Christmas Morning at IHop: The Detroiter World Famous Truck Stop

World Famous Detroiter Truck Stop

Woodhaven, MI

It was cold when we arrived in Woodhaven, MI last night and it did not seem much warmer this morning. We were already missing the fabulous weather we had enjoyed in New Orleans. It is times like this that we question our decision to move back to Canada. I just really do not like winter all that much! However, here we were heading back home to Toronto.

World Famous Detroiter Truck Stop

Woodhaven, MI

When we pulled into our hotel last night we noticed the sign for the Sunoco / IHop / Detroiter Travel Center across the highway. We took advantage of the complimentary breakfast in our hotel, so were not interested in breakfast at IHop, but figured that this would probably be our last truck stop before entering Canada so wanted to check it out. It was Christmas morning about 9 AM so we expected the place to be dead. Boy, were we ever wrong. We could hardly find a parking space.

I have never really understood the appeal of IHop. Maybe it is just because I am not a big breakfast person, or because it is so easy to make pancakes and waffles at home, or .....? I used to pass by the IHop on College Ave in Fort Collins, CO everyday and was always amazed at how busy it was. So, I suppose we should not have been surprised to see so many people here, but it was Christmas morning and this was a truck stop / travel centre and although just outside of Detroit there did not appear to be much else around here.

IHop Parking Lot @ World Famous Detroiter Truck Stop

Woodhaven, MI

The interior was reminiscent of a late 1980's renovation of a 1970's mall with hints of a modernized retro diner. Skylights, marble, angled walls, beige floor tiles contrasted by black, white and neon. We did not go into the IHop, which was filled to capacity and looked very much like an IHop you would see anywhere.

We did, however, get sidetracked by the used book sale set up in the hallway, between the IHop and the General Store, and wrapping around the back of the store near the restrooms and trucker store / lounge area. At first I was just curious to see the types of books that were available. I ended up picking up Aristotle's Poetics, Germaine Greer's The Change, Susie Orbach's Fat is a Feminist Issue, Marilyn French's The War against Women, Naomi Wolf's Fire with Fire, Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale together with nine other titles one would not expect to find in a truck stop. In total I spent $26.

World Famous Detroiter Truck Stop

Woodhaven, MI

Of all the places we stopped along our route, in many ways this was the most odd. It had a slightly corporate feel, as although it was Christmas morning there were a number of "management types" wandering around and going in and out of the offices in the back. The physical space was divided into maze-like areas that had distinctly different feels. Although overall the Detroiter was fairly large, it felt convoluted and small.

World Famous Detroiter Truck Stop

Woodhaven, MI

Along the back corner of one of these areas were the refrigerated cases containing soft drinks, juice, dairy products such as milk and cheese, and frozen food. The white, black and red tiles with the neon signage gave it a distinctive retro diner feel which did not mesh with the rest of the interior.

World Famous Detroiter Truck Stop

Woodhaven, MI

The General Store looked much like many touristy travel centers with abundant postcards, posters, t-shirts, trinkets, toys, hats and junk food.

World Famous Detroiter Truck Stop

Woodhaven, MI

The area immediately adjacent to the professional drivers store offered a mix of convenience, deli and food items.

World Famous Detroiter Truck Stop

Woodhaven, MI

Although we did see trucks fueling up and parked in the adjacent parking lot, we were wondering if this really could be considered a truck stop as it seemed geared more to the general motorist than to the needs of truckers?

World Famous Detroiter Truck Stop

Woodhaven, MI

However, as we continued to explore we realized that despite the disjointed interior design and organization, the Detroiter really had carved out a niche, where they were attempting and for all appearances were managing to be a one-stop shop that could be all things to a variety of different people. After all - didn't I just purchase an armload of feminist books?

World Famous Detroiter Truck Stop

Woodhaven, MI

We had seen the occasional rack of free publications aimed at truck drivers along our route, however, the Detroiter had by far the best assortment of titles. The majority were really just enhanced glossy employment / recruiting brochures, however, a few had more expanded editorial content. One thing we had noticed was a lack of magazines, newspapers or reading material available in most of the truck stops we had visited. We wondered do these drivers do all their reading online, or do they stock up on reading material before they leave home? We had noticed a number of drivers reading while eating - so they are getting their reading material from somewhere, just obviously not at the truck stops we visited.

