12640 Kennedy Flat Road, Jackson
This local, family owned and operated shop calls itself “the carnivore’s toy store”, and it’s the perfect moniker. A trip to Swingle Meats is an adventure in itself, and always a treat. Just look for the giant cow sign off Highway 88 to start - the shop is actually on a frontage road (Kennedy Flat Road) to Highway 88; an entrance to this frontage road is on either side of the intersection of Highway 49 and Highway 88 as it winds through Jackson.
If you’re lucky enough to get a parking space in the lot, you’ll be struck by the aroma of the smoker as soon as you get out of your car. That’s just a hint of what awaits you inside.
Once you step into the store, be sure to grab a basket, because you'll end up finding all sorts of must-have items. Trust us on this one. The interior of the shop is decorated with taxidermied heads of all sorts of game animals. It's fun to try to name them all, and to guess where they might appear in the freezer bins and cooler racks.
Swingle Meat Co. has been in business since 1945, and carries more than 350 products. Everything is trimmed, pre-packaged and vacuum sealed, so you can easily grab-and-go. We absolutely love the marinated tri-tips (the Mother Lode seasoning is our family's favorite, with Kona a close second, and there's still a few we haven't gotten to yet!) and there are so many other beef cuts available. Swingle's also carries a full selection of marinated and plain cuts of pork, chicken, fish, and smoked items such as bacon, sausage and jerky. They even have a section for frozen pasta, which means your side dishes are taken care of here as well. We like that many items are frozen, which makes transport back to the cabin, or even all the way back home, a breeze.
Make sure to stop at Swingle Meat Co. while you're in the area! Grill up your tri-tips on the deck BBQ, and you'll have a perfectly no-fuss and delicious dinner in 30-45 minutes. Now that's the cabin life!