10 Best Truck Stop Restaurants Across America for Hungry Travelers

Truck In

For truckers, finding a good meal is often a logistical problem. It's not easy to drive a semi into the center of a town and find parking near most of the popular restaurants. Fortunately, there's an entire industry of restaurants catering to the nation's 3.5 million truckers, with some serving up food that's well worth the stop — whether you're a trucker or just a hungry traveler looking for a hearty meal.

Using tips from trucker forums, Google reviews and Reddit's trucker subreddit, we compiled a list of some of the best-reviewed truck stop restaurants across the nation. These popular stops offer easy-access meals and some accompanying conveniences, such as laundry and massages that could be vital during a long haul. If you're a road tripper or traveler looking for hidden-gem dining experiences that come trucker-approved, you're in luck.

Max's Thunder Road Grill

Grand Island, Nebraska

All-day breakfast as well as steaks, salads, wraps, artisan pizzas, angus burgers, and specialty mac and cheese bowls mean solid online reviews for Max's Thunder Road Grill, off Interstate 80 inside the Bosselman Travel Center. It's got friendly staff, good food, and decor — mostly old cars and motorcycles hanging from the walls. Also on site is Phoenix Massage Therapy, which offers 60-minute massages for $70.

hangman burger with avocado added — Fernando G./Yelp

Outpost Cafe

Oak Hills, California

The Outpost has a sense of humor, as seen in its shirts advertising "Hot beer. Lousy food. Bad service." But online reviews of the cafe prove the negativity is all in fun, praising its cheeseburgers and steaks for their quality and staff for being attentive and friendly. There's a Pilot Travel Center nearby Interstate 15, and has a laundromat, game room, 11 showers, and a chapel.

blueberry bread pudding with ice cream — Dysart's Coldbrook Restaurant

Dysart's Coldbrook Restaurant

Hermon, Maine

You might recognize Dysart's from a now-famous blooper reel — spoofed by Saturday Night Live — showing a Dysart's customer fumbling one of his lines repeatedly while trying to shoot a commercial: "Baked in a buttery, flaky crust." But truckers like the restaurant, near the junction of Highway 2 and Interstate 95, because it's open 24/7 and sells delicious comfort food, all-day breakfast, and pies from its on-site bakery.

Related: Road Trippers Go Out of Their Way for These Convenience Stores

Nelson Bros. Restaurant & Bakery

Clearwater, Minnesota

There are sandwiches, pizza, salads, Tex-Mex, and more on the big menu (and in the big portions) at the Nelson Bros. Restaurant inside the Clearwater Travel Plaza off Interstate 94, northwest of Minneapolis. It also has an on-site bakery with fudge, candy, doughnuts ("the size of your head"), pastries, and its special fritter bread. Regular customers warn that the restaurant and bakery get pretty busy during breakfast hours on weekends.

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South of the Border

Hamer, South Carolina

This tourist trap truck stop perched off Interstate 95 at the border of good taste and between the Carolinas needs little introduction. Beyond infamy, it offers a handful of on-site restaurants that stand a good chance of satisfying whatever food you're craving, including Mexican, hot dogs, pizza, subs, ice cream, and a reasonable steakhouse. South of the Border is also home to an amusement park, a 200-foot tower with a 360-degree view, and the largest indoor reptile exhibit in the country.

76th Street Diner

Byron Center, Michigan

This 24/7 truck stop restaurant just south of Grand Rapids off Highway 131 offers an affordable mix of American and Tex-Mex comfort foods — the $10 plate of "Monster" pancakes is worth serious consideration. The 76th Street Diner is praised by online reviewers for food that's consistently good and service that's warm and friendly.

The Big Texan Steak Ranch

Amarillo, Texas

The Big Texan Steak Ranch is actually across the street from the Amarillo Truck Center off Interstate 40 but serves the same truckers, priding itself on "serving up the biggest and the best of what travelers want to find in Texas." The Wild West-themed restaurant feeds nearly a half-million diners each year, and it's become famous for offering a 72-ounce steak that's free if you can eat it — along with a bread roll, baked potato, shrimp cocktail, and salad — within one hour.

R Place Restaurant

Morris, Illinois

R Place Restaurant earns high marks for friendly service, homey atmosphere, and consistently good breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Located a stone's throw from the Pilot Travel Center off Interstate 80, R Place also features a salad bar and a bakery that makes custom-order cakes.

The Big Horn Grill

Fort Worth, Texas

The Big Horn Travel Center is a 9,000-square-foot truck stop that houses an enormous convenience store, several fast-food restaurants, and the "cleanest bathrooms in Texas," according to at least one Google reviewer. But this truck stop opened in 2018 off Interstate 20 also hosts The Big Horn Grill, with a Friday night fish-fry featuring a hand-breaded catfish entree that comes with hush puppies, coleslaw, a side, and dessert.

Sonic at Gore's Travel Plaza

Seiling, Oklahoma

Sonic doesn't offer home-style cooking, but sometimes truckers need a meal that's quick and affordable, and the Sonic at Gore's Travel Plaza off Highway 270 doesn't just have a drive-through for semis — it's one of the nation's few fast-food joints with truck-accessible carhops. If you have some spare time, considering checking out Delizioso Bistro and Coffee Bar within the travel plaza.