Oklahoma Today Show: April 6, 2026

Traditionally, America's great stretches of rural highway have not been a haven for culinary conquest. You grab a soda and a bag of chips or maybe a hot dog from the easy mart and you hit the road again. Well, that norm is starting to change a bit. Fueling stations and truck stops are upping their food game, and those who once maligned the name of "gas station food" are starting to be more open minded. The Oklahoma-based Love's Travel Stops has embarked on a series of limited-time hot food offerings that could be found at their locations—foods like a spicy breakfast burger and a pork sandwich with honey mustard barbecue sauce on a gourmet pretzel bun. We visited Love's Culinary Innovation Center to try out some of these new creations and see if Love's reaches the ever-rising bar of road trip food.

Also on this week's episode, the editors share their own go-to snacks for the road, and podvents tells us where to get the freshest German verenika. You won't want to miss it!

Catch up with back episodes of the Oklahoma Today Podcast here.

Written By

Ben Luschen

Luschen joined the *Oklahoma Today*’ staff as Research Editor in 2021 and currently works as the magazine's Web Editor, managing the website and social media fronts. His past *Oklahoma Today* stories have ranged in content from the state's bee and quail industries to its vibrant art and music scenes. Not adverse to a road trip, Luschen is always on the lookout for the next big adventure. He is never out of opinions about the current state of Oklahoma City Thunder basketball.