Lauren Kolenda ’24, Staff Writer
On a recent trip to Wawa, I discovered they added a dinner menu to their already massive breakfast, lunch, and drink menu. Served every evening after 4 pm, the menu features burgers, fries, and pasta bowls. The burgers are customizable to your liking and are served with a brioche bun. They are $4.99 each and you can add a side of fries for $1.99. The pasta menu features some familiar favorites such as Fettuccini Alfredo and Chicken Parmesan, while also having a create your own option. For the create your own option, you have a choice between penne and fettuccini pasta for a base. To top that you can add either meatballs, chicken strips or broccoli, with either marinara or alfredo sauce. The cost of each pasta bowl is $6.99.
I have to admit I was a little skeptical about the new additions. Could a gas station make good pasta and burgers? And with the previous menu being mostly pre-prepared foods, where would they make the food fresh? Curious to see what the rest of the world thought about these menu additions I began to scour the internet, looking for news/review articles, picking through the comment sections on Wawa’s Instagram and Facebook posts, and looking for recent Wawa food review videos on YouTube. Looking back, I probably would have saved myself a lot of time if I had gone to Wawa and tried the food, but I like to do my research to make sure it’s worth it. After reading hundreds of stranger’s opinions, I found that the results of research were inconclusive since there seemed to be mixed opinions. I decided it was time to try the food myself.
I chose to try the burger and fries since I was more interested in them compared to the pasta bowls. I got a cheeseburger with American cheese, ketchup, mustard, onion and pickles, along with a side of fries. The burger was surprisingly good for Wawa. It was not bland and flavorless like I had expected, and the bun tasted fresh too. Compared to fast-food chains like Wendy’s and McDonald’s the burger was mediocre, but I have to say it was quite large and filling, so I think it’s worth the $4.99. As for the fries, they tasted good and the texture wasn’t too soggy or crunchy, but they reminded me of the frozen fries you would buy at the grocery store.
So, would I get it again? Sure, if I really wasn’t in the mood for my typical hoagie. Personally, I think the things Wawa does best are coffee, “Sizzlis,” and hoagies. I see that they are trying to branch out, which is great, but in my opinion the places that have smaller menus tend to have the best food. Would I recommend it to someone else? Yes, I’d say try it, especially if you’re looking to switch it up from your typical Wawa order.
