I had already been doing a good bit of thinking about the intersections of food and place with Carle-Sanders’ Castle Rock Kitchen, so as I traveled, the opportunity to savor some of those fictional flavors was at the forefront of my mind. This made it a particularly easy decision to make a lunchtime stop at Dysart’s Truck Stop in Hermon, the inspiration for King’s short story “Trucks” (first published in Cavalier in 1973; collected in 1978’s Night Shift). 

I had a lot of good food while I traveled—including fish tacos and homemade chips at Paddy Murphy’s and some really great lobster rolls—but my lunch at Dysart’s was definitely one of the most memorable. Dysart’s is a busy truck stop and popular with local residents as well, and it was full of truckers, older couples, and families the day I stopped in. As I made my notes on the morning’s adventures and enjoyed my lunch, I soaked in the surrounding conversations and hugged myself on the inside every time the waitress called me “deah.” The restaurant was doing a busy lunch business and understaffed (like so many places these days), but everyone I spoke to was warm and welcoming. 

By chance, I ended up seated next to the trucker’s table, where drivers getting off the road for a quick bite can come in and grab a seat. I passed pleasant words with several of them and listened in as the older, retired truckers who still come in for lunch caught up and shared stories with the new generation. I kept one eye on the pumps and on the trucks coming in and out, thinking back to the stalking semis of “Trucks,” but if any of their rigs had been acting funny, these truckers weren’t talking. 

Dysart’s menu has some great comfort food options on it and I had a tough choice between Maine baked beans, mac and cheese, and Dysart’s legendary chicken pot pie (of SNL fame). All sounded wonderful, but in the end I went with the Maine baked beans with ham, which came with coleslaw and homemade bread, all of which was delicious and filling. I have no regrets, but I’ll need to make a return trip to try those dishes left behind. 

Dessert was a much less difficult choice: a great big piece of Maine blueberry pie and a cup of strong coffee. The crust was flaky and just the tiniest bit sweet, and the blueberries were densely packed and full of flavor. I love a good coffee cup and this was a chunky, solid mug, perfect for warming my hands and breathing in that hot coffee aroma while I pondered my afternoon plans between bites of the delicious pie. I ate every bite and left full and happy, warmed by both the food and the friendliness. 

I’m not saying this is where I want to be if the trucks ever take over, but I’ll definitely be stopping back at Dysart’s for another meal next time I’m in Maine.