We once went into a Cracker Barrel in Middlesboro Kentucky and low and behold there set Abraham Lincoln he was by himself so we couldn't resist we walked over and asked him if we could jon him and he said yes. Come to find out, he was a character actor and had appeared at a local university, and he did not break character while in public it was cool.
Having a hard time not picturing a John Wilkes Booth character actor coming in later and 'assassinating' Lincoln right in the middle of the Cracker Barrel. Imagine the expressions on onlookers' faces.
I was attending my first Civil War reenactment (spectator only; it’s a big thing in the area I now live), when out of a car stepped Abe Lincoln. This was before cell phone cameras, of course.
Nah, just give me biscuits. So many restaurants can't make a decent biscuit so I just appreciate the CB biscuits too much to bother with the cornbread. Besides, without a little dish of milk/buttermilk to dip the cornbread in or fresh tomato slices to eat with it, I don't really care for plain old cornbread on its own. Maybe if I got soup or dumplings I might get cornbread.
My sister worked at a different sit down, family restaurant while in college and she hated the after church crowd the most. She said they are the absolute cheapest, non-tipping people. And we are a Christian family, by the way and she happens to be a really sweet and friendly person so it wasn’t her.
I will never forget eating at a CB by myself on a business trip. I saw a 10 yr old girl sitting by herself because her grandmother had to go sit in the rocking chairs and have a smoke. I felt so bad for her and really wanted to go sit with her and play the peg game.
"Sunday...That's when the Lord goes to Cracker Barrel." I love it!! 😄 Well, he has to go somewhere & Chik-Fil-A is closed on Sunday, so.....Cracker Barrel, it is!!
Ya'll were so personally invested in these reviews. Lol The only bad experience I've ever had at "The Crack" was not their fault. My father-in-law decided to not wear his dentures. The image of him eating his fried fish without his teeth haunts me to this day.
My wife and I had the unfortunate experience of crossing Alabama on Mothers Day. It appeared that everyone in the state had decided this was the perfect place to bring granny for that special meal. We finally found a Sonic in Tuscaloosa.
I love Crackers Barrel. That why it hurts to admit the quality has fallen a bit in the past few years. Portions are smaller, prices are the same or higher. I still love it, but I want to see it improve before it declines.
@@edward8930 the quality of the food has decreased. The chicken fried chicken turned into chicken fingers covered in gravy, the cornbread rolls/biscuits use to be brought out when the current ones were gone. That doesn't happen now.
If you want cheap food and no wait, please find a McDonald's. If you want great food and a chance to enjoy your time with your family, choose Cracker Barrel 😊.
I currently live in Alabama, but I am not from here. I grew up in WV and the only restaurant close to a Cracker Barrel where I am from is Bob Evans. So just like in the south, after church, everyone would go to the only Bob Evans within 50 miles. When I was stationed in the South, we were introduced to Cracker Barrel. So that has become our mainstay after church. The stories are much the same as the ones you reviewed. My parents came to visit, they were in their 70's. So we took them to the local Cracker Barrel. My father was impressed with the rocking chairs and my mother was excited to mill around and do a bit of shopping. When we were seated, I explained to my parents that it would take some time for the food to arrive. I explained to the waiter that it was my parents first time ever being at a Cracker Barrel. He was very respectful and took it upon himself to notify the manager. The manager, a very southern lady stopped by the table and introduced herself. As the main course was being finished up, she stopped by the table to ensure everyone was satisfied. After which, she invited my parents to have desert on the restaurant. My mother is a professional cake decorator for Wilson, so she requested the chocolate cake and my father requested the pecan pie warm with ice cream. They both talked about the deserts for the entire time they were visiting. Rumor has it, on their way home, they stopped by and purchased desert takeout for the trip. That was in 2014. Over the past Christmas holiday, while home. My father asked me if the Cracker Barrel was still open because he wanted to get some more of that southern pecan pie.
Talia: “The Lord goes to Cracker Barrel on Sundays.” I laughed out loud and doubled over… And those reviews from Virginia are true. Don’t go to Cracker Barrel in those areas. Used to live there, I know… Newport News Cracker Barrel much better.
