Cracker Barrel Old Country Store — Restaurant in Lacy Lakeview

My family and I come here often, as it is a favorite of my son. We came tonight around 6:45, and after a few not so great visits over the last few months, we decided we will not be returning. Our waitress, I wish I had caught her name, was awful. My husband & son ordered traditional pancake meals, & I ordered chicken & dumplings, after waiting for 15 minutes, she told us that she checked on our food, & it’s almost done. We waited another 15 minutes, couldn’t find her anywhere, & then finally she brought out our food. At this time, we were literally her only table, & she had spent the first half of our visit, sweeping up her section all around us. When we got the food, my husband’s bacon was practically raw. I mean, my jaw dropped at the fact that not only did a cook think it was acceptable to serve that, but that a waitress would also think it was acceptable to bring it out! I told my husband to send it back, but he didn’t want to prolong the evening. When she brought our food, she finally asked us if we wanted any biscuits or cornbread to which I replied, both. Mind you, she let us sit there for 30 minutes without offering it to us while we were waiting on food. Then she comes back & says that they’re out of cornbread. I let my husband & son finish their meals quickly & I took mine to go, because I had to get out of there. When we were leaving, we saw her outside chit chatting up against the dumpsters with 3 male coworkers, & at this point, she had other tables in her section. Not sure why a waitress would ever need to be out at the dumpsters when she has customers. Like I said, I really wish I would’ve gotten her name, or had seen a manager on our way out, because she needs to be held...

Update 12/28/2024 We decided to give it one more try. We should have eaten at IHOP. My wife got her usual.chicken and.dumplings. They were so salty she couldn't eat them. The only thing she could eat was the cold green beans. I had the meatloaf, more like meat slush. It was shapeless, cold, and nasty. The mashed potatoes and gravy were cold, and the gravy had a skin on it, so we knew it had been sitting for a while. The carrots were cold and had the consistency of baby food. My sons fried chicken was over cooked, and hard. His mashed potatoes wouldn't even melt the cheese they put on them. And don't get me started on the lazy server. She could have cared less about our food. Couldn't even get a tea refill. The bathrooms are still disgusting. I've seen cleaner port-a-potties. All in all, this place sucked. We definitely WILL NOT be back.

May 2024 We usually enjoy a stop at Cracker Barrel. Tonight, we were grossly disappointed. My wife ordered the chicken and dumplings, and as usual, they were good. Unfortunately, her fried apples were cold. As in absolutely NOT HOT.

I had the fried chicken with turnip greens and pinto beans. The only warm items were the greens and corn muffins. Our server Alexis returned the chicken to the kitchen, and the replacement they sent was just as cold.

Alexis did an amazing job, but the kitchen really dropped the ball. We ended up getting to-go containers so we could take our food home and warm it up.

It's sad you have to pay so much for a meal, only to have to take it home and warm it to make it edible.

The bathrooms were horrid. We ended up stopping at CEFCO.

Cracker Barrel needs...

Called ahead on my lunch break to order some food. Waited 27 minutes, (I was told it would take 25 to prepare the food) then drove up; only to be asked if I called the right store. They then requested that I call the store again to verify that I placed my order with the correct Cracker Barrel… am I’m standing in the only Cracker Barrel near me..

Then, was told by management (who approached me rather sternly, and matter-of-factly, and hovered closely near me from the moment I stepped foot inside the gift shop) there was no record of my order, and that they apologize…

All of this after both a 27 minute wait, a 10 minute drive, and a 10 minute wait in line…

As an African American, I’ve been told this company doesn’t have a positive track record with people of color and It’s disheartening to discover there is truth to those claims.

I did not cause a scene, offer complain, or even request a manager. I simply left. But felt my experience needed to be shared, because after sharing my experience with friends and family, I discovered that there is in fact a pattern of negative experiences with this company.

In 2023, I would think organizations like Cracker Barrel, H&M, Starbucks and the like, would do better to be aware of their subconscious prejudices against people of color. Yet here we are.

When I was told my food was never even received, I was very upset, and none of the staff showed any concern or took any responsibility for the error. I was verbally pushed out of the building by apologies and confusion.

I share this so others can understand what kind of experience they can expect. Cracker Barrel, I am...