Mario Snack Olives Review

A small pouch of Mario Camacho pitted snack olives, held in a hand over a wooden table.

My purse resents these olives.

I’ve been buying these little pouches of Mario snack olives for a few years now, and I must like them, because I keep going back for more. They come in a box of 12 individually-sealed packets of approximately 1 ounce each. Somehow, it’s still not socially acceptable to walk around in public carrying an open jar of olives, so these are the next best thing. I guess.

Inside view of a pouch of Mario Camacho pitted snack olives, showing the herbs and garlic on the olives.

Super convenient packaging

Here’s what it looks like inside the pouch. You just rip the top off, reach in there, and start noshing.

I eat olives because I need salty snacks throughout the day. As I wrote in this salty granola post, I have Dysautonomia, which is a malfunction of the autonomic nervous system. Salt is crucial for keeping my body going, and finding snacks with lots of salt has become an unofficial life mission. Olives are a great option for me, because they are low carb, and I don’t have to eat tons of them to get my salt fix.

Plus, I like olives. Duh.

Close-up of a group of Mario Camacho garlic pitted snack olives on a white plate. The olives are coated in oil and have herbs stuck to them.

What do the Mario snack olives taste like?

These are green Spanish olives. Unlike the Spanish cocktail olives I buy brined in jars, the Mario snack olives are nowhere near as firm or crisp. They have a softer — but not soggy — texture. They’re also coated in a thin film of oil. I would describe them as “meaty” and flavorful, with less tanginess. They have a wonderful, rich, savory taste. If you hate vinegar, you may be glad to see these are made with lactic acid, rather than vinegar.

Compared to other brands/types of olives, these are fairly salty. If you have a low tolerance for salt, you may find them overpoweringly salty, at least when eaten as snack food. To me, they taste marvelous. But I have been known to pour table salt into my palm and lick it up. So, take my opinion with a grain of you-know-what.

A single olive from a pack of Mario Camacho garlic pitted snack olives, held between fingers against a light gray background.

Because of that oil coating, your fingers will be greasy after eating these. I make sure I have something to wipe my hands before I start eating these in public. (I can’t promise I haven’t used my jeans once or twice, when I was desperate.)

The dried thyme and garlic bits are evenly distributed between the olives, and there’s just enough to be tasty (and textural) without overwhelming. If you’re concerned about having garlic breath for hours afterwards — don’t be. The garlic taste/smell is pretty mild.

The entire contents of a pouch of Mario Camacho garlic pitted snack olives, on a small white plate on a wooden table.

There are 10-12 olives per pack. Here are the entire contents of a single pouch. Although they are billed as “brineless,” there IS a small amount of liquid in the pouch. I’m not mad. But my purse might be. More about that later.

A slide view of a slim pouch of Mario Camacho garlic pitted snack olives, held in a hand.

Here’s a side-view of the pouch, so you can see how slim it is. This makes it easy to slide into a purse or pocket. These fit in my blazer pockets, and I’m not ashamed to carry olives around my place of employment (and occasionally brandish them mid-sentence, before I pop them in my mouth).

Hey, if you’re gonna be weird, don’t be an amateur, right?

List of ingredients from the back of the Mario Camacho pouch of garlic pitted snack olives.

Ingredients in Mario Snack Olives

I love the simple, straightforward ingredient list:

Olives
Olive oil
Sea salt
Lactic acid
Garlic
Thyme

Yup, that’s it. No preservatives, no artificial colors or flavors. If you are someone with dietary restrictions, you may be pleased to see that these are:

Gluten free
No trans fat
No cholesterol
Low carb
Sugar free
Non-GMO
Vegan

The olives are the product of Spain, but distributed out of Plant City Florida.

Nutrition Facts label from a Mario Camacho pouch of garlic pitted snack olives.

Nutrition Facts & Serving Size

Oddly (and inconveniently), a serving size is HALF a pouch. This does not make sense, since you can’t re-seal the pouches (especially “on-the-go”) and the packet says to refrigerate after opening. Once, I tried to fold over the top of the pouch and stash it in my purse. This was a terrible mistake. The small amount of oil and juice leaked out…everywhere…and the garlic smell was, well, unfortunate. My purse doesn’t love olives as much as I do.

Price

I buy these from Amazon, and they usually cost about $12 for 12 pouches. I don’t consider this a great value (I’m a scrooge), but it IS lower than most other brands of snack olives. I tried the Mario Variety Pack once, and although the “Hint of Savory Pepper” flavor is wonderful, the black olives were metallic tasting and stale. I tried feeding them to some friends, and they wouldn’t eat them either, so it’s not just me. Since the “Hint of Garlic” is my favorite, I just keep buying those exclusively. Don’t mess with success. Or Texas. Or a successful Texan. Or something.

White plate with a close-up side view of a group of garlic pitted snack olives from a Mario Camacho pouch.

Here’s one more bonus picture of olives, for absolutely no reason at all. You’re welcome.

Author’s note: I wasn’t paid to write this review, and I bought these olives (repeatedly) with my own money. I have no affiliation with Mario Camacho Foods, which is probably a relief to them.