Sheetz’s arrival in Middle River earlier this month meant a new place to fuel up, in more than one way.

The Altoona, Pennsylvania-based gas station and convenience store brand inspires fervent devotion among some “Sheetz Freakz,” who swear by its made-to-order sandwiches, fried mac and cheese, mozzarella sticks and other bites. With more than 750 outposts in the mid-Atlantic, the chain is starting to make inroads into the Baltimore area, with stores and stations in Joppatowne and Westminster as well as in Middle River, the first Sheetz in Baltimore County. Another location is planned off of Route 22 in Bel Air.

With Maryland favorite Royal Farms plus Wawa and High’s, the competition for Baltimore-area road warriors is piling up.

But can their Big Mozz burger beat our beloved RoFo chicken box? Can the Sheetz Shmagel top a Wawa omelet sandwich? I had to find out.

Buckle up as The Sun takes you on a road trip to find the Baltimore region’s best (and worst) gas station fare. Call it gas station gastronomy.

Royal Farms

Any tour of Maryland gas station food should probably start at Royal Farms, the Baltimore-based chain that inspires devotion among locals, including Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, who has appeared in ads for the company.

RoFo, as it’s colloquially called, is best known for its fried chicken, thick-cut Western wedge fries and biscuits, often thrown together in a chicken box. In May, Royal Farms was named the country’s “Best Gas Station for Food” by USA Today’s 10Best Awards.

Since most of Baltimore seems to have reached a consensus about RoFo’s fried chicken, I decided to try a grilled chicken sandwich.

One bite proved the chicken at Royal Farms doesn’t need to be fried to be delicious. The slab of meat on my grilled Chesapeake chicken sandwich was juicy, warm and not too thick or thin. Crisp dill pickles, crunchy raw onions and a creamy sauce with a little kick added new dimensions of flavor to a sandwich that could give Chick-fil-A a run for its money.

A waffle breakfast sandwich with American cheese and scrapple, my other pick, was not nearly as satisfying. In stark contrast to the healthy serving of grilled chicken on my sandwich, the waffle had only a thin layer of meat — not enough to taste much scrapple. I had hoped for a mix of sweet-and-salty, but the waffle itself was mostly bland and a bit crumbly. A smattering of sugar crystals in some bites offered a hint of what might have been.

Wawa

Next up was Wawa, the Pennsylvania favorite that now has stores scattered across Maryland, as well. I’m a fan of their hot turkey “Gobbler” sandwich and bowl — but we’ll have to wait a few more weeks for the return of that Thanksgiving-season item.

I’d heard raves about the chain’s ciabatta and was hoping to order a breakfast sandwich on the thick Italian bread, but it wasn’t available on the menu at the Rosedale station I visited. I opted for a ham and egg omelet sandwich on toast instead. It was warm and forgettable: a serviceable breakfast option without much flavor or pizzazz.

For lunch, I had to try a classic Italian hoagie, a Wawa staple. The 10-inch sandwich comes piled with salami, ham and hot ham, as well as lettuce, onion, tomato and provolone cheese. I added hot peppers and a garlic aioli. I understand now why it’s a go-to: For under $8, it’s a full lunch and leftovers for dinner, too (the hoagie held over well — and might have tasted even better — after a few hours in the fridge). Can you get a better Italian sub at DiPasquale’s or Trinacria? Sure, but this one is cheap, fresh, quick and at the gas station.

High’s

This Baltimore-based company started as a scoop shop in 1928 and claims to have been the largest ice cream store chain in the world at its height, with more than 500 locations. In 2012, Carroll Independent Fuel Company bought High’s, tying the stores to its gas stations.

The chain’s website advertises a full range of menu items, like breakfast burritos, fried chicken and pizza. I was intrigued by a new crab cake sandwich, the result of a recent partnership with Maryland-based Trout Seafood. But the two Baltimore-area High’s stores I visited — one in Dundalk and the other on York Road, just north of the city — had only a handful of pre-made sandwiches, with no crab cakes or kitchen in sight.

A helpful employee suggested I try a crab pretzel instead. The snack, warmed on-site, is another collaboration with Trout’s, but had way more cheese than crab meat. It was filling, and I ate it in the same way I might eat a subpar pizza: it wasn’t exactly good, but it was familiar, and it was there.

More satisfying was the scoop of strawberry ice cream I ordered for dessert, bright and creamy with bits of fruit. I suggest sticking to what High’s does best.

Sheetz

Finally, the moment of truth. Word about Baltimore County’s first Sheetz seems to have spread quickly: When I arrived a little before lunchtime, it was already buzzing with people ordering food at self-service kiosks.

I started out with a “Shmagel,” Sheetz’s version of a bagel breakfast sandwich, with sausage, fried egg, American cheese and a tangy orange “Boom Boom sauce.” The bagel itself was nothing special — on par with what you’d find at the grocery store — but the sandwich, overall, was a hit, toasty and salty and slightly spicy thanks to the sauce.

The Big Mozz Burger, an eye-catching menu item, wasn’t as rewarding. The combination — a burger topped with mozzarella sticks — was heavy on marinara sauce but otherwise dry, with crumbly meat. I was hoping for the cheese pull I had seen promoted in pictures, but the lukewarm mozzarella stayed stubbornly within its fried casing.

A chicken Caesar salad wrap, ordered on impulse, saved the day. Crunchy and cool with crisp lettuce, croutons that hadn’t turned mushy and a generous dollop of dressing, it felt light and refreshing — for gas station food. Even better, it’s easy to eat with one hand and the other on the wheel.