If you’ve driven down a Texas highway in the last two decades you’ve probably seen a brightly colored caricature sitting sky high and beckoning you in for gas, snacks and clean restrooms. No, we’re not talking about Buc-ee’s.
Since first opening in 2008, The Texan Stores has slowly been expanding across Texas and earned a reputation for its similarities with the beaver-branded empire, but also its differences. Founded by Pete and Patricia Dlugosch of Yorktown, a small enclave southeast of San Antonio, The Texan has become a strong rival and easy alternative for anyone wanting to avoid the massive crowds that seem to gravitate to Buc-ee’s.
If you’re curious where you can find a Texan gas station, here’s where to hit the road!
Instead of a beaver, The Texan has a cartoon of a grinning cowboy placed in front of a yellow and green map of Texas as its logo. That logo, like Buc-ee’s, is plastered on shirts, cups, snacks and various merchandise inside the store.
The bathrooms go left and right and both offer plenty of stalls with artwork lining the walls. As far as food, The Texan has ready to grab meals such as breakfast tacos, chicken sandwiches, pizza, fried chicken, kolaches, cookies and other sweets from the bakery, as well as kiosk ordering area to get fresh food. In addition to gas station racks of snacks, visitors can also buy meat snacks from Prasek’s and a variety of treats and sweets.
For drinks, guests can grab beer, sodas, energy drinks, waters and more from the cooler section. Elsewhere they can grab massive fountain drinks or fuel up at the coffee stations.
Outside there will be multiple gas station pumps, just not in the 100+ realm like Buc-ee’s.
The similarities are more numerous than the differences, but there are a few standouts.
Inside you’ll find tables and booths, giving folks the chance to stop and eat instead of rushing through the store and sloppily eating food in your car.
Needing supplies before your pregame, The Texan has a walk-in Beer Cave that is kept at 28 degrees and ensures your drinks are cool from the jump.
Plus if you’re feeling lucky, you can also buy lottery tickets when stopping by The Texan, another thing Buc-ee’s doesn’t sell.