The store is so cool with games and vintage candies. My first visit was in the fall. Ordered the pecan pancakes. It was the first time in my life having REAL maple syrup. Turns out I have been lied to my entire life about maple syrup. I only buy 100% real maple syrup now. The blackberry preserves on the unlimited biscuits are heaven. Love Cracker Barrel. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ✌️
I only had one bad experience once and I was young. They sent me out a salad I ordered with blue cheese dressing and my dad had to call the waitress to get me a new one with the right dressing on it. They comped our whole meal over that one tiny mistake. I was only 8 at the time and because I frowned they comped mine and his meal. That is exceptional customer service.
I love cracker barrel. I used to eat my steak blue rare and ordered it that way at a cracker barrel once. The waitress was so excited because she never met someone else who ate their steak the way she did and took it upon herself to make sure the steak was cooked perfectly. It came out fully cooked through, and she got upset took it back to the cook, and demanded he does it again properly, the next steak came out medium well, she got annoyed again and said I will fix this and personally cooked my steak to perfection. That was one of the only times that I was able to get a steak cooked exactly how I wanted it.
Cracker Barrel is a restaurant that serves old fashioned, home cooking kind of food like Grandma used to make. In the front is a little shop stuffed with old fashioned things to buy. There are 10 of so rocking chairs on the front porch and checker boards on barrels. The servers are friendly and the food is usually good. It’s a chain and all over the USA.🤗❤️🐝
@Mrs. Alma Trumble I was thinking they must have eaten at one that wasn't actually in the South. You know, places like Virginia Beach and Arizona. You would be hard pressed to find one here in the South that didn't have good food AND good service.
I've eaten at 1 in Meridian, Mississippi in the 90's and 1 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. 2014. They were both equally BAD!! I suppose it's not bad if you like bland food.
I have been to several different Cracker Barrel’s around Phoenix, Arizona and while I loved to look around the shop, the food left a lot to be desired. No matter what store I was in, their pork chops were so dry they could have been used as kindling. But the servers were always great, so I tolerated every time someone wanted to go for those two reasons. 😂
With any of these chain restaurants, the quality depends on who's working that day and whether the manager is upholding standards or not. Last time I went ti CB, I had fried chicken and it was excellent, but I'm in Memphis.
Never had a bad experience at a Cracker Barrel. Wife looks for this restaurant when traveling especially in Mississippi. Waitress' are always friendly and understanding of our Northern accents.
I've never liked the food there, but it's worth going just to visit the store that smells like Christmas 24/7, and makes you feel like you've just left Dollywood, and/or your grandmother's house as a child lol. If you’re from the South, there is something magical about the store that feels like home. If you know, you know. It's not so much the items, it’s just......the vibe. It's like "Grandma-core" instead of "Cottage-core." LoL
I love Cracker Barrel. Don't care for the wait. But, love the food. Catfish and greens are my favorite. And I can find every candy bar I ever grew up with in the store.
I used to love The Crack 😂 and some of them I still do, but definitely not the one near where I live (I-95 exit 49 in NC). Every single time I go in there, and I have given them many chances) they either get my order wrong or the sad excuse for food they bring me is either old or just not right. I'm not sure if the cook just ain't right, or if they really think it's okay the bring out gelatin (or watery) gravy. They seriously took a dive right after Brad's wife got fired on his birthday.
If you've ever been curious about the Cracker Barrel stars, the breakdown is from 1 to 4 depending on how long you've been there. 4 being 1.5 years, (I think its been a hot while since I worked there) and the red aprons are folks who train new people. Unless your apron got dirty you just picked whichever one had the prettiest name. Lol
There are so many questions! Did she actually see the glass or did she get something really hard and just assume it must be because what else could it be? I would be shocked if a piece of glass that size passed through your system, and didn’t cause problems!
I used to love Cracker Barrel but something in their cooking has changed. My dumplings have been better than theirs lately. I still love their little shop though! 😢
I worked as a cook at Cracker Barrel for over seven years( left in ‘02). Even after all this time it still holds a lot of fond memories and forever will.
My son ordered the chicken & dumplings, which was supposed to be homemade, but the imprint of the well-known can was easily read across the clot of dumplings. Even when we showed the manager the imprint, he still swore it was homemade! Never went back!
That's what I ordered my first time eating there.. It was BADDDDD. I couldn't even finish it, and I usually always eat till I stuffed. My sides were not good either. I said I'd never go back.
We had never been to a Cracker Barrel before until my husband was sent a gift card for his birthday. We took my sister, and even she, who has been before, was surprised that the food was horrible. There was still quite a bit left on the gift card, so we gave it to someone that said they loved the food. Yes, the place was packed, but we will never go back. Even the cashier was smirking when we handed her the gift card. The waitress was pleasant, but the cashier was rude.
