I absolutely love stopping at this spot anytime I am in the area. This mom and pop shop really represents what it means to support local. It carries local canned/jarred products from around central TX. The last time I came here, I got some venison jerky. Venison is usually gamey, but when you sink your teeth into this, you'll be itching to get your hands on another bag. You get ten strips plus in a single bag, all treated with sea salt and pepper to retain the natural meat flavor. These strips come from purely grass-fed venison, giving a richer and more tender texture while keeping it as organic as possible. In the realm of beef jerky, the offering here packs tons of spice but also has that savory edge of smoked salt & pepper and that little something that sits on your tongue after the bite has passed. This jerky here is fresh and has ZERO MSGs, no preservatives, nothing but properly cured and crafted American beef jerky. The service here is everything that Central TX is all about, small town charm! Aside from the establishments convenient location and service, the prices are extremely reasonable. #supportlocal read more

Garven Store - The outside - Gas Stations Near Me - Mountain Home, Texas

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This place is an awesome family owned business. They have a great selection of beef jerky and pickled goods. I got a couple different kinds of jerky including honey, teriyaki, hot beef, and peppered jerky. They were all really good but the honey was the best. I was eyeing the pickles and Tom, the cashier said the peppered pickle sticks were the best so I decided to try them. They are pretty dang spicy but they pack a lot of flavor. I am a big pickle fan and I would get these again. read more

Garven Store - Beef jerky - Gas Stations Near Me - Mountain Home, Texas

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Don't pass this little store by! Best beef jerky in the world.... And if jerky isn't what you're craving they have amazing brisket sandwiches and sausage wraps! Large selection of pickled vegetables, salsas, and really anything you could want! read more

Garven Store - Garven Store Entrance - Gas Stations Near Me - Mountain Home, Texas

Everything good about TX in one little spot. Took me back in time in the very best way. It got me a little choked up to fill up my tank on an old style pump while I watched the chickens and peacocks in the yard. The nicest "Where ya headed?" I was kind of in a hurry and couldn't really wander, but it looked like they have everything you could possibly need. Paying at the counter, I noticed a bowl of link sausage. It spoke to me LOUDLY. I don't even so much like sausage? But oh my GOSH. The flavor. The texture. My whole extended fam loved it. While you're there, getcha some counter sausage. And if you have to carry it in your bag the whole time you're traveling, trust me. It's worth it. read more

Heck, this is a great place to visit. The folks are fabulous, Jermey is spot on. Loved the nostalgia.

Stopped into the Garven Store for some Jersey. Their jerkey is wonderful! It was a beautiful Sunday and there were lots of bikers and deer hunters there! read more

Cute store and very friendly staff. Was grateful to find somewhere to stop on a very long drive and picked up some beef jerky and an interesting variety of pickled items. Also, it was really neat seeing the beautiful peacocks outside. read more

Garven Store - a piece of meat in a paper bag - Gas Stations Near Me - Mountain Home, Texas

This place is an oasis. We had been driving all afternoon and needed gas and snacks. We showed up 5 minutes before closing time but was not rushed one bit. We only knew they were closing because my wife asked. We ended up getting drinks and some really great local jerky. The gentleman behind the counter could tell we were from out of town so he suggested some local scenic drives that ended up being spectacular. This place has been there since the 1930's and is truly a gem. We came out here for stargazing and we'll definitely always make this shop a stop. read more

Stopping by the Garven Store is a must any time we are any where in the area. I will drive an hour out of my way for the jerky! We stopped by with our teenage daughter, who is a typical teenager, too cool to have fun with her parents. The owner, Vince, had her laughing and she fell in love with the store. The peacocks became her new best friend and we had to drag her out of the place. She decided that when she gets a job she wants to work there. We all love the atmosphere and the staff. Next time we go, I am trying the wine. My husband likes the pickled eggs, but I am not brave enough to try those. The brisket sandwiches are almost as good as the jerky. I have heard that they ship the jerky.... might have to look into that. read more

