Great stop on the way to Lake Tahoe. Decent grab and go sandwiches, nice and clean bathrooms and gift shop.

If you're heading up over the mountain and forgot something or just need to stretch your legs, stop here. 60 miles from Sacramento and 43 miles from South Lake Tahoe. My stop is usually for munchies (I almost never want what I packed). It's my stop to pick up a sandwich lunch to pack when heading up for fire trail riding. A small sandwich deli, sundries, convenience store items, gifty stuff, mountain souvenirs, camping supplies, and gas station. Plenty of parking (except after a heavy snow fall). Bathrooms have usually been pretty clean. read more

Being quite a regular at driving on highway 50 by any kind of conditions, I have to say, I love the Fresh Pond Trading Post and Gas station. Conveniently located, always welcoming, restrooms clean (and that's definitely a HUGE plus on the road). On a snowy stormy drive, it is also quite a entertaining break, with the shopping section. Amazing what you can find (and I am a store owner, hehehe). Don't miss it, going up, you won't find too much with the same standarts until you reach Strawberry or Meyers ; ) read more

I'm so sad... For years, after completing our week-long summer camping trip, we would stop at Fresh Pond Trading Post and grab one of their amazing custom sandwiches, a couple bags of chips and a couple drinks. Today, we were greeted with unfortunate signage that stated they were no longer making custom sandwiches, and had instead switched to "Grab & Go". The "Grab & Go" sandwiches are reportedly fresh made every morning so I peeked through them and grabbed a Roast Beef & Swiss. Unfortunately, it was very bland, the bread was dry and it was definitely not worth it's $6.75 price tag. As an aside, the chip selection was very picked over too. All in all, our experience was a bummer. It's the end of an era - we'll need to find a new lunch place for our trip down the hill. read more

Freshpond opened recently in Sept/Oct of 2006. We stopped here on the way back from South Lake Tahoe. We were quite happy to NOT have stopped in Kyburz at the Silver Fork Station (see: http://www.yelp.com/biz/3xRJrQBfR7BgHZOC6697bw?hrid=51Re9YmVy9YZzHmUIuNSDQ ) - that joint is just grungy-nasty!!! What's special here are the facilities are brand new, super clean, & well maintained but as a service station this is a one-stop shop for those pit stops where you need gas, food, snacks, Tahoe themed memorabilia or rustic/mountain themed decorations. There are no cheap (ie poor quality) items (surprisingly) in this store. Pleasant surpirse. Some of the items can be found in South Lake at the Bijou Furniture Outlet (see: http://www.yelp.com/biz/EYzh3fpWBFFrQHuGvm_OIA?hrid=8qrJNkvkI8xREh9ShDYkNw ) or Grizzly's Mountain Hardware (see: http://www.yelp.com/biz/p-qLKcg4BL86HX1i-boKtg?hrid=rQBCp6EPNgE4_RVFd_U9oA ). Freshpond was the last place I expected to find a $300 carved wooden bear lamp. My favorite item was a rustic wooden mallet called "THE ATTITUDE ADJUSTER". Only $9.99. In anycase, this was a surprisingly pleasant retail experience. No other gas station/convenience store can compare to Freshpond. Check it out! read more

Not bad for a Chevron. Has stuff you may need in a pinch (such as during a winter storm), but not at bargain prices. The deli here is adequate (if you are in a pinch), but why not stop somewhere "real," if not in a real pinch. The parking is very, very spacious if you are stuck in a storm. There is a pet area and the market is clean and well-kept... Gas prices are what you'd expect, for being the only thing around (especially if you're in a pinch... see a pattern here?) read more

The cashiers are very unprofessional and "chatty Kathy's" one is loudly complaining she has to "now work a day she was told she'd have off and complaining to the older gal they better talk to her" doing this all while paying customers are in the store. I guess they pay more attention to their conversations than the do customers. I bought a sandwich chips and I said I need a bag of ice. She rang me up. I paid, I put my sandwich in the car and got a bag of ice. I put the ice in my cooler, fixed a cup of ice for my soda and got in my car. I getting ready to fix my sandwich when there is a loud tapping on my window "you gonna pay for that ice?" "I tht I did, I asked for a bag of ice at the register, so I go in to pay, told the clerk, I'm sorry, but I told you I wanted a bag of ice, I didn't look at my receipt. Then I look up and she is mocking me and ring her eyes and shaking her head to the loud mouth other girl...I said are you kidding me? Why are you treating me like I was here to steal your ice? I was trying to pay for it, then the very rude loud girl through my money at me and tells me to get out of her store! I said I'm trying to pay for my ice. I had 4$ and was getting the $0.21then she gets real nasty with me telling me to get out get out..I'm paying for my ice and I want a receipt. Drama queen of the year. Power tripper too as she picks up the phone to call the sheriff...then tells me she had a bad day?? WTF? So do other people as though that were going to redeem her uncalled for provoking nasty behavior. If I were the owner or manager I would refuse to accept that as a person working for you. She should go be a jail house or prison worker where she can get all the nastiness she deserves read more