Professional Drivers Store

World Famous Detroiter Truck Stop

Woodhaven, MI

As we made our way to the other side of the building we found the section that catered to professional truck drivers. This area was smaller, functional but felt a little dingy and a bit cramped. However, they had a reasonable selection of canned and packaged grocery items, together with snacks, dog food, treats and toys, and other products of interest to drivers.

Drivers Lounge

World Famous Detroiter Truck Stop

Woodhaven, MI

I mentioned to the clerk that I had noticed that a number of the truck stops had dog food, treats and toys and he told me that a number of drivers travel with their dogs. I cringed at his mention of "purse-sized dogs" as we had our own "totebag-sized dog" waiting for us in the car. He commented that he could see the benefits of traveling with a large dog for protection and security, but you could tell he was not quite buying the companionship and portability concept of traveling with a small or tiny dog.

I have to admit that I had not given much thought to the need for extra security when traveling with a load of valuable cargo. How most of these drivers are traveling alone, responsible for ensuring that the load they are carrying makes it safely from point A to point B and that like with everything, there are individuals and / or organizations that would love to get their hands on whatever it is that is in those trucks. I was thinking that traveling with a pet was more for companionship and an added incentive to get out and go for a walk. My guess is that for most drivers traveling with their dogs, it is a bit of both.

While I was busy talking to the clerk, Phil wandered around exploring the truckers lounge areas. Like most, this one was dark and housed a pool table, arcade games, photocopiers, and a piano. In addition to private showers, a video / TV room, laundromat, barber and massage therapist, motel rooms were also available.

Game Room

World Famous Detroiter Truck Stop

Woodhaven, MI

What makes a good truck stop? What is it that truck drivers need and want? I would think that I would value a place that is clean, comfortable, safe and nicely but not necessarily brightly lit. I would want friendly and helpful staff. A place where I could relax, chat with other drivers if I felt like it, or find a quiet corner to just sit by myself. I would want a good affordable fresh food as well convenient ready to heat meals. Why do we have aisles of frozen single and family serving sized ready-to-heat meals in every grocery store, but here where they are really needed they are almost impossible to find?

I wondered why all these trucker's lounges and areas feel like an afterthought, a place that has been lost in a time-warp? Why they do not have nice comfortable seating, decent lighting, a microwave, a book and DVD lending library, and a table with chairs where one could eat lunch, set up their laptop, or work on paperwork. I understand why drivers need a place that is separate from the traveling public, a place that is theirs, but why does it always seem to have to look so old, dingy and rundown?

Y'all Eatin' Here?

Queen City Truck Stop

Meridian, MS

Exit 151 on I20

I have to admit it was the sign that attracted us. The bright green neon maple leaf, white glowing Queen City script and the TRUCK STOP text placed inside a classic red stop sign. It was just so non-corporate, that we had to stop and check it out.

Queen City Truck Stop

Meridian, MS

The retail store was small, almost cramped but functional. The wood panelling, red brick floor and suspended ceiling lent a sense of nostalgia. This was a place where you could stock up on basics: soft drinks, candy, potato chips, tobacco, coffee but not much else. In fairness it was getting late and two days before Christmas, however, there was not a piece of fresh fruit or anything else that looked particularly healthy anywhere in sight.

It was only a few hours since our last meal at the Huddle House, so we were not really that hungry, however, we could not resist the temptation to check out the adjoining Magnolia Restaurant.

Magnolia Restaurant Menu

Queen City Truck Stop

Meridian, MS

I have to admit that this was a big leap of faith for me. I am not a foodie, but I am pretty particular about my food and where I eat. I figure my rules are pretty simple - fresh, no unidentifiable sauces, and not greasy! Pretty simple really - but surprisingly difficult sometimes. However, as most of the truck stops we had visited have been populated by corporate or chain run restaurants and based on some of the truck driver blogs we had been following there appeared to be a preference for more traditional Mom and Pop dining establishments and the Queen City Truck Stop seemed to have a love / hate following. So I was willing to put my personal reservations aside and give this a try. Well actually, I was not so willing to personally give it a try, but I managed to convince Phil that we needed to go in and that he was going to order coffee and something to eat!

