Capitol Shell

It would be great if the deli was ever actually open. It seems like every time we go its closed or they are short staffed and just can't do it. Its really frustrating.

One of the things my 30+ years working for Big Oil taught me was that the only thing that really distinguishes one gasoline brand from the other is the additives package. I also learned that since gasoline is a commodity and Refinery-based supply varies by operational reliability and maintenance schedules, you might sometimes be buying Exxon gas at a Valero station.

My usual MO is to buy gasoline cheap and wherever that sells. Lately, I'm been feeling guilty about who's paying my pension and have occasionally reverted back to buy branded gasoline in general, and Shell in particular. Most stations are independently owned and operated, but must meet the brand's operations standards. That guarantees the look and feel of that brand. I can't explain any "demand pricing" model, but I do fondly remember a Shell Martine Refinery manager claiming (tongue and cheek) claiming that gas was more expensive in Martinez than Sacramento, because it was "fresher".

Anyway, I fill up here occasionally with Fuel Saver card in hand This station is easy to get into and out, and has a nice clean and modern vibe. It does cost a little more (vs. the station next door to the North) and I have yet to try the car wash. Maybe there's a deal to had with a fill-up and a wash.

After picking up lunch, passed by and noticed the gas was cheaper than the other stations.

Of course, it's cheaper if you get the car wash...

I've been traumatized on mechanical car washes...


Pumps worked, but the floor could use a good steam cleaning at the pumps.

This review is for the new car wash only - doesn't work very at all. Don't know what they paid for the new equipment, but the old system cleaned my car better. I only did the deluxe wash, but my windshield is still dirty, and my back window is solid dirty (like zero water hit it at all), and the rear hatch back looks like only the dirt was rubbed around. The dryer starts up before you have the green light to move ahead, so you lose some dry time too. The system should be much better.

The folks working behind the counter here have always been so sweet and this time Dennis went above and beyond to be helpful in these Covid times. Thanks for helping work the carwash, Dennis!

The daily lunch specials here are a very solid choice for a quick bite to go for a decent price. Good ol' deli sandwich, bag of chips and a drink. They even have an enchilada special that could feed two!

The cashier was very unprofessional and offered to flirt with one of our friends to slow the group down. When another of our group went to the counter, she turned her sign to say closed and pointed at the the next register. He moved his stuff to the next register and then she walked over and rang him up. She never said a word to him.

Our 19th anniversary was September 23rd! Years ago we accidentally ran across Street Vibrations while taking an anniversary trip to Lake Tahoe, trailering the bike, and I've been hooked ever since!
Twice now we've stayed at the Peppermill, and last Thursday we decided to ride and see Topaz Lake. Husband decided to make sure we were full on gas since we didn't know if they'd have a place to get some there, and we only found the Shell as we looked for a place.
It was getting to be around 10, and we hadn't eaten at all, so I asked him to see if they had anything (not gross are my requirements, trying to eat a little healthy most of the time) inside.
He unexpectedly came back with a nice little menu from a real deli inside, that I didn't see advertised from the pumps anywhere.
We got a BLT to share and I kid you not, it was the BEST!!!!! Lightly toasted, and just the perfect amount of all the ingredients.
We pulled the bike off into the shade to eat the yummy sandwich, and discovered after, that our battery had died. How good God is to have let us break down where there was food, shade, and water, AND Batteries + Bulbs directly next door......which happens to be where we bought our battery that just went bad, but in Modesto, CA where we live. It was under warranty, so we saved around $85! Now here's the reason I told you about the breakdown:
So, we no longer had time to go to the lake since we had something else scheduled in a bit. This means that we went back Friday, stopped again at Shell, got TWO BLT's this time, saved them until we got to Topaz, and enjoyed them again! SO fantastic!
The ladies working inside were delightful! We will go back if able next year!

The pumps and parking lot are always clean, but the best part is the Deli. This "secret" Deli is inside the store and is fully ran by the employees. They slice all their meat and cheese, have daily specials, and get cupcakes delivered from a local bakery, super yummy and they have loyalty cards you can have punched to earn a free sandwich. The carwash works great too but it has brushes, I like the brushes but people with fancy pants cars may want to be cautious, it certainly gets the grime off better than those touch free washes. You have to visit this place for fuel, food, and a wash.