Cracker Barrel Old Country Store — Restaurant in Baytown

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is more than just a restaurant—it’s a nostalgic American experience wrapped in a cozy, rustic setting. Established in 1969 in Lebanon, Tennessee, it was designed to capture the charm of the old Southern country store, and to this day, it delivers on that vision with warmth, comfort, and a deep sense of tradition.

Walking into Cracker Barrel feels like stepping back in time. The front porch lined with wooden rocking chairs sets the mood before you even open the door. Once inside, you’re greeted by a country store filled with everything from retro candy and toys to seasonal gifts, clothing, home decor, and old-fashioned sodas. It’s a treasure trove of Americana that immediately evokes a sense of nostalgia, even for those who never lived through the era it reflects.

The dining area continues that old-time feel, decorated with antique tools, signs, and relics from decades past. The ambiance is quiet and homey, perfect for family gatherings, road trip pit stops, or just a relaxed meal. The staff often feels like extended family—friendly, patient, and genuinely kind, which adds a layer of comfort that can’t be easily found at chain restaurants.

Now, the food: Cracker Barrel is famous for its homestyle Southern cooking. Their menu is loaded with hearty classics like Chicken n’ Dumplins, Country Fried Steak, Meatloaf, and Gravy-drenched Biscuits. The breakfast menu, served all day, is a fan favorite, offering generous portions of eggs, pancakes, bacon, grits, and their signature hashbrown casserole. Their cornbread and biscuits are warm, buttery, and served with every meal—pure comfort food.

They cater to various tastes with healthier options and even a few vegetarian choices, but Cracker Barrel truly shines when you dive into the indulgent, soul-satisfying dishes that have made it a staple for decades. Seasonal items like pumpkin pie, country ham, and fried apples round out a menu that feels both timeless and inviting.

Pricing is another reason people love it. Meals are reasonably priced and portions are generous, offering great value—especially for families or groups. It’s not fine dining, but it’s not trying to be. Cracker Barrel thrives on consistency and familiarity.

In short, Cracker Barrel is a delightful blend of comfort food, Southern hospitality, and American nostalgia. Whether you’re craving a stack of pancakes at 3 PM or just want a relaxing stop during a long road trip, Cracker Barrel offers a warm welcome and a full belly. For many, it’s not just a...

I went in to place a to go order. The server had an attitude from the start. I apologize for my lack of understanding. Yet, she had gave very poor service from not giving me a explanation of the process. After I received blunt short answers to my questions about the soup of the day not being available, I ordered a chicken sandwich and a side. I anticipating my peach minmosa to be in a cup instead of a bottle as the menu indicated glass or a pitcher could be ordered and clarified I thought with the server. I waited quite a while and did some browsing. I had checked more than twice before my ticket was finally available to be located in the register so I could pay for my order to get my order started. After further browsing and going back up to check if my order was ready, I was told when the woman at the cash register checked that it was ready. Well, I checked the huge big bag handed to me. It was so light and had a box in it which I thought was my sandwich only. The woman called the sever after she checked my bag as well. Finding out that it was in the box and was in a small bottle of sparkling wine, I apologize for my misunderstanding and frustration to the server. I thanked the two women at the front registers. They were kind and considerate of my feelings. Much to my surprise I without another mind to check at the time left with what I thought was my full order. But the server never informed me that it was not all there nor the woman at the register that checked my bag never recognize it was not complete. I droved to my granddaugher home and after a few minutes started to reach in my bag, only to find that my sandwich and side was not included. I was very disappointed of the poor service I received. My granddaughter took care to call and get it straighten out and, went back to get the rest...

This review is about the restaurant only. First off, it was cool-ish outside, but fre-eeezing inside and they had all of the ceiling fans on. So as soon as the hot biscuits came out, they got cold. When we spoke to the manager (not the kitchen manager) about turning off the fans, the manager was quite rude and unfriendly from start to finish and said they would call someone for permission to turn them off. What!?! Monents later, they lit a fire in the fireplace and the fans turned off. Finally, we all stopped shivering.

Most of the food ordered was ok. But I ordered 2 blueberry pancakes that weren't hot so the butter wouldn't melt on them. The syrup is usually hot but was only luke warm. I ordered plain hash browns on the side. This is hard to explain but here it goes... they smelled like dead dog. You read that right, dead dog. Honestly, I couldn't figure out why I kept getting whiffs of a wet dirty dog, or a rotten smell. So I take a bite of my hash browns and quickly spit it out! I'm going to assume that the oil that the hash browns were cooked in had spoiled. I told my waiter about it. He said he would get the manager. Next thing you know, another fresh plate of hot hash browns arrived to the table but I never saw a manager. Those stunk also! I mean it was so bad that it was starting to turn my stomach. Who is managing in that kitchen?? I'll mention that the staff was extremely short staffed. But there is no excuse for serving rotted food. I did pay for my meal, and I still tipped the waiter very well. This restaurant used to be much nicer and served decent meals. Sadly, thats not the case anymore.I still enjoy shopping inside the little store for gifts and such but I won't eat the food anymore. It would have been nice to speak...