Throughout our trip the advice I read on the truckerphoto.com blog continued to stick with me. The Trucker Restaurant Reviews section opens with: "Normally in a truck stop, you never want to get exotic when you order food. It's usually best to stick with the basics, since these are harder to screw up"

Magnolia Restaurant Dining Room

Queen City Truck Stop

Meridian, MS

The Magnolia Restaurant had a certain rustic ambiance with a slightly southern flair. We were still in Mississippi after all. The wood paneled walls of the store were replaced with rose / lilac coloured walls complete with a painting of a scene featuring a traditional southern plantation mansion. The restaurant was not dirty, but not really spotlessly clean either. As we sat down the seats, table and menu felt somewhat sticky in a well-used sort of way.

Magnolia Restaurant

Queen City Truck Stop

Meridian, MS

The waitress eyed us somewhat suspiciously, or maybe we were just feeling a bit out of place ourselves. We told her we needed a minute to look over the menu. She placed our plastic wrapped forks down on the table and told us to take as long as we needed. We got the distinct impression that ordering a coffee and Pepsi was not going to cut it. It was dinner time and we were expected to order food.

We looked around at the diners at the nearby tables. I was thinking I would order the Grilled Chicken Breast Salad for $9.99 until I noticed the salad that one of the truck drivers sitting across from us was eating. His plate was piled high with iceberg lettuce, cheddar cheese, and chopped tomato, however, it was the texture and shape that allowed me to differentiate between these three foods, not the colour. I decided to pass. His partner had ordered what looked like the Grilled Chicken Breast Evening Lunch Special for $7.49. The Evening Lunch Special came with tea or coffee and a choice of three items from a list that included: creamed potatoes, french fries, green beans, potato salad, coleslaw, sliced beets, early peas and banana pudding.

Grilled Chicken Breast Evening Lunch Special

Magnolia Restaurant

Queen City Truck Stop

Meridian, MS

Phil decided to be brave and give it a try. I have a strong aversion to pretty much anything from a can or that is over-cooked, but wanted to document this, so was quite thankful that Phil was willing to give it a go. He declared that the chicken breast was tender, if not exactly overly flavourful, however, the early peas and green beans were mushy, overcooked and tasteless. We also questioned the presentation wondering why they needed to use an institutional segmented plate if they put everything in separate bowls anyway?

Magnolia Restaurant

Queen City Truck Stop

Meridian, MS

I ordered a Pepsi with lemon, thinking the chances of getting a fresh lime wedge were pretty slim. I got some sort of cola beverage and two packages of lemon juice instead. The waitress gave me a somewhat disapproving look when I stated that I was okay with just my Pepsi, so decided to heed the advice of truckerphoto.com and stick to the basics. So for the first time on our drive I abandoned my eating healthy mantra and ordered a side of fries. Unless they are cold, it is pretty difficult to screw up fries. Or at least that is what I thought!

Magnolia Restaurant

Queen City Truck Stop

Meridian, MS

I had not seen crinkle cut fries for years and I am sure the last time I had eaten them was at a grade school birthday party. There was something about these limp greasy fries sitting on an off-white plate that was particularly unappetizing. I was trying to work my way through my fries as we were being watched by our waitress. I am sure she was wondering "Who are these freaks taking photos of their food, the menu, the restaurant?"

We noticed that the plates being cleared from tables from across the room were all clean, not a morsel of food left. As we contemplated how much of our food we should eat, how much we can get away with leaving, how tastes and choices of food are both regional and contextual; we realized just why every plate heading back to the kitchen was clean. One of the kitchen workers pulled up his cart next to our table to clear the table of the truckers that were sitting across from us. His cart was complete with a tote box for dirty dishes and a large black bucket. He was wearing elbow length rubber gloves and held a large kitchen scraper. He picked up one of the plates from the adjoining tables and quickly scraped any remaining food into the bucket. YUCK!

Okay, I know we have all done this in the privacy of our own kitchens, and we know that this happens in the kitchens of restaurants, but right in front of you at your table while you are still eating? No thanks! We decided that it was okay to leave the rest of our food. Our waitress would never know how much we did or did not eat - as it was going to be whisked away into the black bucket anyway.

