Midwesterners Take On Caseys Moving Into Buc-ees Territory

I’ve lived back in El Paso for just over two years now, and let me tell you something shocking: I’ve never been to a Buc-ee’s. Not even once. Before you snatch my Texas card and call the BBQ police, it’s not my fault. El Paso doesn’t have a Buc-ee’s, and I haven’t road-tripped east enough to find myself lured in by giant beavers and endless beef jerky.

But before I came home to the land of the Franklin Mountains, I lived in Nebraska. The flat, wind-chilled heart of Casey’s Country. And if you’ve never had Casey’s breakfast pizza at 7 a.m. after a night of bad decisions and questionable karaoke, well, your life has been way too stable.

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Buc-ee’s vs. Casey’s: The Gas Station Rivalry You Didn’t Know You Needed

Let’s be honest. Buc-ee’s is part roadside attraction, part merch juggernaut, and part bathroom flex. People go for the photos, the brisket, and the experience of feeling spiritually overwhelmed by 80,000 square feet of snacks.

Casey’s, on the other hand, doesn’t care about your Instagram stories. It doesn’t need to. It’s the gas station that shows up on every block like it’s running for mayor. And the secret weapon? Pizza. Not just any pizza. Breakfast pizza with cheesy gravy sauce, actual scrambled eggs, and sausage crumbles that taste like a Midwestern hug. And yes, they deliver. Tell me the last time Buc-ee’s dropped off a hot slice at your front door.

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Casey’s Expansion Plans Include 150 Texas Locations by 2026

Now, Casey’s is setting its sights on Texas. Real Texas. The kind with high school football stadiums bigger than airports. In 2024 alone, they filed 21 new projects with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. That’s not a casual expansion. That’s an organized takeover.

The invasion began in North Texas, where Sherman and Denison were the first to welcome the breakfast pizza overlords. By early 2026, we’re looking at nearly 150 Casey’s locations across Texas, including places like Paris (Texas, not France), Waco, Sulphur Springs, Burnet, Kilgore, and even the mighty plains of Abilene. That’s not a gas station. That’s a statewide pizza campaign.

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El Paso Still Has No Buc-ee’s or Casey’s… But We’re Watching

Here in El Paso, I’m still living in the land of gas station scarcity. No Buc-ee’s. No Casey’s. Just vibes and Circle K. But if this expansion continues, maybe, just maybe, we’ll get a Casey’s too. I’m not asking for a full-blown 24-hour gas-powered Chuck E. Cheese. I just want a slice of breakfast pizza without crossing into Oklahoma.

So while Buc-ee’s fans are busy buying themed swimsuits and cast-iron skillets off Aisle 12, don’t sleep on the quietly confident, mozzarella-powered juggernaut that is Casey’s. It may not have the flash, but it does have a reliable app, solid coffee, and a pizza that can hold its own in a blind taste test. Even if the only judge is a hungover Midwesterner.

And if they ever reach El Paso? I’ll be the first in line with ranch in one hand and state pride in the other.