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Writer's pictureKara McKenna

Texas Eats: Everything Really is Bigger

There's been a lot of speculation about me lately. I'm not into drama and gossip, but I feel the need to speak out. I want you all to hear it from me first. The rumors you've been hearing about me are indeed very true. I'm officially a cowboy.


Yee haw!


This isn't a recent development. In my mind, I've been Cowboy Kara forever. But now that I've actually been to the state of Texas, pshhhh I'm the real freaking deal. This comes with a new set of challenges. I have to figure out where to park my horse, how to keep my boots shiny, and how to digest hella amounts of food.


Let me show you some of the goodies I experienced in Texas all while keeping my 6-pack abs in place. Saddle up your tastebuds, folks.



I love exploring regional eats when I travel. Some of my favorites include In-N-Out, Zaxby's, Raising Cane's, and Culver's. When I discovered the Texas burger place was Whataburger, I knew I would be stepping through their flaming orange doors.


My burger was HUGE. I was not expecting it, especially as someone who just decided to go vegan. Kidding! I eat meat, so if any animals are reading this, please shut your eyes. To drink, I got a vanilla milkshake that was so thick, there's no way it could be considered a liquid. It was also in the biggest cup ever, which had my lactose intolerant stomach quaking already.



The french fries were real cute looking all skinny. Overall, everything was big and I could not eat it all, but I'm slowly filling in my bingo card for visiting local chain eateries.




Good, hearty barbecue isn't easy to find in Pennsylvania. That's why I needed to experience authentic Texas barbecue here. Boyyy, I fell in love. I discovered the most legit BBQ at Hard Eight BBQ.


I knew this place was the real deal because I experienced a heat wave as soon as I walked in. This heat was caused by coal burning in huge black tubes that cook tender meats. Talk dirty to me, am I right?



Once I got my meats, I grabbed some sauce and knew it was time to get down to business.


Their sauce was scrumptious. Bravo to whoever makes it. This wasn't some Kraft sauce you get from a bottle. An artist carefully crafted the flavors of sweetness and savoriness. My pork and brisket tasted lovely alone, but I complimented them with sauce and had to say a prayer right there at the table. It was THAT good.



Ugh, I would drink this sauce straight up. This was the best barbecue of my life. Ily everyone who makes the food here.




When you think of a gas station convenience store, you probably think of your crappy 7-Eleven up the street that has a sign on the door saying "No public restroom, suckers! Go hit up Dunkin." What if I told you it doesn't have to be like this? What if I said there's a gas station that's actually known for their clean restrooms. To sweeten the deal, the locks on the doors actually work.


*Mind blown*



Buc-ee's is a gas station with 100 pumps and a convenience store as big as Sam's Club. They have a deli and bakery in-store. I know I started off talking about clean bathrooms and slyly transitioned into edible food, but just trust me. They're also known for their caramel Beaver Nuggets that taste like Cracker Jack.



The food options were overwhelming, but we tried a larger cinnamon roll and cherry kolache (a roll that's filled with a fruit, cheese, or meat). Not pictured are the candied nuts I devoured. Gosh, they were warm and crunchy and they melted in my mouth.


I would gladly eat Buc-ee's goodies again. I love this beaver...damn ;)




You know what's really attractive? A completely filled donut case. These flavors at Amy's Donuts like creme brûlée, marshmallow Nutella, and bananas foster had me acting up. I wanted one of everything.



I got one dozen donuts. Believe it or not, they weren't all for me. Although I think I had a little nibble of each one. Over-the-top donut places have my heart because they use a lot of extra stuff to create a masterpiece. Considering there were two more cases filled to the brim that aren't pictured here, I'd say they have the "extra" part covered.



The actual store was also donut themed. I had to get a picture with my mom at this light-up sign. I'm the little baby donut, obvi.



By eating all of these treats, I declare myself an official cowboy. Hey, if the Queen can name anyone a "Duke" or "Sir" (whatever that means), I'm definitely allowed to change my title up a bit. Yee yee, my darlings.




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