Skip the hot dog and nachos. Two local spots are redefining gas station grub.
Stopping at a gas station for food is normally an act of desperation. Searching for healthful options in a sea of potato chip bags and reheated convenience foods can be frustrating and futile. However, both travelers and locals coming into and out of Reno do have some tasty options to choose from while stopping to fill up the tank.
Falafel, hummus, and naan
Through word of mouth and many exuberant Yelp reviews, one delicious location has popped up on the traveler’s map — in Fernley, of all places. The Gourmet Deli At 76 on Main Street is a gas station, convenience store, and deli owned by Lodhi (who goes by his last name) and Naseem Lodhi, originally from Pakistan. The building has a kitchen in the back where Naseem creates her own recipes and serves a unique mix of Mediterranean, Indian, and Pakistani dishes.
Mediterranean Plate with house-made naan bread from The Gourmet Deli At 76
“The Indians are good at the veggies, and we are good at the meat,” Lodhi says.
“We are good at everything,” Naseem adds with a laugh.
The Gourmet Deli At 76 menu is bursting with fresh, international flavors. The burritos come with steak, vegetables, beef or lamb gyro meat, or tandoori chicken; the sandwiches are built on fresh, homemade bread or garlic naan; the salads are sprinkled with olives and feta cheese; and dolmas, homemade hummus, ranch dressing, and salsa are available as to-go sides.
“The main reason for our success is that our menu is unique,” Lodhi says. “There is no way we can compete with the larger fast food chains, and we don’t want to make fried food.”
Naseem learned to cook from her mother in Pakistan and has come up with her own shortcuts for more complicated dishes.
“At home we would make a lot of curries, and my mother would say, ‘You have to hear that sizzling thing or it’s not good food,’” Naseem says. “She would make me do it all over again.”
The repetition must have stuck because Naseem’s cooking is quickly becoming a must-have for travelers on I-80.
“My kids call her up for recipes all the time,” Lodhi says.
For a full sampling of Naseem’s cooking, try one of the specialty dishes such as the Mediterranean Plate, Veggie Mediterranean Plate, and the Sizzling Steak Kabob Plate. They include basmati rice with Naseem’s garam masala spice mix, homemade tzatziki sauce, mint sauce, falafel, and hummus. Each plate also comes with a salad with feta cheese, tangy homemade dressing, and fresh naan.
Sit back and relax with a drink at one of the gas station’s outdoor tables since this type of homemade food does take a little time to make.
Reuben, Cuban, and meatball
Forty-five minutes before the lunch rush, there is a line out the door at Lakeside Crossing Chevron & Deli Towne USA, and it’s not for the gas pumps. While you can fill up your tank and get a car wash at this gas station in Reno, many people come here for the freshly made sandwiches.
The Monster Sandwich at Deli Towne USA in Reno
Open since 1993, the station has become the place in Reno to take care of your car and your belly. Owner LeAnn Berriesford says that people still are surprised that they can get such a great sandwich from a gas station.
“You have a great destination for fueling up your tank, filling up on sandwiches, and getting a clean vehicle all at the same location,” Berriesford says.
Deli Towne USA staff makes all the fresh bread daily and serves up both made-to-order and specialty sandwiches such as the French dip on onion bread or the Tampa-style Cuban with warm pickles. Berriesford says that a popular choice is the Italian with lean ham, salami, capicola, and provolone topped with mayonnaise, mustard, olives, pepperoncini, lettuce, tomato, purple onion, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and oregano on a homemade Swiss rosemary roll. Sandwiches can be paired with homemade soup or pre-made salads.
For her own lunch, Berriesford likes a bit of Thanksgiving.
“My favorite sandwich is simple,” she says. “Turkey breast, Swiss cheese with mayo, and cranberry sauce on a Dutch crunch roll. Yum!”
Freelance writer Christina Nellemann will come up with any excuse to drive to Fernley for a specialty plate from Gourmet Deli At 76.
Gourmet Deli At 76
605 E. Main St., Fernley
775-835-0377 • Find Gourmet Deli At 76 on Facebook
Lakeside Crossing Chevron & Deli Towne USA
3650 Lakeside Drive, Reno
775-826-4466 • Delitowneusa.com
