Great place for a pit stop! The service was great, we got samples of the jerky, which tasted good. Highly recommend.

Resting courageously alongside Highway 395, sweltering in the summer heat and seemingly beaten down by the glaring desert sun, you'll find Gus's. You can't, or at least shouldn't, miss it, as there are dilapidated roadsigns posted along the Highway's winding route even 75 miles out. We'd taken notice and were looking forward to a bite of "really good" fresh jerky for an hour's drive time. You know, I love this sort of place: family-owned and simple, surviving as best it can despite the small-town solitude. It gives the store character, that and the plastering of colorful stickers pasted across the store's face. But I also love fresh jerky--whether beef, turkey, or buffalo--and Gus takes it further, providing also elk, salmon, and venison. (There are a few samples at the front counter, if you'd like a taste.) It was a rising 98 degrees and windy when we first pulled in, the swirling dust immediately taking us hostage as we stepped out and away from our car. (I'll never take AC for granted.) And the spirit of Gus's just hit me: the stickers--all of the stickers--suggested strength, as if people have always been coming to Gus's, for years upon years. And that says something to me, not only about the work involved to sustain your own business, but the optimism of never giving up. That's what makes people shop local, support small business, lean toward the underdog, in a way. Doesn't it? I'm going to continue supporting Gus. He works hard, I'm sure, and he has a great product. So, as my journeying to-and-from Mammoth continues, so will my stops in Olancha. read more

See all

Both the BF and I have seen this place 100 times and never stopped. He's a jerky freak, so we decided...what the hell...let's stop! Each sign leading up to Gus's was punctuated with "Really Great Beef Jerky". BF and I joked over and over..do you think it's REALLY great? Marginally great? Kinda OK? Not that great? Nahhhh.....it must be really great, right? Otherwise it would be false advertising...right? Right??? WRONG!!!! I was so excited when we pulled up. This place is basically just a little shack, covered in stickers! My kind of thing, for sure! The inside is very small but all items are neatly displayed and organized. In addition to jerky, there were nuts, olives, pickled veggies, dried fruits, honey, etc. We were offered a sample from a nice girl behind the counter. The sample was pretty good. Stupid me...I should have asked what kind of jerky the sample was. Prices were $9/package or three for $25. Yeah, kind of pricey but hey? We've never stopped, it's touristy, I know but what the hell! I chose the turkey and the cowboy style jerky, as well as a salami for the Roomie that looked to DIE for! Always gotta take care of the Roomie too! My total was $29 but my receipt was for $30. After reading other Yelpers notes, apparently they charge you $1 for using your card. Funny, BF asked if they were cash only and the girl told him, "No, we take cards too"! You think she'd mention a surcharge, wouldn't you? Basically, the turkey jerky was WAY too sweet and sticky for me. It was thinly sliced but essentially it was all matted together. Ugh! Didn't even eat more than a couple of slivers. The cowboy jerky was OK flavor wise (not impressive) but soooo thick and tough it was almost impossible to rip up much less chew. I gave up on this as well. I waited to write my review until I got to sample the salami I brought home for Roomie. We both agreed. Texturally, it was outstanding. I liked the general flavor of the meat itself but the seasoning was just off to me. It almost had a sweet taste to it. While it wasn't bad, neither Roomie, BF or I were impressed. I paid $12 for that salami and was pretty disappointed. The Kitch factor of this place is about all it has going for it. Too expensive for product that is not that great. But, at least we can say we stopped and checked it out. read more

See all

great beef Jerky with variety of flavors to choose quick stop before heading to Death Valley at lease i have some snack while im driving and hanging out in Death Valley ... lol read more

Gus's Fresh Jerky - Teriyaki Jerky, Sweet n Spicy Jerky and Hot jerky - Specialty Food Near Me - Olancha, California

We were driving home from Mammoth and I was craving some jerkey after grubbing at Pizza Factory and Schat's in bishop. This literally a jerky shack, not a lot of choices, but at least the girl offerred free samples, and because I took a free sample I felt compelled to purchase. They had a deal for 3 for $25 which seemed a bit high but I figured why not, it might be good. Got the teriyaki, beef sticks, and sweet/spicy Sweet spicy barely had any kick at all, and left an odd aftertaste. Now that I think of it, so did teriyaki. Sigh. I hope the beefsticks make up for that. read more

