Cracker Barrel Old Country Store — Restaurant in Athens

Went Sunday afternoon 5/7/23 with my husband & sister. It was about 2:30. We waited to go at that time since usually the church rush is about over. We have been coming here for years & it has always been enjoyable except for noisy crowds if you go at the busiest time. I know that it probably one is of their busiest times & possibly most difficult. We asked for a window table. We were placed in a corner next to a couple of crowded tables. You could barely slip in. I asked about the next dining room right next to us but the hostess said that section was closed. There were people there, but she was short about. Ten minutes later they were seating people there. The waitress came & took our drink orders & brought us the drinks with biscuits & butter but with no utensils nor napkins. I know they were probably short handed, but we waited for the waitress to come back, and she never did. My sister went to ask for some & had to stand outside the kitchen for ten minutes. Our waitress finally brought some eating utensils wrapped in napkins. When I unwrapped my set, my spoon was covered in dried food. My sister's spoon had specks of food on it. No one came around. Finally when the waitress came out, it was to wait on some newcomers. She ignored me, but I apologized for interrupting her. I told her our utensils were not clean & we needed new ones & napkins. Several minutes she came out & plopped a pile of utensils with napkins on our table. We thanked her but she didn't say a word & walked off. Finally after maybe 25 minutes or so she brought out our food. We had ordered pot roast which was served in small Dutch ovens. The beef was minimal & was in a broth. There was some potatoes & carrots floating around in it. I wondered if we were supposed to get some sides with it but no. I asked for corn bread & never got it. We were never offered refills for our tea either. She finally reappeared & just laid the check on the table & started to walk off. I asked her quickly for a carry out container. She brought it back & never said a word. Just handed it to us & walked off. You can tell by her actions & expressions that she was peeved. But she already was that way when she first took our orders for drinks. I know working with Sunday groups can be tough & these groups can be demanding. I was a waitress at one point in my life. But to come into an establishment & the hostess is rude, then the waitress is already aggravated & shows it, is pretty bad. We did nothing. I am sorry if the previous customers were probably demanding & rude, but don't take it out on the ones who are polite. We have had this waitress a few times before & she was always fine. Plus she has been there a long time. I can understand, too, if morale is low. But with those attitudes, it will only breed more negativity for othe customers & for the workers themselves. Also, the food did taste good, but was more of a greasy broth stew than a pot roast. There were hardly any vegetables. We have never had a negative experience with this particular Cracker Barrel, but the service was very poor & the attitudes of the staff did not make for an enjoyable experience. We will probably go elsewhere next time. Just so substandard for Cracker Barrel. Maybe that is why they were not so crowded at 2:30 on a...

Just left your store after myself, my daughter and granddaughter came for dinner. My daughter ordered the southern fried chicken dinner, I the maple bacon grilled chicken, my granddaughter had a breakfast plate. My daughters chicken was still pink in the center on the big pieces so she told our waitress, Constantine (I believe was her name) and she very sweetly apologized and took the chicken. She then spoke to, I assume was the manager, strawberry red head guy, and came back to tell.my daughter that she was still going to get her chicken but they were comping it from the bill, which was not something my daughter asked for, but we thought that was awful nice of them to do. I shared with her my chicken, becaise all.of our food was served already, we all finished eating and still.not chicken, and our waitress never came back. We waited about 30 mins, and flagged down another waitress and asked if our waitress had left, explained about the chicken and was just wondering if maybe our waitress got.it wrong that they weren't going to be bringing her her chicken, which would be odd because she came for a meal and didn't seemed to be getting it, the new waitress ran to the kitchen and came.right out with the chicken. Weird I felt, that it had been sitting there all that time, and the manager was standing in the kitchen door with us in plain view of him. Seemed like theybwere waiting us out, hoping we would leave without food. Idk, but we also asked for a cinnamon role pie to ho, and they said they didn't have any... just straight up rude and annoying. Left very annoyed and very unsatisfied. I want to be clear tho, our first waitress, Constantine, was a very good waitress, very sweet, very observant and took good care of the table until the chicken went back, and we didn't see her again. Sorry you did not get your tip if you were still there,we didn't tip becaise we didn't know if she was still there or what happened to her, and nobody else...

Mixed Feelings at Cracker Barrel

During our recent visit to Cracker Barrel, we encountered a blend of the good and the not-so-good, leaving us with an average experience. The rustic charm and cozy atmosphere were as inviting as ever, providing that homestyle ambiance we've come to expect from the brand. However, a few issues during our dining experience have given us pause on planning an immediate return.

To start with a positive note, the food we did receive was of good quality – the comfort food you look forward to at a Cracker Barrel. However, the menu presented its own set of frustrations. We were particularly interested in trying the 'white fish' that was listed, but to our disappointment, we were informed that this item was no longer available. It was disheartening to see it still featured on the menu, setting up an expectation that went unmet. It's essential for restaurants to keep their menus updated to prevent such confusion and ensure that customers can make informed decisions about their meals.

Furthermore, while our waitress initially provided prompt service to take our orders and serve our food, her attentiveness waned considerably after those first interactions. Once we had our meals, she seemed to become invisible, making it challenging to request additional items or ask questions about our dining experience. We felt somewhat neglected, which detracted significantly from the warm, hospitable service we have previously enjoyed at Cracker Barrel.

In conclusion, while there were aspects of our visit that we appreciated, the oversight with the menu and the lack of consistent service were notable drawbacks. We believe management needs to address these issues to match the high standards Cracker Barrel is known for. Ensuring menu accuracy and staff visibility for customer needs are basic expectations for a pleasant dining experience. We hope to see improvements in these areas before we consider returning to...