Cracker Barrel Old Country Store — Restaurant in Goodyear

My dad has very severe dementia. When we decided to go to Cracker Barrel, my mom and dad’s favorite restaurant,my wife and family were looking forward to having a nice dinner with them before we left town. In fact, given the extent of my dad’s condition,we knew it could be the last time that we saw him. Some days my dad can’t move, and this was one of those days where it took nearly 20 minutes to get him out of the car. (It was another 10 minutes to the door.)By the time my mom went inside to get a table for us, she was told they couldn’t seat anyone due to a plumbing issue, and they weren’t sure when the situation would be resolved. We were sad and frustrated, but we understood.Not knowing how long the restaurant would be shut down, we decided to load my dad back up in the car. It took another 20 minutes to get him back to and into the car. As we were loading him in, we saw people going into the restaurant.So I went in to see if they were seating now, and I was told that they were.I was frustrated at this point because the staff had seen the effort that it took to bring my father to the car and no one took it upon themselves to come let us know that the restaurant was able to accommodate customers again. It was then that I asked the host for some type of compensation for our inconvenience. The host told me that “he needed to get a manager” and waved someone down. Believing she was a manager, I asked the woman who came over if there was something that could be done for us as a gesture of kindness. Anything,however small, would help us feel better about returning to the restaurant and enjoying our meal together. She quickly and willingly said that she could comp two meals and give us a “golden pass,”whatever that was.I said sure and thanked her. So I went out to tell my family the news. At that point, we all tried to get my dad back out of the car, only to realize he couldn’t move and was too tired. So my mom decided to leave him in the car (with the air on, of course), and that the best way for us to enjoy our time at my parents’ favorite restaurant was to bring my father a to-go-meal. Once we re-entered the restaurant,I went up to the host station and told the staff that my dad would need to stay in the car, thanking them for the two comped meals. It was then that the actual manager,Candice, was called over and told us that those meals couldn’t be covered.Candice asked who told us that they would in the first place, speaking to me in a way that suggested I wasn’t telling the truth. Confused, I described the staff member who I believed to be the manager and made the offer.Candice then said, “I know, and I talked to her about that and how we can’t just give away meals.”I was so put off in this moment by that response. Why did she say this if she already knew who had made us the offer? The only thing that could have made this moment any worse would have been going to the incredible effort of bringing my father back to the restaurant and being told this or looked at as if we were liars in front of him. Later, I called the restaurant back to obtain information, including the store number, for a report.I then spoke to Candice, who told me that the front team didn’t know the store number. She then proceeded to tell me that the employee who informed us about our receiving two comped meals and a “golden pass” never told us that in the first place. Candice coldly accused me of lying, insinuating that I was trying to get free meals or something. I was so confused and humiliated. We were offered those comped meals and “golden pass,” and when we were talking with her on the phone Candice even informed me in the moment that her employee wasn’t allowed to make that offer. Told me that I was never given that offer. I never heard of a golden pass so how else would I have known about it unless offered. It’s unbelievable that Candice would go out of her way to accuse me of lying about the situation. It’s absolutely shocking. We Just wanted a nice meal with my dad before we left town.Possibly our...

Cracker Barrel … REALLY?

Did I break Protocol?

My recent experience on Aug 14th at their establishment on Litchfield Blvd, north of the 101, in Goodyear will be unforgettable. While I choose not to submerge myself and all of the daily events around us, I try to stay sufficiently informed for various purposes, one of which is to prepare and govern myself accordingly. Following my return from a cross country road trip, southern cuisine seemed tasteful however this particular experience was definitely unexpected, shocking and sadly, uncommon, through my research and social observations. Nevertheless, I have been to this particular location dozens of times over the years and have never felt uncomfortable and the subject of discrimination, until now.

Here’s my story: I was seated at [table 242] and catered by a nice waitress named Kiya, earning 3 Stars at present. Drinks (Peach Tea and Water) ordered, followed by an entree. So far so good.

Craving fulfilled,I asked for and received Tea for departure and was accommodated. Meal ticket came shortly thereafter and, as I’ve done many times here and other places if/when provided, I would use the QR code on the check to Pay by Phone. Let me recap the point of emphasis, there’s a QR code near the bottom of the check of this establishment that offers you to Pay by Phone. It Is An Option!!!

Proceeding forward, I paid for my meal using the Pay by Phone option, then manually sent a copy of the receipt to my email as another layer of confirmation, gathered up my belongings, grabbed my Tea and headed towards to main exit through their Country Store. As I enter the Country Store, I was greeted by a cashier, asking if I was ready to pay, ushering me towards the counter, to which I kindly responded that I have just paid at the table. The manager was present in the Country Store when I advised her cashier of my ticket being paid at the table. However, said manager ceased her task only to intentionally cut into my path to stop me, barricading me in the aisle, while I witnessed her calling to verify the bill at [table 242] had in fact been paid. After receiving confirmation of such, she seemed quite disappointed and bothered as she then casually, cavalierishly, and without saying a word beyond “Yes” to my question “Are you good?” stepped aside to allow me to exit the establishment. I felt like a criminal, “Guilty until Proven Innocent” at the enjoyment of this manager.

Did I break protocol by paying my bill at the Table, an option provided by Cracker Barrel? Or, given I didn’t fit her/their particular image of preference, was it the managers goal to make me feel so uncomfortable, albeit brief, in such a way that will minimize or even perhaps eliminate my interest and others like self, to return to Cracker Barrel.

In today’s world of technology and advanced communications, there were several opportunistic moments wherein said manager and/or staff could have immediately confirmed the ticket at table 242 had been paid, prior to me entering their Country Store.

Either way, the actions by the cashier and manager was unnecessary, deliberate, and unprofessional. Much deserving of this review for comprehensive awareness.

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Cracker Barrel was one of my favorite restaurants. The decor, menu, and service were unique for the longest time. One thing the Covid 19 precautions did was make us expect better from the food service industry. This store was probably over capacity even without recommended social distancing. The store area was not only packed with merchandise but also people perusing the items, people waiting to be seated, and people waiting to pay their check. Unacceptable. The table and chairs had not been cleaned before we were taken to the table. We had to do it ourselves after being left there while the staff found another chair. We were brought water without straws and had to get a cup of boiling water to clean our silver since it was sitting in a basket on the table..exposed not wrapped. I do commend them for the revamped menu. However, the simplicity did not in our case get the food to the table in a reasonable amount of time. We've all been there. We wait for the server to return periodically to check that we don't need something else. We wait to hear the progress of our order. We watch as people are being seated, served, and leave while we wait. We eventually got a " Your order should be out shortly" from the server who did not offer a drink or a biscuit while we waited. A plus was the freshness of the very small and flat biscuits when they came out. The fried apples were delectable. The small pieces of sweet ham were tender enough. Also, the Mother's breakfast was nice. We were never offered a drink or dessert. We did get an offer of water refill with the check. Of course there was a long line to pay. In all, this was a three hour ordeal that should have taken one. It's time to revamp the dining area and...