“It’s the weirdest thing in the world. I mean, sometimes you’ll get a great piece of pizza at a gas station and you’re just like ‘What?’” Stanley Tucci said on the Rich Eisen show while promoting the first season of Searching for Italy. And that’s why I take my American friends and family who come to visit me in Italy to gas stations. I know it seems unbelievable, but as soon as they step foot into an Autogrill and see the display cases full of fresh sandwiches and pastries, they’re blown away. The same can’t be said on road trips through the U.S., where I might buy some potato chips and a soda while hoping for something more fresh and interesting that doesn’t look highly dubious. In Italy, it’s a whole other ball game.  

There are cornetti — plain or filled with cream, Nutella, jam, or pistachio cream — doughnuts, and sometimes regional sweets like sfogliatella (shell-shaped pastries filled with orange-scented ricotta) or pasticciotti (oval pastries filled with egg custard and sometimes cherry jam). And the average Autogrill usually has at least half a dozen kinds of sandwiches. You might find mozzarella and tomato on a mini baguette, pizza bianca filled with prosciutto and mozzarella, grilled vegetables on whole wheat bread, even mortadella and stracciatella. Sometimes there’s piadina, a kind of flatbread from Emilia Romagna that comes filled with cheese, ham, and arugula or other things. Sometimes these rest stops also serve salads, pizza, or pasta — and it’s dependably good if you’re on the road in Italy.

Once you’ve decided what you want from the display case, line up to order it at the cash register. “Lo vuoi riscaldato?” the cashier will ask. “Do you want it heated up?” Always say yes. Warm off the sandwich press, whatever panino you just ordered tastes exceptionally good. When paying, I always add on an espresso for later. In Italy, with the exception of breakfast, espresso is drunk after you finish eating. Just keep your receipt handy and put it on the counter when you’re ready for your post-lunch shot of caffeine.  

Not all Italian gas stations are created equal, of course. Autogrill is by far the most ubiquitous, with over 400 locations in Europe, followed by Chef Express and Sarni, where the quality can be more hit or miss. Some Italian rest stops, like the one on the A1 just outside of Florence, could use an update. Others, like the Autogrill Cantagallo on the outskirts of Bologna, are shiny and brand-spanking new. Some have seating, others don’t. Aside from sandwiches, some just sell snacks like potato chips and chocolate, while others are like mini supermarkets selling pasta, cheese, salami, wine, and even children’s toys. And yes, these too tend to be high quality. You won’t be snubbed for buying gas station wine, either.

Now that the secret is out, don’t be surprised if you’re not the only foreigner eating pizza at the Autogrill. At least you’ll never have to compete for a reservation.