OMG! You Won’t Believe the Mouth-Watering Truck Stop Food We Found in South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota!

One of the best parts of any road trip is a stop at a truck stop. Whether you call them, travel centers, convenience stores, or just a gas stations; these oases are so interesting and fun.

In the middle of nowhere, you find the island of pavement, pumps, and people; getting gas, some rest, and fuel for themselves, AKA some classic truck stop food.

I'm partial to a Love's Truck Stop. They are usually big and well-managed. And as a connoisseur of gas-station coffee, Love's is one of the best. Plus, they have some delicious hot dogs.

I'm not the only one that enjoys a stop at a truck stop for good eats. The food blog LoveFood.com dug through user reviews to find the best truck stop food in each state.

Recently, my wife and I took a road trip from Sioux Falls to Saginaw, Michigan.

Why would we drive 15 hours to Saginaw? My wife has family there, plus we were going to see a concert in Detroit, but the show was canceled.

Since we already had the time off from work so we decided to spend a few days in that 'tourist destination' known as Saginaw. Sure, it's not Vegas or Florida, but it was nice to get out of town for a few days.

We drove down Interstate 29 to the Omaha area and picked up Interstate 80 then headed east across Iowa. Just to the west of the Quad Cities sits Iowa 80, the self-proclaimed 'World's Largest Truck Stop'.

Almost every small South Dakota town has a watering hole. It’s where the locals go to kick back a few brews and engage in conversation.

Some of these establishments are located in buildings almost as old as the town itself. There might be a fresh coat of paint on the walls or new vinyl on the booth seats, but the ambiance is still reminiscent of a good ol’ dive.

If you think a "dive" is all about the sketchy clientele, the smell of the Devil’s lettuce, and stale Grain Belt, you’d be wrong. Not every dive has a bad reputation.

A dive has character. Neon beer signs and local memorabilia adorn the walls.

You might find a pool table, dart board, and a few video lottery machines.

The bartender knows the regulars by name and they know what you drink.

Some dives don't even serve food except for bags of chips and pickled eggs that sit in a jar of brine on the bar.

Dives aren't fancy. You might see 70's-style wood panels on the walls and wobbly tables leveled with a folded napkin.

Finally, the bathrooms. The bathrooms in dives are in a class by themselves and could be a whole topic on its own. 

There are several small-town dives in our area with friendly faces, cheap booze with a burn, and even really good food! We use the term "dive" in the most affectionate way.