The Gas Station Thanksgiving Sub That's Earned Cult Classic Status

Every fall, gas station and convenience store chain Wawa (primarily located on the East coast), brings back its fan-favorite Gobbler Hoagie Sandwich. For those of you who haven't had it, it's what the name implies: a Thanksgiving-inspired sandwich served with hot turkey, gravy, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. Fans pine for it when it's gone (sort of like a McRib, but holiday-themed).

The Gobbler has earned quite the following over the years, with shoutouts from stars like Evan Peters, who fell in love with the sandwich while shooting HBO's "Mare of Easttown." It's also quite the hit among non-famous Wawa customers as well, going by what people say about the sandwich on X (formerly known as Twitter). There, posters excitedly announce the sandwich's return, and people who are not lucky enough to live close to a Wawa dream of getting a chance to try the sandwich again. A surprising number of people also talk about eating the Gobbler for breakfast.

I managed to try one last year while I was on vacation in Florida and I can see its appeal because this thing lets you get a taste of Thanksgiving prior to the actual holiday. There's variations on it as well. You can snag a Hot Gobbler, which only has mashed potatoes, turkey, and gravy. Or the Hot Turkey Gravy, which only has meat and gravy on the sandwich. You can also order it cold, or in a bowl sans bread (known as the Gobbler bowl). 

Wawa first released the Gobbler in 2005, and it was an immediate hit, with customers flocking to buy the sandwich whenever it returned to the menu for one of its limited-time runs. The sandwich has inspired multiple fan communities on Facebook, including one that implores the chain to offer the menu item year-round. The Gobbler Bowl, which features all the same ingredients piled in a bowl minus the bread, has a similar fanbase — Wawa did not expect how popular it would be when it introduced the item in 2006. It's easy to find fans who echo this sentiment expressed by one Facebook user: "The Wawa turkey Gobbler Bowl changes lives."

If you don't happen to live on the East coast, there's one chain that serves a Thanksgiving-themed sub year-round: Capriotti's Sandwich Shop. Its sandwich build is a touch different in that it features turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and mayo. I do have to say, however, heading to an actual sandwich shop doesn't quite have the novelty of ordering from Wawa's gas station kiosk. Also, according to one avowed Gobbler fan at Barstool Sports, Capriotti's offering doesn't scratch the same itch, because, paradoxically, it's too good. "Some of us were just born with scumbag taste and we don't care for the finer things in life. And for those of us not in the Finer Things Club, that sub-par quality of the Gobbler really hits home with us."