Magnolia Restaurant Dining Room

Queen City Truck Stop

Meridian, MS

We made our way to the cashier to pay for our dinner. I could not resist the tiny wooden toothpick holders that they were selling for $1.99 with the restaurant name and address stamped into the surface. As I signed my Visa slip, the cashier smiled and said "Y'all come back Hon!"

We noticed two local ambulances parked out front as we made our way to the car. Pookie excitedly greeted us as we got into the car and was even more excited as I reached into the back seat to find the package of dried blueberries we had brought on the trip as a snack. We needed something that had some semblance of healthy nutrition after our experience. As we got settled ready to drive off a large 1980's Cadillac Coupe De Ville pulled up next to us. The elderly gentleman called to his wife to look at Pookie. I rolled down our window to say hi and let him scratch Pookie's ears.

He asked, "Where y'all from? Y'all Eatin' Here?" We half smiled, nodded and before we could say anything he continued. "Good food. Good cookin'. Have a good night y'all," before turning and walking inside.

Eating Our Way Back Home: First Stop Huddle House

Lin Emery, Wave, 1988

American, born 1928

Gift of Frederick Weisman Company

New Orleans Museum of Art

New Orleans, LA

We decided to head home today as we wanted to beat the snow storms that they have been predicting all week. We have been watching the weather carefully along our route over the past few days, as we are not quite ready to leave New Orleans, but also do not want to get caught somewhere on I65 or I75 in the snow.

Wanting to still make the most of our day we decided to head to the The Sydney and Walda Bestoff Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art before heading out of town. The Sculpture Garden which houses more than fifty major works of twentieth century sculpture is free and open seven days a week. Unfortunately and understandably the garden is not dog friendly, so we had to take turns walking through this well-designed and beautiful space.

Rene Magritte, Labors of Alexander, 1967, Cast bronze

Belgian, 1898-1096

Gift of Muriel Bultman Francis

Sydney & Walda Bestoff Sculpture Garden

New Orleans, LA

The 5 acre garden immediately adjacent to the New Orleans Museum of Art in City Park is an impressive collaborative effort between the Bestoff's, The City Park Improvement Association and the New Orleans Museum of Art and its many donors. The collection contains works by such internationally recognized artists such as Henry Moore, Rene Magritte, Auguste Rodin, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Barbara Hepworth, Aristide Maillol, Isamu Noguchi, Lynn Chadwick, George Segal, Louise Bourgeois, Robert Indiana and Claes Oldenburg & Coosje van Bruggen.

Robert Indiana, LOVE, Red Blue, 1966-67, Aluminum and acrylic polyurethane enamel

American, born 1928

Gift of Sydney & Walda Bestoff

Sydney & Walda Bestoff Sculpture Garden

New Orleans, LA

The work of more contemporary sculptors such as Linda Howard, Leslie Dill, Rona Pondick, Jesus Bautista Moroles, Deborah Butterfield, Jaume Plensa, Alison Saar, and Leandro Erlich are also well represented.

Jaume Plensa, Overflow, 2005, Stainless Steel

Spanish, born 1955

Gift of Sydney & Walda Bestoff

Sydney & Walda Bestoff Sculpture Garden

New Orleans, LA

I first became aware of Jaume Plensa's work at the Vancouver Sculpture Biennale last year and was pleased to see him represented here.

Spanish Moss covered tree

Sydney & Walda Bestoff Sculpture Garden

New Orleans, LA

Walking through the grounds of the Sculpture Garden and driving through City Park reminded us of the giant oak tree on our front lawn and the trees dripping with Spanish moss that lined the streets of our neighbourhood when we lived in Albany, GA.

Truck

Northbound I10

As we headed out of town on I10 towards I59 we noticed this flatbed with its load of recycled cardboard. Not once did we see a recycling bin or any acknowledgment of recycling as we walked around New Orleans.

Truck

Kangaroo Express / Huddle House

Laurel, MS

Recognizing that we had not been particularly diligent about stopping at truck stops as often as we could on our trip south, we vowed to try harder heading north. As we did not stop for lunch before heading out of New Orleans, we decided to look for somewhere where we could have an early dinner. We noticed a couple of trucks exiting I59 at Laurel, MS so decided to follow them.

