What to Buy at Buc-ee's

We first discovered Buc-ee’s on our Texas road trip several years ago. On a whim, we ordered their smoked brisket and it was life changing! Naturally, when we landed in Orlando, we picked up our rental car and drove straight to Buc-ee’s in Daytona Beach! By the time we arrived it was dinner time. Normally we just grab the brisket and leave without really looking around at all the other food options. This time we purchased several things to share so we could offer you suggestions on what to buy at Buc-ee’s.

While there are lots of souvenirs, clothing and beautiful home decor items for purchase, this post will focus on the food section of Buc-ee’s…but first here’s a little peek at some seriously cute merch:

An Oregonian’s Take

on the Best Things to Buy at Buc-ee’s

The first time I walked into Buc-ee’s I was shocked to see a huge full-service deli counter right in the middle of the store. It was kind of overwhelming if I’m being honest. They don’t make ’em like this in Oregon! In my mind I was walking into a gas station convenience store, so I was completely blown away when I saw the workers slicing smoked brisket right in front of me. Most of what we purchased came from this area right here:

Don’t Miss the Beef Jerky Counter

That’s right, an entire counter dedicated to homemade beef jerky! They have so many flavors, you’re sure to find one you like. We’ve purchased their jerky before, but one thing we learned on this trip is Buc-ee’s lets you sample the jerky. We tried teriyaki, garlic and cherry maple and the winner is…

Cherry Maple! This one is really good, I highly recommend it! We bought a pound and snacked on it throughout our trip.

Of course there’s always this massive wall of jerky ready to meet all your jerky needs.

Salty Snacks

Beaver chips, AKA potato chips, made fresh and served hot. Until recently I didn’t even know this was a thing, so of course we had to try them. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived at our hotel with the food, the chips had cooled down a bit. Still very good, but would have been even better if we ate them right away!

Brisket Sandwiches: Sliced or Chopped ?

While there are lots of delicious brisket options to chose from, we were primarily interested in comparing the sliced brisket sandwich with the chopped brisket sandwich. Many reviews said that the chopped was the way to go, but I wanted to judge for myself.

Both sandwiches are filled with smokey brisket goodness, but there are two distinct differences. The sliced has bigger slices and the bbq sauce is just added to the bun. The chopped is well, chopped into smaller pieces and has bbq sauce mixed into the meat. We each tried 1/2 of each sandwich and while they were both good (obviously!), I’d give a slight edge to the sliced. Why is this you ask? (cover your ears southerners) I’m just not a bbq sauce girl. I preferred the simplicity of the sliced brisket with less sauce. That’s it. In my non-southern opinion, brisket is amazing without added the added sweetness the sauce provides.

Buc-ee’s Sweet Treats

For dessert, we opted to share glazed pecans and a banana pudding. The glazed pecans, were served hot and were very, very sweet. I only ate a few before I was satisfied. The banana pudding cup is where it’s at for me. If you’ve ever been to a church potluck in the 80’s this is exactly what you are getting with this classic dessert, Nilla wafers included! This really took me back to my childhood, so based on nostalgia alone, the banana pudding is the clear winner (sorry my southern pecan loving friends)!

No respectable post about what to buy at Buc-ee’s would be complete without mentioning Beaver Nuggets. These things have a cult following so of course we had to get some. The texture reminds me of Corn Pops cereal and the taste reminds me of caramel corn with a hint of molasses (similar to Cracker Jacks. Do they still make those?) I can definitely see why these are so popular!

Buc-ee’s for Breakfast…Oh Yes!!

The following morning we went back to Buc-ee’s to grab coffee and to fill up with gas. While we were there, two of these Brisket Breakfast Burritos just fell into our cart!

Here’s an extreme close-up of my brisket breakfast burrito taken in the car as we drove to St Augustine. Are you salivating yet? After taking my first bite I am here to tell you THIS was by far my favorite thing we tried. It was so delicious and I actually preferred the tortilla over the bun on the sandwiches. You can grab salsa to go with these burritos, but mine was delicious without.

Self Serve Coffee

It wouldn’t be a propper stop at Buc-ees with out an extra large cup of coffee from their self-serve counter/coffee station. They really have thought of everything you would possibly need to make your coffee just the way you like it. Not only do they offer different types of coffee, but also a variety of different creamers, syrup flavors and sweeteners at no additional charge. It’s really quite impressive! You can make it hot or iced, but since Buc-ee’s is located in the south, the iced option just makes more sense!

Grab-n-Go

Of course you can always find lots of options at the grab and go counter. From deli sandwiches and salads to puddings and other desserts you’ll find lots of options for an easy meal. We loved the banana pudding cups, but next time we will definitely be trying the key lime pie pudding cup.

So how did we do? Did we miss anything? Please leave your suggestions of other things we should try in the comments!