Gas Stations in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin Have the Best Food

There was a time, not very long ago if you think about it, where gas stations were places that sold some prepackaged snacks, drinks, and, of course, gasoline. Now, the consumer expectation of a gas station has widely shifted. While service attendants are a thing of the past, most gas stations have full kitchen with chefs that prepare grab-and-go food, such as pizza, chicken nuggets, French fries, and more.

Gas station food was the concept behind a recent Yahoo! list that looked at 15 chains that are doing things the right way. As it turns out, many of the gas station chains highlighted in the Yahoo! article are ones that are commonplace across Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Of the 15 the article listed, I cherrypicked five common chains you'll find around the Tri-States, and what food items you might want to try during your next road trip.

READ MORE: Kum & Go Gas Stations are Starting to Disappear in Iowa

Kwik Trip:

Yahoo! was quick to note the ubiquitous Wisconsin chain Kwik Trip as one of the leaders in the gas station food space. The chain of convenience stores started in La Crosse back in 1965, and now has 850 stores across the Midwest, most notably in the Cheese State.

Kwik Trip has long-been known for their all-day breakfast sandwiches, as well as their "dunkers," aka full-sized donuts that come in packs of six. On the lunch and dinner side, their hot food bar has everything from three different flavors of chicken wings to rotisserie chicken and macaroni and cheese.

Kwik Trip is so renowned, independent country singer and Wisconsin native Dan Lepien actually wrote a song about them called "God Bless Kwik Trip."

Maverik/Kum & Go:

Tis pity that Kum & Go gas stations all across the land are rapidly rebranding to the more generic and uninspired name of "Maverik." Kum & Go was a real identity. A memorably humorous moniker with an eye-catching logo. Johnny Knoxville even rocked a shirt with the gas station logo in the second Jackass movie.

But Yahoo! highlighted Maverik for a handful of different reasons, most notably their wide variety of food items. They have "BonFire" food, which includes Tex-Mex inspired burritos, a croissant-wrapped cheddar bratwurst and other offerings you can't easily find at other competitors. Maverik has an "adventure" brand tied to their identity, so their food items are similarly modeled after campfire food.

Casey's General Store:

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Yahoo!'s list wouldn't be taken seriously if they didn't include Casey's General Store, which needs no introduction for Iowans, Illinoisans, and Wisconsinites alike. The chain is only growing more ubiquitous, with nearly 3,000 stores across the country.

Casey's pizza remains their trademark for great reason. If it's breakfast time, you can indulge in their breakfast pizza. If it's lunch or dinner, a piping hot cheese, sausage, or taco pizza is bound to satisfy your cravings.

Also, right now Casey's has brought back their famous BBQ Brisket Pizza for a limited time. Do with that info what you'd like!

READ MORE: 'Bizarre Foods' Host Andrew Zimmern Partners with Casey's

Hy-Vee:

Hy-Vee has rapidly been making an enormous impact in the hot food space, from their massive grocery stores to their Fast & Fresh chains. They also are a sneaky healthier option if you're on the road and looking for something that might not expand your waistline as much as offerings from some of its competitors.

Hy-Vee has their own breakfast pizza (which I contend is better and more flavorful than Casey's), as well as salad bars and Chinese food at their full-service grocery stores. You can also find sushi counters and full-service restaurants inside their grocery store chains, as well as a plethora of hot food in their adjacent gas stations.

READ MORE: Hy-Vee is Making Two Big Changes to Several Stores

Love's Travel Stops:

Love's Travel Stops has been around since 1964, and has gone from a single gas station in Oklahoma to over 600 locations in the United States, per Yahoo! While they cater to a specific sector of nomads (truck drivers), they do know how to lure you in with their food.

Love's has partnerships with instantly recognizable chains like Subway, Chester's Chicken, and Godfather's Pizza, and that right there covers three distinct bases: sub sandwiches, fried chicken, and pizza, respectively. Furthermore, in house, Love's makes their own breakfast burritos, sandwiches, and fruit cups branded with their "Love's Country Stores" moniker.

I'll add too, having just stopped at a Love's on my way to Pekin, IL (long story), they are always remarkably clean and orderly places to stop to use the restroom or grab a bite to eat.

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View the list of gas station chains with the best food offerings on Yahoo!'s website.