"Grab'n Go" Sheetz

Mornings are always a difficult time for your internet food critic. Climbing out of bed as my alarm clock serenades me with the latest country hit has never been one of my favorite parts of the day, and my morning routine can consistently be described as “rushed”. As one can imagine, this often leaves me on the short end of the breakfast stick. I have little time to prepare flapjacks, French toast, bacon, eggs, or hash browns for myself.
I could easily resolve this difficult situation in my high school days by stopping in at my friendly cafeteria breakfast booth and picking up the egg sandwich, which was always one of my favorite delicacies. Unfortunately, I have been forced to join the world of the working this summer, and I have no access to the high school cafeteria or the fabled egg sandwich. When the fact that I must be at work by seven o’clock in the morning is considered, it is apparent that I am in quite a quandary when the problem of meeting my stomach’s morning demands is considered.
Fortunately, there are a plethora of cheap breakfast options offered by many expedient food service institutions. Sheetz, one of my dearest food providing friends, offers one of the best values in quick breakfasting. Grab and Go Schmuffins and Schmiscuits are wonderful inventions that give me hope that there may be a breakfast sandwich to succeed Carlisle High School’s five-spork wonder.
Anyone who has tasted a Schmuffin or Schmiscuit knows that they are a tasty wonder served at Sheetz everywhere. One can order them in the classic “Made to Order” style that Sheetz employs twenty-four hours a day, but he or she can also snag a pre-made breakfast sandwich during typical breakfast hours. In addition to saving time by having the sandwiches prepared in the morning, Sheetz offers the morning delicacies at a substantial discount in their “Grab and Go” moniker. For instance, a “Grab and Go” Schmiscuit costs only $1.29, while a “Made to Order” Schmiscuit runs upward of two dollars. I appreciate both the convenience and discount of the “Grab and Go” lineup, although the discount does lead me to become suspicious that Sheetz overcharges for “Made to Order” items.
Pricing aside, the Sheetz breakfast sandwiches are delicious additions to any early morning routine. The Schmuffin is a basic egg patty with the optional addition of sausage or bacon, and the Schmiscuit is a biscuit with the same selections for the internal pieces. I personally prefer the Schmiscuit over the Schmuffin, although both are excellent pieces of breakfast cuisine. I find that the biscuit gives the sandwich a buttery flavor that is sorely lacking in the Schmuffin. Although both sandwiches are dry, I find that a drink of frosty milk or cold apple juice is much more rewarding with the Schmiscuit than the Schmuffin, as well. I simply feel that biscuits have a substantially better flavor than English muffins, and that they are also consequently better suited for use in an early morning sandwich. Though one pays a thirty cent premium for this flavor, I find that it is well worth the quarter and nickel.
Having stated my preference for Schmiscuits over Schmuffins, I can confidently say that both are rewarding ways to start the culinary day. The egg in the sandwich is fluffy and tasty, and the meat components explode in flavor. All three aspects of the sandwiches seem to combine to form a delicious flavorful harmony on the tongue. The stomach will be similarly pleased, as the sandwiches deliver a satisfying “full” feeling and plenty of energy for a hard days work.
Sadly, I have experienced many inconsistencies in the “Grab and Go” availability of Schmuffins and Schmiscuits. Often, I have walked into a local Sheetz to find no breakfast sandwiches remaining under the “Grab and Go” heat lamps. This unfortunate setback is a great detraction from the eating experience, as my mornings typically operate on a tight schedule. One must then pay the premium “Made to Order” price for his or her Schmuffin or Schmiscuit, and they must also dedicate valuable time to waiting for their sandwich to be constructed. In addition, I have also visited Sheetz that offer no “Grab and Go”. These sad inconsistencies seriously hamper my enjoyment of the Schmiscuit and Schmuffin. I can never enter a Sheetz knowing with certainty that they will have my breakfast. This is an unfortunate worry that detracts from an otherwise wonderful eating experience.
When all aspects of Schmuffins and Schmiscuits are considered, the Sheetz family of breakfast sandwiches earns a solid three sporks out of five. The taste of the sandwiches is superb, but inconsistencies in availability hamper what is an otherwise worthy relative of Carlisle High School’s honorable egg sandwich.