I tried one of the most infamous gas station sandwiches in America — here's the verdict

That means it's gobbler season at Wawa.

For everyone who doesn't live in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Florida, Wawa is a beloved East Coast convenience store chain. And the gobbler is pretty much the sandwich version of a hearty Thanksgiving meal.

I attended the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, which is conveniently located right next to a cheery, 24/7 Wawa. I've spent many a night making delicious but poor nutritional decisions in said Wawa, but I'd never sampled this particular sandwich.

I decided to change that during a recent trip down to Williamsburg.

Here's what I thought of the turkey gobbler:

The cost of the sandwich came to $5.19. On the store's touch screen menu, I selected a smaller "Shorti" roll. I also requested that the sandwich be toasted.

Next, I wandered around trying to find a spot where I could eat the hefty sandwich without looking too much like a dazed, hungover casualty of William and Mary's homecoming celebrations. I ended up hunkering down at a deserted picnic table with two jolly jack-o-lanterns.

On first glance, the gobbler looks like a lot to handle. I was worried it'd be too rich for my taste. Plus, I had already eaten pancakes for breakfast, so I was reluctant to chow down on anything too heavy.

I was pleasantly surprised, though. The gobbler wasn't quite what I expected.

The four main components of the sandwich — fresh-tasting cranberry sauce, savory gravy, spicy stuffing, thick turkey slices, and sweet wheat bread — balanced out each other nicely.

I was shocked how much I liked the cranberry sauce, in particular. I don't even touch the stuff on Thanksgiving, but the unexpected sweetness complimented the taste of the stuffing and turkey. Plus, it wasn't sugary, red paste. There were actually whole cranberries in this sandwich.

If I had one quibble, eating the gobbler was a bit of a messy process. The gravy dripped everywhere — although that was probably compounded by the fact I was trying to eat and photograph the food at the same time.

Otherwise, however, the gobbler was a great seasonal meal. I particularly loved how the turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and gravy didn't taste like someone had just thrown everything but the kitchen sink into the sandwich — the flavors all really complimented one another.

All in all, if you're a Turkey Day fan, you'll probably enjoy the gobbler. This surprisingly balanced, filling sandwich is a good treat for the cold autumn days leading up to Thanksgiving. Just make sure you have plenty of napkins available when you eat it.

I tried one of the most infamous gas station sandwiches in America — here's the verdict

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