c/cheap-eats-hype

Been eating the same gas station burrito for a year, just found out I was microwaving it wrong

I grab the 2.99 breakfast burrito at the Shell station on Route 9 in Albany pretty much every morning on my way to work. Last Tuesday the guy behind the counter finally said, hey, you know you're supposed to poke holes in the wrapper first, right? I had no idea. I've been nuking it sealed for 90 seconds this whole time, which apparently makes it steam instead of crisp up. The tortilla always came out soggy and I just thought that's how it was. I tried it his way the next day, poked four holes with a fork, and the difference was huge. The edges actually got a little brown and the eggs weren't rubbery. Is there any other basic prep step I'm missing for cheap stuff like this? I feel like I've been leaving flavor on the table for a year over something that takes ten extra seconds.

The 6 month quest to find the Taco Bell quesarito, gone forever?

Okay so I heard they were coming back in some test markets, drove to three different locations in Austin last Tuesday. First one said 'discontinued for real', second didn't even know what it was, third finally told me it was a limited 4 week thing back in March, I missed it by two months lmao. Anyone know if any chain still does a proper quesarito style, or is my craving just doomed forever?

That Taco Bell breakfast crunchwrap I swore by for 2 years was a lie

I used to hit the Taco Bell drive thru every morning before my shift at the warehouse in Toledo, always getting the same breakfast crunchwrap. Thought it was the best cheap deal going at $4.29, until last Tuesday I actually looked at the receipt and realized I could get two eggs, a bag of hash browns, and a sausage biscuit from the gas station down the road for $3.10 total. Took me burning my tongue on molten cheese that morning to really wake up and compare. My whole routine was just habit, not value. Anyone else ever catch themselves overpaying for convenience at a big chain when the corner store does it better?

Gas station fried chicken vs. my favorite sit-down spot, which side are you on?

My buddy from Memphis swore the gas station chicken off exit 12 beats any $9 plate I order downtown, and he made me try it cold last Tuesday. I gotta say, the crunch held up better than the $14 tenders I usually defend, so is the hype real or was I just hungry?

The $4 Taco Bell tip that a cashier told me after a wrong order

She said to ask for the grilled burrito with the fiesta potatoes added in, and after trying it last Thursday in Denver it honestly beats anything on the value menu, so has anyone else gotten a hidden menu line from a worker that actually works?

Gas station breakfast taco beat my usual diner order in Tulsa

Ngl, I found out a QuikTrip breakfast taco with potato, egg, and cheese costs $2.79 and it surprised me how fresh it was, so has anyone else had a gas station meal that topped a sit-down spot?

Went back to the gas station taco spot I loved in 2009, the burrito cost twice as much now

Stopped at the same Shell station in Reno where I used to grab $3.50 breakfast burritos during college. Last Thursday I walked in, same guy at the grill, same salsa smell. Price tag said $7.25. Portion got smaller too. Still tasted damn good but it hit different. Inflation is real but $7.25 for a gas station burrito feels like a whole new world. Anyone else got an old cheap spot that quietly tripled on them?

Took me 6 months to figure out the Taco Bell $2 burrito hack

I kept paying $4.50 for the beefy melt burrito until I noticed the value menu has a spicy potato taco that's basically the same thing for $1.50. Ask for it grilled and add red sauce, it's 90% the same for half the price. Anyone else got a sneaky menu swap that saves cash?

Wasted $14 on a gas station breakfast burrito, never again

Grabbed one from a spot in Fort Worth thinking it'd be a solid cheap meal, but the egg was rubbery and there was maybe two shreds of cheese for $14. What's your go-to sub-$5 breakfast that actually delivers?

Guy at a gas station in Tucson told me to mix their hot sauce with the ranch for their chicken strips

Tried that gas station pizza near the bus stop and it actually slapped

Was stuck in Memphis last Thursday with like $8 left and grabbed a whole pepperoni pizza from a Shell station on Poplar Ave. Figured it would taste like cardboard but it was actually crispy and loaded with cheese for only $5.49. Kind of blew my mind because I usually waste $7 on a sad Subway sandwich that leaves me hungry. Has anyone else found decent pizza at a random gas station or was this a one time fluke?

Had a cashier at a gas station in Dayton tell me to skip the hot dog and get the taquitos instead

So I'm standing at this Shell station last Tuesday, staring at the roller grill debating if I really want a 99 cent hot dog that's been sitting there since noon. The cashier, older dude with a faded Browns hat, leans over and says 'don't do it man, the taquitos are fresher, they just put a new batch in 20 minutes ago.' I got two chicken taquitos for $2.50 and they were actually crispy and good, not soggy at all. So here's the debate - do you trust gas station food recommendations from strangers or do you stick with what you know?

