Cracker Barrel Old Country Store — Restaurant in San Antonio

Had to lower the review again. I put in an order online around 6pm. I was told it would be around an hour. I was kind of surprised since the app said that there was no wait. I hadn't eaten here in years. I forgot about how they don't prepare online order until you arrive. Even when they make you wait an hour. Website literally said it would be an hour. I just don't know wtf is going on there. I had already paid for the order. Older review i forgot about: Online orders don't seem to be prepared until you arrive. Even if you wait until after the time given. Waited like 20 mins for mine after I arrived a little late. Kinda defeats the purpose. Keep in mind it was the lunch special, which is already cooked and a soup and salad.

Will pay online if I'm ever crazy enough to do an online to go order again.

The servers should take your money or something also when you eat there. I know that they want you in the gift shop, but it's pretty ridiculous how crowded it is. I honestly don't enjoy shopping when I'm crammed in a room like a sardine. Makes want to leave ASAP. Not stay and browse. If the lines weren't so long, I'd probably feel more comfortable to stay and look around.

Update: I guess it's still a three star. Barely. Been a while since I've eaten inside of one, but when they open up, they should really consider soaking the silverware in the blue stuff. Not sure what it is, as I have never been a dishwasher, but pretty much every restaurant that I have ever worked in has used it. I believe it prevents the silverware from looking like Cracker Barrel's. It's very spotty looking. I'm sure it's "clean" but really looks bad to get dirty looking silverware.

I was just making an update to complain/warn others about the to go portion sizes. I paid $4.20 for an individual side of Loaded Hash Brown Casserole. I had had problems with the portions on the hash brown casserole in the past, but silly me, I figured if it was a side I paid that much for, that I would receive $4.20 worth of a dish that is basically potatoes. Wrong. My container was maybe 25% full. I could literally see the bottom of the container. The amount of cheese and bacon, I will say, was satisfactory. It was the fact that it was on top a ridiculously small amount of one of the cheapest foods in existence was VERY upsetting.

I had also picked pinto beans as a one of my sides on a CFS plate. Again, one of THE cheapest foods in the world. The container of beans was maybe half full. WTF? Beans? So the cooks own stock here? Oddly, the amount of bacon in the beans was adequate for the entire container of beans being full. The ratio of bacon to beans was way off. Way too much bacon for the piddly amount of beans. I am normally not one to complain about too much bacon, but when it is in a half container of beans, it just enrages me.

In the restaurant's defense, I do have a free meal (hopefully with proper portions) coming.

But seriously, buy smaller containers or just fill up the ones you have. Thank you.

I recommend doing a take out order so you can examine your food...

This is my second review and less than two months after getting feedback and apology in an email and I was given a little dessert coupon for my troubles which upon going back and getting my dessert, I waited another 40 minutes for them to scoop some peach cobbler in a cup and a second cup with ice cream , unbelievable , it wasn’t even busy when I went. I had since removed the first bad review But this is the third bad experience and I will not be removing this one! Oh and the manager today told me it’s probably because of what I ordered that there’s different cooks for different foods which still doesn’t explain to me why it was still taking so long when everybody around us was getting their food way before us that came minutes after us again on this 2nd visit . Yes Maybe they had a bad day, whatever the case may be after speaking to the manager today, she was very condescending because she said to me “oh so you wrote a bad review the first time because you waited 30 minutes for your food ?” I replied “no ma’am we waited 45 to 50 minutes for our food the first visit which was over a month ago !” That was not Customer Service and I was very upset and her answer came with a smug face and a little sigh laugh wow that was the last straw no more chances. You would think they would maybe practice better Customer Service after losing so much business because of Covid and have more compassion for customers concerns well all that went out the window and it’s not the company it’s the restaurant and not all the workers, but management needs to go back to the drawing board and have a little bit more training. I will not be back to this restaurant, I did speak to the GM While my husband paid our food check. Good news the waitress was outstanding her name was Lali F. Oh fyi I did watch as the manager unprofessionally standing there where I could see everything she was doing from the table we are at and she thought this was all funny by the way I can professionally read lips, she told everybody around her in the kitchen what just happened which was so ridiculous and unprofessional. I wish the company the best in the future and I hope they practice better Customer Service the GM said he couldn’t give me the managers name due to privacy concerns hello it’s a restaurant not secret service! Whatever I’m not coming back and would not recommend anybody stopping there for a quick lunch best to go next-door or anywhere else in the numerous places they have to eat on SW Military because you will not be in and out in less than an hour and a half which is way past the average time. Hopefully the manager will have more compassion...

Upon approaching the hostess stand I asked the hostess for a table of for the yelled back at me (so you want a table for four I said ok mind you it wasn’t loud and she has an absolute ugly tone) we shopped for a little bit spent 205 on clothes and toys at the store. As I was checking out the lady at the register asked if I wanted to sign up for a loyalty account I figured I would since I spent so much the cashier roller her eyes then proceeded to enter my email address in wrong 3 times each time getting more frustrated with me. We then approached the hostess stand after checking out because the texts had instructed us too. The hostess got upset and said we were in the other customers way and that we’d have to wait outside she would even let me answer she just kept repeating that we needed to sit outside and wait. We went and sat outside and I went in to check on the table. She then told me smiling that she almost gave our table away. We’re were hungry so I didn’t want to argue with her. She took us to our table and when I asked for a high chair she just pointed to them and walked off. My kids were hungry and crying I asked our waitress if we could have some bread she brought us out one for each child. When we went to order we ordered 3 plates I asked her if I could get the bread out early she said they would have to charge me because they aren’t Olive Garden! I know each plate comes with bread so I asked to speak to a manger. The manager Rene came out and explained that they aren’t not Olive Garden and that the old management just gave out bread to who ever they wanted and now the new management does not allow that. I explain that I used to work for Cracker Barrel and how we were treated and that bread is included with our plates. He said that when we get our food we will get our bread he proceeded to shrug about the service and said he’d get me the number to corporate to complain. After the manager left other waitress and waiters were pointing at us laughing at us and our server refused to visit our table again. We decided to leave and as I was talking to the manager agian our waitress stoped my grandmother and told her she’d have to paid and that nothing is free l. Rene told me that we would not have to pay for the drinks but the waitress had already escorted my grandma to the front to pay for the ticket. I want an apology we go to this Cracker Barrel every Sunday and I have receipts to prove we were there. I cannot believe that y’all allow this kind of behavior that’s probably why no one goes anymore. I was wondering why every time we went there was less and less people and...