Fresh pond is a great stop for any Tahoe trip. Not only are their bathrooms clean, they have really yummy fresh sandwiches. We've picked them up a couple of times on our way to hike or ski and they are always a good choice. read more

It's part convenience store, part gift shop and part tourist adventure. You can order a sandwich from the deli and shop for a fishing pole and/or buck knife at the same time. Great place to stop on the way to Tahoe but today we are heading to the Rubicon. read more

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Sandwiches arent that great for what they charge. Only fuses they had were old school round ones.

One of our favorite stops each time we go to Tahoe and back down 50. We have our coffee break and sit in the booths of the little restaurant. We bring a thermos of coffee and they don't mind letting us use the microwave to heat it. The food looks good but we haven't eaten there yet. We're too cheap. LOL The staff is the friendliest we have ever met in what is really a Chevron station. Gas prices are high right now but so are they everywhere else. We live in the original Squaw Valley 93675 east of Fresno in the foothills of the Sierras. read more

They could really use a Kubota/small tractor to plow their parking lot. Huge weekend crowd,as always this time of year, crammed into their parking lot. I pulled off but soon realized this place is packed. Alot of flatlander cars were there spinning out on the ice making it quite unsafe for the freeway entrance/exit. Also oddly enough, flatlanders were walking and slipping in front of moving vehicles in the lot...bad combo. But a good plow over of the parking lot could have prevented the ice buildup thus the ensuing driving madness. read more

This is a must-stop spot to and from Tahoe. The most surprising part: excellent craft beer selection! Cheaper prices than the city and worthy of any beer snob. You really can't go wrong. Clean bathrooms, excellent snack selection, accessories for the car and for any toiletries emergencies. Just an hour outside of Tahoe and the prefect spot to get craft beers and gas! read more

The damn parking lot is not kept free of hard-packed ice in the winter. Cars, including my own, were spinning their tires all over this lot which was also bumpy as hell being full of pock marks. Do people have to chain up to use the parking lots at local business around Tahoe? They keep the roads, 50 and 80, in nice drive-able shape with snow plows, why can't local Sierras business do the same? Some local businesses in the Sierras area small towns are assholes too. I had to have the AAA pull my car out of an icy pothole near Echo Summit in 1984. This was at a 7-11 to stop and get hot coffee one January night. The tow driver scolded me for not using chains though no chain laws were in effect and I had no trouble driving on the roads. Another small store in the Sierras once falsely accused me of "changing price tags" on a jar of fishing bait one summer there. The mountain people of the Sierras seem to hate the flat-landers and don't seem to act like they want to have any truck with us. They are often rude, hostile and not accommodating. There might not be any local ambulance service in the Sierras if somebody gets hurt. I also tend to get altitude sickness and that is another thing that gives me reservations about driving through that place. read more

Great location if you like tourist traps. If you don't hit the Safeway off Sly Park road less than 5 miles away. Fresh Pond staff is polite which helps the harsh pricing. And if you ever needed native art pieces from a Chevron.. this is your place. read more

This is a great place to stop on highway 50 between Placerville and Lake Tahoe. It is the only stop i know of that carries my favorite beef jerky Montana Banana. I stop here every trip to Tahoe whether I need gas or not. The staff is always friendly and they make good sandwiches. read more

Driven by there on the many trips to Tahoe and back but never stopped (usually we fill up and stock up for the trip in Placerville or Sacramento). It got its 15 min of fame in the movie Traffik released this year (recognized the big Fresh Pond sign and the sign over the door "Fresh Pond Welcomes You). Never tried the custom made sandwiches but it appears I won't have the opportunity anymore since many reviews made mention of how the place is not worth the stop without those sandwiches. read more