Kangaroo Express / Huddle House

Laurel, MS

This particular exit had a Kangaroo Express with a Subway, Bean Street Coffee Company, and adjacent Huddle House Restaurant. Across the street was a Texaco, however, the Kangaroo / Huddle House combo seemed to be the stop of choice.

Kangaroo Express

Laurel, MS

Immediately upon entering the store we were greeted by the Roo For the Road signage offering four choices of high calorie snack combos for $2.50.

Kangaroo Express

Laurel, MS

This store was much smaller than many of the truck stops we had visited so far, and therefore the available grocery shelving areas were more limited. Despite this limitation, the selection of canned food items was an improvement over many we had seen. In addition to the SPAM, which appeared to be a truck stop staple, this Kangaroo Express also had tuna, a couple of varieties of Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers, sardines, and a variety of canned and packaged soups and chili.

Kangaroo Express / Subway

Laurel, MS

The onsite Subway offered their usual menu, plus pizza with their typical selection of fresh baked breads, vegetables and sliced cheese and meat.

Kangaroo Express

Laurel, MS

We had not really noticed this was absent from most of the other truck stops until we saw it here. Cases of beer and advertised beer specials! This was also the first time we saw a truck driver with any alcohol. Not once had we seen anyone order a beer with dinner, or purchase beer to take to their truck. I actually noticed a driver carrying a case of beer out to his truck here, before realizing that indeed this stop had cold beer to go.

Kangaroo Express / Subway

Laurel, MS

While we had not noticed cold beer at any of the other stops we had visited so far, we had noticed that there appeared to be a lack of seating for drivers who wanted to get out of their cab to eat their own meals, take a break, or sit down after they picked up a coffee or snack inside the store. The restaurants had abundant seating, but if you did not want to actually sit down and order food from the restaurant, there was really nowhere to go. I don't know if it was because of the Subway, or just a feature of this particular Kangaroo, but they did have what appeared to be a rather drab and depressing seating area at this location. We wondered how hard would it be to have a couple of tables and comfortable chairs where drivers could eat, relax, read the paper, do some paperwork, or maybe check their email.

Kangaroo Express / Huddle House

Laurel, MS

I have to admit that it was the 2 Cheeseburgers for $6.99 sign that caught my attention together with the large Country Fried Steak Breakfast Platter poster in the window. So, we decided to venture across the parking lot to see how Huddle House fared against our truck stop dining experiences so far.

Kangaroo Express / Huddle House

Laurel, MS

The menu was extensive, although the Country Fried Steak with White Pepper Gravy for $6.99 seemed to be the most heavily promoted item together with their New Breakfast Melts - Philly Cheese Steak for $5.99, Smoked Pork Sausage for $5.49 and Bacon and Egg for $4.99. We were impressed that while they did not advertise any healthy choice items with their own symbols they do offer a number of more healthy options including: cholesterol free egg substitute on request, a golden waffle instead of biscuits and gravy, a choice between regular and sweet potato fries, or on their sandwich combos you can substitute the fries for a slight extra charge with a bowl of chili ($1.39), a bowl of soup ($.99) or a side salad ($.89). While you could add a side salad to any meal for $1.99, you could double your fries for only $.69.

Ribeye steak was once again on the menu as it had been in each of the truck stops we had visited. A 10 oz cut with Texas toast and two sides with a choice of baked potato, mashed potato, french fries, sweet potato fries, vegetable of the day, side salad or hash browns was $11.99, with the smaller 6 oz portion for $8.99. Other dinner options included Country Fried Steak for $6.99, Butterfly Shrimp for $7.49, Chicken Tenders, Chopped Steak a PorterHouse Pork Chop and Grilled Chicken Dinner all priced under $7.50 with Texas toast and two sides.

Grilled Chicken Salad

Kangaroo Express / Huddle House

Laurel, MS

We both opted for salad and had a choice of a Crispy Chicken Salad for $5.99, a Grilled Chicken Salad for $5.99, a Large Tossed Salad for $3.99, a Side Tossed Salad for $1.99 and a Ham Salad for $5.99. As one of our rules was that we were never going to order the same thing, Phil ordered the Grilled Chicken Salad, which left me with the Crispy Chicken Salad as I wanted some protein and don't typically eat ham.

