New Jerseyans flaunt their Wawa’s like a badge. Texans stan Buc-ee’s and its super-clean bathrooms. Those from the midwest go toe-to-toe with anyone daring enough to besmirch the name of Casey’s. 

And if you’re in upstate New York, you better respect Stewart’s Shops. 

Stewart’s isn’t just a gas station, it’s a regional point of pride. Not only a gas station, it’s a grocery store, diner, coffee shop, and ice cream parlor. Ask anyone upstate, and they likely have a tried-and-true order from Stewart’s for any given occasion — a Stewart’s starter pack, if you will. From chocolate milk to spicy chicken sandwiches (with pickles), here are the go-to orders of a few Stewart’s true believers. 

Evan Rando’s Stewart’s starter pack

When I strolled into Stewart’s during lunchtime my senior year of high school, I had not the slightest clue that I was going to pick up four items that would become a staple of my identity. 

Right there in the hot foods section was a Stewart’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich, with pickles — a true sleeper amongst some heavy hitters in the hot foods lineup. Less than 10 feet away was the batman to my robin: the chocolate glazed donut. What you may not know is that Stewart’s chocolate glazed donut trumps anything you can get from Dunkin’ or Tim Hortons, true fact. 

Essential to every meal is a beverage, and that 17-year-old Evan Rando found himself drawn to Stewart’s pre-bottled chocolate shake — the love child of chocolate milk and a chocolate milkshake. I rounded off my order with a packet of gum so my breath would be fresh upon returning to school. It all came to about $10. 

I probably bought these four items — always all four in a single order — at least 50 times that year, meaning I spent at least $500 at Stewart’s in that 2022-2023 school year. I regret a lot of things about high school. But spending all that money at Stewart’s isn’t one of them. 

Owen Dagostino’s Stewart’s starter pack

Many of those high school visits to Stewart’s were with my friend Owen Dagostino, who is now a freshman at Syracuse University. His trio of go-to purchases was always the sausage-egg-and-cheese sandwich, black sweet cherry ice cream, and the Stewart’s brand chocolate milk. 

When Dagostino came home from college on break this past fall, there was one stop he knew he had to make. 

“When I first got back from school in October, the first place me and a lot of my hometown friends met up was at Stewart’s,” Dagostino said. “It was nice cause I got to see a lot of people I hadn’t seen since before I left, we all got ice cream and just hung out there.” 

Matt’s Stewart’s starter pack 

Now that I’m going to college at SUNY Plattsburgh, my nearest Stewart’s station is located at 4990 South Catherine Street, two minutes from my apartment. I’m there three to four times a week, wrapped in the warm embrace of Stewart’s amid the cold, dark deadness of winter. It’s the one thing that stands tall amongst mounds of snow. 

When I walked in the other day, I talked with the tall, youthful manager, Matt, who was wearing a maroon Stewart’s-branded shirt visor. I asked him what his go-to item was. 

 “I mean, easily, if you’re going to get one thing here, it’s gotta be the ice cream,” he said. 

Which flavors?

“Peanut butter pandemonium and mint cookie crumble, both exclusive to Stewart’s, gotta be my favorites,” Matt said. “But honestly anything’s good.” 

Agreed on the mint cookie crumble, Matt. My heart melts for it. 

Unfortunately, our conversation was cut short by two elderly women in line. I turned to them and asked if they loved any particular items at Stewart’s. 

“What?” one said. 

I repeated myself. 

“What is this for?” she asked.

I said it was for an ode to my favorite regional gas station chain. 

They declined to comment. Their souls clearly haven’t been touched by the spirit of Stewart’s. Outsiders. 

There’s a lot of reasons to love Stewart’s. If it’s not the delicious hot food and low prices, let it be the support they show to their local community. The company sources its ice cream and dairy products from over 30 local farms, and donates $2.5 million back to local charities and non-profits every year. It’s simple: supporting Stewart’s is supporting upstate New York. 

I’ve never had the privilege of going to a Casey’s general, or stepping into a sparkling clean Buc-ee’s bathroom, but I have had the privilege of a Stewart’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich with pickles, and that’s all I need.