There has been many times in my life that I have traveled up and back on the good ol' 395, but it was not until last year's road trip to Lake Tahoe that I saw this sign (well a bunch of them) that said "Really good jerky." I have always wanted to stop at a place like this, but never really had the guts to. So like a punk, I just kept driving! On our way home from Mammoth, I noticed the signs again and decided that we all probably needed another break to stretch and move around why not stop here. So I suggested stopped at this place with the BF and our friends. Okay, our friend said as we kept a look out for the place. Blink and you will totally miss this place. Yes, it is creepy and yes, it does look like a horror story could have taken place here years and years ago. Gus's jerky is located in a small old school run down gas station. Walking inside the workers are not too friendly but they will offer you some free bite size pieces of jerky. Not too much to look at, they have many different flavors of well um jerky! They also sell dried fruit, nuts, and honey! You can sample the three different honeys that they have. The sage honey was my personal favorite! One of our friends bought some teriyaki jerky; it was not too bad kind of on the super sweet side. The jerky was fresh and not tough at all! If you are bored and could not get enough fun in Bishop, then stop by here and partake in the creepy fun of this overpriced jerky hut! read more

Gus's Fresh Jerky - The honey sample table has rules!!! - Specialty Food Near Me - Olancha, California

Teriyaki beef jerky was great. Moist with a good satisfying chew. Pepper jerky has lots of pepper flavor. Small place, prices a little higher but similar to other prices. They ship which is a nice touch for travelers. Also bought garlic olives-huge olives tons of flavor- and a trail mix of all dried fruit. When you are making that long trip on 395 it is a nice place to stretch your legs. read more

Gus's Fresh Jerky - Specialty Food Near Me - Olancha, California

En route to/from Mammoth, you're going to see a bunch of signs in the middle of no where for some jerky. It's like driving to Vegas and all you see are those signs for Alien Jerky. On the way home, we decided to make a stop. I had to use the restroom anyways. Speaking of the bathroom, it's in a seperate building located to the rear of the jerky shack. I vividly remember telling my friends that if I don't return within five minutes, come back with double o buck shotguns. Ladies, you probably don't want to go alone back there. I swear while I was at the urinal, I felt like I was in the movie, "The Hills Have Eyes." Envisioning shadowy figures passing by my peripherals as I stand there vulnerable to attack. Plus it's dark and eerie. So yeah, I will admit that I do believe Gus's Jerky is a possible tourist trap. Three bags of jerkies will run you about $25. Pricey for some jerky. But it's not everyday that I'm stopping by Gus's. Typically once or twice a year most. Why not live a little? Support the guy, he's sitting in a shack in Butt-F-Egypt (and you thought your day job was bad?). We didn't have any issues with the jerkies we scooped up. They were tender and full of taste. We should've bought them on the way to Mammoth so we can store it in our gear for those hungry attacks while spending all day on the mountain. Vacuumed seal jerky packs to keep them nice and fresh. That's the way to go. Jerky flavors range from regular peppered to terriyaki, sweet and spicy, to elk, and so on. Besides jerky, they sell a variety of nuts and dried fruits which I didn't bother to sample. For all I know, I can really be munching on some human jerky meat but then I would still tell you that it's pretty darn good. The packages are air tight so they will store for about a year. I wasn't able to make it on our annual Mammoth trip this new year but the homie "Delta" hooked it up with a package. Good lookin' out. Got me some legit gaming munchies. read more

Gus's Fresh Jerky - Specialty Food Near Me - Olancha, California

GUS'S Famous Jerky you see the signs all up and down HWY 395 Pimpin' his FRESH Buffalo, Elk, Venison, Turkey Salmon and of course Beef Jerky.... I wanted to grab some Buffalo, Elk and Venison as these meats you don't find available in your local 7-11 etc... so I stopped in and the place was half empty, they did have Beef Jerky http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/guss-olancha-jerky-olancha#7DGlYl9K2Tq6jjsBwmOyCg @ $10.00 per 3 ounce bag! or 3 bags for $27.00 = $54.00 per Pound! they did have some Nuts and Honey but I was disappointed on my stop. I did grab (1) 3 ounce bag of Beef $10.00 it was OK no complaints but I've had much better, GUS inventory is everything you lost several customers in the 5 minutes that I was there, and I only spent $10.00 and planned to spend a bit more. For those familiar with Alien Jerky on Hwy 15, it's MUCH better than this dump! read more

