digital dashboard display showing Trip 1 stats with 100°F temperature, 68 MPH speed, 327.3 miles traveled, 38.7 MPG fuel efficiency, and 031727 total odometer miles

If you're still reading this, you see it was a long trip especially in the course of three days. For me it did start to become repetitious, but in many ways it's because Buc-ee's holds true to their brand.

The first part of their brand is what is known as the "Buc-ee's standard." They are obsessive about clean bathrooms and it's one of their main selling points.

Rural highway under threatening dark storm clouds with Buc-ee's billboard advertising two reasons to stop, indicating 15 miles ahead

I can tell you I did not find a single location with a dirty bathroom. The dirtiest I saw was an unflushed urinal. That's really not Buc-ee's fault as it is the person who went to the bathroom before me. The workers were constantly cleaning and at travel centers, there was a small army of them.

Buc-ee's store interior showing restrooms entrance with brown lettering on wall, skylights above, and customers visible in shopping area

On the topic of workers, Buc-ee's posts their wages and benefits at every entrance of the building.

Yellow Buc-ee's employment sign displaying minimum wage information ranging from $12-14 for cashier positions up to $17+ for assistant roles with benefits noted

The wages and benefits are well above what other gas stations pay. This is obviously to attract good talent and it's clear they attract good talent. Between the managers who asked if I needed help or the other workers just doing a good job.

How could I tell they were doing a good job? It was easy. It was rare to see a Buc-ee's worker idle. They were constantly cleaning and organizing the store. Everything was nice, neat, and organized. The aesthetics of shopping were great.

Aesthetics aside, another benefit of this was functionality. This is something I'm more a stickler on. I can't tell you how many gas stations I've been to where I don't get a receipt from the gas pump. There's also been countless times I've looked for a specific product to only find an empty box. This never happened at Buc-ee's. Everything was fully functional and made the shopping experience painless.

You could tell Buc-ee's caters to local tastes. I saw more Cajun products in the East Texas locations.

Hot boiled crawfish sign on display stand with orange LOCO cooler boxes stacked below, viewed through window with gas station visible outside Six yellow bags of Louisiana Crawfish Shrimp and Crab Boil seasoning arranged in cardboard box on black equipment with blue step stool Three large stainless steel cooking pots with LOCO branding for crawfish boiling displayed in Buc-ee's store with product shelves and shoppers in background

I wonder if I'm the first customer to hit up every single location. If not, maybe this 1,600 mile trip is the first to do it in only three days. I can tell you it was an interesting experience and I'm still in awe by how Buc-ee's pulls it off.

One thing I do wish is there was a place to sit and eat. It's kind of hard to eat messy BBQ in the car and it's just nice to get out, stretch, and sit down at a table. Other than that, I think Buc-ee's has nailed it!

If there's a Buc-ee's in the area, it makes a road trip complete by stopping. If you really want, it can be a destination in itself. I recommend visiting one, or if you're so inclined all 33 like me. I'm sure you'll find something (or load up a cart) of some of the cool things Buc-ee's has to offer!

See more blog entries here