Cracker Barrel Old Country Store — Restaurant in Morrisville

It's been a tradition for me to go to Cracker Barrel on my birthday since my mother, who's now passed away, used to take me there on my birthday when I was younger. Three years ago my husband and I had a great, normal meal here. Quintessential Cracker Barrel experience. We've tried for two years since to get that same experience, but it's gotten exponentially more disappointing each year, with last night escalating to absolute ridiculousness.

So yesterday we arrived for dinner and were told it was a 45 minute wait, but wanted to stay because it's my tradition. The wait ended up being half the quoted time, which was great! We sat down and noticed a lot of sour faces at other tables, figured they had experienced longer waits and it had taken a toll on the mood. Since we were already quite hungry, we put in our meal order at the same time as the drink order. Many of the menu items were out of stock, disappointing, but we changed our order and settled in. As we waited, we noticed the manager coming out to speak to multiple angry tables. Crap. After 40 minutes of waiting, the server returned to tell us that the kitchen was a mess and they couldn't find our order and definitely weren't making it, but the manager was trying to expedite it and would come speak to us. Five minutes later she arrives, repeats the same story and asks what we'd ordered. After asking how long it would take to get our meals if they started cooking now, we almost canceled the order. But since it was already so late, we had waited so long and we were so hungry, we put in a different order for items the manager said could be ready in 5 minutes. Ten minutes passed. Eventually the order came out and looked so incredibly sad that we were speechless. Chunks of grilled chicken loosely gathered on one side of a mostly empty, giant plate for me, similar hunks of dry fried chicken alone on a giant plate for my husband, with all sides slopped into ramekins and in various states of...old and brown. And of course it was incomplete. The server was visibly uncomfortable at having to deliver it, and mentioned how abysmal it looked. Before the server could leave, we politely asked for to go containers, our goal being to just pay and leave. My husband had already tried to get me to complain, but it was clear that no one cared and it wasn't the server's fault so we'd agreed to be chill and just go. The server asked us to wait so he could ask the manager to speak with us before we left. He disappeared, briefly returned to report she seemed to have gone outside, then returned again to share that she had refused his request to comp the meal. She did not come back to speak to us or try to make anything right. The server did remove an entree and drink from the ticket which was kind, but it was just such a huge waste of time and energy all around. And like...all we expected was normalish food in a reasonable time frame that matched what we had ordered. I've never experienced anything like what we experienced last night at any other restaurant. Overall it was about 2 hours from when we sat down to when we paid and left without eating there.

It just sucked. I wasn't even going to bother reviewing it because who at the restaurant would even care? And I don't want a refund, I just wish I could have my night back so my husband and I could go to dinner anywhere else and have a nice time. But I got an email from Cracker Barrel rewards today asking me to leave a review about my experience so...be careful what you wish...

Just had the worst restaurant experience of my life here last night, which is saying a lot since we go out to eat several nights per week. Arrived at about 7pm on a Tuesday night, was told it would be about a 15-20 minute wait, which was accurate, no problem. We sat down and were greeted about 5 minutes later. Server took our drink order and our son's order (chicken nuggets and mac & cheese) - took another 5 minutes to get the drinks. Server returned to get our order and informed us the kitchen was a little behind, no big deal we thought. She then asked us if we wanted biscuits or cornbread - we chose biscuits and got them about 10 minutes later with just butter. Server walked off too fast for us to request jelly, silverware, and napkins - none of which we had. After waiting another 10 minutes we decided to ask the host for them which we got a couple minutes later. In between this time our sever randomly gave us unwrapped silverware but no jelly or napkins and then we never saw her again. At this point the entire restaurant was falling apart and we noticed our server, who we found out later was also a line cook, was in the kitchen cooking. We thought it was strange but assumed she would come back out at some point since I wanted another beer and we needed water refills. That never happened. An hour passes and our son still does not have his chicken tenders. The place is in shambles at this point and the manager is noticeably running around attempting to salvage almost every table in the place. I overheard another guy behind us saying he would never come back to this location again after they finally go their food - understandable. Another table behind us got up and walked out - again, understandable. We finally had a different server check on us and I obviously voiced my displeasure at it taking over an hour for kid's chicken tenders and so she sent the same manager to our table. I voice the same displeasure to him and told him I didn't want to pay for anything - he obliged and apologized and admitted that there were staffing issues and then ran back into the kitchen. A different server delivers the chicken tenders about 10 minutes later and the manager returns shortly after to ask what we ordered so he could check if it was even rang in or had been cooked and back into the kitchen he goes. After nearly 2 hours of almost non-existent service, we had had enough and got up and told a server near the kitchen that if the food wasn't already made to forget about it and left. When we walked out about 80% of the tables were empty but still covered in glasses and dirty dishes. Unreal that a business can be ran this badly in my opinion. This is also not the first bad experience we've had here but figured we'd give it another shot. We love the food and atmosphere at Cracker Barrel, especially for our son around the holidays, but this has soured our opinion on the business as a whole. We don't know if we'll ever go to one again, but will 1000% not return to this one. Do better or just close up shop and re-staff the entire place...

I love Cracker Barrel, but was disappointed in the experience I had at this one..the taste of everything but the plain (no Chicken) dumplings, the biscuits and salad were the only edible things eaten...it looked so good brought out, but my carrots were cold,not glazed and hard, barely cooked..the turnips were to full of old " hard to chew ham"? ( It looked like ground up old barbecue meat) The greens were hot but stringy and hard to eat.. my daughter had the Chicken pot pie, the crust was overcooked, but could had been fine with that if the filling was good, it was Chicken pot pie,but tasted like a old beef not chicken,, but beef gravy the kind like what you by in packages and mix, there was very few vegetables, or Chicken, it tasted pretty bad, and sadly it wasn't ate after a couple bites.. the 1 glass of tea I was given.. was good.. the server was nice ,though rushed, attention obviously elsewhere but after meal arrived by a different server I did ask her to relay the carrot issue and asked a substitute of Mac & cheese for the carrots.. it came out 10 minutes later, and again, it tasted not quite right, like it was not made with cheese, a store Mac& Cheese taste better....was disappointed after not dining in since Covid began. I had been to a hospital for testing all afternoon. And really looked forward to dining since living on the Outer Banks we have no CrackerBarrel... it wasn't to busy when we arrived, but food still took a while to get out, and biscuits came only after I reminded a server after food had arrived ..to please bring, and request for jelly's, butter fell on deaf ears.. the tea wasn't refilled at all, and at least 4 items we tried to order were out, or the machine was broken?? Disappointing to say the least.. I must say the gift shop was our highlight, but be careful if using the restroom, it was a sticky walk from the shop area and in the bathroom worse, dirty, sticky floor, and no soap came out when I went to wash my hands.. but worse there wasn't toilet paper and I was going stall to stall as 2 women, obvious employees looked on at me, and chatted/ gossiped.. in front of me.. complaining about a tip one employee didn't want to share.. like I needed to hear angry complaints, when instead I should had been asked "if they could assist me to find toilet paper? "... I had also noticed car lights left on in a van parked next to me earlier, I told at least 4 employees before one went and checked it out.. I wasted a lot of money for? And I would preferred to make my own meal, or go elsewhere before I return to this particular Cracker Barrel.. * for I have ate at plenty of good ones..this one obviously needed some guidance, perhaps a more hands on manager on staff to keep order, and employees in check.. I wish you the best, but I will not be back to this one...