Four local jerky makers will face off for bragging rights at a free, all-ages event called Jerk-Off 2026, set for October 17 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Flips Neighborhood Bar & Grill on the city's Westside. Beyond the beef jerky samples and live music, the night doubles as a pet adoption drive, with two rescue groups bringing dogs in need of homes.
The event, first detailed by 95.5 KLAQ, will crown a winner among four competing jerky vendors: GG Jerkys, Weirdo Beard, Portillo's Artisan Jerky, and 915 Jerky. The contest takes place at Flips, located at 1071 Country Club Rd in El Paso, and includes local craft vendors and businesses alongside the jerky tasting.
Portillo's Artisan Jerky brings deep roots to the competition, having launched in 2015 out of El Barril in El Paso. The brand hand-slices and seasons traditional carne seca, including spicier varieties like Todo Terreno, leaning into a style of dried-meat craft rooted in Mexican tradition, according to Portillo's Artisan Jerky.
915 Jerky LLC, one of this year's four competitors, is an El Paso small business known for small-batch carne seca and flavors like Fuego, Lime, and Salt N Pepper. The company frequently sells at local pop-up venues such as the Upper Valley Farmers Market and supports regional artists. Fellow competitor Weirdo Beard, meanwhile, operates a brick-and-mortar shop at 9710 Montana Avenue serving Eastside El Paso with specialty jerky and snacks.
Live Music From El Paso and Austin
The evening's soundtrack comes from two acts with very different roots. Dusty Low, a folk-rock and Americana band formed in 2007 by brothers Jesse, Danny, and Sam Sullivan, is from El Paso, according to KRWG Public Media.
Joining them is Tiffany Christopher, an Austin performer.
Dogs Up For Adoption Amid Shelter Overcrowding
Alongside the food and music, Laws & Paws and Luna's Animal Rescue will bring dogs available for adoption, giving the jerky showdown a community-welfare dimension.
The need for these independent rescues has grown more urgent this year. El Paso Animal Services recorded more than 24,000 animal intakes during the 2026 fiscal year and was operating above capacity with over 900 animals in care by August, according to KTSM 9 News. That overcrowding has pushed independent rescues to expand their own community adoption efforts, placing extra weight on events like Jerk-Off 2026 to find dogs new homes.
With jerky samples, live sets from Dusty Low and Tiffany Christopher, and adoptable dogs from Laws & Paws and Luna's Animal Rescue all under one roof, the free, all-ages gathering offers El Paso residents a chance to crown a favorite jerky maker while potentially bringing home a new pet.