Gus's Fresh Jerky - Specialty Food Near Me - Olancha, California

See all

Right on the side of the road, this place has some really good jerky (as advertised). You should definitely try their free samples (pistachios and jerky) to see you like them. I believe they are from www.freshjerky.com in Arizona. It tends to be very windy there and they have a pretty nice bathroom. Their prices are pretty expensive and if you get 3 it's slightly cheaper. I 100% recommend the brisket jerky as that's the good stuff. Def try it cause they ain't much around for miles :P read more

I do not recommend this place at all. I love stopping at random places whenever we are on road trips, but this place is not one that I would ever recommend. It's creepy, dirty, and overpriced. During our entire trip up to Tahoe, it's probably the only place that I did not leave with anything. Even the samples the employee gave us was nasty and I questioned how clean the container was that he pulled the jerky out of. Just all bad. Don't waste your time at all. read more

Gus's Fresh Jerky has by far the best jerky selections I have ever had. It is a small store servicing many individuals with the interests of jerky, olives, nuts and grains, honey, and many other snacks. This little shop is a must to stop by at while you are along the road, you will not be disappointed by the special beef jerky's specially with the teriyaki flavor. Whenever I drive down or up to northern California or Southern California I must stop at this little shop to grab some snacks and specially their delicious mouthwatering beef jerky and turkey jerky. It is nice to take a breath of fresh air from driving and appreciate the nice well arts stickers and products from the shop. They also have a small outhouse for a restroom which is surprisingly very clean for a public restroom along the road. I cannot get enough of the jerky and I definitely recommend anyone and everyone to stop by. I cannot wait to resupply my jerky fix because my family and friends already finished the bags of jerky in one day, it's that good! read more

Gus's Fresh Jerky - Wall art - Specialty Food Near Me - Olancha, California

See all

Gus's Fresh Jerky is a cool place to stop by as we leave Death Valley National Park. The shoppe sells and offers samples of various types of honey, pickled vegetables, olives, and jerkies. I agree with other reviewers that food items here are quite pricey. We got the Teriyaki and Sweet & Spicy Jerky ($12/each or 3 for $33). I find the flavors and textures to be interesting because they were both soft and moist--- different than any jerkies that I've had before. I prefer the Sweet & Spicy jerky over the Teriyaki because it had a little spicy kick at the end which gives the flavors more dimensions. Both jerkies were really salty though so I advise you to eat with water close by. The cool thing about the shoppe is that it also offers exotic animal jerkies (like elk and buffalo) which goes for $20/each or 3 for $55. I really enjoy the flavors of the elk jerky. Overall, Gus's Fresh Jerky is a fun and quirky place to indulge in some snacks while on the road but I can't see myself being a repeated customer. read more

Gus's Fresh Jerky - The exterior of the shoppe. - Specialty Food Near Me - Olancha, California

I was disapointed cause for $53 for 3 bags and the 3oz bag had more thanthe 4oz bag they were dry not juice as I remembered back in the day sweet and Spice was not sweet sorry the price was $55 not $53 read more

Literally the best beef jerky, ever. Super flavorful and very tender. Teriyaki and Sweet & Spicy are our favs! And it's a fun hole in the wall joint, so that makes it extra special. Highly recommend next your are cruising 395! read more

If life gives you lemons, learn how to make lemonade. If you've got plenty of sunshine because you're close to Death Valley, then make dried meats. Gus has four walls of chewy goodness, plus dried fruits, nuts and things. There's some cool sand dunes nearby, and a good information centre at the junction of the 190. read more

See all

Stopped here on the way to Mammoth, and let me start off by saying it just doesn't have the same feel any more. Prices have been raised to $10 a package and I'm pretty sure its a smaller amount too. And to make it even worse, the three package deal cost $27! A fantastic saving of $3!!! At least make it worth my time and money to purchase the deal. We ended up buying one package of teriyaki jerky. It was pretty good, but not worth the price tag. The lady behind the counter also seemed a bit rude but it could have just been a long day. read more

3 for $25 -- but there isn't much jerky in the packages you buy. I think it's a rip off as the flavor profile isn't that unique, and once you open the vacuum sealed jerky you pretty much have to finish it or else it doesn't taste the same, but I'll give this spot 3/5 stars because as a tourist attraction. You risk getting murdered going into the shack they call a restroom.and the jerky spot itself is a bit iffy -- funky stuff! read more

