RICHMOND, Va. – As NACS has demonstrated again and again, good food—really good, tasty, healthy and delicious food—can be found in the most unexpected places: gas stations and convenience stores. Recently, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reviewed the made-from-scratch food at five local convenience stores.

Crump’s Store “harks back to an era when service stations and country stores were destinations versus quick stops for gasoline and a lotto ticket,” the reporter wrote. Crump’s serves homemade beef stew, beef chili, chicken and dumplings, corn dogs, chili dogs and homemade breakfast sandwiches.

At the BP Chester Stop-N-Save, the busy lunch counter serves fried chicken, smoked sausages and home fries with onions. The paper noted that “Construction workers along with guys in suits line up for the fried fish sandwich that’s served between two slices of soft white bread, a sort of nod to the Nashville hot chicken-style presentation.”

For “real-deal” fried chicken, stop by the Horizon Food Store for some hand-breaded, pressure-cooked chicken that sells out lightening quick. The store also serves up fried catfish and gizzards, meatloaf, fried bologna sandwiches, pizzas and homemade subs. “However, it’s the fried chicken that’s the star,” according to the review.

The Market Café tucked inside an Exxon station brings a bit of India to Virginia. “It’s not until you venture inside and catch the aroma of curry, ginger, garlic and ghee that images of a run-of-the-mill gas station quickly fade and are replaced with visions of Indian street vendors deep-frying pakoras, baking puffed roti and browning onions and chickpeas for chana masala,” the reporter wrote. The extensive Indian menu features traditional thali, biryani, idly, dosas and pongal.

Finally, the Times-Dispatch said of the Aw Shucks Country Store, “this family-owned store is more of a destination than a quick stop. Part casual hangout and part community gathering space, Aw Shucks is the neighborhood place to be.” The store boasts live music, a large craft beer section with 16 brews on tap, yard sales and popup farmers markets. Food options include pork barbecue, brisket, ribs and chicken cooked on an outdoor smoker, plus cheeseburgers, pork nachos and hand-tossed pizza.