@@chuckinhouston9952 it was my son's birthday & he wanted to go out. I prefer staying at home & I'm always being told that I'm a wonderful cook. I'm sitting here right now & eating some of my favorite stir fry. Yum!
Smithfield Farms shows Cracker Barrel Country Store under their Regional and International Brands. Smithfield Farms was actually bought by WH Group, formerly known as Shuanghui International, for $4.7 billion in 2013.
This should be "why do people LOVE Cracker Barrel"? When traveling with children especially when their ages range a bit, this is the best choice! Something for all of them no matter the time of day. Was always our go to on road trips. And the best reason, you can still get a sweet tea there even on the other side of the Mason-Dixon Line! That's really the only reason anyone needs hahahahaha. Bonus is browsing the store area so that you can also stretch your legs at the same time.
I’ve had a few mediocre experiences at CB. However, when I moved for a brief period from Fairhope AL to the frigid hell scape of Attleboro Massachusetts, they had one. I missed my home, my family, and sweet tea. I was able to get my tea and ruminate a little there. I lasted 3 months and came back to the gulf coast. Also, F the Pats. I was within spitting distance of Gillette Stadium and that was the only bright spot of my time there. Spitting on it.
I get that CB is trying to keep up with the times and such, but I hated to hear that they were starting to serve alcohol. Just knowing that makes it seem like something other than the old-style family restaurant I've been to.
I LOVE Cracker Barrel! We don’t have them in my state, so when I travel I will go way out of my way to eat at Cracker Barrel. Their breakfasts are A-MAZ-ING. I love their ice tea. I love their biscuits. I love their grits. I love their cheesy hash browns. My mouth it watering just thinking about the place. ❤
When I lived in NJ, my northern friends LOVED Cracker Barrel when they visited the South. They thought it was authentic Southern food. I guess its mostly authentic, but mediocre! However, you have to take into account the friendly staff and the STORE, the rocking chairs, etc. The whole Crack experience.
I've been to Cracker Barrel once (I think it was in Ashland, Ohio), but I have no memory of what the food was like, so I guess it didn't particularly make an impression one way or the other. I do remember that the decor was the sort of thing people either describe as "charmingly rustic" or "hopelessly tacky" depending on whether you like that sort of thing (personally, I have no strong feelings on this issue, honestly not sure why I even remember it). In general, if I'm going to go to a restaurant, I prefer one that makes types of cuisine I can't just make at home -- so ethnic food, ideally. Who the heck goes to a restaurant and orders meatloaf, of all things? If I wanted meatloaf, I could just use my mom's recipe, or make one up myself, it's not like meatloaf is difficult to figure out.
We love CB. Whenever we get together with my husband's family, it's at CB. The food is usually great, and the biscuits are always the best. I love to shop, but I rarely buy. I have 1 complaint: It's always so noisy. We are no youngsters, and the in-laws are getting on. We can have problems hearing each other because of all the noise. I wish there was a "quiet zone" in the restaurant. We drove down I-95 and back on our honeymoon, and I think we stopped at 90% of the Cracker Barrels along the way.
The whole bit with Cracker Barrel was funny but the t shirts were so cute! My mother in law used to say "Aren't you just so precious?" but it wasn't a good thing. LOL Sort of like "Bless your heart."
We go to the Cracker barrel in Florence, AL pretty regularly. I never not eat breakfast, I don't much care for their lunches and dinners.... But their breakfast is the best.
I live in so California where I don’t have ant near me, but when I’m traveling I love their breakfasts and the little store. I’ve proudly owned several rocking chairs!
Generally speaking, we go to Cracker Barrel for breakfast food. However, the one time we were visiting my Pop (God rest him) in Chattanooga for Thanksgiving we arranged for a local CB in Tennessee to have our Thanksgiving dinner ready for pickup the night before …well, it was a fantastic experience. Made me forget about all that holiday traffic in Atlanta and all up I-75.
Cracker Barrel is the only reason I will cross over the Hudson River just on a whim (we do have some here in New York and ours have signs in the parking lot for those who pay attention to get around the traffic and get back on the interstate). The meatloaf at Cracker Barrel is the only meatloaf my mom will actually eat. Cracker Barrel’s scratch kitchen results in their food bothering me less/not at all than at restaurants who have things premade and therefore tend to have more preservatives.
