About Us
We are now hiring!
Founded in 1885, when the area was still part of Washington Territory, and now thought to be the oldest continuing retail business in the state, Jack’s Country Store maintains traditions of rural America. Our general mercantile is the real thing, a fact that becomes immediately evident to first-time visitors who marvel at the wood floors, rolling track ladders, enormous oak showcases, rotary dial phones, and a beautiful stained glass ceiling, all functional fixtures in the store.
Ocean Park, Washington is situated close to the center of the North Beach Peninsula and was founded as a church camp. The Pacific Ocean is all you can see to the west. North of us is a wildlife refuge. To the east, Willapa Bay is created by the peninsula’s separation of the Pacific Ocean from the mainland. The bay is widely acclaimed as the largest unpolluted estuary in the contiguous United States and it is home to what are arguably the world’s best oysters.
The North Beach (or Long Beach) peninsula is located near the destination of Lewis and Clark. Follow the route of the westward trek of the early explorers to where they ran out of land to explore (it’s where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean), then turn north and head thirteen miles up the dead-end road (a.k.a. State Route 103) to Ocean Park.
Known far and wide for the huge inventory and broad array of merchandise, it is nearly impossible for two or more people to agree upon the single most unique feature of Jack’s Country Store. Food lovers have their favorites, including mouth-watering jerky, sausages, smoked salmon, and smoked oysters from our in-store smokehouse – treats so good that they have helped us become one of the largest sellers of smokehouses in the nation.
Locally harvested seafood such as Willapa Bay Oysters (Shucked and In-Shell) and Little Neck or Manilla Clams are a house specialty. Our trained butchers provide fresh-cut U.S.D.A. Choice meat, and cold cuts are abundant. We’re proud of our high quality produce, and our expanding selection of certified organic offerings. Local produce is featured when in season. Fresh baked Goodies from our bakery complete any meal.
Try our premium canned white albacore tuna. It’s the only tuna that can be labeled as “white meat.” The migrating fish are at the perfect size for flavor and texture when they reach our coast. We purchase directly from fishermen we know to assure that the handling of the catch will result in product that is widely regarded by gourmet experts to be the finest tuna on earth. And if you’re concerned about mercury in food, as we are, you can rest assured that our tuna is recommended by health experts because it is exceptionally low in mercury and high in omega 3 oils.
Fresh-roasted coffee by local coffee roasters is available in whole bean, or ground bags. Not sure which one you like? Have a hot cup of coffee. Jack’s special light, dark, and decaf blends are available all day from our bakery. Our deli offers ready-made sandwiches, salads, and desserts. Our soup pots are filled with fresh, tasty soups and pasta dishes. We also offer Take N Bake Pizza. Custom orders are accepted.
Kitchen and household products are in abundant supply. Jack’s has an extensive line of Lodge American-made cast iron cookware, enamelware, and a large selection of kitchen gadgets. Whether you’re after tools for a beach cookout or a gourmet dinner, the selection will not let you down. We also stock a large selection of marshmallow and hot dog roasting forks and sticks, perfect for the beach!
Our hardware section is bound to have anything you need to fix up your home or complete a weekend project. We stock a comprehensive line of builders hardware, plumbing, electrical, fasteners, and paint. Wood planes, cross cut saws, fruit pickers, and many other traditional tools are included in our selection.
Old-fashioned toys, such as mind-tormenting blacksmith’s puzzles, accompany a modern selection of kites, sand toys, and name-brand lines such as Breyer Horses, Schylling Toys, and Mary Meyer. Board and Table Top games are a house specialty. From Battleship to Yahtzee, we have you covered. Local newspapers, cross word puzzles, and books are in plentiful supply.
Decorators, collectors, and “off the grid” folks are often shocked to find what is believed to be the world’s best selection of genuine Aladdin kerosene mantle lamps in a town the size of Ocean Park. The lamps, known for giving off a bright, white light without either smoke or odor, are shipped from the store to customers all over the globe. We stock replacement glass lamp chimneys, cotton wicks, and lamp shades for many brands of non-electric lamps and light fixtures.
So, what does Jack’s Country Store have that you won’t easily find elsewhere? Sorry, but we just don’t have enough room to index the full list of over 200,000 different items stocked in the store. If you’ve been searching far and wide for a specific item, be careful not to challenge one of our clerks with, “I bet you don’t have what I’m looking for.” Friendly wagers are frequently accepted and seldom lost.
For literally over one hundred and thirty years, folks in the surround communities of Oysterville, Surfside, Nahcotta, Klipsan Beach, Long Beach, Seaview, and Ilwaco have been shopping locally with Jack’s Country Store for fresh local seafood, groceries, hardware, fuel, sporting goods, and pet supplies.
Only a small portion of our overall breadth of stock is offered on our Website, so a trip to Ocean Park may be warranted. If a trip to the store is impractical, please feel free let us know how we can be of assistance. Email us at service@jackscountrystore.com or give us a call. Our toll-free number is (888) 665-4989. We’re open every day from 7 am to 8 pm (Pacific time). We offer extended business hours during summer months and select razor clam digging seasons.