The Gourmet Snack Cakes You Can Grab At Your Local Gas Station

It's no secret that gas station food can be hit or miss; you should never buy produce at a gas station, and you might want to skip the stomach-churning slushies from machines that might be dirty. However, gas station food is becoming gourmet, and there are plenty of culinary gems to be discovered if you know what to look for. A prime example of America's best gas station fare is Ne-Mo's snack cakes. You may not recognize the name, but you'll know these baked goods when you see them. They're those little squares of cling-wrapped, iced carrot cake — or red velvet, chocolate, banana, pumpkin, birthday, strawberry, raspberry, or lemon flavors — often found stacked by the register, or in the cooler case of your local pit stop. 

These sweet treats are easy to overlook (Some may be suspicious of gas station cake), but if you give them a shot, you'll likely be pleasantly surprised. Ne-Mo's snack cakes have gained a devoted and growing fan base over the years thanks to their moist texture, fresh flavor, portable packaging, and relatively high-quality ingredients. Somewhat shockingly, the first ingredient in the carrot cake is real carrots. But don't worry, it also contains plenty of other delicious stuff, including preservatives which give it a shelf life of seven days at room temperature.

Ne-Mo's Bakery originated in 1975 in San Diego, California. The family-owned bakery started as a small operation selling carrot cake to local restaurants, and was an instant hit. These days, Ne-Mo's products are available at thousands of gas stations and convenience stores nationwide. Ne-Mo's offers a range of cake squares, muffins, cinnamon rolls, and other baked goods, but the original carrot cake with cinnamon and walnuts is undoubtedly its flagship product. And, according to company lore, the family recipe has never changed. Beyond the cult-favorite carrot cake (One Reddit user called it "the greatest carrot cake known to man"), many Ne-Mo's products incorporate high-quality ingredients like cocoa and buttermilk, along with real fruit, veggies, and nuts.

It might seem a little strange to find relatively gourmet baked goods at a gas station, but it actually makes sense. The comfort of a seemingly scratch-made treat is never more welcome than when you're on the road; a sentiment reflected in Ne-Mo's slogan, "Homemade Goodness...Away From Home." Whether you're taking a cross-country road trip or simply looking for a sweet pick-me-up on your way home from work, it's worth grabbing one (or a few) of Ne-Mo's gourmet snack cakes at your next pit stop.