Gourmet Gas Station Food: It is a Real Thing in Port Charlotte, FL
Generally speaking, gas station food is not the preferred choice of travelers. If you are on a road-trip, bringing healthy snacks with an occasional stop at a restaurant for something more substantial is probably the best way to plan mealtimes. Other people cannot stand the thought of germs and unsanitary conditions at roadside eateries, which is understandable given the COVID circumstances we all face. And for us daily drivers, who live here and support our favorite restaurants, specifically driving to a gas station for prepared food would be absolutely unthinkable. Or so I thought.
Gas Station Food – or Diner?
When my husband said, “Save your appetite, I’m taking you to that gas station I told you about,” I thought he was a little crazy. He had been carrying on about this place where he was getting great lunches. He described it as “a diner you might have seen on an episode of Seinfeld mixed with a gourmet French bakery, but all inside of a gas station.” He was not wrong. Super Day Express is a little this, a little that mixed with the best-looking food you are going to see in any gas station, anywhere.
My first thought upon visiting Super Day Express was that Guy Fieri From “Drive Ins, Diners and Dives” might be inside. Afterall, the food was supposed to be exceptional, and this place definitely had the “dive” part down. But quickly you get over the gas station aspect as your eyes descend upon grand displays full to the brim with enormous cheesecakes, some with fresh strawberries and others wonderfully plain. It is a bit disorienting because it looks too good to be true. “But wait, there’s more,” is a total understatement.
Mouthwatering Options
A long row of glass cases adorns steaming pots of beef, chicken, pork, tacos, roasts, sandwiches, and casseroles. Sides as fresh as Thanksgiving at grandma’s make you do a double-take. Their pizzas looked so good I immediately knew I was adding them to my Pizza Friday lineup. Lasagna, calzones, shrimp scampi, gyros, wings, ribs…. I could go on and on, but you get the picture. And all prepared homemade without preservatives and nasty chemicals. Signs telling you to “Get off your cell phone” are appropriate because this place is busy, not only with the gawkers and weary travelers wondering if they just fell down the rabbit hole, but locals. The parking lot was more full of people pulling up to grab dinners to go than cars at the pumps.
A Legacy of Good Food
With 52 years’ experience in the restaurant industry, the owners of Super Day Express wanted to not only provide travelers with great food while they gassed up, they also wanted the anglers in the area to be able to grab a hearty meal along with their fuel as they headed out for the day. Today, locals love the fact that this level of food is available in their areas and the fact it is inside of a gas station just adds the charm. Being family owned, they source their foods locally so not only are they supporting their friends and neighbors but also providing the freshest products possible.
Located at 1595 S. McCall Road in Port Charlotte, Super Day Express is open Monday through Sunday 5 AM to 11 PM. Deliver hours are Monday through Sunday 11 AM to 10 PM, with a small delivery fee and minimum order. Super Day Express also offers catering, promising to “bring anything you can think of.” Oh, and they have gas, too.
For more information, please visit Super Day Express’s Facebook
Photos courtesy of Super Day Express Facebook page and website.