‘I Hate Buc-ees’: The Texans who aren’t sold on Texas’ favorite pit stop
(NEXSTAR) — There are a handful of things that many Texans can agree on — and Buc-ee’s, Texas’ beloved gas station chain, is usually one of them. Whether you’re looking for the company’s famed clean bathrooms or the plethora of treats ready to eat, there’s something for everyone at a Buc-ee’s stop.
Or so we thought.
It might sound like sacrilege — but recently, one Texas travel writer explained for Fodor’s Travel why, in her opinion, “Buc-ees pit stop really sucks.”
San Antonio-based writer Jill Robbins explains her unpopular opinion (which she says she’s been told she’s not a “real Texan” for having) is based on the “chaotic atmosphere” of crowded stores and vast, bustling parking lots she says don’t have many parking spaces.
Robbins says while driving breaks are necessary, she’s more likely to stop at a greener designated rest stop, though she does acknowledge the store’s clean bathrooms and fair gas prices, she says she nevertheless hates Buc-ee’s “with the fire of a thousand suns.”
Buc-ee’s beaver toys (Courtesy: Buc-ee’s)
On X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Robbins noted that her hometown newspaper, San Antonio Express-News covered her story and “people have big [feelings]” about it. The Facebook post of the article currently has over 6.6K comments and over 400 shares.
Robbins’ piece and the reaction to it got us thinking — surely she’s not the only Texan who feels this way, right? So we took to Reddit to find out.
And apparently, the “unpopular opinion” isn’t shared by Robbins alone. Users confessed their Buc-ee’s hate (or ambivalence) in several Unpopular Opinion subreddit threads, in addition to several in the Texas subreddit.
Crowds and chaos were among the top reasons people tended to give for staying away from the stores.
One thread, “I don’t get Buc-ee’s, don’t hate me – but please explain,” received several hundred replies with people trying to guide the original poster through their love for Buc-ee’s. While the bathrooms were among the top reasons, one user summed up Buc-ee’s appeal in one highly upvoted reply: “Buc-ee’s is nice because I can fuel up for cheap, use a nice restroom without waiting, grab food/drink from a giant selection, buy a small gift for my children (I like to buy them small gifts when I travel overnight). All of this can be accomplished for a reasonable price while not having to wait on anything at any point.”
Love it or hate it, Buc-ee’s’ chokehold on roadside travelers isn’t going away anytime soon. The Texas-based company is quickly expanding in many areas of the country. Aside from over 30 locations in Texas, there are now Buc-ee’s locations in Tennessee, South Carolina, Missouri, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida and Alabama.
As of last summer, a Buc-ee’s location was in the works in Huber Heights, Ohio, which Nexstar’s Dayton outlet WDTN notes “could definitely be considered” among the first “northern” Buc-ee’s locations.
Ultimately, as Robbins explains in her opinion piece, not everyone enjoys the same things. So whether you’re a Buc-ee’s stan or a Buc-ee’s hater, there are different kinds of rest stops to be appreciated all across the Lone Star State. And after all, there’s always a solution: like picking up some Beaver Nuggets and enjoying them in a quiet park alone!
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