Sheetz, 765 Benner Pike, isn't a restaurant, exactly.

There's no place to sit. There's no one to come by to take your order. It occasionally has the faint odor of petroleum.

You see, Sheetz is a gas station. But it's quite possibly the greatest gas station on the face of the earth.

Sheetz has cold drinks, and air fresheners and cigarettes; you know, the usual stuff you'd find at a gas station with a convenience store.

And, mind you, it's a very nice convenience store.

But there's something about Sheetz that sets it apart. That thing is the MTO. It came from the future, I think.

The concept of the MTO (or "Made to Order," but nobody calls it that) is so simple, and yet, so brilliant. You walk up to a computer, touch pictures of the food you want, spend maybe a minute thumbing through Tigerbeat on the stand behind you, and pick up your order. It's not magic, but it's close.

And what can you order using this wondrous process, you might ask? Why, just about anything you'd like, is what. And most of it is pretty darn good, too.

Ultimately, the hot and cold sandwiches are where it's at when it comes to MTO. With virtually limitless options and none of the guesswork that goes into ordering at a place like Subway, Sheetz's subs aren't gourmet, necessarily, but at least you know exactly what you're getting.

The salads aren't bad, if a little heavy on the iceberg lettuce. The Wrapz are tempting (although it's scary that they used to advertise them as "car-friendly," since you really can't eat them and drive), but they're not too big, and the wraps themselves are a little gritty.

The Burgerz are a good size, and you'll get a lot more toppings than at any fast food place, but the beef has a strange texture; not bad, just strange. The nachos are quite excellent, and the bagel sandwiches are pretty good, too.

As long as you avoid the fajitas and the hot dogs, you'll be all right.

The prices are extremely reasonable, and if you can get yourself there between 4 p.m. and midnight, the foot-long cold subs are all only $4.99. So if you and your dining companion can agree on toppings, you'll be splitting plenty of food for a fine price.

Oh, and that's the other thing.

Sheetz is open 24 hours. There are four locations in State College alone. In a town that fundamentally shuts down entirely too early every night, Sheetz is always there, wherever you go.

The biggest problem with Sheetz?

With so many choices, the process occasionally lends itself to a lot of mind changing. Just go with your instincts (and don't let your eyes glaze over) and you'll be fine. Hop in the car, make sure you have a place to take your food after you go, and enjoy. When was the last time you pressed a button and a sandwich appeared? Not recently enough, my friend.