Kum & Go (Wyoming)
5437 S Division AvenueI remember my first trip to Iowa several years ago. I was driving to Iowa City with a buddy for a basketball game. He had made the trip several times before so it was not quite of a shock to him when we stopped at a gas station called Kum & Go.
Yeah…I couldn’t stop laughing. Nor could I believe they could get away with that name spelled that way. Of course I bought a t-shirt.
A few years ago, I went back to Iowa with a different group of guys. We stayed in Ankley, IA just just outside of Des Moines. And sure enough, there was a Kum & Go near our AirbNb. Like me all those years ago, the guys I was with couldn’t believe that was actually the name plastered on signs of a gas station.
Now, Kum & Go has come to Michigan.
The first few stores opened in the Grand Rapids area. I had to work up that way quite a bit last week and noticed the billboard for one not too far from US-131. I needed gas anyway and they were advertising food so I swung off the highway to check out the new gas station.
They Wyoming location for Kum & Go is on Division Avenue at 54th Street. The gas station is on the corner lot on the southwest side of the road. The building really isn’t all that flashy. It’s a kind of a generic looking building with the Kum & Go logo over the doors. This spot is only about half a mile from US-131 as are most of the gas stations in this area so it’s fairly easy to get to and get back to the highway.
I had to get gas first so I did that before heading inside.
The convenience store is set up like so many of the larger gas stations are nowadays. There’s a the traditional convience store on one side with cooler of drinks and shelves full of snacks. Then there’s the fresh food area off to the other side. There’s options for both made to order, hot grab and go and ready made sandwiches. I’ve written a lot about these kind of places recently with stops at Speedy Cafe, Wawa, and Sheetz.
I started to look through the kiosk when a lady behind the counter told me they weren’t working. I assumed that meant no made to order but as I was walking away to grab a slice of pizza, she told me if I wanted something, I could just tell her and she’d make it.
I ended up ordering two of the Stackers. They’re fairly small sandwiches made with ciabatta rolls.
I took a seat in the nearby seating area while I waited. There’s actually quite a bit of room if you want to pay for your food then sit and eat it. It’s a great option for construction workers and people coming in off the highway so they don’t have to eat in their cars.
It took just a few minutes for the sandwiches to be made. I grabbed a couple of Pepsi then went to pay. It cost me just over $11.
I opened up the first sandwich when I got back to the car. It was the Pork Duo Stacker. This sandwich is pulled pork, mustard, go-go sauce, pickles, green onions, and Swiss cheese. Using ciabatta is always a bold choice. You end up tasting more bread than anything. I like ciabatta so that’s not a complaint. There was a decent amount of pulled pork on the sandwich and it was a little tangy from the pickles and whatever “go-go sauce” is. The sandwich is about three bites so for a bigger guy like me, ordering two is kind of a necessity.
The other sandwich I ordered was the BBQ Brisket. This sandwich has pulled brisket, go-go sauce, pickles, green onions and onion chips. I asked for the onion chips to be left off and the lady assured me that sandwich didn’t come with onions….then put them on anyway. It was fine. They were big enough I was able to take them off myslef. The brisket was alright. Pulled brisket isn’t my favorite but it makes sense in this kind of sandwich. Again, not sure what “go-go sauce” is but it adds some tanginess to the sandwich.
Kum & Go is pretty similar to other gas station that have ventured in the made-to-order food side of things. It’s always great to have quick options and I love these convenience stores that I can get a tasty sandwich while I fill up my tank and grab my two Pepsi’s.
SW Michigan Dining 