Cracker Barrel Old Country Store — Restaurant in Harker Heights

Update: Cracker Barrel has since gone down in service and quality. I've been in the food service, so maybe I expect more than others. But chairs and tables should be cleaned without question, and silverware cleaned and before being put out for service. Tonight, we had a server who seemed to be new. She asked us several times to repeat our order. Fine. But then it went down hill from there. We are no stranger to waiting longer for our food as we are a larger family. But, when there are only 3 other tables seated, waiting for an extended period is a bit worrisome. Our server did not communicate with us or check on us while we waited for food. Then the server who did bring our food not only almost all the way leaned on the food as he handed it out, but he also shouted over the food to the other server helping him. I don't want me food talked over. I don't know about you all. So, now we have food but there are items missing. The chicken tenders are now bites for my children's meals. I understand it's fir kids, but understand we have been here so many times now, and they have never been this small. And each person, including my husband, have about 5 fries on their plates. No exaggeration. And my dish was missing items. Thus far, we've let things go as we don't know what is happening until we ask. Well, we get the server and ask about the chicken and she says, "They're always that size." Okay. Well we know they aren't but okay. We don't say anything more, and she offers to get another plate. Okay. Now she has an attitude. Remember, we haven't said anything to her, we've been polite. So then we ask her for some condiments and refills. In the meantime, I ask for a manager just to ask about the chicken tenders and the missing items. Before I can say anything, he notices my missing items. Then I ask about the chicken and he offers to get us more. Okay! I'm thinking everything is fine and corrected. Not. The server takes so long to get condiments and refills. I can't use silverware, which she knows, and she offered to get plasticware. So the food is cold by the time we get everything. She comes back with it all and throws the plasticware on the table. Oh no. Then the manager comes and almost drops my food onto the table because he's telling at someone else about seating people. Hmmm, okay. So we're just eating and going along, then the manager comes over and is like, "What else do you need?" Very sarcastic. We were confused. And then a waiter tells him not them and he yells, "Then who is it?" Oh my gosh. I'm shocked at this moment. Then a few minutes later, our server comes over and asks are we ready for the receipt. We are. Then she hands it to us and asks rudely, basically yelling at my husband, "Something else you need?" He was talking to me but I guess she thought he was talking to her? I don't know. Not acceptable either way. I was so done. I barely ate and took my dinner home. The service and treatment were just, I don't even know the words. I don't even think me typing this does justice to what we experienced. The host and the cashier were the best part of the night. We won't be going back for a while; maybe by then the staff will have either changed in who works there, or in how they work there. Also, they were supposedly having an inspection that wasn't going well. Not something you want to tell guests who are eating there. Anyway, I'm appalled, but honestly don't know how I'm feeling. I still can't believe tonight. The audacity and sheer chaos of the restaurant and management.

I never cared for Crackers Barrel, but the one in Killeen has been on point. Except for this last time....we've only been there four times, but I was so looking forward to this time. Those pancakes are usually so good and buttery, and crispy on the edges. I don't usually need a lot of syrup at all. These had no flavor, were so dry! I used the whole bottle on one and it was still dry. I was so disappointed. We're gonna stay away for a bit, maybe they just had an off day. But if you go there, you'll be so lucky if you get...

7/30/2025 6:30 PM - So cracker barrel reached out with a coupon. Obviously I’m not going to waste it. I WAS SEATED WITH CAPRECE TABLE 142. This amazing human being was everything I could ever ask for in a person who was helping me with my food. You just hit gold with this woman. She was coming around working probably her normal routine. Every single one of her acts my husband would look at me for and KNEW. THIS IS MY PERSON. I work in customer service myself and have high expectations for services provided. This amazing person is the first person ever to bring me my receipt without me asking because I hate waiting on one after eating Food. Probably not many people do this but I like to be efficient, get in, eat, get out especially in their busy times! CAPRECE MADE MY WHOLE WEEK! Cracker Barrel, I will be coming back, and only for this woman. Please thank her, gift her, recognise her, appreciate her! SHE IS DESTINED TO BE A MANAGER AND SO MUCH MORE! CAPRECE THANK YOU FOR BEING WHO YOU ARE, what was probably normal for you, was beyond amazing for me. You were just simply a human being. I had a tough week and a day I was not excited to come there but I had a coupon and my husband really wanted the marshmallow lattes. I can’t thank you enough. People like you are RARE. I am honoured to have sat at your table today. I hope you’ll be great until I see you again! If I am recommend this restaurant to anyone I will be referring them to CAPRECE’s table only. I hope this place recognises your amazing personality. Thank you for simply being you.

