Cracker Barrel Old Country Store — Restaurant in West Virginia

I'm generally a fan of Cracker Barrel, but not only was my meal here my worst Cracker Barrel experience, it was one of my worst dining experiences period. I think I'm a fair reviewer of my dining choices and usually give the restaurant the benefit of the doubt, but not much good can be said in this case. My wife and I stopped in Cross Lanes after a quick errand to Charleston to dine here. We were seated within ten minutes or so. After we were sat, we looked at the menus and chatted. The section we sat in had around 12 tables. Three of the tables were occupied already. Around 5 to 10 minutes after we were sat a couple was seated at a table on my left. Within another 10 minutes several other nearby tables were seated. At this point, we had not yet even been visited by our server. Other tables, some that were sat 10 to 15 minutes after us, were slowly attended to. Finally our server showed up and in passing took our drink order. 5 minutes later our drinks were brought to us and our orders taken. My wife ordered the vegetable platter while I had my usual, the cracker barrel sampler with mashed potatoes and green beans as the sides. Again we waited. Every table that sat after us at this point were eating. Mind you, my wife and I never got upset nor said anything out of the way to anyone. We just sat and chatted about some future vacation plans and stayed low key. Our food finally arrived. At this point, the couple on my left that were sat 5 minutes after us, got up to go pay their check. And the basket of biscuits came out with the food. I noticed several tables had the biscuits brought out with the drinks. The meatloaf was room temperature. The mashed potatoes were sparse and slopped onto the plate, with some dripping off the side and the green beans were bitter. Also my chicken and dumplins had zero pieces of chicken. None. Not one shred of chicken. The amount of my ham steak was generous and tasted good. I finished my diet coke halfway through my meal as did my wife with her water. Not once offered a refill. Not once checked upon after getting our food. Waited at least 5 or 6 minutes to get our check once finished. Our server was so intent on clearing dishes from guests that had already left that she paid me no attention. The two times we did interact with her, my wife and I were polite and friendly. Our daughter is a server, so we know its a tough job, so we try to let less than stellar service slide, but this experience took the cake. Very disappointing. I hope this was an abberation for cracker barrel and not a trend that sees food and service quality decline. Probably wont eat at the Cross Lanes cracker barrel again...

Disappointing Experience at Cracker Barrel - Poor Customer Service from Server Shelley

I'm extremely disappointed with my recent visit to Cracker Barrel. Unfortunately, the poor customer service from our server, Shelley, overshadowed the food, making it a frustrating experience.

Despite Shelley's badge boasting a "5-star" rating, our experience was far from stellar. It took an hour to receive our food, and even then, we had to actively seek her out to request a box. But the worst part was yet to come - waiting for the check.

I waited for another hour for the check to arrive, and when it didn't, I had to take matters into my own hands. I went to ask the hostess for help in finding Shelley, but even she seemed to be taking her sweet time. It was clear that no one was in a hurry to provide us with the service we deserved.

What made this experience even more disappointing was that the restaurant wasn't even busy. There were plenty of empty tables, and it seemed like the staff had ample time to attend to their customers. Yet, Shelley still managed to provide subpar service, and the hostess seemed unconcerned with our frustration.

I was left with the impression that Shelley's "5-star" rating must have been a mistake. As a server, she seemed disinterested, unattentive, and unapologetic about the poor service.

Disappointing Aspects:

Extremely slow service Shelley seemed disinterested and unattentive Poor communication and follow-through Lack of effort from Shelley despite the restaurant not being busy Hostess seemed unconcerned with customer frustration

Suggestions for Improvement:

Provide better training for servers on customer service and attentiveness Ensure servers are managing their tables effectively and asking for help when needed Improve communication between servers and customers Hold staff accountable for providing quality service, regardless of the restaurant's busyness Ensure hostesses are empowered to assist customers and resolve issues promptly

Tips for Future Visitors:

Be prepared for potential slow service and plan accordingly Don't hesitate to ask for a manager or another server if you're not receiving adequate attention Consider visiting during off-peak hours to avoid potential wait times

While I've had better experiences at other Cracker Barrel locations, this particular visit fell short. I hope the management takes steps to address these issues and provide better service to...

My family and I come here often. By family, I mean approximately seven hundred of us. As we had a bit of a large party, we did have to wait until therefore restaurant was empty to be seated, but we spent the time browsing the interesting food and knick-knacks available in their adjoining shop. My, I thought as I browsed next to my third cousin, Lemuel, there is a lot of variety! and look at the prices! How expensive!

Once they called out name, "Reed, party of 692" , we noisily made our way into the restaurant. While I took a seat next to my step-sister in law's ex-husband, I noticed the one waitress taking everyone's order looked beleaguered. Surely, I thought, she has some sort of help, but she explained everyone was new, and she had to wait on people in order to bring them food. I woke up from my reverie, realizing my party of several hundred was actually a party of four adults and two children, and that she was explaining how it was difficult to wait on people who expected food. My, I thought, it seems that work is, indeed, work! How nonsensical!

Still, the food was hot, tasty, plentiful, avaricious, shy, and playful. The waitress, while never stopping seeming to be in the verge of throttling me as I made each request, performed her duties with alacrity, and she was only frustrated with me, showing kindness to my party. Perhaps I reminded her of the mustache-twirling cad who had tied up her grandmother to railroad tracks. Or, it was the way I popped out my monocle each time I asked for a refill for my family, cackling maniacally while I twirled my cane and sneered, and rolling my eyes so fiercely my glasses fell off of my face into the soup of the lady at the next table, who gasped and said, "well, I never!" and her husband had a heart attack and made a giant mess which our waitresses to bus. All that for coffee and a diet coke - no wonder she...