Garven Store - Gas Stations Near Me - Mountain Home, Texas

At least three or four times a year, I take some of my kids out to Garven Store to get some of the "Best Dang Jerky in Texas" and sometimes a sausage wrap or a barbecue sandwich. It's all great! Just stay away from the ghost pepper jerky unless you want your mouth to be on fire for the next couple of days. Today, we ate some jerky outside at a picnic table with all the chickens running around at the store. One jumped up on the table and started sharing my son's jerky with him. Good times, good jerky, and good memories. It's worth the drive through the Texas Hill Country to get there. read more

I turned 70 in November and on this day I only wished for one gift. I went home to West Texas. My wife had never experienced Texas before so I took her on a bucket list ride through Texas. We left South Carolina on the 9th of November. As the clock struck midnight, we were in Texas. Next day we drove to Ft Stockton, after all our last name is Stockton, Marfa next, you have to go experience Tears from Heaven. I spent my 50th there, my 70th was spent there also. On to Presidio, Terlingua, Big Bend Luckenbach , didn't care for the changes in Luckenbach. After Luckenbach it was on to Del Rio. On the day we were traveling to Luckenbach, we were all hungry and running low on gas, when we happened upon Garven's Store. At first sight we thought they were closed or out of business. Judy walks to the door, then turns and signals me that they're open. Oh my, what a gem we have found. Thomas was extremely friendly and he and I struck up a conversation. A very interesting young man. You're a Scorpio, Thomas exclaimed. I want to gift you something for for birthday. I thanked him and told him, I wished I had some knives with me, I'd gift you one. Give me your address and I'll send you one. He did and I did, it arrives today. My wife and I bought numerous gifts for friends and family, jerky, Judy loved it, a brisket sandwich, sausage wrap and some Dublin soft drinks. Our visit to Garven's was one of the biggest highlights of our trip. Next trip to Texas, we'll dry way out of our way to go to Garven's. The friendliest people and the prettiest women you've ever seen. Garven's just reinforced my love for Texas. Thank you Thomas and Garven's store. 5 stars and a big thumbs up. BTW Thomas gifted me a jar of Ghost Chilli Salsa. Judy says be cautious with that first chip, it's definitely warm. read more

Good selection of great jerky! It ain't in Leakey like my smart phone sez! Vintage Big Cheese Roll still there. Yumm! read more

An absolute gem in the middle of nowhere Texas. Stopped here for an emergency bathroom break and found some of the best beef jerky and salsa I've ever had. After trying some of their salsa samples I couldn't help but pick up a couple jars. The avocado tomatillo and the mango salsa were particularly good. I was almost tempted to buy some of the cheap knives they were selling next to the cash register. If I'm ever headed back out this way I will definitely make an effort to swing by and get some of that delicious, delicious jerky. read more

Garven store is a safe haven filled with saints and sumptuous food. A little less than 2 years ago, I was on my way back from an awesome camping trip at Garner State Park with my boyfriend. On our way out of town we noticed that the car was low on gas. We figured we could wait for the next station. Suddenly, we found ourselves on a long and winding road, cutting and curving through the hills of Texas. At least twenty minutes passed with no hope of good fortune in fuel; We'd completely lost sight of civilization... UNTIL we happened upon the most civilized place we could have imagined. Garven Store almost looked like it could be closed, or like it could be the precursor to a Ghost Town. The tires crackle as we pull the car onto the white gravel parking lot. We hop out and feel the dust stir at our feet. On our way into the store, we see some chickens pecking around old-fashioned gas-pumps. The entrance to the store is a screen door, which opens with a squeak to reveal a woman with a bright smile and glowing eyes. This woman is warm and welcoming. She helps us figure out the gas pumps and shows us around the store, which is basically like a candy store for local Jerky, Salsa and Peach Cobbler. The woman who runs the store offers us free jerky samples and small talk, which progresses to genuine life-talk. Then she says "Hey-- Do you wanna meet the peacocks?" Wha-wha-whhha-- Peacocks?? Of course we want to meet the peacocks! So we follow her around the side of the store to meet the peacocks, where we see a fence glowing in the setting sun, but no peacocks. "I have to call them first," she says. "They always come when I call them." Oh, the anticipation! The woman looks toward the fence and whistles twice. Then one, two, three, four, FIFTEEN peacocks come charging over the fence! They float onto the ground and dance toward us, stirring the white-gravel-dust and parting around our feet. What a sight to see... Then I realize: The road trip hasn't ended. I have stumbled upon the last (secret) destination, unknown to me, unplanned. And I am so happy to be here, feeding peacocks, eating jerky and connecting to this truly genuine person with whom I still communicate today. And the other people who work there are cool. I would go out of my way to stop at this store, and you should too. read more

