I normally fuel my rental car before I do my usual road trip from the Twin Cities down to northern…read moreIowa. Yesterday, I forgot to. Instead, while in downtown Rochester, I decided to top my car's gas tank at this Holiday gas station. This Holiday is just off South Broadway. It's a nice, large gas station with pumps in the double digits. The convenience store looked massive! I didn't need to go in. I like when U.S. gas pumps accept Canadian credit cards. The one that I used did not prompt for a ZIP code. All went well. I simply had to insert it and enter my PIN. Holiday is affiliated with Cub Foods. I got prompted to enter my Cub rewards card. I don't have one, so I skipped that part. I was thrilled to have topped off my car's gas tank. The area around the gas pump that I used was clean and great. The only downside was that each pump has a screen that plays ads. Every one was saying something that it does get noisy. This gas station is spacious. A Rochester bus was parked off to the side, likely taking a break before going back on its regular route. It didn't block any vehicle coming in and out of this gas station. I had a pleasant experience. I'll need to check out the convenience store next time I'm here. (492)

This is now rebranded as a Circle K. I needed cash at US Bank atm, and Google maps brought me to…read morethis out of the way location. Filled up gas tank, got cash. I broke a $20 bill and got 2 waters. Then it poured rain. Ran to car. Used the bathroom and it was clean. No concerns.

This is a horrible pharmacy. A compound of rude and incompetent techs and pharmacists. They do not…read morecare about you as a person. They will not fill for prescriptions unless prompted even if on hand. You will wait weeks for medications that go in and out of stock. Good luck staying on top of your pick-ups. Really shameful professional behavior.

TL;Dr: Walgreens on Civic Center by Barlow messed up my three -year-old's medication and I was…read moretreated like trash by the manager. Just wanted to post a heads-up regarding the Walgreens on Civic Center by Barlow plaza. I am never one to share stories like this, but this could have hurt my kids. I have two kids with rip-roaring ear infections, each of whom needed antibiotics. They told me they'd be ready in an hour. I waited in the car line for half an hour, got to the front, and was told they weren't ready and to go to the back of the line. I get to the front of the line, take the meds, and go home to treat my kids. Get home and find out that they didn't prepare the meds-- they gave me the powder and no instructions. Called and asked for them to have a reconstituted one when I went back a THIRD TIME. Got there, asked to speak to a manager when at the car window, the manager listened to my complaint, put the correct medication in the box, and said "is there anything else I can help you with?" I said "yes, it would be nice if someone apologized for screwing this up three times." He smiled, said "have a nice day," and walked away. They gave me the wrong medication for my kid. Then they gave me unprepared medication. Then a third time, they gave me the correct medication. Not once did anyone apologize. Imagine if they had messed up another child's medication and the parent hadn't caught it. Unbelievable. I will be writing to corporate, but wanted to warn moms here to check any prescriptions you get from that pharmacy, because their incompetence caused an error that could have hurt my child.

This place was great, and the staff was very nice and helpful. They have a lot of unique groceries…read morewith plenty of staples to make our stay in Rochester a lot nicer.

Every time we move, my first question is whether there is a respectable international grocer in…read moretown, with a reputable selection of Middle Eastern fare. I found International Spices & Groceries using a Google search, and after visiting the market yesterday, I was so surprised that no one had reviewed the place on Yelp as of yet. Well, there's a first time for everything... The first thing I noticed about the store is how sparkling clean the floors were. Along with the bright lighting and well-organized shelves stacked with the whole gamut of traditional spices, jams, pita bread, cookies, and teas (to name only a few of the items they had), this place exceeded my expectations. Many international grocers have no desire to spruce up their stores because they know the focused customer base will continue to shop there, especially if there is no nearby competition. However, this place does an excellent job of appealing to the general public, with its ample selection of meats, cheeses, frozen and dried goods. If you plan on visiting the store on Fridays, remember that its closed around noon. I forgot what time exactly, but it is listed on the front door. I parked on the street at a metered spot right in front of the store and did not notice a nearby lot for shoppers.

BEST. GAS STATION. EVER. Seriously. I have been to so many states and on so many road trips and…read morethis is THE BEST!!! Why, you ask? First of all, they have RECYCLING next to the trash can. It is the ONLY place I ever seen this and they get 10 stars from me for having it!!! 2nd: They have hand sanitizers at the pumps. How cool is that? I have never seen it either. As a public health professional I find both of these things completely fabulous! 3rd: This one most normal people will enjoy too. ;-) There is an entrance on both westbound Civic Center Drive as well as North and South bound 11th Ave NW. Not only are there entrances, but there are separate pump areas for each entrance, so coming in and out is quite easy. This was by far the cleanest gas station I have ever been to. They have a customer for life. :-) Okay, well, anytime I am in Rochester anyway.

This is an Ok Kt. Not as nice as some of the new ones but not bad. That being said, the glazers…read moreare as good as any other kt.

Spyhouse in Rochester is a fun little café. It is located inside one of the hotels I usually stay…read moreat when I come visit, and it feels pretty similar to the other Spyhouse locations around Minneapolis. I got a vanilla latte and really enjoyed it. They also had some bakery items and sweet treats available, though I am not sure if they make them there or bring them in from somewhere else. The café itself is on the smaller side, but that makes sense since it is inside a hotel. There is still enough space to sit down and enjoy your coffee for a bit, and you could probably get some work done too, though I personally would feel a little awkward staying too long if it got busy. The service was good and the whole place had a nice relaxed feel to it.

Tried the Caramella hot coffee. It was amazing! They accidentally made it over ice but was quick to…read moreacknowledge their mistake and kindly corrected the order. The area was quiet and small and perfect for a quick midday coffee.

This is a gas station with a car wash and convenience store. The thing that's great about it is the…read morechicken. It's delicious. I prefer it to any place I've had fried chicken. Maybe even over mom's. So much good stuff. So much convenience. And the staff is SO friendly. This is one of my favorites.

I buy food for the first time lady picks up my with her bare hands at the register to see what…read moretype it is. I go in the next day on my lunch break and she tornado and tries to take it out of the package with bare hands and proceeds to cuss me out when I tell her to please not touch my food. She needs to be fired.