I'm a server at our local Cracker Barrel in addition to my full time job. I only work Saturdays and Sundays and I'll tell you what... Sundays are chaos. There's another store that's close to my full time job and I got lunch from there once. It was bad. Miles of difference in the food from my store and that one. It truly depends on the staff.
One time i went to Cracker Barrel, got sausage and pancakes, the usual, and they came out with RAW sausage. RAW. Haven’t gone back since and don’t plan on going back.
I ate at the Cracker Barrel here in Spartanburg SC...and I will NEVER go back again! My experience was so bad...I will not go into any other one in the country. The waitress looked at us as if we were crazy for being there in mid-afternoon, then said she didn't have an order pad, just tell her our order! Needless to say...nothing was right! We got a bunch of nasty cold food that was not what we ordered, plus an attitude from our server! I was there with my son and grandchild...I got up and walked out. I waited in a rocker out front until they were done. I paid for my food....but miss thing did NOT get a tip
When in the South, we got to Cracker Barrel. We've always been treated well and the food is decent. We sit in the rockers and play checkers afterward. Love it!
We usually go to Cracker Barrel with a large group (at least 8-10 people) so we know by now to pack extra patience. Sometimes the staff is courteous but forgetful (no drink refills or forgets extra napkins). Other times they go above & beyond for us. It all depends on the time you go & how busy they are. All in all, I love Cracker Barrel & I'd go there more often if there was one closer to me.
Cracker Barrel attracts a lot of people from Virginia Beach, apparently? Also been there for breakfast and dinner a few times as a tourist and it was brilliant every time! Love Cracker Barrel! 👍🏻
(Judy VanderPloeg) I don't go to The Cracker Barrel just for the food (or shopping). Our servers at the local "Crack" are so hilarious it's like dinner and a show. Seriously though, every time I have gone to The Cracker Barrel, it has been the service that has made it a great dining experience.
Once upon a time we went to the Cracker Barrel at least once a month. That's all my family could afford back in the 80's. But we always went there once a month. NOW? The entire menu, has changed, they use way cheaper ingredients than they did then, the portion sizes are smaller. And they done it all incrementally. Now, the quality of your experience is 100% dependent on the manager. I've been to many CB's that the should rename as Bottom of the Barrel. Cold food ( sometimes appears to be left over from two days before.) dirty floors and bathrooms, disorganized store, etc. Other CB's are clean, crisp, organized, well-staffed. It depends a lot on the area as well. The store used to contain items that were from many sources. Now, almost everything seems to be Cracker barrel branded and from China. They've simply compromised their quality for bigger profit margins or a higher quantity of customers. So my wife and I don't go to CB anymore. And we used to go at least twice a week.
Can we take up a petition to bring back the butter milk.?!I really miss my tall glass of buttermilk on a hot summer day I know it isn’t popular but maybe they could just serve it two months out of the year and make it a special thing to introduce the world to buttermilk again I mean look at yogurt. Everybody hated yogurt when it first came to the south, but now everybody loves it if you love yogurt well that’s practically buttermilk. I think they should do an advertising campaign. Buttermilk is really good for your gut and will help you digest all those biscuits and fried okra.
I went to CB for the first time last year. Service was good, tables were clean, and chicken was soooo good. Had to leave before I bought half of the store LOL
All the bad reviews were from my hometown Virginia Beach. I've never been to that one, and the poet couldn't have been traveling because it's not near the major highways. I've only been to the Chesapeake, and it got a bad review too. I guess the ones in Southeastern Virginia need to get their acts together!
Unpopular opinion:My favorite thing from Cracker Barrel is their French fries dipped in tartar sauce. 7:14 Talia sounded like if Ben Shapiro was a woman from the South.
My wife and I ate at the Cracker Barrel in Elkhart, Indiana. The fried chicken was cold and hard, and my wife's meatloaf was cold. We prefer Perkin's which is next door.
The one time we had a terrible meal at a cracker barrels was traveling home after Christmas from Deleware. The place was not busy and the food was awful. Usually they are pretty good and I love the Uncle Hershal's breakfast plate.
We had this funny thing in our family that became kinda a curse. My dad would always get a bent fork, and we could never get good food and good service on the same visit. So when we had a rude server, we got excited bout the food. And when we got a sweet server, we debated exiting the premises as though the building were on fire and dripping with bacon grease.