Crispy Chicken Salad

Kangaroo Express / Huddle House

Laurel, MS

I requested lemon wedges instead of dressing and was provided with a small bowl filled with fresh juicy lemon wedges. Phil was not so fortunate in his request for low-fat salad dressing. Our waitress looked stunned as if she had never been asked for this before. Salad dressing choices were somewhat limited, so Phil opted for the Thousand Island which weighed in at 21 grams of fat, 20 mg of cholesterol, 350 mg of sodium and 190 calories.

Crackers and Salad Dressing

Kangaroo Express / Huddle House

Laurel, MS

Fortunately Phil did not use both packages of the salad dressing as that would have been 64% of his recommended daily fat allowance, and we left the eight packages of crackers alone.

Truck

Kangaroo Express / Huddle House

Laurel, MS

While these were not the most exotic chicken salads we had ever had, they were fresh, tasty and for $5.99 good value for the money. We left ready to tackle the next stage of our trip, but realizing we would not make it to Birmingham before dark.

One Stop a Day?

We arrived at our La Quinta hotel in Birmingham, Alabama last night to discover that the hotel is under renovation and they did not have any rooms with a Queen or King bed. We contemplated changing hotels, but that would have necessitated driving across town and dealing with refunds and re-booking. So, we checked in and headed across the street to the SuperTarget for some midnight shopping therapy. Well, not exactly real shopping therapy as we actually just needed a charger for our iPhone (which we forgot we had placed in our camera bag) and as it was cold and damp, Target offered a convenient dry and warm place for an 11:30 PM walk.

Alas, our new iPhone charger did not work, which meant back to SuperTarget this morning after a quick breakfast in the hotel. We did not notice how pretty Birmingham was when we arrived last night. But this morning the sun was shining and it was warm enough to leave our jackets in the car. The grass was still somewhat green, there were flowers on some of the shrubs, the rolling hills were lush with vegetation and we remembered some of the things we missed about living in the South!

I picked up a black cashmere cardigan for $59, a black cotton skirt for $19, exchanged our iPhone charger, grabbed a bag of popchips, a couple of bottles of Vitamin Water and some clementines for a snack and we were back on the road.

I59 Alabama

We had never tried popchips before, and decided that if you have to eat potato chips, this is the way to go. They are popped and not fried. So the consistency is different, but at only 120 calories for 22 chips they are an alternative to regular high fat potato chips. The best part was that they did not leave any grease on your fingers! With the abundance of potato chips and other high fat salty snacks available at truck stops we thought we need to see if anyone is selling these?

I59 Alabama

As we had split the bag of chips and then ate a couple of oranges each, we were not ready to stop for lunch. So we continued along I59 through Alabama and into Mississippi. By the time we felt ready to stop for lunch, we were having a hard time locating truck stops until we had almost driven passed them, or we were in the wrong lane to safely exit. We decided to wait until we hit the Louisiana border and followed a couple of big rigs who were pulling into the TA / Country Pride in Slidell, Louisiana.

TA TravelCenters of America / Country Pride Restaurant

Slidell, LA

We were feeling optimistic when we spotted the Dine With Us! posters at the front entrance. The menu items on the Stay Fit with Flavor poster actually looked pretty good. I got out of the car intending to have another grilled chicken salad, but decided that this might just be the place to expand my truck stop dining horizons.

TA TravelCenters of America / Country Pride Restaurant

Slidell, LA

Before heading into the Country Pride Restaurant, we did a quick walk through the store. My attention was diverted from our subject of study to a display of alligator heads. We knew we were in Louisiana now. I wondered about the ethics surrounding killing what must be baby alligators to make tourist trinkets?

Alligator Head

TA TravelCenters of America / Country Pride Restaurant

Slidell, LA

In comparison to the first TA we stopped at in Michigan, this travel center was a bit older and slightly more dingy. We could not find any of the fresh fruit or packaged salads that we noticed at the other TA truck stop. They did have a cooler with milk, packaged sandwiches and burgers alongside a rack holding loaves of both wholewheat and white bread.

TA TravelCenters of America

Slidell, LA

The self-serve concession area was smallish featuring a limited selection of coffee and hot beverages, hot dogs, and snacks.

