The Flying J at Lake Station, IN used to have these italy beef sammiches with mozzarella under the heat lamp in the little fuel desk building, before they ripped all that stuff out to Pilotize the place. It's extremely rare that I've ever seen any place with anything decent under the heat lamp. I'd always grab one when I was there.
I gotta say though, I can't decide on a "favorite" truck stop or a "worst" one. There's far too many to choose from. I used to like Petro when they had a decent buffet. The one at Rochelle, IL was excellent at one point in time. The Kwik Trip in Tomah, WI has good food, but not much of a buffet. And they got these "Landyager" or "LandMeyer" or "Land,..something" "old world" sausages in the deli section that are made locally. They're really good except you gotta peel the casings off or they'll get stuck in your teeth.
The buffet at Iowa 80 SUCKS with a capital S but if you sit on the side closest to the chrome shop, that's the section the cute waitresses always work.
Good grubs at whatever the hell the name of that truck stop is, exit 201 in Iowa on I-80, south side of the highway (not the Pilot). The restaurant there is called "Pine Cone". Not much of a buffet but I always get the smothered chicken. I pull the onions off cuz I'm allergic to them but I don't tell them to leave them off. They add flavor.
Illinois, exit 59 I believe, on I-80, the Road Ranger, .. that restaurant has good food and it's run independently of the truck stop, not part of a chain.
Exit 405 I think, Shoemaker's in Lincoln, NE - restaurant is ok but in the truck stop section they've got chili that ties with the stuff they got at the little truck stop at exit 54 Worthington, MN (the one with the Cat scales, not the Blue Line) for being the best "public" chili I've seen. By "public" I mean you gotta consider that they make it suitable for a wider "audience", so they don't have lightweights running around screaming. I think lots of people will agree with me when I say that if you want the BEST chili, PERIOD, it's gotta be homemade cuz you can put in all the cayenne and stuff you want. Unfortunately I have had my hands tied, my girlfriend won't eat it unless I make it bland like "public" chili. Boring.
Indiana, "Whitestown" or "Zion" something-or-other, the TA just north of the beltway on I-65. I personally boycott that place. It's the only time I've ever stiffed a waitress. She brought me a menu and filled my coffee, came back 30 min. later to take my order, 30 min later a different waitress brought my cold food to me, I had to get up and walk behind the counter to get my own damn silverware, then I didn't see her again til she brought my check. I left one penny for a tip.
