Cracker Barrel Old Country Store — Restaurant in Greenville

We are approaching the final days of this once grand chain. We visited at 8pm on a Saturday night, and it was almost empty.

The menu was so consolidated that it didn't even feel like the Cracker Barrel we once knew. I used to always get the club sandwich, and now it is gone. Also, we did not recieve a breakfast menu; we assumed they stopped serving all day breakfast. I called the next day to confirm where the coorporate website stated that there was an all day breakfast menu, to which the hostess let me know that indeed they are. So why didn't we get a breakfast menu?

The food was good. Not great. It has declined in quality. The chicken was dry. We were told that we got the last fried chicken, which was astounding due to the fact that it was the daily special and the restaurant was practically empty. By telling us that it was the last of it, we knew that we got the bottom-of-the-barrel chicken. The biscuits were not the same, instead they were also dry. I usually eat 2. I couldn't even eat half of one it was so unedible. The collards looked nasty and were also unedible.

The service was good at first. Our server had a lively presence and polished appearance. However, after the 2 minute 2 bite check back, we didn't see our server for about 20 minutes. My husband's drink was empty. We had no napkins. We only recieved a few napkins for what was clearly a messy item. My husband had to get up from the table, go into the kitchen, and request more napkins.

I could also tell that when taking our order, our server was writing out every word. They need to be taught abbreviations.

No prebussing, whatsoever. We were given boxes and our empty plates that we weren't boxing up were left on the table. A table near ours sat dirty after the guests left for the entirety of our stay. Several servers passed the dirty table and walked straight into the kitchen without grabbing a single item (ever heard of "full hands in, full hands out"?) One younger server reset the same clean table 3 times to look busy, but never once touched the dirty table.

All of the servers were walking around fast like they were doing things, but never actually --did-- anything. And again, the restaurant was practically empty, with plenty of staff, so it was perplexing as to why they all looked so stressed.

My husband had a view into the kitchen during our dinner. He watched a server pour new ranch on top of old ranch in their pouring bottles. No one dated any newly opened items. He watched a server open a new gallon of dressing when there was another gallon still open and useable. No one could find the BBQ sauce, showing the clear lack of basic organization.

Looking into the visible part of the kitchen, we both witnessed a server wipe down the dressing bottles with a kitchen towel, then wipe the top of the station down, then toss the soiled towel on the surface of the station next to it (instead of discarding the towel or putting it into a sanitation bucket as required by DHEC).

There were several pieces of debris on the kitchen floor near the entrance to the kitchen, including a menu card. Everyone walked over the debris, no one even thought about picking anything up (debris awarness is taught Day 1 at any decent establishment, and the idea is typically enforced).

As I was leaving, I overheard 2 employees arguing (quite loudly at a table near the host stand) about a server not greeting a table for 15 minutes after they sat down. Those conversations need to be carried out in the back, not where they can be heard by guests.

The manager wandered into the center part of the dining room a few times, looking clueless. He never once came over to our section (we were seated on the far end).

We heard yelling in the kitchen, several times. It sounded like a manager getting onto the servers and/or kitchen staff. If you're going to have an open kitchen, be mindful of the volume.

Clearly this Cracker Barrel suffers from a lack of competent management, etiquette and food safety training, and organization across the...

My wife an I have been coming to this Cracker Barrel when they were located on the other side of the I-85. I'm sorry to say that for quite some time we've been trying to see if the quality of the meals would get back to the way it use to be when it was in the old location and even when they moved to the present location. I'm sorry to say that it has not improved. My wife always orders the dumplings an one or two veggies and it seems like each time we come in there is always an issue. Either they aren't hot, or the still to doughy . As for what I order I'm always changing up, but the only complaint I have is that the veggies aren't very hot an depending on the meat I order depends on how hot it'll be. My wife absolutely loves it because of how the dumplings use to be. That waitresses an waiters are trained very well. The folks that take you to were you'll be seated need more training, the managers are very welcoming and friendly . Now normally I would not mention someone who is in a much higher position but only due to they are very rarely in the restaurants around the customers. Our last visit was an exception , not only did we get to meet someone who is higher management but when my wife asked if he was management he kind of acted like he wasn't there to wait tables. After a while I was convinced that he wasn't qualified to wait tables due to his bad attitude an also for messing up the order again but worse than the first time. When we go to other stores an order , the employees at these other locations are well trained an if by chance there is an issue that waiter or waitress will go to a manager an tell them what is happening. Not sure why they do this because we don't expect it ,but they will take what ever was wrong on the order off the bill. We explain that is not what we want, but their response is that if the customer is not happy with their order why should they have to pay for it. I have missed seeing that kind of service anywhere. We use to travel a good bit , but due to health issues we are not going as far from home as we use to. There are still several locations that we will continue to go enjoy the store an the restaurant. But , I'm sorry that I don't see us going back to this location for a while. OUR FAMILY WISHES EVERYONE HAPPY HOLIDAYS, BE SAFE , TAKE CARE AND GOD...

So, I have loved Cracker Barrel for many years...but this visit destroyed that love. Where to begin...for starters the server literally came up to our table a few seconds after we were sat and said 'are you ready to order.' We hadn't even had a chance to glance at the menu and she expected us to know what we want to eat already. So instead, she took our beverage order. A few minutes later, she returned and took our order...she specifically asked if we wanted bread with our meal or before. We asked for before... unfortunately, not one piece of bread was seen at our table the entire meal. Ok not a biggy.

When our food came out, I was missing a side, and we had no napkins. I was going to ask the food runner, but they didn't seem to want to be there and was quick to scurry back to the kitchen. Our server was nowhere to be seen so we couldn't ask for our bread, my side, or napkins. Eventually the floor manager made his rounds and asked if everything was ok...I told him I never got my side...and before I could mention the fact we had no bread or napkins he sprinted to the kitchen. He came back with my Mac and cheese, abruptly placed it on the table, quickly apologized (which lacked all sincerity whatsoever) and bolted to the next table.

At this point I had given up on the bread but I needed napkins. Eventually our server came and I told her we needed napkins...which she retrieved. Upon her return she asked if this was all on one check...never asking if there was anything else we needed. This was the kiss of death. Because I loves me some dessert and if you don't ask if we want dessert, then you have lost an easy extra bucks on the bill...because I always get dessert.

Cracker Barrel, you gotta do better than this. Your overall service was sad...very sad. Everyone seemed like they didn't care to be there, including management Your food quality has dropped dramatically, probably to cut cost. Desserts were...oh wait, I didn't get a chance to try them because I didn't get a chance to order it. One day I'll return and hopefully you will have your...