TA TravelCenters of America

Slidell, LA

This particular location was actually pretty heavy on the snacks both salty and sweet with an entire cooler dedicated to pint sized containers of Ben & Jerry's priced at 2 for $4, and the mega-sized packages of sale candy and giant cake pan sized RiceKrispies Treats. We had noticed these before at a few other truck stops and were still wondering how you deal with eating this on the road?

TA TravelCenters of America

Slidell, LA

Alongside the snacks was a selection of pre-packaged meals that could be heated up in the Stove to Go devices, or I suppose at those stops that had microwaves available for the drivers use. Although there was variety in terms of brand, they were primarily cream sauce based, or stew, chili or chunky soup.

TA TravelCenters of America

Slidell, LA

At $4.99 the Heater Meals come in at 320 calories per serving, 9 grams of fat and high in sodium. However, probably still a better cost effective and nutritious choice than some of the food available on the road.

A small refrigerated case at the back of the store contained oat bars, carrot cake squares, wrapped burgers, burritos and sandwiches on a bun which looked fresher and more appetizing than many of the packaged offerings we had seen elsewhere.

TA TravelCenters of America

Slidell, LA

Feeling we had checked out the store as much as we could we headed into the restaurant. Although it was dinner time, the dining room was relatively quiet with a few drivers eating alone and a couple of groups of locals. The waitress greeted us as we sat down. We asked what she recommended from the Stay Fit with Flavor menu and she suggested the Wild Pacific Salmon and the Grilled Chicken Dinner. So, I opted for the salmon and Phil decided on the chicken.

TA TravelCenters of America / Country Pride Restaurant

Slidell, LA

I was feeling more like a salad or a good stir-fry, but was a bit worried about getting some sort of tasteless stir-fry mystery sauce, so took the waitresses recommendation and ordered the salmon. As we waited for our food we overheard the truck driver sitting behind us telling the waitress that he had been looking forward to this meal all day as it was his first stop since early morning.

Stay Fit with Flavor Poster

TA TravelCenters of America / Country Pride Restaurant

Slidell, LA

The photo on the menu suggested a plump grilled chicken breast with a side of stir-fried red peppers, broccoli, and baby corn on a bed of wild rice. The description read: "Tastefully seasoned and grilled to perfection. Served alongside stir-fried vegetables and wild rice. Enjoy the soup and salad bar with your meal."

Salad from Salad Bar

TA TravelCenters of America / Country Pride Restaurant

Slidell, LA

The salad bar was fresh and offered romaine rather than iceberg lettuce and what we had come to expect, a variety of mystery condiments and sauces, cherry tomatoes, cottage cheese, jello, and canned fruit. The bread stick looked somewhat promising but was dense and bland. I took one bite and decided that it was not worth the empty calories.

Grilled Chicken Breast Dinner

TA TravelCenters of America / Country Pride Restaurant

Slidell, LA

Sadly, Phil's Grilled Chicken Breast Dinner looked nothing like the meal advertised on the posters, menu or menu card on the table. There was not a vegetable to be seen!

Menu card

TA TravelCenters of America / Country Pride Restaurant

Slidell, LA

My wild Pacific salmon was subject to an almost identical presentation except the salmon was artfully placed on a leaf of lettuce.

Wild Pacific Salmon Dinner

TA TravelCenters of America / Country Pride Restaurant

Slidell, LA

The salmon may have been of the wild Pacific variety, but certainly not a sockeye or coho. Probably a pink or chum and definitely overcooked. I ate it but left the rest.

Remainder of Wild Pacific Salmon Dinner

TA TravelCenters of America / Country Pride Restaurant

Slidell, LA

We left Country Pride wondering if we would have been better off sticking with a grilled chicken salad? We wandered back into the store in search for mints, gum, candy, anything. Something to get rid of the taste of dry overcooked food.

CORRECTION: In doing some further research we discovered that Heater Meals are actually designed as emergency rations and are self-heating. Therefore, not needing an external heating device. While this is probably handy for drivers that do not have any cooking devices in their trucks and want a hot meal while on the road, it does make us wonder why there are not more alternatives available for drivers who want to be able to heat up a prepared nutritious and tasty meal?