Cracker Barrel Old Country Store — Restaurant in Ensley

1-28-2023: I’m living in the past! why I keep coming here and giving the place a chance is stupid. I have a $25 gift card that I sword I’d sell online… and didn’t. So, back I came thinking, things would change. Server Jasmine was good however, this is how my morning breakfast went; ordered grandmas sampler french toast. Asked to have a double order of the meats. And add some sour dough toast. Another server brought my meal double bacon and ham, and “one sausage patty & biscuits.” I asked about the other sausage patty & toast? The other server quickly broth my patty and server Janine said my toast would take a minute. I ate a piece of bacon which was excellent, friend toast was good (I needed sugar free sirup but, I was not going to be one of those customers… running the server(s) to death. Tasted the hash brown casserole and it was cold, not warm cold. The meats on my plate had give off some warming to one side. Seriously… did we just scoop these and not even hit the grill?! Shortly she brought my toast, with edges burnt (crapped the end off just to not be a complainer). Very disappointed AGAIN with what the kitchen staff are doing or not doing routinely. So I finally use my $25 dollar gift card. Todays meal = $16.86. As I left the parking lot and saw two couples getting ready to go inside; I gave them my gift card and told them good luck, here is $8.00 on the card. I believe I’ll be done with CB now! It’s a waste of my expectations, money, and time!

10-1-2022: about 830am. My wife had to work so thought I’d give CB another chance rather than put her through the same thing as last time. It had been 7-months since our disappointment. Menu has changed some but no problems. Parking lot was almost full - walked in and seated immediately. Server quickly arrived at my table and took my order. I didn’t know which meal would be beat so I asked her to do the best arrangement with my wants. Eggs over easy, bacon and sausage, and loaded hash browns. Ask for toast but got biscuits- no problem it worked out better because I also got a side of gravy and tomatoes. The server was Kerri R. and she did an excellent job. Checked back on me numerous times. I’d say CB has redeemed themselves. The only negatives was dining room was a bit loud; noise wise… which always is dB maxed at 106 but averaged 70-80’s. The men’s restroom was was in need of a good cleaning - appeared to have been lightly clean missing the bowls and seats.

I have got so disappointed in eating out due to all the excuses for poor service, sad food, and higher price. My wife and I didn’t really know where to go Saturday evening and thought just do breakfast for dinner at CB. Checked out the dinner menu and decided to do the chicken fried chicken, chicken & dumplings, with sides and was pleasantly surprised at the huge amount and excellent taste of everything! Also got the potato casserole bites and love them as well! Server Hanna was quick and very efficient! All this and great prices. Thank you CB 👍 12-31-21 - this visit failed any expectations of normally pleasant breakfast time. And they were not as busy as usual. Something went wrong and it ruined my go-2 association with good breakfast. It’ll be a while before I take family or friends out to here because of this experience (see food pics below for 12-31-21). 😤 2-27-2022: I believe I’m finished with Cracker Barrel - egg sandwich was nothing more than something I could have easily done at home and better; not grilled bread , toasted, cheese not melted, just added, and someone please teach these people what over medium egg is! Also, hash brown casserole had cold spots. They just keep...

I applied and got hired for a job to be told I will get a call back for orientation. After I filled out forms and picked out a work shirt color. Two weeks later no call I had to call up there to figure out why I didn’t get a call back. For their training manager “Tammy” to tell me I basically was on backlog. Two weeks later after that I called and see if they weren’t on a backlog anymore. Apparently they never was a backlog according to the general manager who proceeded to tell me he will figure out why she said that and would call me back cause he remembered interviewing me. Fast forward today few days later I called trying to figure out why yet again nobody is calling me back for them to continue to have me spend to “Tammy” who tried to at first tell me her name is “Brittany” when she repicked up the phone and switch her name back to tammy after I told her I spoke to her and told her that she told me I was on backlog. She basically called me a liar, then told me my application was rescinded but wouldn’t tell me why. On top of laughing at me on the phone about it when I told her she needed to do better at her job cause this was ridiculous. Also if I was rescinded why didn’t the store manager who pulled my application up TWO days prior while he was looking at the my Application say anything about it? Honestly this is the worst experience from a company I have ever experienced while actively trying to just start for my first day. I have 10 plus years of food service under my belt on top of different certification for food itself and college degrees. Your trainer Tammy is honestly awful and shouldn’t be working for your company at all if this is how she treats people before they even have the chance to start. I have multiple witnesses who heard all the phone calls to this place and have heard everyone I have talked to from this store and yet. Tammy is calling me a liar pretending she never spoke to me back in August. But yet my witnesses can confirm my words which is EXACTLY why I always have witnesses listening to my phone calls. This was my grandmothers favorite place to eat before she passed and honestly I will never work nor spend my money here again nor will my family for being put through all of this for over a month. This was a place I actually saw an opportunity to work for and for growth but instead I constantly got lied too and played like a fool. I WILL be making a corporate complaint about all of this. And have Board of Labor as well as other people investigating why I was treated like this and Why Tammy feels she can treat people how she wants. She NEEDS to be fired....

Pasted from my Yelp account!

It helps that this restaurant is within a mile of my house! And the ambiance is probably some of the best in Pensacola, for what it is; definitely evokes that down home feel that I'm sure they were going for.

Honestly, when it comes to the food, like most places of this type I get the burger, and the Barrel Cheeseburger pretty much hits the spot. It is massive, and the rather smooth, rich Colby cheese they use is a perfect complement. I actually order the garden stuff off of the bun on the side, so I may add it to my side salad! Yes that's right, I get a salad alongside my burger. And it is wonderful as well.

The service is quite friendly and prompt, and it's always wonderful to see others being served in just the same courteous and attentive fashion that we are.

I'd be pretty remiss if I didn't mention the gift shop, which is the first place that we go in when we enter! They always dress it up really nice - All sorts of souvenirs and merchandise from every corner of Southern lifestyle that you can think of. Candy and snacks, CDs and records and all manner of wonderful things to see.

And they even change it entirely for Christmas; it becomes a winter wonderland! The massive tree with Santa's sleigh on a track winding around it; always a sight to see.

It has actually been a couple months since I've been to the local Cracker Barrel; the rather large impression it's made on me is evidenced by how detailed and, yes, according to Yelp, epic a review I'm able to leave here.

If you're ever around I-10 near the Alabama border and you got a hankering for a really good burger or pretty much any kind of Southern comfort food you can think of, head on into the Cracker Barrel, get yourself a souvenir or two and enjoy some excellent surroundings and atmosphere. About the only thing I can say against the place isn't really its fault, but because it is so popular at nearly all times of the day, it can get pretty loud in there. That's totally all right, though, I'd hope.

Have a great meal, and a great time!

Addendum! I did go back last Monday the 24th (of April)! Everything was just as good! Nothing to complain about, still an absolutely epic restaurant. How lucky am I that such an experience lies so...