Casey’s General Store (Watervliet)
3781 M-140J and I moved to Michigan from Central Illinois ten years ago. It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago, but the 10 year anniversary recently snuck up on us.
There are still things we miss about the time we spent in Peoria. Obviously, it’s where we met so there will always be that special connection, but there, of course, is food we miss as well.
We worked in a small town just outside of Peoria called Creve Couer. There wasn’t much in the way of lunch spots in the small suburb. There was a street that had some fast food options so that’s what we ate most of the time.
Taco John’s was one of the places we went to often. They were open until very early in the morning so when we got off work at 11:00 or came in for a shift at 1:00 AM, Taco John’s was open. We finally got a Taco John’s in Michigan when one opened in a gas station in Stevensville a few years ago.
Another place that we ate at often was a gas station. That sounds odd, but they had the best gas station pizza.
Casey’s General Store is a Midwestern chain of convenience stores headquartered near Des Moines, IA. It’s not hard to find one in small towns all over their twelve state foot print. In fact, most directions in these small towns include the phrase, “turn right/let at the Casey’s.”
Michigan finally got it’s first Casey’s General Store just a few weeks ago. The gas station sits just off I-94 at the Watervliet exit on M-140.
The road side stop looks like any other gas station when you pull up to the pump but if you’re unaware of what Casey’s has to offer on the inside, you’re in for a surprise.
Casey’s General Store has always been somewhat known for it’s pizza. This store in Watervliet has a large kitchen and also cranks out things like sub sandwiches, chicken, and burgers in addition to the famous pizza.
This location actually has things that are new to me as well. I’ve never seen a Casey’s that has a Subway style sub sandwich making area.
My experience is always with older, more established Casey’s that has food in large warmers waiting for you.
The new Casey’s has a lot more options which can be seen on a digital menu board hanging above the kitchen area.
We chose to stop at Casey’s on our way to Chicago because we wanted the pizza. I kind of glanced at all the options but it’s Casey’s pizza that we miss from our days in Central Illinois.
I grabbed four slices of pizza from the warming box. I got two slices of cheese. One was for J and the other was intended for the kids to split. L had already eaten and even though B said he wanted pizza, when we got in the car, he wasn’t so interested so I eventually ate that one too.
I grabbed two different slices for myself. The first one I picked up was a slice of bacon. It was the Casey’s pizza I remembered and loved. The crust is typical for delivery pizza. It’s a little bit chewy and there’s a large handle on the outer edge. The sauce is a little more bitter than it is sweet and the cheese is one solid piece of slightly browned, greasy deliciousness. The bacon on this one is mostly under the cheese and added some saltiness to the slice.
The pepperoni slice I grabbed was something different. It was s thin crust slice of pizza with a very soft crust that won’t hold up on it’s on. It’s got a very New York like feel to it as it’s easy to fold in half and eat like a sandwich than to try and eat the slice as is. The pepperoni adds to the greasiness of the cheese. This one was a little hard to eat in the car but it was quite tasty.
We didn’t realize it when we went to pay but with two slices of pizza, you get a free 32 oz. fountain drink so I sent J back to get a couple of pops. I guess you only get one with each purchase because I had to pay for the second one.
We added on some of the usual gas station snacks. The kids each got a bag of chips, some icees, and J got some of Casey’s puppy chow. The total cost for the stop came out to a little over $16.
I hope this expansion in to Michigan is just the start. I always loved knowing that no matter where I traveled to in Central Illinois, there was a good chance I would be able to find a Casey’s if I had to eat in the car. Casey’s General Store isn’t the best pizza you’re ever going to have but it is going to be the best pizza you’re going to get from a gas station.
SW Michigan Dining 