The East Coast Gas Station Known For Its Famously Fresh Fried Chicken

Gas station food isn't exactly gourmet. There's a reason that most people will look at you sideways for purchasing gas station sushi (the No. 1 food item you should never buy at a gas station), and even safer fare like hot dogs and premade sandwiches are often lackluster at best. But there are some gas station chains that buck the trend, offering up convenient and downright tasty food that just so happens to be served only steps away from gas pumps.

One such chain is Royal Farms, which has almost 300 locations throughout the East Coast, primarily in the mid-Atlantic region, including in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, and North Carolina. It began in 1959 as a dairy farm stand in Baltimore and, following a merger with another dairy company, rebranded its convenience stores under the Royal Farms umbrella in the late 1960s. Despite its dairy-centric roots, Royal Farms is best known for its fried chicken.

Unlike the sad, spindly wings or thighs you might see under a heat lamp at your local convenience store, Royal Farms boasts always fresh, never frozen chicken that's fried in-store. Juicy, salty and piping hot, the chicken has won countless fans throughout the region, including professional chefs and food critics, some of whom rank it among the top fried chicken chains in the country.

It's natural to be skeptical — after all, how good can fried chicken from a gas station convenience store really be? But given how many loyal customers rave about Royal Farms, especially in its native Baltimore, we have to assume it actually is just that good. The chain was named the "Best Gas Station for Food" by USA Today in 2024 and praised for having "some of the best fast-food fried chicken à la gas station" by Food & Wine. When Baltimore Magazine interviewed local chefs about the chicken, many were eager to sing its praises. "It's the one fast food I can't give up. Even under the warmer, it stays crisp," chef Chris Scanga told the magazine.

Online, customers are similarly effusive. "It's insanely good for gas station chicken. It's very good for cheap and fast fried chicken. It's pretty good for fried chicken in general," summed up one commenter on the r/baltimore subreddit. While most commenters admit that Royal Farms doesn't necessarily carry the "world's best chicken," they insist it's surprisingly great, especially when it's fresh out of the fryer. Part of what they say makes it so delicious is the pressure fryer the chain uses, which seals in moisture and crisps up the breading. At least part of the fandom can be attributed to regional pride, as well. Much like Pennsylvanians treasure their own beloved convenience store chain, Wawa, so do many Marylanders treasure Royal Farms.