How do some drivers eat every night at truck stops? I take my own food to either microwave or cook on the gas. Microwave stuff more because it’s less cleaning to do afterwards! In a year I’ve eaten at truck stops twice. The first time was to give it a chance to see if it’s any good and to see if I could actually find something healthy. The second time was because I’d run out of food due to being out Friday night.
Both times I was eating out at 2 different places, for a start everything came with chips and everything else was fried. Burgers, steaks, mix grills, sausages, curry with chips. Even the salad came with chips! And to be honest for a place that specialises in throwing a load of meat and oil on a hot plate isn’t going to offer a particularly great or imaginative salad.
Did I just end up eating at 2 bad ones or is this norm for truck stop food?
It’s all well and good saying the truck stops should put on some healthy options but if they did I bet most wouldn’t eat them.
Only truck stop I’ve ever eaten in is the Red Lion in just off the M1. Cracking food although they did lose nearly all their staff that night because they were raided by Immigration not 5 minutes after I arrived. Kicked everyone out of the bar while they interviewed everyone.
Rowley010:
How do some drivers eat every night at truck stops? I take my own food to either microwave or cook on the gas. Microwave stuff more because it’s less cleaning to do afterwards! In a year I’ve eaten at truck stops twice. The first time was to give it a chance to see if it’s any good and to see if I could actually find something healthy. The second time was because I’d run out of food due to being out Friday night.
Both times I was eating out at 2 different places, for a start everything came with chips and everything else was fried. Burgers, steaks, mix grills, sausages, curry with chips. Even the salad came with chips! And to be honest for a place that specialises in throwing a load of meat and oil on a hot plate isn’t going to offer a particularly great or imaginative salad.
Did I just end up eating at 2 bad ones or is this norm for truck stop food?
It’s all well and good saying the truck stops should put on some healthy options but if they did I bet most wouldn’t eat them.
Which 2 were they out of interest.
They are like everything else, some are excellent, some are total crap,.and others different degrees in between.
When I lived an worked in the UK I always ate at truck stops, some good, some bad but I never cooked for myself, I did however have an electric kettle in the cab. Over here I find some truck stops are good, some are really revolting, I miss British food especially bacon and the sausages LOL. I spend most nights out in our terminal in NYC and usually get fast food or drive to the Irish café about 4 miles away for bangers and mash, battered sausages and chips or REAl bacon. If I find my self stuck at a truck stop I usually settle for steak because its the best option.
Stopped at Skelmersdale TruckStop just off the m58 a few months ago. I usually cook my own food but asked the driver next to me whether he knew if the food was worth buying or not. By golly it was. It was lovely. The truckstop itself was alright - A bit tight parking spots but theres a security guy there who helps reverse you in if its busy.
Also recommend Chippenham Pit Stop just off M4 also as there food is brilliant (beats the local MSA)
When i was in the UK the only ones i really used were the Cheerio cafe at Sleaford,the Moorings at Fosdyke , the Salt Box on the A50 and occasionally Castleford truck stop.They all had healthier option food but i always found most stops/cafes in the UK served up nothing but ■■■■■■ The filthiest one i ever stopped at was Truckers on the A38, took one look at the food all over the floor and the greasy guy behind the counter and walked straight back out.
France and Spain i find are so much better offering a wide variety of low fat tasty food but mostly i cook for myself just using a small gas burner and kettle,its a lot cheaper and at least you know where your own hands have been…
AndrewG:
When i was in the UK the only ones i really used were the Cheerio cafe at Sleaford,the Moorings at Fosdyke , the Salt Box on the A50 and occasionally Castleford truck stop.They all had healthier option food but i always found most stops/cafes in the UK served up nothing but [zb]. The filthiest one i ever stopped at was Truckers on the A38, took one look at the food all over the floor and the greasy guy behind the counter and walked straight back out.
France and Spain i find are so much better offering a wide variety of low fat tasty food but mostly i cook for myself just using a small gas burner and kettle,its a lot cheaper and at least you know where your own hands have been…
AndrewG:
When i was in the UK the only ones i really used were the Cheerio cafe at Sleaford,the Moorings at Fosdyke , the Salt Box on the A50 and occasionally Castleford truck stop.They all had healthier option food but i always found most stops/cafes in the UK served up nothing but [zb]. The filthiest one i ever stopped at was Truckers on the A38, took one look at the food all over the floor and the greasy guy behind the counter and walked straight back out.
France and Spain i find are so much better offering a wide variety of low fat tasty food but mostly i cook for myself just using a small gas burner and kettle,its a lot cheaper and at least you know where your own hands have been…
Cheerio Cafe is horrendous now, I’d rather starve
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Its really that bad now is it? Im going back probably 26 years though…
I use them every so often, for the money the Chesterfield truckstop roast beef meal is massive and a struggle to finish so I stop in there instead of a mcdonalds at Tibshelf if I’m parking up nearby for the night.
There’s lots of decent food.
Stockyard
Newark
Pj’s
Chesterfield
Lodge farm
M25 j26
Riverside cafe
Bromsgrove
Lockerbie
Lesmahagow
Red lion
Even msa’s have upped their game now.
I was in cobham last night,and the choice of eateries was very good.
I’m retired now, but if I was driving these days I would probably not use truck stops that often. There are so many possibilities taking and cooking your own food and its cheaper.Back in my day (60s, 70s & 80s), transport cafes were a boon. You got to swap chat with other drivers get a good cheap meal, chill out a bit. If you wanted company, sometimes you could pick up a hitchhiker. The demise of the transport cafe was sad.
Get away from truckstops and find good pubs, its also good for wellbeing to get completely away from anything to do with lorries for a while.
Sod self catering except when stuck with circs beyond your control, if the job doesn’t pay enough for a decent meal after a days graft then it’s time to look for another.
I don’t do cooked services food v often, I’d rather an m&s or waitrose pasta thingy, but have had a not bad little roast at Cobham services m25 & the noodle pot thingy at clackets.
Abroad I do a bit more, Germany pretty good & Italy has services meals to rival good restaurants.
France and Spain i find are so much better offering a wide variety of low fat tasty food but mostly i cook for myself just using a small gas burner and kettle,its a lot cheaper and at least you know where your own hands have been…
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when m away and cooking for myself,i usually eat a lot of eggs…as at least you know where the egg has been…
I like to have at least one truckstop nosh off per week as a treat, the rest of the time I’ll look after myself.
Takes at least 3 meals for me to decide on the quality allowing for an off day or I’ve got flustered at the counter and ordered something I didn’t like.
Lincoln Farm for sheer quantity takes some beating, fork me I’ve never seen so many chips.
Chips with everything: meals, drinks, showers etc.
It’s quite low calorie as well due to the amount of grease used so there’s little traction for it to stick around for long, normally the lots coming out 10minutes after going in.
I once passed a fully formed chip which was odd as it was the one occasion I didn’t have chips.
I avoided Lincoln Farm for about a year after getting a grease soaked mixed grill.
I was kinda forced into parking there about 3 weeks ago, even contemplated eating in the cab, but we get a voucher off a parking account so I decided to brave it.
Got the special which was sweet and sour pork steaks, got to say I really enjoyed them, so I reckon it depends on which chef is on.
Btw Dave, have you heard the history of Lincoln Farm before the Godsquad took over ?..it would have been right up your strasse mate in the 80s
Yes a gas cooker and 24v microwave is the best way to go
Dont think you see many gas ovens nowerdays but I know they do those slow cook things now, perfect for cooking when you are driving
But I just find the bulk of drivers are to fecikgng lazy to cook, so they get ripped off at burger king moto hee hee
