Cracker Barrel Old Country Store — Restaurant in Town of East Greenbush

Been a while since we've been to Cracker Barrel, likely before the pandemic. The place itself hasn't changed much, the "country store" feel was still there, with much of the same merchandise for sale: old-timey candies and chips, small kid toys, some clothing and home decor, etc. Similarly, the restaurant was the same, as I'm sure all in this chain are. Comfortable, a touch rustic, again with a "country" feel.

The disappointment came when we went to place our order. My wife and I are long-time vegetarians, and have eaten here many times before, realizing the selections were limited, but good enough. It was evening and we asked for the breakfast menu. Our server said the breakfast wasn't much different, and suggested we order breakfast from the dinner menu. When I explained that we were vegetarian and all of the options came with meat, he apologetically said that the restaurant no longer permitted substitutions. We were about to leave, as our preferences couldn't be accommodated, when he asked us to tell him what we wanted and he would make it happen. Being late, and us being hungry, we each ordered pancakes, 2 eggs, and fried apples. The pancakes were OK, the eggs were OK, but barely one egg's worth on each of our plates, and the fried apples were as expected, again just ok.

I could have asked for more eggs, but didn't want to wait any longer. Our bill came and everything was at the a la carte price, considerably more than any of the combo breakfasts. We paid our bill and left.

While the staff was friendly, we will never go back to a Cracker Barrel again. It's unusual to find such a vegetarian-hostile restaurant in this day and age. I guess they are comfortable with the audience to...

I love going to Cracker Barrel, but that isn't always an option for me so I order from this location online through DoorDash. My mistake for doing so.

Avoid ordering from this location online like the plague. They never complete your order; you're lucky if they remember your drinks.

I've ordered multiple times from them online and if you get an item, such as pancakes or French toast, you'll never get your condiments (butter, syrup, etc.). Such a shame as their maple syrup is delicious and was my favorite thing to get, even a la carte.

I even attempted with my most recent order to "add-on" maple syrup as a precaution in the case they forget the one that comes with my French toast and homestyle chicken meal. Insult to injury when they don't give you either.

I don't know if I don't know nothing, but last I knew there isn't a global shortage of maple syrup so I am finding it hard to understand a valid reason for this pattern to continue.

It would be easier to identify the issue on management's behalf if their baggers were also following protocol and using the already-printed quality control receipts, where employees double check their work and sign off on it. But that has always arrived empty, ensuring that whoever wrapped up my order just doesn't care.

In general, quality control over at the Barrel is lackluster at best, which is such a shame for somebody like myself who doesn't go out and dine-in there. It's a whole different experience in-house. At least in-house you can get your items if the wait staff forgot it or you...

This meal was an absolute blast!! What an introduction to Southern food! As non-Americans, we love checking out classic American establishments. This location had a crackling fireplace complete with guns and animal heads over the mantel, and we thought the Southern decor was so cute! Each table had a classic oil lamp, and we purchased a few themed souvenirs from the retail store.

The food was SO good and such great value!!! Yes it was heavy, yes it was a lot of calories, but so worth it for a treat! Our entire feast came down to about $40 USD and we were MORE than stuffed.

We ordered the Chicken Fried Chicken as our main - it came with three country sides, which we picked Macaroni 'n Cheese, Sawmill Gravy and the Fried Apples). The fried chicken was PERFECT, and the fried apples were sweet and filled with cinnamon, which paired well with the salty chicken. The gravy was interesting but a bit too heavy, and the Mac'n'cheese was standard - I probably wouldn't get these two again.

However, the sirloin steak tips (as a side) were the HIGHLIGHT of our meal! They were so juicy and seasoned perfectly with the garlic butter - plus they were way cheaper than a main and a great value for the price. Highly recommend!

Service was exceptional, and our server was really friendly. She gave GREAT recommendations (such as the Steak Tips!), and was really helpful when we explained that we weren't familiar with American cuisine and patiently walked us through all their menu options and answered our questions.

We will...