PSA: this used to be a Chevron. It's now a Sinclair…read more Where do I even begin with this establishment? It's tough to decide, because there are some major issues. I'm being very generous with my three out of five star rating on here. Let's start positive, I guess? I have always had no problems with the employees. There's usually a lot of them, this location usually has a high job turnaround, but the employees are always nice and ALMOST always friendly and talkative to boot. Another HUGE positive for me is their massive drink selection. I'm not referring to alcohol, because I don't drink. Never have, never will. But their selection somehow used to be even bigger, before they added the beer cave. It's still insane, and it's better than the food selection which already good. They have a reasonably big convenience store in general. But their drink selection isn't just big, they mostly get new things on time...or even before they're released. Sometimes WELL before the release date. So, there are my positives. Onto the unfortunate negatives. Maybe I'll just keep them brief. I hate talking negatively. First, the obvious. They have many photos of shoplifters up. Ever since they added the beer cave, which I believe is one of the biggest in town for convenience stores...the quality of clientele has deteriorated. Many customers are shoplifting now, to the point their photos get on the window outside...so, yeah. More homeless people, odd people, or both are starting to show up as well, hanging around outside or sometimes walking through inside. It's nothing crazy, but it's a huge change. This location is dead center of Kelso, the main road Allen Street, and just obviously used to be more busy with more out-of-towners and regular folks alike. Nobody has personally bothered me, anyone I know, or even just people in general from what I've heard. So, I think it's just starting to become an average location in town, which isn't inherently a problem. So that's why I'm able to give the generous three out of five star rating. I'm also able to get the rating slightly higher because, there are now plenty of periods where it's completely vacant, when it used to still be pretty busy. Nobody getting gas, shopping inside, or hanging out around the outside. So, if you time it right, you could be completely alone. Let's do another positive, because I really REALLY hate being negative. (But I also really hate dishonesty.) Their hot food selection is great. There's a wide variety of options, it's always in stock, and it's pretty affordable. I don't get their hot food A LOT, but it's ALWAYS tempting. Okay, back to another negative...and it's also associated with the new visitors. This location has started to become more dirty and messy. Outside it's starting to look worse, which is a huge issue considering they've NEVER had enough parking spots. Or enough parking spots that you can easily get out of. OR enough gas pumps, or gas pumps that are easy to maneuver when attempting to enter or exit. Inside, it's starting to feel cluttered and unkempt, along with also starting to feel dirty. Which is just unfortunate. I know it sounds like I'm low on this establishment, but I'm really not. It just used to be a much nicer location, and seeing its quality decline is disappointing. Especially considering they're now a Sinclair. I don't know if that necessarily means anything else new would occur. But a rebrand, to me, feels like the time to do so. Overall, you're unfortunately gonna find that this establishment is cluttered. Dirtier than before, with more shoplifting and interesting folks around. But for the many flaws, they make up for it with the inside the convenience store, with the fact that you should be able to stop by and have no issues with anyone, and with the how central the location is. Man, I hate speaking negatively. I hope this wasn't a bad review. Or a cluttered one, like the store.

Whoever bought this gas station should be ashamed of themselves. Firing the original staff…read more Out-of-control fuel prices that fluctuate worse than the stock market? And jacking up their hit food prices 50%? We know who owns the station. The American dream by an immigrant isn't to be a gluttonous pariah. I'll never ever step foot on their lot. I don't care if I'm outta gas.

This is one of my reliable gas stations. Not one I go to a lot, but one I can count on!…read more Consistently on the cheaper side of gas prices! Good gas station too with pumps and stuff! Employees are super nice and talkative, almost feels like home! AT LEAST twice I've run out of gas and filled up my gas can there, and they've just been relatable like we're friends! Only thing that makes me not wanna give this a perfect score is it looks a SLIGHT bit run down, and I don't like the drink selection. (But that's more of a personal issue.) Overall I know this is a semi-popular gas station, and definitely considered a solid reliable one at the VERY LEAST! My Dad used to go here all the time, and like, only here! Definitely check this place out! Especially if you're in a pinch, it should work well for you!

This place was conveniently located on a road I was traveling during a road trip. I was happy about…read morethe cost of gas, it's much more expensive where I'm from so that's always a plus. The station has a few entrances off the main road and side streets and was empty when I visited. The pumps have the option for external payments which is always a plus.

This location is just as good as the other classic location, if not better. Let me explain…read more One of the biggest advantages is the location, it's closer and more convenient to access. But let's move on to the things that are just as good. Outstanding customer service. Employees know what they're doing, they're efficient and friendly. I was in a line just today, and it went through fast. Gas pumps are good, and the gas prices aren't the highest or the lowest. Easy access to the pumps. Enough parking, but also right next to a big parking lot if there isn't. Inside is very clean. Fridges are really cold. Selection is good, prices are good. They may even carry food or drink that's not super common elsewhere. What else can I say? If you love the original Boondox location, you'll love this location as well. Please check them out. They've been doing well so far, but I know the original location is a mainstay. Don't sleep on this.

