Summer’s ICEE Guide: Tetco on Harvey (Slurpee)

While ICEE is my primary preference, I decided I would include Slurpee in this guide because they started life as ICEE.  7-Eleven made a deal way back in 1965 to sell drinks from ICEE machines, but as part of the deal, they had to use a different name and could never sell them anywhere else.  As such, Slurpee is purely a 7-Eleven, and Tetco after the recent merger, option.

7-Eleven/Tetco Slurpees have changed a bit from their ICEE roots as 7-Eleven uses their own flavor mixes.  As such, I find they tend to be sweeter, melt MUCH faster, and do not have the pleasant “fluffiness” of a true ICEE.  They also offer sugar-free varieties, though ICEE has noted they don’t offer them because it messes with the freezing, so no idea how it affects the Slurpee’s already high meltiness.

With that lead up, on to the Tetco at the corner of Harvey and Texas Ave.  This recently remodeled location, which Google still doesn’t realize is a Tetco, is decent size gas/service station that actually has fairly reasonable gas prices.  Inside the store are the usual convenience offerings, as well as fountain drinks, hot dogs, Slurpees, and burritos made to order.

Locations

1721 Texas Ave S, College Station (map)

Sizes & Costs

The Tetco at Harvey offers three sizes of Slurpee, Medium, Large, and X-Large, all at very reasonable prices. The X-Large is kind of nuts and I honestly couldn’t finish it! I think it is a 44 ounce size, but not positive.

7-Eleven has a similar deal that Rattlers used to offer, except with theirs its every 7th cup free.  You just have to get the free app.   Through the app you can also get freebies and discounts during Slurpee Week and other special events.

Unlike a lot of places, you can also get refills for a discounted price (through presumably you to bring back the cup).

Flavors

Tetco has a four flavor machine.  The Coca-Cola and Wild Cherry flavors, which are also ICEE staples, seem to stay fairly consistent, while the other flavors change on an unknown schedule from the limited time flavors 7-Eleven introduces regularly.  When I went last time, they had Birthday Cake and Sugar Free Pineapple Mango.

Quality

As noted above, Slurpee doesn’t have the same ICEE attributes, so I’m trying to judge the quality based on Slurpee versus ICEE.  The machine is cleaned, has been well stocked both times, and seems to be decently well maintained.  It does use the up-side moving handles, which is a machine style I hate.  They are such a pain, and both times I’ve gone so far, I found the one on the Coke flavor in particular was very hard to move.  The Cherry one moves more smoothly, so it may just need adjusting.

Both Slurpees I got from there melted very quickly and I found them to be more air bubbles as well.  They are also sweeter, though I think this is just the norm for Slurpee.