Crossed 50 unique taco spots this year on a $10 budget, and I'm torn on something

I hit 52 different taco spots this year, all under $10 a meal (mostly the $1.50-$3 range from trucks and tiny taquerias in Austin). But I'm debating if the best deal is going for 3 basic carne asada tacos for $6 or splurging on one loaded trompo taco for $4.50 that's way more filling. What's your pick when you hit a milestone like this, more quantity or higher quality per buck?

Gas station sushi gamble backfired on me in Memphis last night

I was driving through Memphis around midnight and stopped at a BP that had a sushi cooler inside. I know the general rule is never trust gas station sushi, but it was under $6 and I was starving so I grabbed a spicy tuna roll. About 20 minutes down the road I felt my stomach start doing somersaults and I had to pull over at a Waffle House parking lot real quick. Spent the next hour in their bathroom praying no one needed to use it. I ended up just throwing the rest of the roll away and eating a pack of crackers from my glovebox instead. So my question is... have any of you actually had gas station sushi work out okay for you? Or am I just the latest victim of a bad idea everyone knows better than to try?

Tried that dollar menu McDouble from the 2000s again last week

I stopped at a McDonald's in Austin and ordered a McDouble like I used to get back in high school for a buck even. The patty was thinner and the bun was dry, totally different from what I remember paying $1 for in 2005. Anyone else notice the old cheap eats losing their mojo or am I just getting pickier?

TIL I was ordering gas station hot dogs wrong for years

I was at a Speedway in Cleveland last week getting my usual hot dog combo. I always ask for the chili and cheese on top, then walk it over to the condiment station to add ketchup and mustard myself. This older guy next to me says "you know they put the chili on the bun first, not the dog. Keeps the bread from getting soggy." I looked at my sad, wet bun and realized I had been doing it backwards for probably 15 years. Has anyone else had a basic food prep habit flipped on them like this?

A kid behind the counter changed how I order at fast food places

Last fall I was at a McDonald's in Columbus, Ohio and ordered my usual double cheeseburger with extra pickles. The teenager at the register told me I was wasting money and that the McDouble with added pickles cost a dollar less for basically the same thing. I switched my order after that and now I save about three bucks every time I go there.

Gas station sushi at 2am seemed like a good idea at the time

Last Wednesday I was starving after a late shift and grabbed a $3.50 spicy tuna roll from the cooler at a Shell station in Jacksonville. Ate it in the parking lot and spent the next 4 hours hugging the toilet wondering if I shouldve just hit the drive thru instead. Has anyone else been burned by convenience store sushi or am I the only dummy?

Taco Bell's $2 burrito actually fills me up now

My buddy Mike told me to order it with extra beans and potatoes for 70 cents more and I thought he was nuts but it's way more food. Has anyone else found that one small add-on makes a cheap meal actually worth it?

Got humbled by a gas station burrito in Tulsa last Tuesday

I was grabbing a quick bite at a Gas N Go off Route 66, thought I'd try their 2-for-$5 breakfast burritos. Picked one up from the warmer, took a big bite in the car, and immediately felt something rubbery and cold in the middle. Opened it up and found a whole half-cooked hot dog inside mixed with the scrambled eggs... I guess they ran out of sausage links and improvised? Threw the rest out, went across the street to a taco truck and paid $3.50 for two proper tacos instead. Has anyone else found weird mystery meat combos at their local stations? I'm still not sure if that was a mistake or some kind of regional thing...

Costco rotisserie chickens got me thinking about my whole meal prep

I was standing at the deli last Tuesday watching this guy load up 3 chickens for $4.99 each and it hit me that I've been wasting money on fast food burritos when I could just shred one of these and have lunches for a week. Has anyone else had that moment where you realize the cheap eat you've been ignoring is actually way better than your go-to?

Overheard a guy at 7-Eleven say the roller hot dogs are a better deal than the taquitos and now I can't decide

He argued the roller hot dog gets you two for $3 and fills you up, but the taquitos are crunchier and cheaper per ounce at $1.29 each. Which side do you lean on for a quick gas station meal under $5?

Hot take: hit $5.75 for a gas station breakfast in Oklahoma and it beat any fast food I've had all year

Burger King drive thru in Nashville gave me a cold fish sandwich last night

I was heading home late from a work thing around 9pm and stopped at the Burger King off I-24. Ordered their fish sandwich combo for like $6 and some change. Took a bite and it was actually cold inside, like straight from the fridge cold. Has anyone else had problems with fast food fish sandwiches being served at weird temperatures or was this just a one off bad night?

A line cook at Denny's in Tulsa told me I was ruining my cast iron by using soap and now I only scrub with salt and oil.

After 3 months of testing his method on my $12 thrift store skillet, the eggs slide off like butter and I've never looked back, has anyone else had a cook change their kitchen routine like that?