9 Epic Bars Review: What We Liked/Didn’t Like

Our idea of cozy living also involves eating healthy, tasty food. Kate has been hearing a lot about the Epic meat bars, so we finally decided to see what the hype is all about.

Our problem was…well, we didn’t know which flavor we might like the most. Easy fix: we just ordered a 9-flavor variety pack to select our favorites!

Here’s how these 1.5oz fellas looked before we chewed through them all:

After a few days of happy munching, our verdict is ready. While the pack was a mixed bag, there are a few definite winners. Read on!

What’s the appeal of Epic meat bars?

Epic bars are a take on protein-filled, healthy meat snack with no preservatives added. You won’t see any MSG, any GMO, or any nitrates added here. All the bars we had were also gluten-free.

Unlike jerky, they’re more tender and savory. All of the bars we tried chew just right, with a balanced dose of softness and juiciness. They seem to be a total hit with the PALEO diet followers.

I admit that the texture can feel weird to some – Kate didn’t like it as much as me. However, I feel this texture is to be expected considering this is, well…organic meat.

Note: A lot of people complained about the packaging, but Epic bars have since improved a lot. We encountered no issues with puffy meat, leaks, or lack of freshness:

Epic bars review:
Definite winners

Three bars especially stood out in our little taste buds experiment: wildboar, bison and chicken (sesame/BBQ.) A runner-up is the lamb Epic bar which was quite tasty too.

Bison meat Epic bar
(with Uncured Bacon/Cranberry)

Our rating: 4.5/5

This seems like everyone’s darling, and I have to agree. Extremely tasty grass fed buffalo, with the addition of certified uncured bacon. The cranberry adds a tang of sweetness which we adored – especially Kate.

I can see how this cranberry might be a no-no for people who prefer more plain-tasting meat. But honestly, it’s not overbearing!

Bison meat can be a tough one to nail properly, so we were quite sceptical at first. However, Epic bars delivered. Tender, juicy, fresh – ready for consumption in the morning, around noon, or in the evening.

Great for a quick hiking snack too! Nutrition details:

Chicken Epic bar
(with Sesame & BBQ)

Our rating: 4/5

The variety pack we received had two Chicken flavors: Sriracha, and Sesame & BBQ. The sesame one definitely suited our palate way better.

This is a very nuanced little bar. Plain chicken tastes boring to me, but the addition of crispy sesame and savory BBQ turn it into an explosion of yum.

On top of that, the chicken Epic bar has the biggest amount of protein: a whole 15g! This is twice the amount of protein you’ll find in the Bison meat bar, for example.

Nutrition details:

Wild Boar Epic bar
(with Uncured Bacon)

Our rating: 4/5

I feel this flavor flies under the radar in many online reviews, and that’s a shame.

If I’m honest, wild boar can be quite dividing. Kate didn’t like it that much, but I wanted to bury my face in a bowl full of these.

Note: Keep in mind there’s some cranberry thrown into the mix here too, but the package doesn’t mention this!

So why did I like them so much?

Usually this kind of meat is more of the jerky type – definitely drier. The Wild Boar Epic bar, however, remains as juicy as the other flavors. Sure, it can be soft to some, but I loved this tenderness. A very distinctive meat flavor that gets only enriched by the delicate cranberry sweetness.

A definite winner to me! Nutrition details:

Best runner up:
Lamb Epic flavor

Our rating: 3.5/5

Honestly, I could easily see this being 5/5 for some people. My gripe with the flavor here was the fact that it’s Currant/Mint.

While the mint isn’t that strong, neither me, nor Kate are huge fans of mixing it with lamb meat. The meat itself is quite tasty and savory once again, however.

The current isn’t as sweet as the Bison’s cranberry taste, but there’s still a tang of sweetness present. Nicely balanced with lamb meat’s base taste.

Nutrition details:

Flavors we didn’t like

I wouldn’t say any of the flavors present in the variety pack sucked. But we didn’t get the best kick out of the:

• Beef (Habanero/Cherry Walnut): 3/5

• Chicken Sriracha: 2.5/5

• Beef (Apple/Uncured bacon): 2/5

The Sriracha felt a bit off for both of us. Habanero Beef wasn’t bad at all, but the meat tasted significantly drier than other savory samples like the boar or bison meat.

The Apple Beef was all over the place in terms of taste for me, and Kate only gave it a ‘So-so.’ Meat was again a little bit closer to jerky, and the apple flavor didn’t meet my expectations for just a little bit of fruitiness.

The balance threw my taste buds completely off, I didn’t feel any specific flavor out of this combination.

Final verdict:
Are Epic meat bars really worth it?

In our opinion: if you can fit them into your budget, definitely.

Sure, they can run a bit expensive, but you’re getting 100% organic, juicy meat without all the preservatives and artificial stuff you’ll encounter with so many of today’s meat products.

I recommend getting a variety pack initially too, just so you see what flavors work the best for you.

As the flavors generally range in terms of protein content, this might be another important consideration for you.

(Maybe that’s why I loved the chicken sesame so much, 15g of protein is huge!)

Hope our Epic protein bar review helped you out just a little bit. Let us know if you have any questions, the comment section is for that!

If you’re more interested in healthy meat for your pet, check out our take on meat grinders for raw food!