For such a beautiful location so near to the snow, I'm sad to say the service was abysmal. We had 2 vehicles, a Dodge Ram and a 4Runner. We had camped in the snow the night prior and had "aired down" to drive through the snow. The following morning we went to this gas station/store to fuel and air up. We spent $160 on gas total between the two cars, but were stuck here for almost 2 hours because the air hose wouldn't stay on for more than a minute. This would be a minor inconvenience not worthy of leaving a review, but after about the 3rd time going inside the store and asking for the air to be turned on again (only to be told it turns on automatically with a side button - which it does not) they started to be rude to us. They asked how much more air we would need without putting in quarters. We referred to the posted sign on the air pump stating that if we purchased gasoline we were entitled to free air - there was no limit posted. Not to mention 1 minute of pumping air doesn't even fill one tire, and we had 8 to fill. It required somewhere between 10-15 trips inside the store to ask them to turn on the machine over and over again, to be met with a snarky attitude. Particularly a woman with black hair and white or grey streaks down it - she was unbelievably rude. Lastly, just something I noticed: the employees sit on a tree stump outside the door to smoke on their breaks - the door is far less than the legally required 20 feet from the stump, and yet they smoke right there. Just an awful place all around, with the most expensive gas for 200 miles around to boot. DO NOT stop here, go onto whatever the next store is. Your trip will be far less frustrating. read more

This is a great place to pick a sandwich and last minute items. The Fresh Pond Trading Post read more

I used to LOVE this place. Stopped today on our way home from tahoe and was informed they do not make custom sandwiches anymore they are all pre made.... GROSS, but we were starving. Anyways within our group we were sitting, eating our pre made sandwiches, spreading the mayo and mustard talking about how much we used to love their sandwiches. The lady behind the counter overheard us and in a snarky voice said "bye Felicia there is a subway up the road". Extremely classless and rude, I don't think we will be stopping here again. Huge disappointment..... read more

Chevron - The lady making the "pre made sandwiches" that was making the rude remarks. - Gas Stations Near Me - Pollock Pines, California

Worst customer service!!! My whole check out the lady is on the phone did not say a word to me continue her conversation and took forever a checking me out and giving me my change because she could not Multi- Task. Lady in the deli was on her phone as well and was unable to talk to me when I had questions about the deli products. Just rude!! read more

Worst place ever. Staff very rude and the place is filthy. I give this place no stars except to post I have to give a minimum of one star.

They sell cheap chinese snow chains for 60 dollars, when you can find the same on the web for 15. Even in Tahoe you can find some for less than 40.To me it s a shame to take advantage of people so obviously!!! You can abuse of the situation but it has to stay DECENT ! Have a good trip Ceers read more

Just stopped to get a drink. Cashier puts change in the counter rather then in my hand. Start driving open my milk and it smells funny. Look at the date it was bad 3-10-16. Today is 3-19-16! Gross! read more

Chevron - It's 3-19-16 - Gas Stations Near Me - Pollock Pines, California

Very repulsive here, they have to serve ready made sandwiches due to the staff putting in your TO GO meals mayonnaise that you asked them not to put in there and topping it off with a plastic Helman's self serve packet inside your sandwich. Then when you complain about it they act as if it was no big deal. Safeway is five miles up the road in Pollock, thats your better choice read more

A friendly, inviting stop off Highway 50. They had these cute faux animal head beanie hats that a few friends and I tried on for fun. There's pretty much every brand and type of roadtrip snack in there and a wide enough variety to make your 5 minute stop turn to a 15 minute browse. read more

Everyone needs gas and that's why we stopped here. We were on a road trip and stopped at many gas stations and this was one of the cleanest and well-supplied. I tried on a tight faux coonskin cap that I regretted not purchasing. I called them a couple weeks later and Bruce was happy to help me. About 1 week later I had the hat in my hand. Bruce delivered great service. 5 Stars for customer service at Freshpond. read more

This is a great gas station. The bathrooms are some of the nicest around. The deli is really good. There is a gift shop with a nice selection of products, even higher end gifts. There is a large sledding hill that is prefect for anyone looking to have some fun and it even has lights. read more

Okay so we were coming home to the in laws cabin in pollock pines from tahoe. But we needed gas and I really couldn't wait till we got to the cabin to use the rest room. At first I was kind of excited cause I thought it was one of those gift/truck stop places where find all kinds of cute little knick knacks and cool knives.. But when I got in there the staff made it apparent that they dont like to help "my kind" maybe its cause I look like an asian person from the city. Who knows.. it was one of those back woods, what are yall doing in my neck of the woods kind of moments. They didnt say anything when I used the restroom but maybe thats because I paid for 50 bucks in gas. I stood at the counter wanting to see something for like 5 minutes till they acknowledged I was there. And when I smiled at the people (there was a girl and a guy working) and tried to ask about something they just looked at me like....we dont really want to help you. I was going to buy something but I looked at my friend and said lets go. In the car I asked if she had thought they were F-ing rude too and she agreed she was going to buy a hat but she didnt want to give these kinds of people her business either. There are plenty of other side of the highway shops I would rather give my money too, Ill never stop there again. If you want to feel like your in that movie ....... Deliverance, stop here, lol. read more

