Even if you haven’t experienced the joy of visiting a massive Buc-ee’s travel stop, you’ve likely heard people rave about it.
But have your heard of The Texan?
It’s a serious Buc-ee’s competitor that’s beloved by an ardent fan base…
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Let’s face it. The big thing that separates Buc-ee’s from lesser gas station experience is its sheer size.
They literally have the biggest gas stations in the world!
So there are a million gas pumps (I’m exaggerating, but not by much!), clean restrooms, legit barbecue, beef jerky, souvenirs, and so much more…
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Most of The Texan’s stores are also pretty big.
And they have clean restrooms.
And barbecue.
There’s a reason they’re so often compared to Buc-ee’s.
But do they stack up?
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When people walk into The Texan for the first time, the response is often, “Wait, is this actually owned by Buc-ees?”
It’s downright eerie, right down to the look and feel and the signage telling you all the different areas of the store.
You’ll see that it’s not much different than the Buc-ee’s image above.
Let’s keep going…
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For size, Buc-ee’s is unrivaled.
Its largest is the Luling, Texas location at a whopping 75,000 square feet.
But even its typical Buc-ee’s are in the 30,000 to 50,000 square-foot range.
The Texan’s travel centers are much smaller.
Think 10,000 square feet for the one in Port Aransas, Texas and 25,000 square feet for the one they’re building in La Marque, Texas.
So Buc-ee’s tend to be three times larger.
But bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better…
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Buc-ee’s bathrooms are legendary for their cleanliness.
They’re cleaned as often as every 30 minutes by dedicated bathroom attendants.
And tons of stalls (private, with full doors) and urinals.
They ain’t fancy, but they’re plentiful, private, and clean. All you can ask for from a gas station!
Like the rest of the store, The Texan’s bathrooms are very similar to Buc-ee’s, down to the brown, tan, and white color scheme.
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Buc-ee’s in-house kitchen features a host of favorites including breakfast burritos and tacos, kolaches, and, of course, barbecue.
The Texan also has a bunch of Tex-Mex food, kolaches, and barbecue. It does go a step further with pizza and a larger sandwich selection.
Which food is actually better?
Critics will say you can get better barbecue or Tex-Mex at one of Texas’s many, many famous standalone restaurants, but for those on a roadtrip good food done conveniently is often a better option than great food done with multiple stops.
But between Buc-ee’s and The Texan, it’s a toss up. Fans of Buc-ee’s are ride or die on most of its offerings, and may get offended when we say there are better barbecues. While fans of The Texan may tell you it has everything from better coffee to better pickled eggs.
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Buc-ee’s famously doesn’t allow semi’s on its premises.
That stinks for truckers, but it allows for a more focused and roomy experience for tourists and other visitors.
The Texan takes the other side and does allow semi’s. Not surprisingly, many truckers are therefore fans of The Texan over Buc-ee’s.
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It’s no surprise that Buc-ee’s can’t be beaten for its number of pumps. The typical Buc-ee’s travel stop has 80 to 120 gas pumps. With 128 planned at the upcoming San Marcos location.
But The Texan is no slouch, but has far fewer pumps. Its planned La Marque location is expected to have 62 total (56 gas, 6 diesel for truckers).
For alternative fuel options, Buc-ee’s is also impressive, featuring Ethanol-free fuel, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), Tesla Superchargers, and Mercedes-Benz High-Power Universal Chargers at many of its locations.
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As the name might suggest, The Texan is only in Texas. It’s got 16 locations with more on the way.
Buc-ee’s has 51 locations, admittedly the majority still in Texas. But it’s slowly adding more and more states to its collection…it’s up to 9!
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Buc-ee’s has been called the Gas Station Disneyland as well as the Six Flags of gas stations.
The Walmart of Rest Stops.
The Beaver Palace (it’s mascot is a beaver).
The Texas Taj Mahal.
Meanwhile, The The Texan’s nicknames refer to the other guy … Mini Buc-ee’s and Wish.com Buc-ee’s are two of them.
Which brings us to…
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Buc-ee’s started all the way back in 1982 and opened its first travel center in 2003 (in Luling, Texas).
Meanwhile, The Texan’s first store opened in 2008, five years after the first Buc-ee’s travel center.
So if hasn’t been clear throughout, The Texan has absolutely copied Buc-ee’s.
But there is a case to be made…
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Fans of The Texan will point to one key advantage it has over Buc-ee’s
For some, Buc-ee’s is just too big and too popular.
One of the major cases for stopping at Buc-ee’s is convenience, but is it convenient to fight crowds and spend an hour chasing your family around a virtual shopping mall?
Or would you rather be able to truly get in and get out of The Texan?
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We’ve laid out everything you’d want to know about Buc-ee’s and The Texan.
Do you like the big original or the smaller imitator?
Let us know in the comments section.
We tried to keep it brief, so we’re positive we’ve missed some of your favorites.
For example, we didn’t even mention beef jerky!
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