The South is known for fantastic gas station food, and on today’s show, Dan takes a road trip from Birmingham to Memphis to try some out for himself. He travels across Alabama and Mississippi, eating pimento cheese sandwiches, tacos, fried chicken on a stick, sushi, and a very specific regional pasta dish. He also talks with the people behind these eateries to hear how they’re adapting their menus in a changing South, and chats with photojournalist Kate Medley, who spent ten years documenting Southern gas station restaurants, to understand why these places are such an integral part of Southern food culture.    

Check out some of the gas station restaurants Dan visited on your next southern road trip!

• Mac’s One Stop, Birmingham, AL
• Bayou Fresh Seafood, Jasper, AL
• Thomas Street Grocery, Tupelo, MS
• 4 Corners Chevron, Oxford, MS
• Tacos De Soto, Southaven, MS

The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O’Hara, Kameel Stanley, Jared O'Connell, and Giulia Leo, with help this week from Dan McGee. Publishing by Shantel Holder.

Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

Right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months free of the SiriusXM app by going to siriusxm.com/sporkful. Get all your favorite podcasts, more than 200 ad-free music channels curated by genre and era, and live sports coverage with the SiriusXM app.