At the corner of Somewhere and I Don't Know, is an old General Store by the name of Garven's. It's been there since 1932, operated by three generations of the same family. To give you an idea as to how Old this establishment is, Herbert Hoover was president but he was defeated by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in November. Gas was 10 Cents and a Loaf of Bread cost 7 Cents. Okay, got all that! Now for the review. This little gem is located at Hwy 41 and 83, bout 30 miles north of Leakey and 35 miles East of Rocksprings Texas not too far from the Famous YO Ranch. Garven's sells The Best Jerky, The Best Barbecue Sandwiches and The Best Sausage Wraps that I have ever had. Lets start with the Jerky. They have various kinds, from the Traditional Cowboy Jerky to Teriyaki Jerky, to Cajun Jerky. And they make it all by hand. Oh and I forgot their Dried Sausage links. Perfection! This is not prepackaged Jerky. You hand select your pieces and place in a paper bag, then right there on the counter is a huge block of Cheese where you carve out a generous portion. Cheese and Jerky is a killer combination. Their Barbecue Sandwich can't be beat and did I mention, they make it all there. It's beefy, hardy and so good. The condiments are at the back of the store so go back there and complete your Sandwich. I saved the best for last, the Sausage Wrap. It's a simple wrap, made with their homemade sausage wrapped in a flour tortilla. The flavor and the texture of the wrap is a Life Experience. If you don't agree, then you don't like Sausage or Tortillas. And what's Awesome about this Wrap is, it won't explode in grease all in your face and down your shirt, like so many Sausage Wraps do. But OMG are they ever good. If I was a Death Row inmate, I think that would be my last meal. LOL Bikers frequent this location because riding the Three Twisted Sisters, RR335, RR336, and RR337 is a favorite adventure among Bikers and Hwy 41 links two of the Sisters. They sell Biker Gear there and have an outdoor eating area. Oh and the Gas Pumps may not look like it, but they do work. Just to let you know, there is a Ginormous free standing antenna that you can spot about 8 miles away, and when I spot it, I get hungry. No Joke! Oh and as far as the ratings, I wish Yelp would just do a Thumbs up or down. I never write reviews unless a place is Great or Not So Great! Who cares about the middle? read more

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My college friends and I head out to spend the weekend on the Frio River twice a year, and stopping by Garven Store on the way there and back has become a tradition. Besides the fact that they have clean restrooms, they also have a huge selection of locally made jerky's that are all extremely good. Another favorite of mine is the locally made, slice-it-yourself cheese block that you'll find over with the jerky. This is seriously some of the best cheddar that I've ever had. And you have to wash all that down with some of their IBC cream soda and root beer. YUM! I've also gotten their brisket sandwich the last few times, and man oh man is it good. They've got a full bar of pickles, onions, jalapenos, and several sauces for doctoring your sandwich exactly the way you like. I think the thing that makes this place really entertaining though, is the selection of leather jackets, chaps, and of course the knives. $5 knives, people. Need I say more? Check this place out. The owner is super nice and friendly, and I promise you 'll be glad that you stopped. read more

I'm writing this review mostly about a great experience I had with the owners of Garven Store. Next time I go I'll try the jerky, which I hear is fantastic. On Labor Day weekend of this year (2013) I was the guy who drove off with the gas nozzle still connected to his truck. I never thought it would happen to me. :) Despite this, the owner (Bill, I think) was really friendly and understanding of the mistake. I was floored by how nice he was and I hope that if I'm ever on the other side of such a transaction that I, too, will be as kind as this man was to a person who just shut down one of his 3 gas pumps on Labor Day Weekend. I put in an insurance claim and waited to hear how it would all shake out. My insurance called me back a couple of weeks later and told me that the owners of Garven Store had decided not to fill out a claim because they were afraid my insurance premiums would go up! I live 3 hours away, but any time I'm in that beautiful part of Texas you can bet I'll be stopping in for the deer jerky and some gas (but I'll check the nozzle this time.) I was blown away by the generosity and kindness this showed on their part. They won a lifetime fan and I'll be spreading the word to all my friends when they go down there to hunt, camp or float the Frio River. read more

