There's A Fiery Debate Regarding Wawa And Sheetz: Which Convenience Store Is Truly The Best?

Pennsylvania is full of rivalries: Philadelphia versus Pittsburgh. The Flyers versus the Penguins. Cheesesteaks versus Primanti Bros. sandwiches. "Yinz" versus "Youse." Outsiders sometimes forget just how big Pennsylvania is — more than 300 miles from east to west with 13 million people living within its borders. The drive from Philly to Pittsburgh will take you nearly five hours, and drivers with EZ Pass will pay nearly $40 to use the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Between these metropolises, there are lots of must-see cities in Pennsylvania, each with its own colleges, sports teams, iconic landmarks, and intense local pride. So much so that tourists would do well not to separate a Johnstown native from his "Sundowner" cheeseburger and say only nice things about Yuengling beer while in Pottsville.

But as a former PA resident for 16 years, I can tell you that one of the fiercest rivalries has nothing to do with breweries or pro athletes. If you really want to spark a heated discussion in Pennsylvania, ask a group of locals which is better: Wawa or Sheetz. The answer will be passionate and personal, and after a few minutes of listening, you'll marvel that this heartfelt monologue is about preference in gas stations.

If you've never heard these names before, brace yourself: Wawa and Sheetz are each a chain of service stations that specialize in customized meals. Hungry road-trippers order food on a touchscreen, which the on-site delis prepare within minutes. These two chains are very similar and vie for dominance in the same state. But their origins and operations diverge in key ways, forcing patrons to ask, "Which is the better brand?"

First up is Wawa, a nearly ubiquitous brand in Eastern Pennsylvania. Wawa was founded in 1964 and is headquartered in the town of –– where else? ––Wawa, Pennsylvania. Currently, Wawa has 1,100 locations in 10 different states. All Wawa stores are scattered along the Eastern Seaboard, but they're best known around Philadelphia and its suburbs. Wawa was a pioneer in its trademarked "built-to-order" system, serving pizzas, hoagies, and breakfast sandwiches in near-infinite combinations to hungry customers. You could easily walk out with a soft pretzel or a meatball sub, but Wawa is leaning into healthier items as well, such as salad bowls and no-bun hoagies. Wawa even excels at coffee. Choose from cold brew or hot caramel lattes, among other Starbucks-level confections, as well as milkshakes and parfaits. Finally, treat yourself to a Tastykake, a Philly-based bakery giant.

As a filling station, Wawa offers branded entertainment at every pump and a good number of EV charging stations. Wawa's reasonable prices for fuel and food help make Philadelphia one of the best U.S. destinations for budget vacations. You can expedite your visit with a special Wawa app and quickly accumulate rewards points. There aren't many Wawa locations within Philadelphia's city limits, but they encircle Center City and pepper just about every suburb. If you're wondering what Wawa actually means, aside from its town of origin, it allegedly derives from the Ojibwe word "we'we," which means "snow goose." Wawa honors this linguistic heritage with a goose in its logo.

Contrary to popular belief, Sheetz is technically older than Wawa. The store was founded in 1952 as a handful of dairy stores around Altoona, Pennsylvania, where the company is still based. Altoona is about two hours east of Pittsburgh, which means many people consider it both Central Pennsylvania and, simultaneously, Western Pennsylvania. The chain has grown gradually since then, introducing its own made-to-order touchscreen system and distinctive red signage. More than 700 Sheetz locations are spread across Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, and Maryland.

Like Wawa, the menu is a cornucopia of options: burgers, curly fries, and "Saladz," one of many items with a playful "Z" thrown on. The "Sweetz" bakery serves brownie bites, fritters, and muffins. You can mix and match ingredients and condiments as much as you like. This writer will pour honey mustard onto his Swiss-and-sausage breakfast sandwich and harbor no regrets. You'll also find mochas and lattes here, along with decadent milkshakes such as the Cheezecake Shake and Peanut Butter Brownie Shake.

It's important to note that Sheetz and Wawa rarely cross paths. Sheetz doesn't have many locations in Eastern Pennsylvania. Instead, they're clustered all around Pittsburgh and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which is convenient for cross-country commuters and road-trippers. Sheetz is also well known for its jaunty advertising, such as the puppet-filled "Sheetz Freakz" commercials or quippy taglines like, "I'm sorry for what I said before my shnack wrap."

So, which store is better? This is no small question. Pennsylvania filmmaker Matthew Fridg produced a feature-length documentary called "Sheetz vs. Wawa: The Movie," to address this very debate. And because the two chains are so similar — right down to a shared commitment to surcharge-free ATMs — there are at least two answers to this question.

First, there is the data-driven answer: In a 2024 survey by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (via CNN), Wawa won first place in a national ranking of best convenience stores, with Sheetz taking fourth place. However, as CNN noted at the time, the actual scores weren't that different: Out of a perfect 100, Wawa earned 82 points and Sheetz garnered 79.

Then there's the subjective, personal answer, which comes in every form and also reflects a tight race. Journalist Asha Prihar asserted in the Billy Penn website that it was basically a tie, and "a balanced life (and commonwealth) benefits from both." A popular Reddit comment stated that "Sheetz has better fried foods. Wawa has better cold cuts. That's all there is to it." After an exhaustive taste-testing session, Business Insider writers Hollis Johnson and Kate Taylor decided that "if we're looking for a scenic soda trip, we'll stop by Sheetz, but the food at Wawa justifies a visit in and of itself." All valid assessments, as much as one can generalize nearly 2,000 locations from Philly to Florida.

What does this writer think? As a diehard fan of Pittsburgh — and all its bikes and ketchup — I have fond memories of Sheetz, which always signaled late-night shenanigans and a peppy atmosphere. But all my in-laws live around Philadelphia and swear by Wawa, a store I happily frequent as well. In short, better is in the "eyez of the beholderz."