So I’ve noticed that 7-11 convenience stores seem to have inexpensive local specialties that are often pretty good. In the DC area, and I presume anywhere else with a significant Jamaican-American population, they have Jamaican beef patties, which I love. In Hawaii, 7-11s have manapua (similar to Chinese buns), spam musubi, dumplings, and a few other local specialties that are also surprisingly tasty. What local specialties are available at 7-11 in your area? I assume 7-11 is US only, but I could be wrong about that.
They’re all over the place in Japan, and serve several Japanese type lunch items, that you probably don’t see in your usual Japanese restaurant in North America.
The US is actually 7-Eleven’s third biggest market, behind Japan and Thailand, and South Korea almost has as many locations as the US.
ETA: Here are the numbers:
So Japan has more than double the locations the US has (at least back in 2016 when this article was written.)
As for the OP, I can’t remember seeing anything Chicago- or local-ethnicity- specific at my 7-Elevens, but I never took a very close look at their prepared food offerings.
Didn’t know that! Thanks for learnin’ me about 7-Eleven’s international presence!
The 7-Eleven on the college campus where I work (in Chicago) is practically a Halal establishment, catering to the wide range of Middle Eastern population on the campus.
How is the food?
Youtuber Mike Chen has several videos about 7 Elevens in Asia:
9 AWESOME Things You Can Do & Eat in Asian 7-Elevens - YouTube - jump to 3:18 to hear them talk about food.
Eating BRUNCH at Taiwan 7-ELEVEN - YouTube - 7 Eleven Taiwan
Brunch at 7-ELEVEN VS LAWSON in Tokyo Japan - YouTube - 7 Eleven Tokyo
BRUNCH at 7-ELEVEN in Seoul South Korea - YouTube - 7 Eleven Seoul
And iiandyiiii, you didn’t mention the bentos, some of which (I really like the hamburger steak and loco moco) are really good!
I just eat the hot dogs. They’re pretty good.
My guess is that the taquito-type things spinning in the rollers with the hot dogs around here are probably a Texas specific thing, but I don’t have a frame of reference to really know one way or the other.
No, they have those in the midwest, too.
7-11’s in Australia too. Our local ‘specialty’ is the meat pie or sausage roll, with tomato sauce.
Not my favourite fare by any stretch of the imagination.
In DC too.
The 7-11 near me has pizza, which I’ve never tried. I don’t know how special that is, though. Do most American 7-11s have pizza?
ETA: I would guess that my top 3 purchases from my 7-11 would be gasoline, beef jerky and chap stick.
They have pizza in the midwest. Basic flat pizza that looks like it came from the freezer section of a grocery store. It’s edible but nothing to go out of your way for.
I’ve had it a few times. I’m sure it’s frozen Tombstone pizza from the taste and crust.
There aren’t any 7-11 locations in South Dakota. The last one I’ve ever seen was in Mitchell but that changed to something else a long time ago.
They’re also in Virginia.
In Dallas, Cheese Stuffed Doritos is what passes for “fancy eat’n” at 7-11.