Ironically, I have never stopped for gas here. We have used the restrooms and I did have a breakfast burrito once. Restrooms are usually clean! Our dogs love to explore the forest next to the parking lot to explore. What I really like about this place is the variety of drinks. I didn't realize until my last stop here that they have an amazing assortment of craft beers in 6 packs and 22 oz. bombers! Ballast Point, Knee Deep Brewing and Stone are just a few of the choices. And competitive prices too for a convenience store kinda in the middle of nowhere. read more

We stopped in the evening on the way to Lake Tahoe and used the restroom (super clean!) and picked up four hot chocolate for the Fam (hit the spot!). The shop is very clean and smelled like it! LoL ... One gentleman was mopping up when we entered... I love seeing people keep busy even though there is no one in the shop! Shows that they at least like their job and tells me that they end up being happy and pleasant to customers... And yes the two gentleman working were very pleasant and funny too... Keep it up! read more

Stopped by this place on the way to Tahoe Christmas Day. Place a packed because of the amazing snow and sled hill. There are three in all. Line for bathroom however, it wasn't that bad. Owner stand in line to make sure no one cuts. Talked with him for 10 minutes or so, old fashion gentleman. Bathrooms are very clean. You will find your favorite goodies and snow items at this locations. From kids snow boots, hats, hoodies and glasses, to chains for your vehicle. You can also order premade sandwiches. A nice warm place to eat your meal. What is shocking about this place is that they do not charge to use the bathroom or go down the sled hill. Which is crazy. The tube and sled places in Tahoe are $35.00 and hour per tube. This poor guy had at least 10,000 come through in two days and didn't charge a dime. Crazy! We have decided to head to his place for our next sledding adventure and stay in Pollack Pines. read more

Stopped in after camping at Ice House for my family to use the bathrooms (which were nicely clean), buy some sandwiches (they were yummy) and of course fill up on gas. The workers were friendly and the store had some cool gift shop items. read more

Freshpond is a favorite stop of mine on the way to and from South Lake Tahoe. They are pet-friendly with a large open space, and an open dog-run area, for everyone in your caravan to stretch their legs. I'm very happy they rebuilt. They also have indoor seating, and covered outdoor seating so that your canine companion can join you for lunch. They have a full deli and an overall nice retail layout. This is way better than any other rest stop or gas station convenience store you'll find. The billboard sign claims 5-star bathrooms...they have been very clean and well-kept every time we stopped. NEW Comment 4/13/09---- I'm now a mom with an infant in tow. I can't believe it, but they don't have the baby changing table inside the restroom. On our latest trip to snowboard in Tahoe, I had to change my baby's diaper on the tailgate of our truck...in February. I'm downgrading my review to 4-stars until they install a changing table in both the womens and mens room. In the winter, they have lots of snow and it's often an impromptu snow-park for families, and the occasional dog. They have a small slope perfect for sledding. The hours are convenient - open everyday at 6am -- perfect for those early morning drives to the ski resorts. I agree with James G --- "No other gas station/convenience store/rest stop can compare to Freshpond." read more

Warm and welcoming staff. Deli breakfast burritos and sandwiches are very good. Perfect for a quick stop on the way up the road. During the winter the snow park is a close, great option. read more

Excellent fresh ready made sandwiches and clean restrooms. This is a good quick and easy stopping place.

This place is great! Nice stop on the way to the Rubicon Trail or to Tahoe. Get gas and sandwich for the road.. The Sandwiches are good!! The store has just about everything you may need for a trip out in the Sierras.. read more

The place is clean and inviting and I occasionally work nearby. Our family of four was heading for a snow play day today and we stopped in for take-out deli sandwiches. (There are many Subways along Highway 50, and we are not fans). What a pleasant treat later that day outdoors! I fully enjoyed a turkey-avocado-bacon creation which I was told was a best seller the reason was clear. The others were exceedingly superb as well. This is our new lunch-to-go spot for Highway 50 trips. read more

We were headed to Tahoe on a search for a great place to let our 11 y/o son go tubing in the snow. We pulled into this place to fill up and get a drink and couldn't believe it. Right behind the place was a big tubing area with lot's of kids and it was completely free. You can buy a tube inside the store or bring your own. The parking lot was big so plenty of parking. We brought chairs and sat them in the snow and watched him play for about 3 hours. They sell food/drinks and all kinds of things in the store including hot chocolate and of course those adult beverages to keep you warm as well. We live in the Natomas area of Sacramento and it was an hour drive to Polluck Pines. We will be heading back there to tube again in a week or so. read more

Stopped by here a few times, the man behind the counter was really nice and products were pretty cool.