Arco Ampm

A normal Arco in Bakersfield CA. It’s one of the cheaper gas station. Across the street is more expensive. Good place for a stop and grabs few things on the good in this small town.
I have noticed that this gas station tends to be busier then it’s competitor in the area.

This AM PM is a handy location but has really bad entrance and exit ease due to the busy intersection it is located on. That is exactly why I’m giving it 4 stars.
Gas here is usually always one of the cheapest in town if you look around and they do have many pumps but unfortunately for our diesel users no diesel as of yet.
One thing I am not a fan of at these places is the central pay hubs and not pay at your own pump. So if there’s many people paying at one particular time then sometimes you have to wait in line for your turn that can be inconvenient.
Otherwise this is a usual stocked with the normal items AM PM store with cheap gas but a tight parking lot and a tricky driveway.

It’s not the cheapest gas station on this block (Circle K is), but it’s big which means it’s easy to get in & out of, which is important for this busy intersection!

4 stars what I don’t like about this spot is that it’s on the corner and everyone and there momma go cause the gas is cheap.
Guess what it burns fast and makes the beast run like shit,
But the inside was clean and well stocked and the cashier was friendly and it was in and out

For me an Arco AMPM always starts at four stars for their cheap gas and works their way up and down the scale based on what impressed me positively or negatively.
I stop at Arco often enough that I know I need to have ample cash on hand to avoid the $.35 debit card fee, though this time I miscalculated and had to pay it. It averages out to less than $.04 per gallon if you’re filling your tank, which I was, still far cheaper than the Chevron across the street.
I went inside to wash my hands after pumping the gas; there are two single stall restrooms, but one is marked for employees only — what’s up with that? The one for customers was reasonably clean and well stocked with soap and paper towels. Minus one star for permanently reserving one restroom for employees. Bad form.
The Fountain had multiple options for those of us who prefer diet soda: diet coke, diet Pepsi, Coke Zero (Those three still equal one option to me), diet dr pepper, and diet Mountain Dew. Bonus star for both the Diet Dr. Pepper and Diet Mountain Dew Options.
They stock Takis, my favorite chips, in multiple flavors, half a bonus star.
The cooler stocks many cold dtink options and they are well organized and clearly marked with prominent signage. There is a sign on each glass door stating what is behind it: Sodas, energy drinks, sport drinks, tea, water. It cuts down the browsing time considerably. They had an extensive array of different flavors of the three major brands os energy drinks: Monster, Rockstar, and Red Bull — well, at least of the first two. No extra stars, but it’s a nice bonus feature.
All in all a solid four stars for my experience. If you’re using a debit card I’d recommend using it outside at the pump as a fellow Unilocaler I trust once had issues with taking it inside (see tips)

This is a decent gas station. Could be much better, could be worse. They get 1 star because they have so many gas pumps, another star because the pumps are always working, and the third star because their pay outside cash machine is always working (this isn’t the case at other Arcos).
The price is always much lower than the other gas stations around. They are conveniently located right off the 99 so you can get off, fill up and hop right back on the freeway.
The bad part is that they are on the corner of a ridiculously busy intersection, and it’s tricky to turn out of the gas station and make it all the way to the left turn lane. You have to be quick.
My biggest complaint is about the bathroom. Since all the rest stops are now closed along the 99, long distance drivers now have to stop at various fast food establishments or nasty gas stations. This Arco has two restrooms but one is reserved for employees. On Sunday, we were making our way home from the Mojave Desert. I had filled up on water and Gatorade so as not to get dehydrated, so I had to GO! And of course, there was a line of about 10 people, all waiting for the damn bathroom.
When I finally got it, it was nasty and the floor was sticky and wet. I should have just stopped and gone behind a bush out on the highway.

–First off, I never understood why arco only accepts cash or debit (plus 45¢ fee)
–There’s 2 restroom but 1 is reserved for employee only. The one open to the public is dirty and disgusting.
–They don’t break a hundred dollar bill.

Interestingly enough, there is a completely different experience at this Arco than is across the street at the Chevron. This is probably one of the craziest, busiest Arco’s I’ve ever been to.
Because it is CASH ONLY, the lines tend to be very long but their prices are a few cents cheaper than most gas stations because of this fact so many people try to cram into this Arco. Getting in and getting out is nearly impossible after you have impossibly found a gas pump to station yourself at. Most people who fill up here have little to no regard of distance to your car and I had a number of close calls when I was here. Eek! I would not recommend you to come here if you can help it at all.