Gus's Fresh Jerky - Specialty Food Near Me - Olancha, California

Love the jerky, not a huge fan of the price for the quantity given. Sure it goes down if you buy 3 ($27) but it's still not very much. They have useable bathrooms if you absolutely must. I'm a fan of the cowboy jerky specifically. The taffy is quite tasty read more

So my friend wanted to stop here for some elk jerky which turns out, they did not have at the time. They didn't even have any other exotic meats, just beef and turkey. They do offer samples of three flavors of jerky: regular, teriyaki, and one with a kick. In front, you can help yourself to sample a couple of pistachio flavors which vary per day. I like the jalapeno flavored ones but a bag runs for $7. Inside, you can sample three types of honey. Their garlic stuffed pickled olives were for sampling one day. Another day, it was salami (or something of the kind). I've taken my share of samplings so this last time I decided I ought to make a purchase. I sucked it up and spent $12 on a 0.4 ounces of teriyaki beef jerky. This isn't your grocery store jerky with a bunch of preservatives added. This is fresh jerky; it's so fresh that it's soft (for the most part) and it's moist. There are some inedible, chewy pieces that I've had to spit out. The most recent visit, I inquired about the lack of elk jerky. Turns out, it comes out of their Arizona store and it arrives once a week but sells out pretty quick. I'm sure this also applies to the other exotic meats but if you really want them, they can be ordered on their website. If you're traveling the 395 and you have time, it's worth a visit. read more

What a fun, unique experience. Jerky in the middle of no where and it is some good jerky!

Cute little place. Eaay to locate and right off the road. I liked that the gave samples. They also have honey, brown sugar, olives and be pollen. Really cute place read more

Nah uh! This place is just about the $$$$. I think it was 3 packs of little beef jerky for $33. If it were great jerky, then sure, why not? Nope, I've had better from markets. The pistachios were good until I found a green bug that resembled a caterpillar. Service: Robotic cash collection with 0 emotions. read more

What a fun and tasty surprise by the side of the road! Gus's jerky is, in fact, really good - just like the creepy little dude in the logo says. They also sell a variety of dried fruits, nuts, and local honey - and are very generous with the samples of everything! The peanut brittle is suuuuper yummy. I tried the teriyaki, original, and super spicy jerky - all were very yummy. Bought some jerky and dried figs for the road :-) read more

Gus's Fresh Jerky - Handmade signs + absurd amount of stickers = experience guaranteed - Specialty Food Near Me - Olancha, California

See all

Gus's Jerky is the best in it's class. But, getting to Gus's Jerky is a genuine pain in the ass.

No bells and whistles here, just great jerky and a smattering of other things like nuts. By far the 'original' is the best. I didn't care for the turkey jerky as it was a bit too sweet and more salmony than turkey. It is very pricey but worth it for quality. read more

Expensive!!! $50 for three 4 oz. packs of jerky, and one 3 oz. bag of pistachios! Then, the topper is he has a tip jar. I didn't tip. read more

Gus's Fresh Jerky - Specialty Food Near Me - Olancha, California

I started a "Jerky Monday" group at work where we all bring in a bag of jerky for a potluck and discuss everything jerky related; obviously this was a prime place to stop. Also, the Jerk Store called and they were running out of me so we had to stop. And honestly...I was disappointed. Why is a sodium nitrate needed if this is really fresh jerky? I get it: it's a preservative. But there are plenty of quality tasty jerky brands out there that have cut the nitrates entirely. I guess I just felt like a shop advertising fresh jerky out in the middle of nowhere would be utilizing as few ingredients as possible so the jerky truly is fresh. For $20 of buffalo jerky I was kind of disappointed, not to mention the 1600+ mg of sodium in that small bag. That's more than a Denny's double cheeseburger. It was overpowering. And before you go accusing me of being a pussy, check out my other reviews and my food blog listed in my profile; I'm actually a pig and can probably out-eat you, but jerky with nitrates is so Jack Link's. The hot&spicy was pretty good. Not bad, not great, just pretty good. For the price paid it didn't blow me away and it's really more of a novelty for people driving up the 395. I would be interested in stopping in the future to see if they have any elk or venison on hand, but otherwise...eh. They also carry honey and pistachios among other things. Didn't buy any but they looked good. If you're into jerky then it may be worth a try. read more

