These Are the 5 Weirdest Snacks, Foods You Can Find at Buc-ee’s

A Buc-ee’s fan shares some of his odder finds from the popular gas station chain

Buc-ee’s is an interstate oasis. It’s a place of brightly light wonders. From gas pumps as far as the eye can see to spacious bathrooms with multiple stalls, the Texas-based chain has in the last few years exploded in popularity. With locations ranging across the South and starting to breach into other parts of the country, Buc-ee’s has become a phenomenon.

But Buc-ee’s at its heart remains Texan. And that Texas flair can seem peculiar to those who have not crossed from Texarkana to El Paso and all places in between.

So, while Buc-ee’s is known for Beaver Nuggets and surprisingly good barbecue, there are more than a handful of treats that can seem odd to places outside the Lone Star State. With this in mind, here are the five strangest snacks you can find at Buc-ee’s with the caveat that selections will depend on stock and individual location:

1. Pickled Quail Eggs

I’ve written frequently about Buc-ee’s pickled quail eggs. It’s not necessarily that I’m unfamiliar with the idea of a pickled egg. I’ve grown up around enough gas stations and delis where a giant jar of pickled eggs – I assume they are chicken eggs – sit on the counter. However, the idea of someone pawing one of those eggs out of the jar, dripping that vaguely pink pickle juice seemed more like a punishment than a culinary treat.

But the tiny quail eggs are more delicate – and sanitary. Honestly, they are garlicky and tangy. But there are two hard truths we have to face. First of all, eating pickled eggs on an interstate road trip ought to be a crime. Also, if I want something pickled, garlicky and tangy, I can get a pickle or two or a jar. Therefore, I don’t know that the quail egg adds a lot to the experience. 

2. Prickly Pear Cactus Jam

I know, individually, what all those words mean. But when you put them together, it seems foreign. The Prickly Pear can be the fruit of that cactus or the cactus itself. I assume it’s only the fruit that’s in the jam. It’s a little sweet, a little tart and is not precisely a typical jam flavor. So I’m not saying I don’t like it. I am saying your typical roadside gas station doesn’t carry it. 

3. Candied Jalapeños

Between the ghost pepper jerky and the variety of spicy salsas and jams, I’m pretty sure the people who own Buc-ee’s are secretly gastroenterologists playing the long game. Each Buc-ee’s will have a car wash and a doctor’s office right on site in another decade.  

A little bit sweet but also a little bit hot. I get why people like these. There’s a crunch and a hint of pickle. I don’t know why Buc-ee’s is trying so hard to reinvent the pickle game. What’s wrong with just pickling some cucumbers like God intended? 

4. Kolaches

It’s not that Kolaches are that weird. How did they end up here? The treat from Slavic areas of Europe made their way to Texas thanks to immigrants from Czechoslovakia – and yes, I did have to get some help on that one. Your mileage may vary on the Kolache. For instance, I prefer the fruit-filled ones as I find the breading a little dry. But the sausage and jalapeno with cheese ain’t bad either. 

5. Pina Colada Pecans

Do you like Pina Coladas? Then boy howdy does Buc-ee’s have the nuts for you. Why would you want pecans – which are fantastic – that taste like a fruity coconut–pineapple cocktail? No idea. It seems like a rejected Willy Wonka idea.

Quick digression. I worked in a grocery store for a long time as a kid. Once, a lady stopped me and asked me where the P-cans were. For a minute I thought she meant cans of peas. When it finally dawned on me, I said, “Oh, you mean Pecahns,” sounding like I’d just stepped off my sloop on Martha’s Vineyard. I cringed my hardest cringe that day. And that was only my second worst nut-related grocery store story. Another time a lady stopped me and asked, “What aisle are your nuts on?” She meant the store’s nuts but phrased it … poorly. That I didn’t get fired on the spot was a true miracle of God. I may well be a third of the way to sainthood. I need to put that one file at the Vatican.

Anyway, nuts that taste of fruity drinks and remind you of Rupert Holmes, getting caught in the rain, and how people used to use the newspaper classified section like Tinder? Yeah. That’s weird. 

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