Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

I have been to many Cracker Barrels accross the country and have basically enjoyed my experiences in all of them. That is until a new one in Waldorf, Maryland opened on 301 North next to Carrabbas. This I tried it three times, once for once for breakfast and twice for lunch. We had to wait an hour and a half just to sit the first time we went. Then, waited another 12 minutes before our server came over. Once we ordered we waited over 45 minutes to get our food! Other people who had come after us had gotten their food and some were even done! We complained to a supervisor who told us that it "was managemant's fault. They don't schedule servers to come in until 8 am and even then they don't have enough servers". What!? they open at 6:30 (I was told) and make people wait until 8 am before they start seating? This is a joke. The othe two times it was the same except that the third time we just left. I'm never going back there until their "Management" learns how to run a restaurant!

I always order chicken fried chicken smothered in white gravy, mash tator's smothered in white gravy, corn and turnip greens and bisquits. Throw healthy out the door and dive in!!! This is old time cookin' right chere!!!

I can take it or leave it. My cousin and aunt love to come here when we are on the road traveling. I am not a huge fan of breakfast foods, I did have the bland biscuits and gravy. I also ordered the cheesy potato casserole, which was failry bland as well. I would rather come back and try a sandwich. They liked it so I gave it 3 stars, if it were me alone I would have rated a 1 or maybe 2....the toast was good, lol...guess they have a toaster. Not sure there is much of anythig healthy here, but when I am on vacation I am not counting calories.

So my friends and I went to Cracker Barrel at Airtex and 45 South today for breakfast. We arrived well before the rush and so I was quite surprised at how appalling the service was, and even more so at the manager's reaction. Having pressured my friend when she was trying to decide what to order and flatly denying any types of substitutions, we all eventually ended up with something close to what we wanted, although we paid quite steeply for the honor... It seems to me like maybe a 'build it yourself' breakfast would take the pressure off both the staff and the clients. Having ordered, the waitress then forgot to order my hashbrowns, and also did not cook my friend's eggs as she had requested. I had also requested a slice of cheese to go with my egg and biscuit, which came on a plate with the poached egg, and both items looked wholly unappetizing. We were checked on once throughout the whole meal, and even that was flippant. When our checks arrived, I noticed that my egg and biscui... Read more

I have worked for cracker barrel for 8 months now and its not as bad as everyone is describing it, well the store I work at isn't. I love everyone I work with even the managers. The one person I dont like is the gm. Since ive been working there there has literally been at least 5 different managers that have come and gone. The reason they leave is because of the general manager. He's rude and treats everybody like crap. Although he wouldnt fire somebody for eating a biscuit like ive read from some of the comments. As long as you ask a manager you can have as many biscuits as you like. The worst thing about cracker barrel is some of the rude customers that come in. Most of the customers are very nice and I will have an hour long conversation with them if we are slow, but once in a while there will be customers who complain about EVERYTHING! People complain that their hashbrowns are cold. Well yeah the hashbrowns will be cold when you eat it at the end of your meal after you fin... Read more

I've been working at Cracker Barrel for 50 days. Recently achieved Par1 status. The best thing about that is not having to keep up with the damn name badge as my new apron has my name on it. "-). My biggest complaints are the host double and triple seating. Most of them seem pretty clueless but in their defense a lot of times guest ask to be seated in different sections so being truly fair in rotating server sections is probably a challenge. I also get tired of running food for other servers as I am constantly neglecting my tables. And I also shouldn't have to run food after I have been cut from the floor plan. Once I no longer have any tables I am making 2.13$ per hour and my goal is to finish my 100 silverware and my sidework and leave. I have had host yell at all the servers for not sweeping their tables during peak hours. I'm real sorry but I dont have time to walk out into the dining room with a broom and sweep tables when I have 3 other tables that are waiting on food or ar... Read more

I adore this place. Whenever I go to the states, this is one of the places I feel a strong need to go to. Their restaurant is brilliant, lots of choice with in store and everyday specials. The selection is good with 'down south' style food and everyday food also. The breakfast menu i love in particular with grits, corn muffins and your regular sausage/bacon/egg type items. The lunch/dinner selection is brilliant too with full meals and sandwiches. The drink selection is great with traditional items on the menu, for example they do stewarts root beer and their raspberry lemonade is to die for. The shop itself has a great atmosphere, very welcoming and homely. good range of products from Yankee Candle, cowboy hats, coca cola vintage merch and also a selection of old school food. I genuinely love this place. There's normally some rocking chairs outside where you can kick back and relax if there is a wait for food. The people are all so friendly too. One of my favourite places which reall... Read more

I love Cracker Barrel. I admit I have never worked there but from reading the reviews it is just like working anywhere else. You are always going to have asshole co-workers/managers, Unruly customers, and cross selling. I worked at a financial institution and was required to sell checking accounts, loans, credit cards, ect. I would rather try and sell a pack of gum or a bar of chocolate. It would be easier. People just need to stop crying. You have a job, be thankful.

