A better gas station bite at Dash In

The difference is all in cracking an egg. That’s according to franchise owner of the newly renovated Dash In location in Frederick County, Melissa Parsley. “All of our food is made fresh. Nothing comes pre-packaged,” she said. Dash In is a regional chain owned by The Wills Group. Parsley took over this location in Frederick County in September 2020.

She also owns Frederick Shell Carwash and Frederick Shell Self Serve Carwash, the former of which she purchased from her dad, Joe Parsley, in December. “I’ve been involved with gas stations since I was born,” Parsley said. Per Melissa, her Dash In location was mostly closed, barring gas fueling and a small kiosk, from Nov. 1 to March 6 for renovations. Now, the place has re-opened, complete with a full kitchen with fryers and a flattop griddle — ultimately offering more than your usual gas station fare, Parsley says. The renovations cost corporate over $1 million, Gaurang Maniar, executive director of marketing of Dash In and Splash In, said via text. The grand re-opening of the location took place on April 13 and 14. And they have been putting the kitchen to use, Parsley said. “We actually pull the chicken and make the chicken salad. We make the tuna salad. We make the egg salad. We chop the celery,” she said. And yes, they actually crack the eggs for breakfast dishes — like their steak, egg and cheese croissant — on the grill.

They also serve egg salad sandwiches and hot dogs. But no dish plays like the Stackadilla, a Dash In dish of stacked and folded quesadillas that is highly popular across locations, Maniar said. Parsley showed off the chain’s strawberry milkshake (real fruit, she said) and the buffalo chicken Stackadilla, which features crispy chicken tossed in buffalo sauce, ranch, red onions, blue cheese crumbles, and cheddar and mozzarella cheese. The Stackadilla is made by taking the four slices you would normally get in a quesadilla and, well, stacking them.

— Gabrielle Bienasz

Dash In

3359 Urbana Pike, Frederick 240-436-1960

Social: facebook.com/ DashInUrbana

Hours: Food is available 24/7, 365 days a year. Beer and wine are even available until 2 a.m.

Type of food: A “quick casual offering of premium quality food,” says father and co-conspirator to the owner, Joe Parsley.

Price: Food ranges from $4 to $7 for most meals but can get up to around $12.99 for something larger, like a 10-piece wing.

Melissa Parsley recommends: The honey Old Bay wings. “People have already come back since we reopened” to get them, she said.