EPIC Provisions
Venison Sea Salt + Pepper Bar
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A venison-based, jerky-style bar with a short, recognizable ingredient list, zero sugar, and no dairy or soy—decidedly savory and truly simple.
When to choose EPIC Provisions Venison Sea Salt + Pepper Bar
Savory, low-carb snacking on hikes, road trips, or busy workdays—especially for keto/paleo eaters and anyone who skips whey, milk, or soy.
What's in the EPIC Provisions bar?
Think of EPIC Provisions’ Venison Sea Salt + Pepper Bar as a protein bar that skipped the candy aisle and headed straight for the butcher shop. Its protein comes entirely from venison—lean, complete, and free of dairy and soy—while the flavor reads like your spice rack: sea salt, black pepper, onion, and garlic.
With virtually no carbs and no sugar, the energy here leans on meat’s protein and a modest amount of naturally occurring fat.
A short, recognizable ingredient list gets a small assist from butcher tools—cultured celery powder (a plant-derived source of nitrite used for curing) and encapsulated lactic acid to keep the pH food-safe.
The result is a light, savory bar that sits closer to premium jerky than to dessert.
- Protein
- 12 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Carbohydrates
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 0 g
- Calories
- 130
Protein
1215MIDAll 12 grams of protein come straight from venison—no whey, soy, or isolates. As a meat protein, it’s complete and easy for the body to use, but the amount lands below the heaviest hitters in the category, so think savory snack more than full post-workout replacement. It’s a smart fit if you avoid dairy or legumes.
Fat
99MIDThe 9 grams of fat are naturally occurring in venison; there are no added oils. Venison is leaner than beef and tends to carry a more favorable fat balance, so this reads as moderate, meat-based fat rather than a heavy saturated hit. It adds staying power without sending calories skyward.
Carbs
120LOWCarbs are essentially absent (1 gram), and what’s there comes from the spice blend and cultured celery powder—a fermented celery ingredient used to cure meat. That means no quick sugar rush or crash; energy shows up steady from protein and fat. If you’re looking for “clean carbs,” there simply aren’t many by design—this bar is basically all meat.
Sugar
04LOWSugar is 0 grams because there’s no sweetener at all—this is meat plus spices. The bar doesn’t lean on sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners either; flavor comes from sea salt, black pepper, onion, and garlic. If you’re cutting added sugar but don’t want a “diet sweet” aftertaste, this fits the bill.
Calories
130210LOWAt just 130 calories—unusually light for the bar aisle—most of the energy comes from the 9 grams of fat with a solid assist from the 12 grams of protein. With carbs near zero, it eats like a savory, portion-controlled snack rather than a meal replacement. Great when you want something substantial yet light.
Vitamins & Minerals
No vitamins top 10% of daily value here; minerals are modest (iron 8%, calcium 6%, potassium 4%), all naturally coming from venison. Venison commonly contains B vitamins like B12 as well, though they aren’t quantified on this label. Consider any micronutrient boost a bonus on top of the protein.
Additives
There are just two functional additions beyond spices: encapsulated lactic acid, a food-grade acidifier that helps keep pH in a safe zone, and cultured celery powder, a plant source of nitrite used for curing. They’re standard in high-quality jerky-style meats and used in small amounts. If you limit cured meats, note that celery powder still functions as nitrite.
Ingredient List
Deer
Plant sugars
Unripe berries of Piper nigrum
Celery plant extract, fermented
Bulb onions (Allium cepa)
Garlic bulbs
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
“Epic bars. Done and done. They’re the bees knees.”
“Epic bars are essentially cured meat, and very tasty. They even have a keto selection.”
“those chicken sriracha bars are sooooo tasty. they’re like a “clean” slim jim 🥵”
Main Praise
Fans love that this bar tastes like real food, not a candy bar in disguise.
Reviewers across hiking sites and Amazon highlight the simple, readable ingredients and the comfort of getting protein from actual meat rather than powders—several even call it a keeper for that reason.
On Reddit, meat-loving keto folks call EPIC bars “very tasty” and a “clean” answer to gas-station sticks, and outdoor reviewers praise the savory break from sugary snacks. Dietitians who’ve weighed in publicly appreciate the no-sugar approach and note that bars like this can be gentler for some people’s digestion than sweet, ultra-processed alternatives.
It’s also easy to stash, travel-friendly, and fits neatly into keto and paleo patterns without sweeteners or dairy.
Main Criticism
Taste is polarizing.
A handful of Redditors don’t mince words—some call EPIC bars gross, full stop—while a subset of Amazon reviews knock certain flavors for being too salty or a bit sour from the curing process.
Texture is another divider: you’re signing up for a dense, jerky-adjacent chew, not a crispy wafer or nougat bite, and some find it dry.
The protein lands at 12 grams, which is solid for a snack but light compared to 20-gram heavy hitters; athletes chasing a bigger post-workout dose may need to pair it with something else.
And because it’s a cured meat bar, sodium is naturally higher than in many sweet bars, which several outlets flag as a real trade-off.
The Middle Ground
So who’s right—the “bees knees” crowd or the “garbage warmed over” contingent? Probably both, depending on what you expect from a protein bar.
If you like black-pepper jerky, the venison’s clean savor and spice will land; if you’re hunting for brownie vibes, this will feel like a wrong turn. The nutrition backs that story: 12 grams of complete protein, almost no carbs, and zero sugar make it a tidy, steady-energy snack, not a spike-and-crash treat.
Outside and Shape both cheer the simple ingredient list while cautioning about salt—fair, because curing relies on it—so think of this as a savory tool in the kit, ideally with water nearby.
Reddit’s extremes mostly reflect palate preferences, not quality; the bar is consistent about what it is. The open question is less “Is it good?
” and more “Is it your kind of good? ”
What's the bottom line?
EPIC Provisions’ Venison Sea Salt + Pepper Bar is for people who want their protein bar to be meat—lean, peppery, and straightforward. With 12 grams of venison-based protein, 130 calories, and zero sugar, it’s a clean, savory option that suits keto and paleo eaters, travelers, and anyone who can’t do dairy or soy. The curing aids (cultured celery powder and encapsulated lactic acid) do their behind-the-scenes work for safety and tang, and the ingredient list stays short and familiar.
It won’t please everyone. The chew is jerky-like, the salt is noticeable, and the protein count is more snack than meal.
But if you crave a break from syrupy bars—and the idea of a peppery venison square sounds more appealing than a faux-cookie—this is an easy yes. Try one on a walk with a bottle of water, and if you catch yourself thinking, “Finally, a bar that doesn’t taste like dessert,” you’ve found your lane.