16 Great Restaurants in Old or Still-Functioning Gas Stations
Before massive rest complexes overlorded by gas giants like Shell and Exxon cropped up on highways and small-town roads alike, family-owned filling stations dotted the American landscape. Standard Oil of California was the first to claim a gas station in Seattle, in 1907, and entrepreneurs interested in making a profit from the up-and-coming automotive industry followed suit. These stations were true “mom-and-pop” operations; families that owned them often lived in the back of the garage or down the street. These days, old-school independent filling stations are mere relics.
But don’t dismay. There are plenty of old petrol gems being appropriated by restaurateurs and chefs who take as much pride in their food as mechanics do in their cars. Some relish the history and authenticity of the spaces, some like the challenge behind the restoration. A few establishments are doing away with the industrial aesthetic completely and creating elegant fine-dining institutions. We surveyed 16 restaurants around the country that retain a semblance of service station bones; all of them serve up solid eats while paying homage to America’s automotive heyday.
Kate Donnelly is the creator and founder of “From Your Desks,” a creative collaborative that includes the work spaces of chefs and food writers. She’s also a Contributing Editor to Fathom. She travels for the food.
1/16Oklahoma Joe's, Kansas City, KS
Kansas City might not have invented barbecue, but it has perfected it. And at this famous spot housed in a still-functioning Shamrock gas station, lines form early for the heavenly meat, smoked slow and low with Missouri white oak. Burnt ends are a KC tradition, ditto the thick, tomato-based, molasses-infused BBQ sauce. One of the menu favorites, the Z-Man Sandwich, is stacked with 17-hour smoked brisket, smoked provolone, and onion rings on a Kaiser roll, and pairs just right with a local Boulevard brew. Don't forget to pick up wiper fluid when you're browsing the station's lauded dry rubs and variety of BBQ sauces from around the country.
2/16Big Star, Chicago, IL
This former 1940s Pierce Service Station was a pioneer of the taqueria trend in Chicago. Tinga de pollo (wood-grilled chicken thigh with house-made chorizo and chipotle salsa) and al pastor (pork shoulder, grilled pineapple, grilled onion, and cilantro) headline the menu, while non-taco offerings like the Sonoran Hot Dog (wrapped with bacon on a bolillo roll) are favorites among hip Wicker Parkians. The space still has a body shop feel, with whitewashed brick walls and an unfinished steel-beam ceiling--and on beautiful summer nights, the staff opens the garage doors, turning it into an indoor-outdoor space. (Credit: Courtesy Cassie Stadnicki)
Joe Vaughn3/16Vinsetta Garage, Berkley, MI
In 1919, the Kurta family opened Vinsetta Garage, "the oldest garage east of the Mississippi," as legend has it. Cement floors, neon signage, and a salvaged garage sink--used merely as decor in most restaurants--are here in earnest, reminding diners of the space's roots. Chef Aaron Cozadd's menu celebrates classic mechanics' fare, too: Angus burgers with bacon on house-made pretzel buns, wood-fired pizzas, meatball pies, and Union mac and cheese. The original owners' apartment in the back is still intact, too, and it's now used for private shindigs. (Credit: Joe Vaughn)
4/16The Market at Bellair, Charlottesville, VA
The menu of this locally owned Tiger Fuel Station and eatery reads "America's first gourmet gas station." Inside, homemade bread is piled with deli meats. Try the Farmington sandwich with smoked turkey, bacon, Havarti, and coleslaw, or the Birdwood with cracked pepper turkey, creamy avocado, crisp banana peppers, and pepper jack. A bag of Deep River chips and a bottle of Devil's Backbone Vienna Lager are solid companions for the lonely traveler. Locals and famished law students come in constant rotation to fill the empty tanks of both their cars and their stomachs. (Credit: Courtesy Tiger Fuel)
5/16Xiao Bao Biscuit, Charleston, SC
This Charleston gem is housed in an old Exxon station and auto repair shop--and from the outside, it still looks like one. Inside, however, is an airy hotspot where locals convene for top-quality cocktails and Asian soul food. Chef Josh Walker has perfected the savory okonomiyaki, a Japanese pancake with shredded cabbage, kale, scallions, and carrots topped with Asian mayo and chili sauce. The Southern heat beckons orders of bo tai chanh (Vietnamese beef carpaccio with watermelon) and soop mak (a Laotian roasted bean salad with Sun Gold tomatoes). Make sure to wrap up your meal with toasted rice ice cream. (Credit: Courtesy Xiao Bao Biscuit)
6/16Ellerbe Fine Foods, Fort Worth, TX
Built in 1920 as Acme Vulcanizing and Auto Shop and later taken over by Texaco, Ellerbe's renovated dining room features the original skylight and mechanic's ramp. The pretty outdoor patio, once the portico for gas pumps and attendants, is a charming space for wine sipping. Dinner is an array of farm-to-table dishes like market fattoush and sherry-braised rabbit pappardelle. And dessert is a must: Maw Maw's bread pudding with whiskey sauce and pralined Texas pecans is the way to go. (Credit: Ralph Lauer courtesy Ellerbe)
