Cracker Barrel Old Country Store — Restaurant in Martinsburg

On 11/9/2023 while traveling south on I-81 from New York to South Carolina, we decided to stop for an evening meal before we reached our hotel. We anticipated to be spend less than hour being served and eating our meal and return to the road to complete our trip. Unfortunately, we spent over two hours at the restaurant after a series of mishaps and slow service. When we were seated we order our drinks and our meal. It was at least 20 minutes before the waitress returned to our table to inform us that the kitchen had run out of fried catfish and they only had grilled catfish. Disappointedly, we ordered the grilled catfish. Approximately twenty minutes later, the waitress informs us that the kitchen no longer has any catfish at all. My wife thus ordered the chicken pot pie. We waited another twenty minutes before our food was finally served. When the food was served, they apparently forgot to serve the hush puppies that was to be served with the chicken pot pie. When the host came around to check on the patrons, we informed her that an item was was not served. She stated that she would have the hush puppies served immediately. After we finished our meal, the hush puppies were never served. Beside the lack of food choices and missing food item, the serving time and delay in our trip became a very disappointing experience. The host did make good on our disappointment by not charging us for one of the meals and offering a free desert for both parties. We think the biggest problem Cracker Barrel has at this location is poor kitchen management and lack of adequate service staffing. This dining experience at this Cracker Barrel has left us with a very negative attitude in stopping at other Cracker Barrel Restaurants. This is very disappointing to us because we've always counted on Cracker Barrel to provide a quick, clean homemade meal. Our server, Arianna, did everything she could to handle the issue. The problem clearly rests with management NOT...

We came in (family of 4) last Thursday evening. It wasn't very busy and our waitress had maybe two other tables. We ordered our drinks and I ordered food for the kids (pancakes) while we decided what to order. I asked specifically if we could order the kids food first since they tend to get restless the hungrier they get and I already knew what they wanted. Some time passed and she took our order. Husband got pancakes, eggs and sausage and I ordered the sampler with baked sweet potato and broccoli. Most of what we ordered were quick items (with the exception of the sausage) but we waited about 30 minutes for our food. Waitress never returned to check on us and didn't even deliver the meal when it did come out. Everything came out together despite ordering the kids food 10 minutes before ours, and everything on my plate was cold except the potatoe. The meatloaf was soggy and the ham was a hockey puck from sitting in the window. No one came back to ask how everything was, and it wasn't until my son knocked over his water that we had any attention to our table. My husband ordered the cake/ice cream dessert and 20 minutes went by without any indication it was coming. We got our check way before the dessert hit the table. I ended up taking my son to the car and my husband, who is far more patient than I, waited for the dessert. He finally asked for it to go and they were rushing out to give it to him as he was leaving. There was no manager on the floor, and no interest in quality food or service. It was hugely...

The worst service. And it was not all the waitresses fault. Something was wrong in the kitchen. The restaurant was NOT busy. Our party of six was seated. After ten minutes the host came by our table and asked, "Anything you need?"

"Yes, a waitress," I replied.

He disappeared and came back and took our drink order himself.

He then returned with our drinks and apologized and said our server would be with us shortly.

Five minutes later our server appeared simply said, "Sorry about that."

Fifteen or twenty minutes from being seated to having our orders taken.

Then, fifteen minutes more with no food.

The harried waitress turned up and said, "Your order will be out shortly."

Another six or seven minutes later the food arrived. Clearly their was something wrong in the kitchen. The waitress can not, of course, serve food until the kitchen produces it.

The biscuits we ordered never came. I asked for them a second time. Soon a plate appeared with eight biscuits; four baked properly and four burned.

At no time did I or any of our party indicate to the waitress, our exasperation.

I left a tip of more than 15%.

At the cash register, the cashier asked, "So, how was your meal? Everything alright?"

"It was slow. Really slow. The kitchen must have had a problem"

There was silence. I asked, "Will you please tell the manager?"

She shrugged.

My forebearence was at an end. "You're really not interested in knowing anything about our treatment here, are you?

I turn around...