Good deli food, surpassed what we expected from a gas station restaurant. Cafeteria style with a…read morelarge selection. I actually got the full Irish breakfast and enjoyed it. Everyone else with me liked their food as well.

So we hit the road at 7am to be in Cork for a meeting at 10. I'm not a fan of eating breakfast very…read moreearly so I had only a couple of Rich Tea biscuits, grabbed as I rushed to try and not be late, to keep me going. Sometime around 8.30, a deep, grumble emanated from the cavernous pit that was my emoty stomach and thoughts turned to food. I was reassured by my colleague we'd be hitting this service station for a bite to eat before we carried on, refreshed. I was surprised by the size of it when we came down the exit road off the M*. It was quite a place. A line of lorries queued for the petrol pumps and quite a few cars were in the car park. But I was impressed when I walked in and saw the size of the shop and the variety of food to eat when I went in. I'd expected to be able to grab a stale scone when I thought about what I might get in a service station. Plenty of fresh scones, muffins and rolls greeted me. As did hot dogs. They were next to the deli and the hot food counter. FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD! I reckoned a sandwich was my best bet so I walked up to the counter and the words "Can I have a brown bread sandwich with ham, mayo and cheese, please" rolled off my tongue like they have hundreds of times before. I knew what to order and I knew what it would taste like. Or did I? Right before my eyes, the server picked up a big piece of cooked ham and carved off thick chunks of meat. Thicker chunks than the Celtic Tiger could have wrapped its mouth around. "Is this real? I'll wake up and realise I've to head for Cork now, won't I?" But as the glorius of Handel's 'Messiah' chorus rang in my ears, she presented the sandwich to me and in no time, I had paid (less than €4) and was unwrapping my sandwich. It wasn't 'til then that I realised how big the sandwich was. I ended up having to save half for later. But it was beautiful. Maybe it was the hunger, maybe it was because it was so unexpected to get a filling of such quality but it tasted exquisite. Thank you, Topaz! There's also a McDonalds next to it but that's not my bag.

I generally have two requirements for Motorway stops 1: It's actually on the Motorway or close to…read moreit 2: You get a good range of food and its a nice spot to actually stop and eat. This one ticks both those boxes nicely. Could not be closer to the motorway and a great range of food. Staff were very friendly and helpful and the seating area upstairs with comfy couches means you could actually relax and enjoy your coffee. Perfect.

This is a convenience store on steroids / a truck stop without the trucks / a rest area/comfort…read morestop for travelers and tour buses. Aside from the giant convenience store offering a wide variety of merchandise, the service area also included a Circle K and a McDonald's. Although it is a service station open to the motoring public, I think a large part of our existence is due to the number of tour buses that stop here on a daily basis - much as we did. When touring on a bus tour, the tour operators design their route and stops to accommodate the "comfort needs" of their tour guests. For example, you left the hotel after breakfast and need either an attraction (tour stop) or a comfort stop before lunch. The same is true in the afternoon - you need either a scheduled attraction or a comfort stop before dinner. Dewsland Service Station served us well. Restrooms were clean, the store was well stocked and the service was quick and efficient.

AMBER PETROL The Amber Filling Station on the…read moreMayfield-Glanmire Road is a busy spot. Much of that goes down to the fact that their fuel prices are always among the lowest in the area. There are the usual ancillary services, car wash for example. In addition, there is a decent sized Costcutters on site, well stocked and with a friendly and efficient staff. Here you can buy your groceries, get hot food at the deli, use the internal ATM, do the lotto, even get garden compost.

I purchased an ice cream sundae at a cost of €2*25. I was very disappointed to find the plastic cup…read morewas half way full with a very small portion of sauce. I will not be returning for an ice cream again.

This phone number is not in use, which is not much use. I did think the service on the day was good…read morebut may have left a bankcard there and cannot contact to check.