A Welcoming Stop for Refueling

Exploring the aisles of small, family-owned gas stations in the South feels like a journey back in time. Few places offer nostalgic treats like Necco Wafers, Mary Janes, Bit-O-Honeys, and Chick-O-Sticks alongside unique options such as pickled eggs, sausages, gizzards, barbecue, and pound cake. At Dodge’s Southern Style, located between Ravenel and Johns Island, South Carolina, you can find fried chicken, biscuits, hand pies, and country ham alongside an array of snacks like peanut butter or cheese crackers and a variety of chips. Meanwhile, Spinx, a gas station chain throughout the South, serves rice and beans, mac and cheese in portable bowls, and loaded biscuit sandwiches perfect for the road.

In the South, you can enjoy a hearty Sunday meal while refueling your vehicle. Yet, despite the seemingly timeless nature of gas stations, this convenience — specifically the ability to access such meals — has transformed over time. The norm of grabbing a satisfying, affordable meal at nearly any gas station is rooted in Black survival and entrepreneurship, with many signature dishes reflecting African American cultural heritage.

In the opening chapters of her book, Building Houses Out of Chicken Legs, Psyche A. Williams-Forson describes how, in the years following emancipation, when few could afford a car, Black women brought homemade meals — such as biscuits, hot coffee, fried chicken, and boiled eggs — to sell to weary travelers at train stops. These enterprising women would stroll the platforms outside the train cars, and hungry passengers from all walks of life would open their windows to purchase their delicious offerings, earning the nickname “waiter carriers” due to the long distances they traveled from their kitchens to the stations.

In the South, these travelers often faced restrictions on where they could eat and rest. In her book, Traveling Black, Mia Bay recounts how a traveler named Joseph K. Bowler shared that he never ventured South without a “Jim Crow traveling kit,” which included food and a portable stovetop for cooking. Dining cars were off-limits for Black travelers, as Bowler lamented, “the dining car is a closed corporation as far as our people are concerned.” This traveling kit became essential for many Black passengers both on trains and elsewhere, particularly in the South. In that same conversation, Bowler told the Chicago Defender, “White people below the Mason Dixon line maintain that we are animals, virtually camels, and can go without food or water for several days.”

With the rise of industrialization in the early 20th century, train cars underwent modernization, introducing air conditioning and dining options, which ultimately led to the decline of waiter carriers. These women were pioneers in achieving economic stability during the New Era, providing crucial support for both food vendors and Black men seeking work during this transformative period.

For Black travelers, navigating the South posed significant challenges. Airlines employed codes to exclude Black passengers from flights or reassign their seats to white travelers. On planes that landed in the South, white passengers could exit to dine at airport restaurants, while, as noted by Bay, “Blacks were instructed to stay on the plane and eat boxed lunches.” Even prominent figures like baseball legend Jackie Robinson faced racial discrimination while traveling. On a trip from California to Florida, he and his wife carried a substantial amount of homemade food, including sandwiches from his mother, which proved essential as they entered the Jim Crow South. After being removed from their flights in New Orleans and Pensacola to accommodate white passengers, they found themselves barred from dining at roadside Mytouries or gas stations.

Even after the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the removal of “Whites Only” signs from public spaces, the pervasive racism of the Jim Crow South lingered, particularly in restaurants, hotels, airports, and gas stations. While Black families could travel by car, their journeys were often prolonged due to safety concerns; stopping in the wrong town at any hour could swiftly derail a vacation, sometimes resulting in families being forced to leave town or face worse consequences. Safe places for Black travelers to eat or use restrooms were rare. Consequently, many families maintained the tradition of packing durable foods for their trips — baked goods, pickled or cured items, and dishes reminiscent of those once sold by waiter carriers, such as chicken and biscuits. These foods were designed to withstand several hours at room temperature, as many families relied on brown paper bags and shoeboxes for their meals, rather than coolers that were not yet affordable or accessible.

The foods packed in these makeshift lunch boxes mirror those found in Southern gas stations today: fried chicken and pork chops, delicious whether served hot or cold, hard-boiled and pickled eggs, and slices of sweet potato pie that can be eaten without utensils. Many Black families used the profits from their food sales as waiter carriers to establish their own lodges, inns, gas stations, and small Mytouries for Black travelers along the newly built roads and railroads that emerged during the Great Migration.

During the civil rights era and beyond, Black-owned filling stations doubled as restaurants — convenient spots for Black patrons who often encountered Mytouries willing to serve them yet denying them restroom access, and gas stations that barred them from refueling. For these roadside business owners, providing food was as crucial as selling gas. Food became the primary revenue source for Black-owned gas stations nationwide, particularly those listed in Victor Hugo Green’s Negro Motorist Green Book, which highlighted safe havens for Black travelers. By offering easily transportable and profitable meals reminiscent of the train car era, these gas stations catered to travelers accustomed to tea towel-wrapped chicken and biscuits while appealing to a broader audience.

Two years after the Civil Rights Act, the Negro Motorist Green Book ceased publication, and over time, Black individuals faced less overt racism while traveling. However, incidents of discrimination still occur; numerous instances of Black men, women, and children suffering mistreatment (arrests, assaults, and even fatalities) due to their skin color have been recorded, particularly in hotels, restaurants, gas stations, and convenience stores. As states dismantled discriminatory policies and the national highway system expanded, Black communities flourished and economic opportunities multiplied, resulting in a decline of Black-owned gas stations and roadside Mytouries. Presently, only 29 Black-owned gas stations remain nationwide, a stark contrast to the many listed in the Green Book during its prime.

Nevertheless, the surviving Black-owned gas stations are reclaiming the narrative of the food they once offered to foster businesses and community, keeping the spirit of Black entrepreneurship alive through the roadside one-stop shop.

In rural areas where car travel is essential, the tradition of gas stations serving multiple functions—providing food, cashing checks, and selling household items—persists in the South. Establishments like 61 One Stop in Fayette, Mississippi, and Roy’s Grille in Lexington, South Carolina, often become community hubs where family and friends connect while enjoying a meal or refueling their vehicles.

Roy’s Grille, located off Main Street in the quaint town of Lexington near Columbia, offers Southern cuisine and quick meals like barbecue and burgers at an Exxon station. Owner Chris Williams features many standard items found at Southern gas stations, but when he opened in 2014, he aimed to introduce less common dishes, such as ribeye steaks. However, he soon realized that his customers preferred familiar, budget-friendly foods that were easy to eat. 'People are hesitant to enter a gas station for upscale food,' Williams notes. 'They’re accustomed to gizzards, bologna sandwiches, and chicken that’s been sitting out for two hours.'

Despite this, Williams incorporated unique variations of classic dishes into his menu: he prepares everything from scratch, adding shrimp and grits, barbecue, and bacon cooked right outside. These items may not be ideal for eating on the go, but they provide comforting options for travelers willing to take a moment to sit down. 'Many people say, 'A gas station? No way, I won’t eat there,'' Williams shares. 'I anticipated that response, but I was confident in the quality of our food.'

Roy’s Grille is part of a rich legacy. Esso stations, the predecessors to ExxonMobil, were historically among the few national gas stations that employed Black individuals and welcomed them to stop, shop, and dine during the Jim Crow era. This tradition continues with Williams’s establishment, reflecting the enduring role of Southern gas stations in providing nourishment and comfort to their communities and weary travelers.

Amethyst Ganaway is a chef and writer from North Charleston, South Carolina.Naya-Cheyenne is a multimedia illustrator and designer based in Brooklyn, originally from Miami.Fact-checked by Andrea López-Cruzado