Dear Bernard,,

Do you enjoy going out to eat? If so, what is your favorite restaurant or type of food? I bet it's not the type of food I am going to talk about.

In July, the website Chowhound.com published a list of the 15 gas station chains with the best food. For many, the idea of food from a gas station may be repulsive. Yet, these could be an unexpected surprise!

I admit, I enjoy gas station coffee, but maybe I am too much of a food snob to venture past a Subway restaurant connected to a place I need fill up my car. I may be guilty of judging too quickly. Like many things in life, what we perceive may not always be reality.

While I have not tried these places for a meal, I can appreciate the menu they offer. As an example, think of your local Speedway/7-11 gas station. Again, not a place I get lunch, but I do frequent for coffee on road trips. Their selection of various self-serve coffees and low cost are a better fit for me than something like a Starbucks or Tim Horton's.

Looking at the article from Chowhound, you have to realize that most of the offerings consist of deli style sandwiches, fried offerings, and pizzas. Yet, like most places to eat today, you can find things like fresh fruit, salads, and yogurts.

The reason I bring this up today is for the items that may be outstanding that many of us may miss. While we talk about not being too quick to judge something, we have a tendency to do just that. While not a gas station, or fast food restaurant, I wonder how many people we approach have thought the same about our firm.

Though we are a small, private enterprise, we have access to the same services as the large firms. Our advantage is that while we don't have a national name, we know our relationships, we have the ability to be more nimble, and more personalized in what we do. We like to think we are an unexpected surprise.

So back to the 15 best gas station food places; if you are a traveler of the open byways and highways, you may recognize some of these locations. I have placed a link below so you can identify and try these on your next road trip if you come across them:

15 Best Gas Station Food Places

As always, thank you for reading and have a wonderful Independence Day weekend.

Bernie & Chad