The quality of the food is a notch above most national chains.

Wow! all the negative feedback with the past or current employees of cracker barrel. i am a par 3 working to par 4 plus i also applied for shift leader in the retail store. i guess you people are obviously NOT cut out the be part of the cracker barrel experience. All my managers are great, i have no problems at all with any of them. my retail manager is the greatest. nothing about the dropping food or candy on the floor and still using it applies to our store. No one ever was fired because of burnt toast or not enough ice in the drinks. cracker barrel is all about family and having a positive attitude, which you do Not Have !!!! working at the barrel is so not for everyone. maybe burger king is hiring. but i do agree on the music, i don't care for country music!

worked there for four weeks. I can not count the amount of times customers have become physical with me, or have made me cry by screaming at me and calling me profanities. (keep in mind I am a 5'2 girl) When I went to the managers about this, they found a way to blame it on me. My favorite was being called a racist bitch, only to have the manager say "well, you brought the bread out late. one more complaint and you will be terminated" Needless to say I quit. Oh and for all of you who LOVE the biscuits, when the staff drops them on the wet kitchen floor, they pick them up and put them right back on your plate

I used to work at a Cracker Barrel. Most of the reviews Ive read here especially from former employees are spot-on. Its a terrible place to work for a multitude of reasons, from their assinine rules to the laughable "PAR" program. However, heres what I had I had the most issue with. People who frequent Cracker Barrel or talk to people who do, know that if you complain that the didnt have enough ice in your tea that you will get your meal comped. I mean any friggin excuse in the book and a few other inane bullshit reasons that should be added to the book, will do the trick and people know this. What they fail to realize, or just dont care, is when you complain about something and you know you dont even have a reasonable complaint, OR it is something totally out of the control of your server, said server catches heat and possible termination because of your ignorance and stupidity. And those who want to go further with it call the Corporate Office to complain and are rewarded wit... Read more

I am a Cracker Barrel employee and HATE working there. It's not necessarily because of the managers-I adore my cheerful, friendly, enthusiastic, and motivating retail manager, and the rest of them haven't really given me any problems. Sure, there's the one who seems to be bipolar at times, and is undoubtedly a little to tense about getting fired for any little thing that we technically shouldn't be doing....but she's cool all the other times, once you get used to her just being that way. You learn to work around that. The general manager has never really bothered me, and I like the other one. We just got two new ones too, and I'm dealing with them just fine. But, that's not Cracker Barrel's problem, that's just part of the food industry. It's the company, the corporation I can't stand. I hate their corny, waste-of-time, waste-of effort constant little computer training sessions. I hate all their over-the-top, inconvenient, and slightly unrealistic asset protection policies... Read more

This is basic all American food that will coat your ribs and fill you up. I had the stew and it was really good. Ok if you hate the whole country thang, no I did not miss spell thing, you will not like Cracker Barrel but if you looking of some good old down home food this is the place to go. You have to get through the store which is filled with duster collector that you can buy and take home but I think its worth it.

I do enjoy the food at Cracker Barrel once in a while - when I want old-fashioned stick-to-your-ribs, clog your arteries type country food. Quality varies from just OK to very good, service is usually slow - not always due to the servers or kitchen, more to their system of how they get food out. The gift shop is fun, and my overall view of the company and its products was, in times past, generally positive. Over the years, I'd occasionally hear or read negative things from Cracker Barrel employees. I'd usually dismiss most of this; sometimes, as individual stores/managers having a personality issue - or, I'd assume the employee was just some disgruntled loser who was lucky to have had a job at all. After all, I thought, what can they expect from a low-paying job? They should just work hard, do a good job and stop whining. If they do that, they'll eventually be promoted, or be able to find something better. I'm just not that sympathetic to people having a pity party. Well, my apologi... Read more

