This North Carolina Gas Station Is Known For Its Sushi

There are certain things that come to mind when you think about gas station food, like chips, packaged snack cakes, candy, beef jerky, and even prepared items like pizza and the always-delicious hot dogs. But sushi is not one of them, as the prospect of eating raw fish from that kind of place does not seem like the safest thing to do. However, there is a gas station in Apex, North Carolina, with a small sushi restaurant where the food is so good it has been packing people in.

Akami Sushi Bar is located at the former site of a Subway inside a BP gas station's Han-Dee Hugo's convenience store. Chef-owner Wanchalerm "Bird" Owattragool opened its doors in 2021 as his first restaurant after learning and perfecting his sushi-making skills for some 20 years. The Thai native named it "Akami" after the lean red tuna cut that is prominent in traditional Japanese cuisine, but he also embraces the "Gas Station Sushi" nickname.

The restaurant has counter seating and tables, and is open every day except Sunday for lunch and dinner, though it closes for a couple of hours between the two services. As surprising as it may seem given the location, people can make reservations, but the busy spot no longer accepts them on Fridays and Saturdays. Some regular customers even have their own individual chopsticks, which are kept in a dedicated rack.

Wanchalerm Owattragool's creations at Akami draw from classic sushi preparation methods, but also incorporate more modern approaches. The menu includes appetizers, house rolls with rice and sesame seeds on the outside, and nigiri and sashimi sold both à la carte and in chef-selected sets with miso soup and salad. There are also a variety of signature rolls, among them: Land & Sea, which includes shrimp tempura and Maine lobster topped with seared Wagyu beef and caviar; Voodoo, with tuna, salmon, and hamachi (yellowtail) topped with spicy tuna and eel; and Eel Jalapeño, which includes salmon, cream cheese, and cucumber topped with barbecued eel and jalapeño. Japanese beers and sakes are featured among the beverages. The selection also includes wine and Choya plum wine — which is actually liqueur, despite the name.

Akami hosts culinary events at the restaurant as well. At a recent one, Owattragool broke down a whole 180-pound bluefin tuna while sharing information with attendees about the fish and how he was cutting it, and they naturally all got to enjoy it afterward. There are also occasional multi-course omakase dinners. In this dining style, the chef selects all the courses, guided by seasonality and ingredient quality.

Akami has a 4.6-star rating out of 5 on Yelp, where one rave called the dishes "incredible" and said it "always delivers." Another glowing review noted the unlikely location: "It's literally in the back of a gas station, but the food and the atmosphere were fantastic."