7/16Olio, St. Louis, MO
In 1937, this art deco Standard Oil Station was owned by a man named Mr. Kinworthy. Today, original subway tiles and salvaged brick serve as reminders of the restaurant's former function. As for dinner, the bay scallop ceviche is divine, as is the Moroccan shredded carrot salad scented with orange blossom. The bar has everything from local beers to Lebanese arak and an impressive cocktail list. Mr. Kinworthy's children (now in their 70s) regularly visit Olio--until recently, they lived in the house next store, which chef/owner Ben Poremba transformed into a separate 30-seat restaurant called Elaia. (Credit: Greg Rannells)
8/16Garage Bar, Louisville, KY
After being transformed from a 1918 saloon into Hugh & Ed's auto shop, Garage Bar turned back into a restaurant that boasts "Brick Oven Pies, Best Hams in Town and Clean Restrooms." Situated in Louisville's NuLu neighborhood, it still has exposed ductwork, steel surfaces, and warm wood floors, but what's new is New Jersey native chef Michael Paley's hand-stretched pizzas, baked at 850 degrees in a Neapolitan wood-fired Ferrara oven. The pizza menu leans towards both Italy and the South: one pie, for example, comes sprinkled with sweet corn, garlic confit, garden basil, house-made bacon, and fior di latte. Outside, sip a Louisville bourbon under the green hue of the neon sign or challenge your fellow diners to a game of Ping-Pong. (Credit: Magnus Lindqvist courtesy Garage Bar)
9/16Red Truck Bakery, Warrenton, VA
If you lived in rural Warrenton in the 1940s, you would gas up at Old Towne Texaco Filling Station. Today, it's a bakery--but chef-owner Brian Noyes keeps his 1954 Red Ford F-110 truck (a purchase from fashion mogul Tommy Hilfiger) parked outside. Go for the homemade granola and one of three types of coffee: hi-octane, premium blend, and unleaded. Sample the Shenandoah Valley apple cake, double-chocolate moonshine cake made with real local Virginia corn hooch and the Red Truck bourbon cake (cherries, house-made root beer, and a hint of almond). If you can't pull over, don't worry: Red Truck will ship your provisions anywhere in the U.S.) (Credit: Brian Noyes)
10/16Rutledge Cab Company, Charleston, SC
Veteran chef Bob Carter brings a gourmet spin to diner food in this old Exxon station, now decked in mahogany wood and a late-'50s Ford Edsel wall decal. There's breakfast all day (check out the shrimp Benedict), and re-imagined comfort foods like chicken-fried sweetbreads and fried cheese curds. Burgers are grilled over charcoal and taste like they came from your backyard--except for maybe the homemade onion-brioche bun. The Fillin' Station Charcuterie--a nod to the chef's Florida childhood days of fried bologna, "hoop" cheddar (a Southern staple), smoked sausage, potted meat, country ham, pepper-jelly mustard, pickled vegetables, and Saltines--is downright awesome. (Credit: Rick McKee with Lowry McKee Photography)
11/16Bolsa, Dallas, TX
This boho Bishop Arts District spot reused most of the working parts from the original 1940s auto garage at Bolsa (Spanish for "bag"). Now, chef Jeff Harris regularly churns out favorites like the "twigs and branch" flatbread with wild arugula, chevre, and roasted grapes. Relax on the patio with a handcrafted cocktail such as the Stubborn Mule (vodka, Velvet Falernum, lime, mint, and ginger beer) and the Fade to Black (blackberries, orange, honey, and Patron, with an IPA float). Next door, Bolsa Mercado sells provisions such as Dallas's own Mozzarella Company Cheeses and Dudes Sweet Chocolate. (Credit: Courtesy of Bolsa)
12/16Genessee Royale, Kansas City, MO
Across the street from the sturdy Old Livestock Exchange Building sits this Southern bistro housed in an old Sinclair gas station. The brunch menu is loaded with comfort food like cream-top biscuits with fried chicken. Eating solo? Saddle up at the bar for burgers served on local Wolferman's English muffins and Bloodys with Old Bay seasoning. Friday happy hour ushers in a rotating menu of small plates, which pair well with Boulevard suds. (Credit: Meg Biram)
13/16Southern Soul BBQ, St. Simons Island, GA
In 1955, Red and Dorothy Hillard ran an oil station and kept "the Yankees coming in to buy gas" by keeping a chimpanzee as roadside entertainment and hiring their daughters as bikini-clad attendants. Almost six decades later in 2010, it's BBQ that keeps the crowds coming to the same spot. Griffin Bufkin and Harrison Sapp run the award-winning smokehouse, churning out pounds of finger-licking beef, pork, turkey, and wild game. Classic Southern sides like fried okra and Hoppin' John are a welcome pause from all that meat. Come fall, it's all about smoked oysters, heavenly Brunswick stew, and venison. (Credit: Jeff Moores)
14/16Whoa Nellie Deli, Lee Vining, CA
Ahi sashimi at a gas station? Get outta town. On the outskirts of Yosemite National Park sits a working Mobil station that touts itself as "The most unusual deli, inside a gas station, you will ever visit." Backpackers, tourists, and locals converge the a counter for lobster taquitos and fish tacos. Enjoy stellar views of Mono Lake from your picnic table. Oh, and there's live music. Best rest stop ever. (Credit: Courtesy Whoa Nellie Deli)
