With summer looming over us, many of us are looking forward to our road trips. With those road trips, gas stations are going to be our best friends. We reviewed our three local gas stations (AMPM, Shell, and 7-Eleven) to figure out which station has the best Icee/Slurpee and hot dogs.
We first started with AMPM and we’re gonna be honest, this was not too much good stuff. Out of everything at AMPM, the hotdogs looked terrible. They tasted even worse. They were in a packaging that was meant to keep them warm but it made them look soggy. The look wasn’t a lie, the bun was moist from the heat being kept in the plastic package. It wasn’t even in the signature rolling warmer that you see advertised. Then don’t get me started on the Icee. It was terrible. We made sure to get the same flavour (Coke because it’s the best) at every gas station we went to and the AMPM one was the worst. The actual ice part was barely frozen and it lost most of the texture a slushie should have. The syrup for the Coke flavour was barely even there, it was like drinking watered-down Coke. An example I would give is carbonated water with a hint of Coke flavouring. In all, AMPM is not a place that you should go to get an Icee and hot dog. Your stomach will thank you for it.
At 7-Eleven, the hot dogs honestly looked appetising. We opted for the quarter-pounder hotdog. The hotdogs sit on the infamous rolling warmer before the worker comes and boxes them for you. When you take a bite out of that quarter-pounder meat stick, it tastes like summer. You feel happiness after taking a bite out of it. We did not feel the same happiness at AMPM. This hotdog just made all of my problems in life disappear for a small amount of time. The bun was a little much but the dog was so much better as opposed to AMPM. The Slurpees are classic and 7-Eleven always comes out with new flavours. Slurpees are always a hit no matter what time of year it is. They are always very refreshing and you cannot go wrong with them.
Finally is Shell. Shell was disappointing for the most part. First no matter how well we looked they did not have any hotdogs. It was a sad day indeed for that part. Next Shell, despite not selling hotdogs, had a decently good slushie. It had the texture of ice that was acceptable. With the syrup for the Coke being mixed in well. The biggest complaint I have is the biggest disgrace to any Slurpie and Icee. A paper straw. Let me say that again, a PAPER STRAW!
It’s especially a travesty when you drink it in a slushie. The paper when in contact with the liquid transfers the taste into the liquid. You are now drinking a mid slushie with the taste of paper in your mouth. Then comes the disintegration. It makes drinking the slushie so much more difficult. It’s either the part that you are drinking disappears or the part that’s in the drink is gone leaving you with a shorter straw. Any way Shell had a decent slushie all they needed to do to fix it was to get rid of the paper straws.
So in our final rankings, 7-Eleven is the best station for both hot dogs and Slushies. Hands down, there’s no doubt about it. Next would be Shell in the slushie department. Since they don’t serve any hot foods, they are disqualified from the food part. Finally is AMPM with the worst hotdog and slushie. Even though Shell was disqualified from the food, AMPM still finishes lower than Shell because that’s how bad their food is.
The best thing to take from this review is that 7-Eleven is and will be the best place to buy your slushies and hotdogs.