Quaker Steak and Lube Cook

Travelcenters-of-Americ; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 17,000 - 25,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

401(k) with company match

Vacation and paid holidays

Discounts on tech travel food and fuel

Job summary

TravelCenters of America in Columbia, SC is seeking a Cook to join our restaurant team, responsible for preparing and presenting quality food to guests and helping travelers refuel with excellent service. In this role you’ll perform prep tasks, operate grill stations, follow plate presentation guidelines, complete checklists, and uphold safe food handling and waste controls while prioritizing guest needs.

We offer medical, dental, vision and life insurance, a 401(k) match, paid

Qualifications

• Experience in kitchen prep and line cook duties.
• Knowledge of safe food handling and storage procedures.
• Ability to follow plate presentation guides and recipes.

Responsibilities

• Work in a fun, trusting environment focused on great customer service.
• Perform prep cook tasks such as washing, chopping, and sorting ingredients.
• Perform grill cook tasks, such as setting up broiler, fryer and grill stations according to line check sheets. Prepare all products to the specifications requested by guests and follow plate presentation guides
• Complete prep, freezer pull and temperature checklist sheets
• Practice safe food handling and storage and report any unsafe conditions
• Prioritize work according to restaurant and guest needs
• Build strong communication with leaders and co-workers
• Perform other duties as assigned

Skills

Food prep

Grill cook

Teamwork

Food safety

Job description

Posted on: 10/10/2026 - Application Deadline: 11/10/2026

There’s never been a better time to join TravelCenters of America! For more than 50 years, millions of professional truck drivers and motorists have called our travel centers home, depending on us daily for fuel, food, truck maintenance and essential services.

Driven by a passionate team, TA is focused on growing its network of travel centers, implementing cutting edge technology and embarking on innovative alternative energy and sustainability initiatives.

From our locations across the country, to our corporate headquarters in Westlake, Ohio, every team member is a stakeholder in TA’s success. This environment offers endless career opportunities for individuals interested in sharing their ideas, growing with the company and shaping TA’s future.

Job Summary

TravelCenters of America offers a convenient, one-stop shopping experience to our customers. Each location has a plethora of dining options which gives our guests the variety they look for. The Cook is a key member of the restaurant team responsible for preparing and presenting quality food to guests so that we are returning every traveler to the road better than they came!

In this role, you can expect to:

• Work in a fun, trusting environment focused on great customer service
• Perform prep cook tasks such as washing, chopping, and sorting ingredients.
• Perform grill cook tasks, such as setting up broiler, fryer and grill stations according to the line check sheets. Prepare all products to the specifications requested by guests and follow plate presentation guides
• Complete prep, freezer pull and temperature checklist sheets
• Practice safe food handling and storage as well as waste control procedures; Know and follow safety guidelines and report potentially unsafe situations caused by team members and customers
• Prioritize your work according to the restaurant and guest needs
• Build strong communication and rapport with leaders and co-workers
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned

What we’d like to see:

• A dedicated individual who works well with others and is excited to be part of our team!
• Ability to work flexible hours including nights, weekends and some holidays

With us, you’ll enjoy:

• Medical, dental, vision and life insurance
• 401(k) with a company match
• Vacation and paid holidays
• A wide variety of discounts on technology, travel, food and fuel

A pay range listed reflects the potential pay for this role. The pay will depend on various factors, such as responsibilities of the position, job duties/requirements, and relevant experience and skills. Not all positions posted will have a pay range listed.

Our travel centers serve thousands every day; not one traveler is the same and our team must reflect that. We can "return every traveler to the road better than they came" only by understanding and celebrating individualism. TravelCenters of America is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless race, color, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, familial status, ancestry, sex, gender, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, handicap, military service or Veteran status, genetic information or membership in any other category protected by applicable federal, state or local law. At TravelCenters of America, we invite everyone to make themselves at home.

Individualswith a disability may request a reasonable accommodation related to ourrecruiting process. If you would like to request an accommodation related to therecruitment process, please email us at [e-mail]. In your email,please include your first and last name, phone number, the position andlocation for which you are applying, and details pertaining to theaccommodation request.

Typical Physical Demands

In this role, the team member is regularly required to talk and hear. Standing, walking, kneeling, stooping, bending over, crouching, crawling, climbing, and repetitive use of legs are done occasionally. The team member is occasionally required to lift up to 50 lbs and/or move heavy objects. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. All performed with or without a reasonable accommodation.

While performing these duties of this job, the employee may be exposed to outdoor elements in all seasons. Occasionally, the employee will also be exposed to fumes and particles, moving mechanical parts and vibration. The noise level in the work environment can be loud at times. While performing these duties, the employee may be exposed to dirt, dust, grime, grease, oil, gas, high-concentrated cleaning solutions, etc.

Disclaimer

This job description may not list all duties for this position. The incumbent in the position may be asked to perform other duties. TA Operating LLC reserves the right to revise the job description at any time. This job description is not a contract for employment, and either the incumbent or TA Operating LLC may terminate employment at any time, for any reason.