Forget Buc-ee’s, with its gleaming bathroom mirrors and enough packaged snacks to feed a small country. There are other, true "destination gas stations" that are the real road trip OG's, and they're worth a stop on your next trek around Texas.
With America’s legendary Route 66 celebrating its 100th birthday this year, old-school, landmark gas stations have re-emerged as trendy pit stops (natch!) for travelers. And there are many in Texas.
Some of the gas stations below have been converted into trendy cafes, some are protected historical sites, and some sit empty and awaiting their rebirth. From hidden gems in the hearts of big cities (including Dallas) to Art Deco wonders out west - including one on Route 66 itself - they'll have travelers channeling their inner adventurer to check out these road trip relics.
Good Luck Gas Station: Art Deco in Dallas
A few blocks away from the Mixmaster’s elevated freeways, you’ll spy a peculiar white tower with curved, stepped sides and retro-futuristic style. It’s the Good Luck Gas Station, built in 1939 by East Texas’ Good Luck Oil Company. Topping out at 35 feet tall, the Art Deco station features smooth, stucco walls and rounded corners. Its sleek, aerodynamic aesthetic evokes machine-age ocean liners and aeroplanes, and was inspired by a trip to the city’s Fair Park. The station sits vacant today and is a designated Dallas Landmark. 903 Cadiz St., Dallas.
Vintage photo of the Good Luck Gas Station in Dallas.Courtesy photo
Ellerbe Fine Foods: Fill up on farm-to-table fare in Fort Worth
Fort Worth’s Magnolia Avenue might be a foodie hotspot today, but it was once a workaday corridor with hardware stores, barbershops, and gas stations — including the 1920s relic that now houses Ellerbe. Built on a corner lot for quick access for motorists, the utilitarian brick building isn’t noted so much for its architecture as for the alchemy inside: award-winning fine dining in an intimate, sophisticated atmosphere. Grab a table on the patio to eat under the original canopy where gas attendants previously manned the pumps. You can still say fill ‘er up — but instead of diesel, you’ll get blackened red fish, pork beignets, and braised duck with black pepper dumplings. 1501 W Magnolia Ave., Fort Worth.
Ellerbe is a fine-dining destination in an old gas station in Fort Worth.Courtesy photo
Petrified Wood Gas Station: Prehistoric pit shop in Decatur
The story of this station in Decatur begins 100 million years ago: Trees fell in the forest (no one heard it), sediment covered them up, and the wood was slowly transformed into quartz. Fast-forward to 1935, when E. F. Boydston decided to plaster his eight-year-old station with petrified wood to make it stand out. It was a fashionable choice for the era. Excavators were unearthing mountains of the fossilized wood thanks to recent improvements in digging equipment, and people were incorporating the sturdy material in walls, in houses, and even in jewelry. The roadside stop also had a gift shop and a handful of one-room cabins, where the outlaws Bonnie and Clyde supposedly hid out (or so the story goes). Boydston’s descendants have lovingly restored the funky gas station, now home to the Whistle Stop Café. 904 US-287, Decatur.
Petrified Wood Station in Decatur.Courtesy photo
Humble Oil Service Station: From pumps to pups in San Antonio
With bright blue tiles and a decorative crest above the doorway, this 1930s station showcases the Spanish Revival style that was popular in the Southwest at the time. Humble Oil, a Texas company, aspired to create a sense of elegance and civility at its gas stations, which were once common across the state. They often added ornamental touches and zig-zag patterns, like the ones you’ll see here in San Antonio. You may also see pups running around: Lucy’s Doggy Daycare and Spa owns the old station and the building next door, and they use the space between as a dog run. 1019 S Laredo St., San Antonio.
Triangle Sinclair Station: Geometry on point in Snyder
Three-sided buildings are expensive to build, difficult to furnish, and oddly disorienting inside — and they’re absolutely charming, like this adorable triangular station in West Texas. When life gives you a three-sided lot, you make a triangular building, which is just what Sinclair Oil Company did here in Snyder back in 1935. Beautifully restored in the 2010s, it’s topped by a steep green pyramid roof that matches the shiny green dinosaur (Sinclair’s mascot) out front. Antique pumps under a separate, triangular canopy add to the appeal. 701 Coliseum Dr., Snyder, Texas.
Triangular Sinclair station.Courtesy photo
Magnolia Filling Station: Castroville Coffee House in Castroville
Once painted entirely orange inside, this old-fashioned outpost fuels locals in Castroville with fresh coffee and scratch-made pastries. Castroville is famously the “Little Alsace of Texas,” a one-time French settlement whose quaint historic buildings feature rustic wooden shutters and sloping mansard roofs. Flowerboxes and outdoor tables now fill the auto bays of the Hill Country station, which was built in the 1920s and still has its vintage pump. Enjoy the downhome ease along with creative libations like strawberry matcha tea and white chocolate lavender lattes. 1101 Fiorella St, Castroville.
Magnolia station in Castroville.Courtesy photo
Phillips 66 Station: Pretty panhandle pumps in McLean
Bucking the 1920s Art Deco fad in favor of Tudor Revival design, this charming 1929 cottage is cute-as-a-button with gabled roof and front chimney. Phillips Petroleum liked the cottagecore look so much that it became a common theme for their service stations. One of the oldest gas stations in Texas, it was restored in the 1990s with pops of red paint. Several early-20th Century antiques have been moved to the station, including a tow truck, an oil pump, two gas pumps, and an original Phillips 66 sign. But don’t expect to fill up; this throwback treasure is a historic site (and photo opp) only. 218 W First St, McLean, Texas.
The Gas Station: For horror fans in Bastrop
Have you ever wondered why so many horror movies are set in Texas? One of the craziest cult classics is 1976’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre — and the gas station/barbecue joint that the cannibals owned in the film is now open for lunch and dinner. Riding the dark tourism trend, the rickety pit stop in Bastrop was reborn in 2016 as a restaurant, gift shop, and overnight stay with a campsite and four rustic cabins (the blood-red walls are a nice touch).
There’s no human flesh on the meat-heavy menu, so you’ll have to settle for brisket nachos, beef chili, and smoked sausage. But you can mingle with other murder-movie lovers at lovely outdoor picnic tables. The Gas Station is easy to find — just look for the replica of the film’s creepy green van and the sign that says We Slaughter Barbecue. 1073 State Highway 304, Bastrop, Texas.
The Gas Station in Bastrop.Courtesy photo
Conoco Tower Station & U-Drop Inn Cafe: Route 66 icon in Shamrock
Drivers on Route 66 have stopped at this Art Deco masterpiece for decades to fill up their tanks and their bellies before continuing west toward the American Dream. One of the most photographed roadside attractions in Texas, the unique stopover was built in 1936 with green glazed tiles, geometric details, and neon lights to make sure you don’t miss it. If it looks familiar, that’s because it inspired the design of Ramone’s body shop in the Pixar movie Cars.
Beautifully restored and reopened as a restaurant and gift shop in 2021, the must-stop attraction now serves excellent brisket smoked on-site and classic diner eats like meatloaf and chicken-fried steak. Expect a line if you’re traveling during high season, especially if you want to sit in the booth where Elvis ate his bacon and eggs, pancakes, chocolate pie, and a double order of toast with his coffee and Pepsi. 105 E 12th St, Shamrock, Texas.
Conoco station in Shamrock.Courtesy photo
Bonton Farms' goods are now sold at DFW Airport Terminal A. Photo courtesy of Bonton Farms