Mesquite Creek Jerky Co. is a small‑batch, Texas‑inspired beef jerky brand that prides itself on taking the ordinary snack and turning it into a bold, flavorful experience. With roots firmly planted in Texas tradition, the company handcrafts each batch using premium beef and an innovative blend of spices to create unique flavor profiles where the flavor names are what they say from tangy Dill Fuego, Atomic, and Bloody Mary.
Their mission is simple: no more bland, dry, forgettable jerky—just the kind that “slams” with real, authentic taste in every chew. You won’t find industrial, mass‑produced strips here as each piece is thoughtfully marinated, tumbled, and crafted to deliver maximum flavor. With a spirit of adventure and a nod to Texan ingenuity, Mesquite Creek Jerky Co. appeals to snackers who crave premium quality, bold taste, and a jerky experience that’s anything but ordinary.
The owner, Ruben Hinojosa, has a passion for a bold flavor. “Bold” was his word of the year for 2024, when he quit his job in San Francisco to move back home without any prospects of a job. He had to be bold to chase that dream, and he wanted to inspire others to be bold too, and that’s why their mission is to fuel your bold. His roots are his inspiration. Family and loyalty run deep and show up in how they do business. Whether it’s their flavor choices or how they treat customers, there’s a personal story behind it all.
A quote from Ruben: “I get excited about taking risks with flavor. We’re not here to play it safe, we’re here to be bold and bring better jerky to the world. We never claim to be the best. The best is subjective, and it implies a finish line. Instead, we aim to be better. Better every day. Better recipes. Better flavors. Better for our customers because they deserve nothing less.” This Mesquite Creek Jerky Co. brand is distributed under the same name as Mesquite Creek Jerky Co., and it is located in McAllen, Texas.
The first review on Mesquite Creek Jerky Co. will focus on a 3 ounce/85 gram bag of their Hot Garlic Pepper flavored beef jerky. This flavor is described as having bold garlic, fiery heat, and a perfect balance of mouth-watering spice. The jerky was kindly submitted for review by President Ruben Hinojosa.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Salt, Garlic, Onion, Black Pepper, Citric Acid, Parsley, Habanero, Red Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, Water, Monosodium Glutamate.
The beef used is ethically raised, meaning it is guaranteed to be free of growth hormones and additional antibiotics. The cattle have partial free range access to roam about and graze on grass the way nature intended. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Very Good (9/10) rating.
The liquid marinade used here is comprised of just plain old water.
There is no nutrition facts table provided. As a result, the exact sugar and salt levels are unknown.
This jerky qualifies to have no sodium nitrite or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, the main preservative used is salt. The unhealthy flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG) is used to lose a rating.
Good (8/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
MESQUITE CREEK JERKY CO. – HOT GARLIC PEPPER BEEF JERKY
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag I smell mild garlic and not much else. The jerky strips are large and dry and are sliced rather thin, precisely as our forefathers intended. The jerky is dry and chewy, which our forefathers would be duly impressed.
When I bite into the jerky I taste salt at a perfect level, minimum sweetness, an awesome thing, decent garlic, not intense, but significant. I am indeed tasting a decent kick. It’s not crazy, but it’s very tasty and zesty. This has been a very favorable, tangy, delicious experience, a most well deserved 10/10.
Written by guest jerky reviewer Pierre Mesa – Owner/Chef/CEO from Vermont Farmhouse Jerky
When I open the bag, the smell has a slight sweetness. I smell zero garlic. The dissipation of smell is caused by being in a zip lock bag, and the product has been open for over a week.
Jerky has a nice thickness and is a bit dry with no moisture. The first hint of flavor is black pepper, followed by some black pepper heat. The salt content is enjoyable – it tastes like black pepper beef jerky – with zero garlic flavor. For me, it could be a typical run of the mill GOOD – non artisan mass produced beef jerky, nothing extraordinary. I would eat the whole bag because it is yummy, but I love jerky and black pepper.
Zero smoke flavor? The label is Mesquite Creek Jerky Co., I was expecting some smoke flavor. I was disappointed with the flavor – no garlic, no smoke – just good salt and black pepper.
As far as a rating, I ask myself what a 10 out of 10 is? What is the perfect jerky? For me it comes to – flavor, texture, smell, thickness, pliability, moisture, creativity, and the final would be the package. So, I would have to give this a 7 out of 10 with hard consideration that it was not in the original pack, was over a week old, and in a zip lock bag, so I would conclude it is hard to be extremely critical and fair. It is a good jerky with no flair or uniqueness.
Here is what Mark had to say about this Hot Garlic Pepper beef jerky flavor from Mesquite Creek Jerky Co.: “Thanks Paul and Pierre for the candid taste reviews. The heat is at a decent level, so no complaints there. This heat would rate at about a 2 out of 5 on the heat scale. The black pepper is at a very good level, again no complaints there. Mesquite Creek Jerky Co. prides itself on being ‘bold’. The garlic level is not even close to being at a bold level. While the garlic flavor is present, it blends into the background and does not justify having garlic in the flavor name.”
“I agree that there is little to no sweetness present, a big plus in our books. Pierre’s argument that no smoke flavor is present does not have any merit. True in that smoke from mesquite wood can taste fantastic, but this jerky is not advertised to use smoke, and there is an actual Mesquite Creek in Texas. We all agree that the texture is very nice, which is almost borderline crispy.”
“In fairness, Pierre received this jerky last Wednesday. It is not a fair complaint to say the bag is over a week old as that is not Mesquite Creek Jerky Co. fault. With Paul at a 10, Pierre at a 7, and myself at a 9, a Very Good (9/10) taste rating will be awarded.”
This 3 ounce/85 gram bag of jerky sells online for $14.99. That works out to $5.00 an ounce, which rates as an expensive price.
Very Good (9/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This resealable plastic bag has a label affixed to the front and nothing on the back. The logo of the Mesquite Creek Jerky Co. has a bull’s head in the center. The bag has an illustration of a hot pepper, peppercorns, and garlic on a plate.
A slogan printed could be “Bold Meat Snacks”. The only fact printed on this bag is “No Preservatives”.
Some missing bag categories are the jerky weight not stated in grams, distributor address details, a nutrition facts table, an establishment number, a bar code, and a blurb about Mesquite Creek Jerky Co. or this flavor. You are encouraged to follow Mesquite Creek Jerky Co. on Facebook and Instagram.
Order their jerky online: www.mesquitecreekjerky.com
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