Hook-N-Ladder Jerky is a family owned meat snack company founded in 2018 by retired Cleveland firefighter Mark Bauman, whose lifelong appreciation for smoked meats began while growing up in Cleveland’s historic Slavic Village neighborhood. Influenced by the old world butcher shops and Eastern European smokehouses of Northeast Ohio during the 1960s and 1970s, Bauman spent years searching for the perfect balance of smoky, sweet, and spicy flavors before creating his own line of handcrafted beef jerky and “Smokies” beef sticks. Drawing on both his culinary background and 33 year career with the Cleveland Fire Department, he built the brand around premium USDA inspected American beef, traditional smokehouse flavor, and small batch quality.
The company’s firehouse inspired identity reflects Bauman’s deep roots in the firefighting community. Hook-N-Ladder Jerky not only celebrates firefighter culture through its branding and storytelling but also supports local preservation efforts connected to Cleveland fire service history. A portion of proceeds from every product sold is donated to the Western Reserve Fire Museum and Education Center, where Bauman volunteers, helping restore historic fire stations and preserve firefighting heritage. The business remains family operated with support from his wife Diane, their children, grandchildren, and extended family members.
Hook-N-Ladder Jerky combines regional pride, family tradition, and authentic smoked meat craftsmanship into a brand that stands out in the specialty jerky market. By blending classic Northeast Ohio smokehouse traditions with modern jerky flavors and community involvement, the company has created a product line that reflects both Bauman’s personal history and his commitment to quality, service, and local heritage.
This Hook-N-Ladder Jerky brand is distributed under the same name of Hook-N-Ladder Jerky, located in Northfield, Ohio. This jerky is manufactured by Just Mike’s Jerky Company and is located in Medina, Ohio.
The next review on Hook-N-Ladder Jerky will focus on a 4 ounce/113 gram bag of Honey BBQ flavored beef stick. These beef sticks were graciously submitted for review by Owner Mark Bauman.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Honey BBQ Stick Seasoning (Sugar, Salt, Dried Honey, Spices, Brown Sugar, Onion & Garlic Powder, Monosodium Glutamate, Natural Smoke Flavor, Dried Molasses, Natural Flavors, Caramel Color), Encapsulated Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Sodium Nitrite. Packed in Beef Collagen Casing.
The Angus 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 as nature intended. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Very Good (9/10) rating.
Some healthy ingredients added are honey powder, spices, onion powder, and garlic powder.
The sugar level is high at 6 grams of sugar per 28 grams of beef stick to lose a rating. Our preference is 5 grams of sugar or less for a sweet based flavor as we have here. The salt level is a little high at 390mg of salt per 28 grams of beef stick to lose another rating. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less per 28 grams of beef stick.
This beef stick does not qualify to have no sodium nitrite, as sodium nitrite is used outright as a preservative to lose a rating. Admirably, this beef stick does qualify to have no MSG added.
Alright (6/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
HOOK-N-LADDER JERKY – HONEY BBQ BEEF STICKS
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag I smell very little, possibly slight vinegar. The “meat sticks” are actually a meat stick or two sliced into maybe 2″ morsels. The morsels look like most other meat sticks in both girth and hue. There is an ever so slight oiliness to the pieces.
When I bite into the morsels I taste salt at a relatively mild level, along with mild pepper, mild garlic, and mild vinegar. But the sweetness, boy oh boy, it is at an immensely high level, much too sweet for my liking. I might be tasting mild BBQ, but not enough to warrant it being in the title of the flavor of the jerky. Too much sweet, not enough of anything else.
Overall, these morsels taste okay, but nothing is really grabbing me, except for the sweet, which has a stranglehold on this entire flavor. A 6.5/10 would be my most accurate assessment, but that would round it up to a 7/10. Gentlemen?
Here is what Mark had to say about this Honey BBQ beef stick flavor from Hook-N-Ladder Jerky: “Thanks Paul for the honest taste review. We do not see eye to eye here. I thought the BBQ aspect came across fairly well. I cannot say that I distinctly tasted the honey aspect but the claim that this meat stick was ‘immensely’ sweet is an exaggeration. Plus, both BBQ and honey flavors are supposed to be sweet tasting by nature.”
“The texture contains some ‘snap’, just enough to not warrant a rating deduction. This beef stick is pliable enough, where it does not feel like you are chewing on mush. The overall taste profile is well-balanced and has a great taste, leaving you wanting more. I do not have any clear cut complaints about this meat stick other than there is only some ‘wow’ factor. With Paul at a 7 and myself at a 9, a Good (8/10) taste rating will be awarded.”
A 4 ounce/113 gram bag of beef sticks sells online for $5.49, which equates to $1.37 an ounce. That rates as a cheap price.
Bag Review
This black plastic resealable bag has a label affixed to the front and the nutrition facts table on the back. The Hook-N-Ladder Jerky logo has a fire department logo.
There are no slogans printed. Some facts printed are “Smokies”, “Ohio Proud”, “Contains Dairy”, and “No MSG Added”.
The only missing bag category is a blurb about these beef sticks or flavor.
Order their beef sticks online: www.hook-n-ladderjerky.com
Leave a Comment