Wally’s (Fenton)

• 950 Assembly Parkway
• Fenton, MO 63026
• (636) 678-7087
• Website

Like I mentioned in my first post from this trip, I was supposed to be in Nashville this weekend.

We signed the kids up for a figure skating competition in Nashville and had been making plans ever since. J and I went to Nashville for one night on our honeymoon on our way back to Michigan from Pigeon Forge. That’s the only time we’ve been there.

One of the biggest thing the kids were looking forward to was stopping at Buc-ees. There’s one along the way in Smiths Grove, TN. B wanted so much stuff. A few of his friends have blankets, t-shirts, onesies, etc. He wanted those things too.

When my plans got changed and I was heading to St. Louis for the weekend. I was going to miss out on the Buc-ees stop. I’ve never been to one and I was looking forward to it too.

No worries though, there’s an equally ridiculous gas station stop along the way in Pontiac, IL.

I told my colleague we were going to stop at Wally’s. It was like Buc-ees but it’s not Buc-ees. I figured we’d grab lunch there on our way down. I’ve been there before. Two of my aunts are in a nursing home nearby and I stopped there last time I went to visit.

Our second night in St. Louis we headed back to the hotel after our shift was done. We stayed at Drury Plaza that in addition to free breakfast, has free dinner for guests. My colleague said she was tired and we’d see what hotel dinner was. It was pasta and chicken and it wasn’t bad so we just ate there and enjoyed a couple of free drinks that came with it.

I needed to go get gas in the car though before our next day in St. Louis. I realized we were really close to the other Wally’s and I had just enough gas to get there. So once we got done with hotel dinner, I headed to Fenton.

The other of the two Wally’s locations is on Assembly Parkway in Fenton, MO at N Highway Drive right off I-44. It’s really kind of confusing to get to if you’re not familiar with the location. I was coming from the east on I-44 and it had me get off the highway a mile before the store. N Highway Drive is one way heading west. If you get off at Bowles Avenue coming from the west, you’ll weave your way to Assembly Parkway and come in from that side of the travel plaza.

I got my gas then headed inside. Yeah, I had just eaten but there are a couple of things I really like from Wally’s so I wasn’t going to leave without them.

The store is large. This is not your typical travel center. It’s divided into three pretty distinct areas.

When you walk in, that’s where you’re going to find most of the fresh made food. There’s a big BBQ counter right in the middle with brisket and pulled pork sandwiches ready to go. There are also some burritos, chicken sandwiches, and chicken strips among other things.

To the left of that is the popcorn counter. It’s no Wesco but there are a lot of options for different kinds of popcorn which always makes a good travel snack.

The other side has a cafe where you can get coffee drinks, bakery items and ice cream.

I already knew what I was going to get before I walked in but I noticed a pizza area in the back of the space. I was really tempted to grab a couple of slices but passed because I really wasn’t all that hungry at the moment and I still had some leftover Imo’s in my room.

Of course all gas stations have to have the cold cooler with sandwiches, salads, and other snacks. Wally’s has one of those too with stuff made in house.

Just beyond the food area to the left when you walk in the building is a giant store. I mean, that’s what my kids were most looking forward to at Buc-ees so it makes sense Wally’s has something something similar.

They don’t have Wally’s onesies that I saw but there is a large variety of mugs, t-shirts, magnets, and other souvenirs. I walked around thinking I should buy something but I’m not much of a souvenir guy. In hindsight, I should have at least gotten a magnet to commemorate this trip

Even better, I should have gotten a mascot stuffy to go with the three the kids brought home from Tennessee.

The other side of the building is typical convenience store stuff. Pop, beer, candy, chips. You know. I grabbed a couple of bottles of Pepsi then headed back to the food section to get what I really came for.

The first thing I grabbed where the chips. These are a must every time you stop at Wally’s. They’re house made potato chips that are super crispy and covered with a thick layer of seasoning. These are so good and so cheap at $2 a bag. They’re a great snack to eat while driving and just a great snack overall. I’m always tempted to grab two bags whenever I stop.

The other thing I grabbed was a brisket sandwich. I’m shocked at just how good this brisket it. I prefer the sliced over the chopped. The sliced brisket is just thick, tender, juicy pieces of brisket on a bun. It’s so simple but it doesn’t need anything. This is the kind of brisket I could just eat all day and never get tired of. It’s so surprising to get a sandwich like this (for just $7) from a gas station.

I stopped at Wally’s twice on this trip, got the same thing both times. A bag of chips, a brisket sandwich, and two Pepsi’s. The cost was less than $15 and I was full both times after I got done eating.

Wally’s looks to be set up like they’re going to expand this travel centers beyond these two locations. These are great travel stops. There are so many options that go well beyond gas station sandwiches or gas station chicken. I was pretty excited when I realized we were passing through Pontiac, IL on our drive to St. Louis and even more excited when I realized I was pretty close to the second Wally’s location at our hotel. If you’re ever on I-55 or I-44 near one of these, it is more than worth your time to pull off whether you need gas or not.