Cracker Barrel: More Then Just a Restaurant
Written: Apr 24 '01 (Updated Oct 28 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Atmosphere; Country Store keeps you occupied while you wait for a seat.
Cons: There's almost always a wait
The Bottom Line: This restaurant is recommended for its home- style cooking, atmosphere, and convenient locations.
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| Bryan_Carey's Full Review: Cracker Barrel |
Cracker Barrel is one of America’s better full- service chain restaurants. It was founded in 1969, by Dan Evin, in Lebanon, Tennessee and today there are close to 450 locations in 40 different states. This restaurant chain offers a unique atmosphere, combining a country store with a full- service restaurant.
Menu Selection:
This is one of Cracker Barrel’s many strong points. The menu selection is very extensive and it can even cause a little frustration to some people, trying to decide what to order among so many excellent choices. For breakfast, you can choose among a wide variety of options, like pancakes (served with REAL maple syrup, not Mrs. Butterworths!), waffles, eggs, cereal, sausage, bacon, muffins, etc., in just about every form imaginable. There is also a kids breakfast menu, with small portions for the youngsters.
If you arrive for lunch or dinner, you will have no problem finding something to suit your tastes. You can choose a large salad, or a sandwich platter, which includes about twelve different choices. For dinner, there are about ten different platters, with choices like Country Fried Steak, Chicken Tenderloin, Meatloaf, Roast Beef, Pot Roast, Ham, etc. With each meal, you are served corn bread and your choice of vegetable side dishes. Once again, there are numerous options including some that you don’t see in many restaurants, like pinto beans and turnip greens. They serve several desserts, too. The food is all very tasty, with a home- cooked goodness. I have never been disappointed with my food at Cracker Barrel.
Atmosphere:
Cracker Barrel offers an interesting atmosphere, and this is the primary reason that people keep coming back. This restaurant is often crowded, and you can expect to wait for a table. But the wait isn’t that bad, because you have the Cracker Barrel Country Store to browse through while you wait to be seated. The store features small gift and craft items, like candles, wall plaques, baskets, etc. This really helps to keep people entertained, and it helps make the restaurant a little more money, too, so everyone wins. Sitting on a bench, waiting for your number to be called to be seated, is a great annoyance at most restaurants and it causes some people to get so frustrated that they give up and leave. But with Cracker Barrel, you have a store to keep you occupied. The crafts may not necessarily be to everyone’s liking, but just having something to do, while you wait for a table, makes a big difference.
The dining area in a Cracker Barrel restaurant features dark colors, and large wooden tables and chairs. There is usually a fireplace, to add to the warm, cozy feeling. This atmosphere blends in perfectly with the home- style food.
Cracker Barrel seems to go out of its way to make sure that you’re never bored while you wait. When you get to your table, after placing your order, you can play peg games to keep you entertained while you wait for your food to arrive. These games aren’t exciting, but they do provide the customers with something to keep them occupied, so that boredom never has a chance to set in.
Locations and Hours of Operation:
Cracker Barrel is expanding at a steady pace, with locations in 40 states. They are usually found next to the interstate highway, so you can’t miss them when you travel. This was a smart marketing move, and it has paid off handsomely for this restaurant chain.
One other good thing about Cracker Barrel is its consistency from one location to another. See, Cracker Barrel restaurants are all fully- owned by the corporation. There is no franchising. So, everywhere you go, the hours of operation are the same: 6am to 10pm, Sunday to Thursday; and 6am to 11pm on Friday and Saturday. The Country Store and the atmosphere are consistent from place to place, too. You always know what to expect, when you visit Cracker Barrel.
Final Thoughts:
Cracker Barrel is a very good restaurant, with great tasting food and a homey atmosphere. You won’t find any booze here (unfortunately!), or a live band, or any other loud, noisy entertainment. It’s generally quiet and friendly, more of a family type restaurant than anything else.
I expect Cracker Barrel to continue to grow in the coming years. Don’t be surprised if a location opens up close to your local interstate highway. With a unique dining experience like this, along with home- style cooking, Cracker Barrel is a restaurant that has universal appeal. It’s not my favorite restaurant, but it’s very good and it offers a nice change of pace, every now and then.
Be Sure to Click the Links Below to Read Reviews of Other Full- Service Restaurants:
American Style Food:
Denny’s
Hooters
Perkins
Waffle House
Damon’s
Steak ‘n Shake
Frisch’s
Max & Erma’s
Golden Corral
Shoney’s
Bob Evans
Hard Rock Cafe
Outback Steak House
Friendly’s
Red Lobster
Texas Road House
Bill Knapp’s
Ground Round
Fricker’s
Hops
Applebee’s
O’Charley’s
BW-3
Ponderosa
IHOP
Ruby Tuesday
Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q
Famous Dave’s
Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Cafe
Ryan’s Restaurant
Italian:
Olive Garden
Carrabba’s
Romano’s Macaroni Grill
Mexican
Chi- Chi’s
Cozymel’s
Chipotle
Recommended:
Yes
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