Gus's Fresh Jerky - Buffalo jerky, complete with an entire container of salt - Specialty Food Near Me - Olancha, California

Always stop and get the Cowboy Jerky at Gus'. Also get the Pub Mix and their pistachios are fresh and delicious. A fun little pit stop along the infamous 395. read more

Yes it is a hole in the wall but the jerky is delicious. They give you samples as soon as you walk in so you know what you're buying. They have other assorted dried fruit and nuts which I've never tried. Can't stray from the "Really good fresh jerky" read more

I've stopped here three or four times over the past years, and also ordered off the website, and it's never been as good as the first time, back in '05. The last batch of terriyaki jerky (purchased 02/09) was so sugared that it was like meat candy, but not really in a good way. And I swear the prices jumped to an offesnsively high level. And it was crowded - I prefer my jerky places to be in moe desolate locations. read more

See all

Good jerky, but did I really just pay $20 for 3.2 oz of elk jerky?! I mean yeah, it was good, but do the math - that's $100/lb! Good thing this place is so far away. Just bought a pound of Pacific Gold beef jerky from Costco for about $13. I think it's just as good as the regular beef jerky at Gus's, but I have to admit it wasn't the same jerky-oasis-in-the-middle-of-nowhere experience. read more

this place sucks lately but it's iconic. i got wet jerky. jerky should not be wet. it was gross. it's a good place for a bathroom. they have $1 water bottles. it could be so much better, i literally wanna buy it. it has shitty kids toys in the desert type backyard. that could be easily better, cheap too. also they have weird bags of candy that i think they just re-bagged from costco or something, just sell the regular bags, i don't need it handled by your hands read more

I can't say much about the beef jerky considering we couldn't purchase any. The man running the shop told us sometimes they use a square to swipe credit cards but he couldn't find it. We were excited to stop at this place and grab a snack for the rest of the road trip. Come to find they do not accept credit or debit card, so don't bother stopping if you don't have cash. Also they do offer samples, but my husband and I thought our stomachs would be better off not eating the freebies, much of it looked like it had been out for quite some time. Lastly, if you may be offended by the confederate flag, you'll want to avoid stopping here as it was proudly displayed on posters inside the shop. Not worth the stop in my opinion. read more

Too expensive $15 for 4 oz get real Used to stop here not anymore Devine Bovine $6.59 free delivery taste the same. Wont be on our stop list anymore! Greed always ruins people read more

Catch the billboards 30 miles in! Fresh jerky stop on the way to Mammoth Lakes. It's a traditional for my friends and I to stop here to stretch out and grab some interesting jerky: Cowboy beef Sweet & spicy beef Hot beef Terriyaki beef Traditional beef Elk jerky Buffalo jerky Turkey jerky Salmon jerky Also, an assortment of stuffed olives, flavored pistachio nuts, and dried fruit. Everything is about $9 per item or 3 for $25. Or just stop for a pee break and feed the chickens :) read more

See all

Fun little stop along the highway. Funky little run-down stand, enjoy it while you can, planned bypass of 395 to the west might make this place a thing of the past. Good jerky in heavy plastic packaging. Stop in and have some jerky. read more

First time I stopped by Gus' and tried the beef teriyaki jerky. It's really good and surprisingly moist hence the "fresh" jerky. Guy was nice and even asked if I want samples which I obliged. Love the location and one of thr great stops if you're driving Hwy 395. I would rate it up to 4 or even 5 if they would lower the price or give more jerky for the pack. It's $12 per pack and it's the smallest amount I've seen for that price. I understand it's good quality meat and ingredients to make the jerky but c'mon. They sell other things like dried fruits, etc. Didn't have time to look around more as I was heading home. read more

See all

The best jerky I've ever had!!! A little pricey but worth it! I'm not a big jerky fan but I am when it comes to this place. Little building off to the side of the road. I will always stop by when I'm in the area. read more

Too expensive, way too gimmicky. Everything is packaged so you can't sample. If you're going to spend that much and want authentic, fresh jerky, you might as well go to Mahogany Meats in Bishop. Otherwise, you're really better off just going for the store brands at a much lower cost. read more