Well, on our way to Leakey from Austin we came across this store in the middle of nowhere and since we hadn't seen anything for miles we decided a stop was in order. I'm glad we did. The Garven store is a gas station, bar, canned/pickled goods proprietor and home to the best jerky in the world. Yep, it's a bold claim but they seem to have a lock on it. And it's believable when you walk through these historic doors. We arrived and there were a few people tasting various items with 2 or 3 folks behind the counter getting samples and making recommendations. Wow, we just stopped to use the restroom but since we were there, why not try a few samples too, right? We mentioned we would like to try their wares and the folks behind the counter proceeded to break out a bag of cheesy doritos (we didn't ask if they had any regular chips because we didn't want to get shot) along with salsas that will break through the most tried and true meth addicts tongue. Seriously, a lot of these salsas will tear right through you but the whole tasting experience is a welcome diversion when road tripping to the Frio country. We bought some Habanero Pickles and Avocado Tomatillo Salsa to be polite and help insure they would let us leave without a gunfight. Will definitely stop in again. read more

Great Jerky and hidden little gem in the middle of nowhere. Should by awarded a Historical Market by the State of Texas as it is the oldest continually operated convenience store in the United States. Operated by third generation. Check this place out if you're ever near the area. Friendly and helpful country folks. read more

They have several different kinds of jerky and we bought $35 worth of it (that's probably a pound or less) and we got a little bit of most of it....we like Walmart Great Value peppered beef jerky for around $10 a pound better than any they had. read more

Great little store for jerky and sauces the owner was friendly and went out of his way to get us hooked up I will be back next time im in the area read more

The first time I ever ran into the Garven Store was when my dad just purchased a property near that area. Ever since then, we go to the Garven store ever time we go out to our ranch. The Garven store sells the best the snacks, unique gear and has character. The Garven store is kind of like a mini Buc-ees. It has drinks, food, salsas and more. I personally love the brisket sandwich, it fills me up every time. You can customize your brisket sandwich with my favorite toppings: onions, jalapenos and pickles. However, if brisket isn't up your alley, there are other foods you could try, like their beef jerky and sausage wraps. The beef jerky is so good but it's a bit expensive so I don't suggest you get a bag full of it. Garven has the best snacks and allows you to pick how much of each food you'd like. This store also sells knives, biker gear, hunting knives. when heading out to the ranch you may need these They have food,drinks, also nice place to sit down and the people there are so nice and welcoming. The store is so unique it's been there for a while now and the stuff they have inside will probably pull you into the store but I also think they need to clean the restrooms a little bit better and also replace the ceiling fan in there but other than that it's a really good place to if your near Mountain Home but don't let the restrooms affect your trip here the place might be old but its really comforting. read more

Garven Store is a hidden historical gem of the Texas Hill Country. Good food, a variety of quality gifts, relaxed atmosphere, and friendly people. Vince is a pleasure to meet! read more

I myself have never been to the store... However my husband stops by on his way to Rocksprings when he has to work out there and he always brings me back the spicy jerky and I feakin love this stuff... The (what we call cowboy jerky) is also AMAZING!!! I just contacted them to see if they could mail me some, due to the fact that it has been a while since I have had any and I am having withdrawls... There is no better jerky then the Garven Store... Even Whittingtons in Johnson City can't hold a candle to the Garven Store:) Can't wait to get my next batch of jerky!!!!! read more

the beer was ice cold, the restroom was spotless (lots of toilet paper, i got a free roll ), also, stole some soap, food was excellent, but, you had to pay for it, dang it, candy was easy to shoplift. overall made a good haul.... i rate this place as a 10 definitely 5 stars..... will be back soon... te vincent--- corpus christi, texas............. p. s, i sell avon any body need some ??? look me up on facebook------------- te vincent read more