Louisiana C-Store Embraces Drive-Thru Convenience
Pablito’s is serving up brisket, bloody marys and secret family recipes.
Aug 21, 2026 | 2 min read
Driving along Highway 167 near Abbeville, Louisiana, you’ll see a building that looks like somewhere you could get a quick oil change or a car wash. But it’s actually a convenience store called Pablito’s Pit Stop.
Customers can drive through the tunnel in the middle of the building. A bell rings when cars drive up. Employees take orders and collect purchases. Pablito’s co-owner Melissa Verret says the store is all about customer service: “If customers come with an empty ice chest, we fill it up for them and they are ready to go.”
“It all started with my son, Cody,” said Verret. “He went deer hunting in Texas and drove through a convenience store. He loved the concept.” The name of the store also came from her son, who competes in mixed martial arts (MMA). “He was training for a fight with [MMA fighter] Dustin Poirier,” she said. “Dustin thought he would call him Pablito. The name stuck.”
Food is one of the big draws, especially the brisket. “It’s smoked brisket and we finish it in the oven and put our own special seasoning on it,” said Verret. Customers can get the brisket on anything from sandwiches to breakfast burritos to pizza to quesadillas, which are one of the top sellers. The quesadillas come with a side of jalapeño ranch dipping sauce. “People dip everything in it, even pizza,” said Verret.
Verret says that customers also like their quesadilla with crawfish boudin, a seafood variation of the traditional Louisiana Cajun sausage.
Pablito’s Pit Stop is actually two businesses connected under one roof. There’s the convenience store and then there’s the pub, which is a popular local hangout.
“People come and watch football and baseball and so on. Some people have their fantasy drafts in the pub. We have live music every weekend when it’s not crawfish season,” said Verret.
The pub offers customers a cozy atmosphere where they can enjoy a drink while watching sporting events. The cocktails at Pablito’s have gotten a lot of attention.
Continue reading “Drive-Thru Done Differently” in the August 2026 issue of NACS Magazine.