I bought two vapes and stepped outside to test them and one was non functional. Immediately I went…read moreback in to exchange it and was told that since I went outside that it was non returnable. It was a vape with a digital gauge on it that still read 100% so it was obvious I wasn't trying to return an empty vape. On top of that the cashier seemed pretty happy to tell me that they wouldn't take it back. I was never told I had to test the vape inside and most businesses do not want you vaping inside. What a horrible way to treat people. They may have a good selection of vapes but they are $10 more per vape than other stores and with a return policy like that I will never return there. I expected better from a locally owned business.

Let me paint you a picture: it's an overcast afternoon in the dead of winter. Your bus breaks down…read morein Kelso and your trusty driver rick has to take not one but two trips to the o' Reilly Auto parts to get auto parts to fix the bus. The driver on the second Uber ride was named Rick also so that was interesting. "what does this have to do with arco am pm on 1700 Allen st?" you might be wondering. Be patient -- this isn't a race. I was just about to get to that. The reason I'm telling you all of this is that the break down happened at this very arco am pm. While Rick bravely handled getting auto parts and the subsequent repair work, myself and three other people were stranded at this humble outpost. Were we happy to find ourselves at an arco am pm for two hours? No, no we were not. But moments like these test a man -- or a woman -- forcing you to look deep within yourself for reserves of strength that you don't know if you will find. And when you endure tests like this you need support. Sure we all had each other and that's not nothing. But it's not enough. You need other things, things which your bus friends can't give you. Let's go through those things. First, you need a toilet. Arco am pm has you covered, with one reasonably clean bathroom. Toilet paper, soap, paper towels, all can be found in ample supply. Some jerk had scrawled a hateful message on the bathroom wall and another patron wrote a scathing rebuttal. While I wished that there were no hateful remark to rebut in the first place, this is the world we live in. As the Bible says, "man is born into trouble as surely as sparks fly upward." So it was nice to see at least some human decency reflected in there. You also need refreshing drinks. While we were only stranded here for a few hours, there's no doubt in my mind that we could have been here for *days* and never been thirsty for a moment, such is the bounty of drinks at this arco am pm. But you don't just need these *things*. There are also intangible needs... The need for love. And we found love here. Laura, an employee of this establishment was a motherly presence who came out to check on us and let us know that the arco am pm would be a safe harbor for us through this ordeal. She could've been what hobos would call a "bull", the often cruel railyard police who would harrass any hobo, tramp, or bum that entered their domain, but instead she chose kindness, and for that we were thankful. There was also a hot case with little sandwiches and things.

Horrible customer service. Sold me bad Vuse pods and refused to exchange or refund. I will not be…read moregiving this store my business any further.

I had to do an updated review, I come here too often to NOT. It's been over four years since my…read morelast review, so let's check in. I can't speak on the gas prices, because I don't come here to get gas. But as for the pumps themselves, they look clean and easy to use. Major pro, because sometimes that's not the case. As for the minit mart, man oh man is it one of my favorites. It always has a selection of beverages I'm looking for...and often has new varieties available a few days or even a week, before release. Prices aren't terrible either. It's a relatively clean minit mart too. Also relatively spacious, and I'm drawing a blank...but there's diner tables I think? I'm 99% certain. As for the non-beverage selection, always stellar too. ON TOP OF the hot food at the register. I live in an unusual setting, we have a whole three-story building to ourselves. There's a minit mart across the street...no hot food. This place satisfies that urge. Now for the main event: the chicken on top of the building. I call this "the chicken store" and my FRIENDS know where I mean. This IS the chicken store. I always saw that chicken as a very young child, and wanted to go there. As for employees, you know I've never seen the same worker twice. I've never had any problems, though. I just can't name a particularly outstanding person. Overall, this checks every box. Clean gas station, clean minit mart with good selection, and a chicken on the roof...maybe that last box doesn't need to be checked everywhere. I can't recommend this place enough!

Please get someone in there that speaks and understands English. It's frustrating when I can't…read moreunderstand the person and he can't understand me. It pisses me off to no end.

Finally I found fudge! It was wonderful. So many options, I think 16. So I had to grab a few.read more

This location used to be a Shell that I frequented. I think it's still just as good as always…read more Also, I unfortunately got busy on the day I submitted this location, and missed being the first review. Now for a week or two, I believe, there's only been a one-star review that's very depressing. I'm so sorry. Firstly, the convenience store is large with a great selection. Along with great deals on beverages and always being up to date. Secondly, the service is incredible. I swear every cashier I've interacted with provides fast and friendly service. They really seem to enjoy their jobs! Thirdly, back to the convenience store. They have a homemade fudge...um, it's in a smaller clear thing similar to the hot food. It's just so close to the hot food, but I had NEVER gotten the fudge. I think it's great, and $4 a square isn't bad. My grandma loved it, and she's the biggest fudge fan you'll ever meet. As far as gas prices, I think they're in the middle. Not the most expensive or least expensive. Which isn't bad at all. I think both the gas station and convenience store are fairly clean. Maybe some renovations on the convenience store would help, but not necessary. Also, this place never seems to be busy. You'd think with the car wash, they'd be slammed. But no, that car wash seems to go unused and is underrated. Overall, I think this is a prime example of a great gas station. Normal sized gas pump area, big convenience store fully stocked with the latest things and deals on them, and even homemade fudge. I know I can come here and be satisfied. (Now even more so, because I love the Sinclair branding.)