Kate Medley is a photojournalist whose work has appeared in publications like The New York Times. In this fall’s forthcoming book, Thank You Please Come Again: How Gas Stations Feed & Fuel the American South, Kate road trips across the South, documenting the evolving service stations, convenience stores, and quick stops of the region. Along the way, she pulls over for the tamales, fried fish, and banh mi at venues both familiar and indispensable. Kate’s images uncover complex landmarks that supply far more than food and gas for locals and travelers. In what feels like an ever more divided America, these gathering spaces provide unexpected community, generosity, labor, and creativity.
Kate joined Barnes and Leslie to talk about the book and highlight four Atlanta-area gas stations that are worth checking out:
- Salsa Taqueria on Buford Highway – 3799 Buford Hwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30329 – located in a Shell station – Kate recommends their birria taco + grilled chicken torta
- Taqueria Mami in Riverside – 2051 James Jackson Pkwy NW, Atlanta, GA 30318 – located in a Mobil station – Kate recommends their lamb barbacoa folded inside housemade tortillas
- Taqueria Morelos in Marietta – 1300 Atlanta Rd SE #400, Marietta, GA 30060 – located in a Chevron – Kate recommends their pastor tacos with their housemade tomatillo salsa
- El Serranito in Woodstock – 12152 Hwy 92, Woodstock, GA 30188 – located in a BP – Kate recommends their torta filled with asada, also a fried fish taco topped with slaw and orange salsa
Thank You Please Come Again: How Gas Stations Feed & Fuel the American South is coming out in October and is available for preorder at The Bitter Southerner.