————————————————————— 7/27/2025 - So so soooooo disappointing to waste my money here. This was my first time being here around 12 -2 pm. My husband’s friend recommended we go here for pancakes however warned us about the service not being good.

We went and truly wasted $50. Our waitress wanted to be unfriendly condescending and rude. She disappeared a good 30-45 minutes. I am not exaggerating. Saw her stretching at some point and talking to her co workers which I understand to be honest, stretch away… but I saw people getting food way before us with other waiters after these customers would arrive 10-20 minutes after us.Then saw her talking to her co workers for a bit. It was hard talking over the music being so loud but once we would misunderstand each other she would make a frustrated / annoyed face. It was an extremely unpleasant experience. I am fairly sure she entirely forgot about us and our food bc once our food came it was warm to cold. Hash browns were burnt. Sweet ham was overcooked and dried. Pancakes were okay but they were literally fried with butter which is the only difference between ihop. Someone else entirely brought us our food. Then our waitress came and apologised for the long wait. I’m never coming here again. Never recommending this place to anyone. The food that was burnt overcooked and dry with rude and unfriendly experience. Which could’ve been avoided and made at home. PLEASE save your money folks. Stay home...

I will start with the positive. The restaurant is beautifully decorated for Christmas. The fried turkey breading was well seasoned, but some parts of the actual meat were very tough. Everything else was terrible. We ordered our food, drinks came out quickly as well as the cornbread and rolls. We then waited 30 minutes before meals came out. We had already been there about 15 minutes. It’s never taken this long. The meals came out cold and missing sides. I think our meals were sitting for a while explaining the coldness, especially after hearing about our servers condition. One whole plate was missing altogether, and I believe was never put in to begin with. I say this because the young lady who brought our food out, who was not our original server, stated she had to “ring it up”. She said that it would come out fast, because that particular meal was quick for them to prepare. We were told the reason for such horrible customer service and overall experience was due to the original server having recently lost a relative, and that she was having a bad day. We actually witnessed her crying and she surely seemed out of sorts. I do understand grief, but if the management knows this, it may be best to let your employee go home. For her well being most importantly. We talked to 3 employees to include management. Not once were we asked if we needed a refill and all of our glasses were empty, and had been for some time. The manager seemed reluctant to just take responsibility for our bad experience. She at one point stated she didn’t know how long the food may have been waiting in the back. Not really helpful to state that at all. She did claim she wanted to make it right. She stated there was a “hold on fried turkey”, but the other employee had just told us how “quickly” it would come out. During this time, a server came out, asked both the table in front of us, and the side of us, if they were ok. She asked if they needed anything else. She did not ask us anything, even with all the problems we were having. When we requested my husbands cold meal be replaced, it did in fact come out quickly. His replacement meal came out before mine. I finally got my food, and my okra finally came out during all of this. So, I’m not sure what the disconnect was, what happened to cause this. Between the grieved, distracted employee and mix ups in the back, I’m not sure. We even walked to the front to pay without ever being brought our ticket, so we could’ve walked out if we weren’t honest. Nobody was paying attention. We had to ask for our ticket. I usually have great experiences here, but today was not it. I suggest allowing employees who are struggling with grief, to go home or at least take a little break to get back focused. Also, show more interest and concern when your customers are not satisfied. Customer service is so important, the atmosphere can be awesome, the food can be great, but good service means people will indeed have a reason to come back. Have a...