We passed this while driving to Johnson City, TN from our home near Winston-Salem, NC. We did not stop because it was Thanksgiving Day but noted the location for our return trip. On our travels toward home, we planned to take the same route, stopping at the original Mast General Store and the nearby Jerky Outpost. After leaving Mast General Store, we tried to map the Jerky Outpost but our reception was so bad, the maps on our phone did not work. Please keep this in mind when visiting the area, it is very remote. We made the wrong initial turn leaving Mast and heading towards Boone, and had to stop to ask directions. We found our way and came upon the Jerky Outpost. We drove up the driveway and parked in the small parking lot, with fewer than 10 spaces. We proceeded to the building which had been designed to look like three different old buildings. Once inside, the structure appears to be one building. There is jerky all over the place, along walls, on tables and also includes a large variety of different BBQ and hot sauces, nuts, snack foods and swag. We walked around a bit, selected a few items and paid at the counter. The prices seemed reasonable and the man at the counter was friendly and helpful. This was a pretty cool experience in a place you never would have expected. This is also a great place to pick up some gift items you might not see again. read more

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Fabulous!!! Stopped here before heading to the Mast store. Got a sample of General Tso jerky. We got the tender version and it was SO good that we ended up getting 2 of their brand of jerky. There's popcorn, hot sauce, cheeses, even a fun coffee pod wall which I thought was a neat touch!! Definitely a must stop if you are a jerky fan! read more

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This store is on our "must" list when we come up to Banner Elk-Boone area. Fresh quality products, many locally made by the owner. Staff, especially Elaine, was super helpful. I used their website to order more. The owner CALLED to update me! This business is stellar. Go get some! read more

This place and the owner is top notch! Service, assortment, pricing all outstanding. Highly recommend!

Met the owner- she was very nice and informative. She made several recommendations based on our needs. Their homemade jerky is the best. Samples were available. They also carried some sauces, rubs, gifts and candies. I will be returning next time I'm in the area. read more

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After mail-ordering here over the years, I was finally able to stop in with my wife one beautiful Tuesday afternoon. Man, is the selection amazing! I believe that their xtreme knowledge of product stood out as did selection. Did I mention that? You name it... Any kind of jerky... it's here. Any type of heat level. Amazing owners. Hot sauces, coffee, this place is wild! Nobody beats their meat. Nobody!!! read more

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This was a very cool place to visit. It was easy to find with its own parking lot. Owner was extremely welcoming and nice, immediately offering us 5 samples of jerky and describing each one. This would be a great place if you wanted to bring gifts back home for friends or family or simply for novelty products - shark jerky, kangaroo jerky, bison jerky, all sorts of hot sauces with catchy and kitschy names, etc. Prices are what you'd expect and the store was very organized and clean with products neatly laid out. read more

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I'm deducting one star, when this place really deserves five, because their gem mining operation was not running on this particular visit, and my daughter was upset. She got over it, but still. The service inside was very friendly though. Free samples for us to try of a few flavors. Lots of jerky options to browse over. I went with a few of the local options, because I can get the other ones just about anywhere. I took home the teriyaki and black pepper, and the teriyaki was gone within 24 hours, only because I had to pace myself. Not too dry, and not too juicy. Just enough tenderness that you can bite into it without ripping off a crown or chipping a tooth. Getting in and out of the parking lot was an adventure, but I won't hold that against them because I like a good adventure. read more

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Cute little stop right in the heart of Valle Crucis. It's on Broadstone Rd. past the local elementary school, Mast General Store, and the Mast Farm Inn. There are beautiful horse stables across the road too. Even for a specialty store I was surprised by the wide variety of novelty items and jerky available, it was most certainly not just beef! I opted for the Sweet & Spicy beef version of the house brand by Jerky Outpost while the boyfriend chose a Carne Asada flavor from a brand I think is called Carnivore Candy. Both we're delicious, but the Jerky Outpost has got the best texture hands down, and I really liked the flavor. Sweet & Spicy could have used more heat, but the cashier did tell me about a HOT version of the JO brand they were out of I might come back for... "Outlaw?!" Anyways, the front counter samples proved there are definitely some other super spicy options in the store. The house brand has softer and more tender chunks and because of this their product is easier to break down into bite sized pieces... this is a plus for my personal preference to ensure I can savor it little by little instead of eating the whole bag all at once. Apparently they've got a tourist trap gem mine on site, but it looked to be super small and only outside. I'm assuming it is not operational during the winter months. read more

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This places awesome! And the owner is pretty great too. He has so many different types including gluten free jerky. Loved trying different ones. My favorite was the Smokey bbq. Tastes amazing. read more

Jerky! Tons of it from all over! Free samples, cool staff. Also a lot of coffee kcups to choose from. read more

Everything you could possibly want in jerky and hot sauce. stop in and see what they have for you.

Stopped by on a whim & it was the best jerky I've ever had. They have so many different brands, different flavors and meat that your options are almost endless. I stuck with the jerky they make themselves and it was AMAZING! The owners are super nice & helpful with any questions you have. They have samples of different jerky always available. Great place to stop, stretch your legs and get some jerky. read more

This is the best store in Valle Crucis, largest selection of all types of jerky. Gem mining for the kids and coffee for adults. Owners are very friendly and offer tastes of mild and spicy jerky to anyone that walks in the door. Very knowledgeable of all of the different brands that they sell. Will definitely be coming back for more. Thank you for the great service. read more

A great variety of jerky, friendly service and free samples. I kind of assumed that they actually made jerky here, but no they just sell prepackaged stuff. Don't get me wrong- I don't think a meat exists that is not jerkied and for sale here, so that's cool. Just different than I thought. read more

Men, it is clear that the jerky outpost was created by the lord in heaven as sweet sweet justice for the hours we have to spend watching our beautiful intelligent wives try on every item of winter clothing on sale at the Mast General Store. Then we have to buy one bucket of candy for each child at the candy barrel. But now, we can rejoice, pull into the jerky outpost on the way back to the highway, lock the family in the car and try some really fucking good beef jerky. Don't get any exotic crap. Just get what the owner tells you. He knows his shit and he'll lay it out straight. So the place is in an ingenious location on the road to the Mast Farm tourist trap. The signage is pretty good so you don't have to worry about missing the store. The store front is a bit cheesy but go in anyway. read more