The Gas Station

The Gas Station is a barbecue restaurant, horror-themed tourist attraction and former roadside gas station on State Highway 304 outside Bastrop, Texas. The building was originally a local gas station and general store, but became famous after appearing in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The site was later restored and reopened as The Gas Station, also operating with the barbecue name We Slaughter Barbecue. Today the location serves barbecue, sells horror merchandise and offers cabins and camping for visitors. Its restored façade, “We Slaughter Barbecue” sign, rural roadside setting and horror memorabilia make it one of the most recognisable surviving locations from the original film.

The Gas Station appears in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), where it is used as the Last Chance Gas Station. The location is one of the main stops during the group’s journey through rural Texas, and it introduces the Cook, who later turns out to be part of the same murderous family as Leatherface.

In The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), The Gas Station appears after Sally, Franklin, Jerry, Kirk and Pam have picked up and escaped from the hitchhiker. The group stops at the gas station hoping to buy fuel, but the owner tells them the pumps are empty and that he is waiting for the fuel truck. The station also functions as a barbecue stand, with the “We Slaughter Barbecue” sign adding an especially grim layer to the scene once the truth about the family is revealed. Later in the film, Sally reaches the gas station while fleeing from Leatherface and appears to have found help, but the owner captures her and forces her into his truck. The location becomes one of the film’s most important places outside the Sawyer house, shifting from an ordinary roadside stop into part of the same nightmare.

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