Usually, the average truck stop is much like any other. There is a line of pumps, often crowded with tired drivers looking for a hot meal or a place to rest. With any luck, drivers will find quality refreshments, though all of us know that we are not always so lucky.
Sadly, there are plenty of truck stops (some of them infamous) that truck drivers know only offer subpar refreshments and entertainment. For drivers who have been on the road for a long time, this cycle of bland or even bad experiences can take its toll.
However, some truck stops set themselves apart as spectacular or simply must-see locations that every truck driver should visit if they can. These spots serve great food with unique service or settings that make them perennial favorites of seasoned drivers. Check out some of the exceptional food served in truck stop diners around the country!
Iowa 80 Truck Stop
The Iowa 80 Truck Stop is renowned among truckers for stocking pretty much everything they could want in one place. The Iowa 80 truck stop is a 100,000 square foot complex loaded to the brim with a trucking museum, movie theater, dog wash, chiropractor, barbershop, dentist’s office, and 24 private showers. Fueling all of this is the famous Iowa 80 Restaurant; a 300-seat, 24 hour establishment known for its delicious American fare, full buffet, and 50-foot salad bar. Iowa 80’s meatloaf, fried chicken, and pork chops are extremely popular with regulars.
Broadway Diner
This Greek-American diner in Baltimore is just off I-95, snugly located between Philadelphia and DC. Broadway Diner broke into the hall of trucker fame after being featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives a decade ago. Broadway Diner is known for its vast menu with lots of lesser-known options like souvlaki and moussaka. Their Hungarian goulash is unlike anything else you will find at a truck stop, along with their highly praised potato crusted salmon and shrimp creole.
R Place Restaurant
Located at 21 Romines Drive in Morris, Illinois, R Place is known for one thing above all else: their four-pound Premium Ethyl burger. This burger always takes newcomers by surprise, since it is almost the size of their head! Not only is the Premium Ethyl delicious, but if you eat it in an hour, it is also free. The rest of R Place’s menu is far less intimidating but no less delicious. The menu offers handmade strawberry puff pillows, pies, and pecan rolls. R Place is so well-known, they even offer catering.
Westside Drive-in
Located in beautiful Boise, Idaho, Westside Drive-In is tough to miss. The restaurant’s pink and turquoise aesthetic sets it apart from its surroundings to let drivers know they are pulling up to a classic 1950s style drive-in. Westside’s menu includes a rack of pork ribs, prime rib with au jus, and their famous dessert, the Idaho ice cream potato, made with delicious ice cream shaped like a potato!
Johnson’s Corner
Johnson’s Corner, located on SE Frontage Road in Johnstown, Colorado, regularly makes the top 10 in lists compiled by big names like the Food Network or Travel & Leisure. Found right off the I-25, Johnson’s offers 24-hour cinnamon rolls that have been delighting drivers since 1952. Johnson’s is famous for its appearance in the 1996 film Larger than Life, which starred Bill Murray and Matthew McConaughey. Johnson’s has so much business, they even offer catering—and their cinnamon rolls are distributed to various other locations, selling 200,000 each year!
Be Sure to Visit
If you are near by one of these unique establishments make sure to stop by and try out some of their cuisine for a great meal. One of the wonderful benefits of truck driving is getting to experience new food and environments in new places.