Crakcr Barrel is a good place to eat, but not always the best to work. The store im at #225 port charlotte FL,. The managers will cut your hours if you cant work weekends or certain holidays. which is very unfair, some people have a family to go home to on the weekend, and many of us are in school, and cannto work very late nights or early mornings. Many times we are not allowed to leave at out scheduled time. If we are busy we are expected to stay until it is no longer busy. I can understand, however i have said i had an important engagement to go to and was told NO i had to stay past my clock out time regardless. You are not allowed to have a break or eat unless you have worked a full 8 hours. Even if its 7 hours and 55 minutes..no break no food. Also they overwork you tremendously, many are expected to work 12 or more hour days with out their consent. The managers are OK..some will yell at you if you have an emergency and have to call out., its out of my control what am i gonna do? ... Read more

While I’ll never confuse their biscuits with my Grandmothers homemade buttermilk biscuits, these places aren’t bad for what they are (especially for breakfast). They push country cooking as their selling point, and their food is better than most chain restaurants. Certainly better than the Denny’s, and I-Hop’s of the world.

this place is a good place to work especially as a host or in retail were u get paid for standing around and doin barely anything and when u find broken candy or otherwise unsellable foodstuffs u can eat it

I tried these places out during a road trip through the Dakotas, Montana and Idaho in 2001. Over the course of a week, I ate breakfasts at several of them, and dinner at a few more. They were decent, considering what they are, although the service seems to be uniformly sluggish. I normally prefer local, non-franchise places, but my family fell in love with the first one, and we wound up seeking them out. I haven't been in one since, so I have no idea if the intervening years have changed the place.

i work at Cracker Barrel as my 1st job and it really sucks . The people I work with are so rude to. I also never get hours, I went over 2 months without working a day. OK please tell me if you think that is right or normal . and all the manages are terrible!!!!!!!!!! the way one employee treats me is unbelievable its horrible everytime i work i dread seeing her and i also dread going there to work days in advance. Please if anyone is thinking of working there PLEASE DONT it will be a huge mistake i dont know what i was thinking

Cracker Barrel as a store and restaurant is all fine and dandy, but working there really sucks. I regret the day I ever applied. They promised me a decent amount of hours that would override the downside of me having to drive 45 minutes to work. And I guess 45 minutes doesn't seem so bad but when you're 19 trying to save to go back to school, and gas costs as much as it does right now and you can barely afford the dollar menu from a fast food restaurant... it's a lot. I'm outraged right now because I just received my schedule, for a new week that starts TOMORROW (way to give it out in advance so people can plan their lives around it) and I'm scheduled entirely against my availability. And they refuse to fix it. They never listen to employees about what we feel could actually help the store/restaurant sales. I drive as far as I do for THREE hours a week. They DON'T do direct deposit. And you can only get your check during an allotted 2 hour time slot on ONE day. If you can't get there... Read more

I used to work at the Cracker Barrel in Gastonia North Carolina. They are the WORST company to ever work for. half of the managers sucked esspecailly, the retail manager amy fite. She came into one of the top selling stores in our distract and changed everything. she started giving the under par people 35 to 40 hours a week. these poeple continued to call out and they would get the same hours. me on the other hand called out 1 day because i was in a wreck and she cut my hours from 35 to around 15. Then this backstabbing company fired me for speaking my mind about her without even curseing. the advice i have for anyone that reads this is DO NOT EVER APPLY OR WORK FOR CRACKER BARREL. this company will stab you as soon as they get there 1st chance.

One of my faves. I am lucky to live in a city where there are 2 of them. The "store" is a good place to get some items that you can't find anywhere else. You can also pick up a nice gift for someone, now, and then.

I love traveling and seeing a Cracker Barrel! The food is very much your typical country comfort food. The chicken fried steak is yummy as well as the roast beef. And if you have to wait for a table you can browse the gift shop to kill some time.

Breakfast here is very good. The food is good, the service is friendly, but sluggish. Cracker Barrel is best for breakfast, not lunch or dinner. The store inside is a nice extra, though.

I do not get all the good reviews and praises of this place. I took my son there with me for our first time and the meal was horrible. I had the Chicken and Dumplings and it was bland, and the chicken tasted fake. The Mashed Potatoes were a big dry lump, and the fried apples-yuck. Oh and the corn bread had no taste. This place did not have country cookin, they had cheap crap. My son didn't eat any of his food. The store was cute.. had a lot of stuff that brought back memories.. I think they need to stick with the store and get rid of the food, I grew up on country cookin and that most certainly wasn't it. After about an hour or so later I had major digestive issues.. I would never recommend that place to anyone, and will not be going back.

we ate here for the first time. a lot of choices for food. offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. get a good amount of food for the money. nice tasting meal. offers the down home type of cooking. we were all happy with our meals. would be willing to go again. It was very busy when we went and a line waiting to come in. a little more noisier and crowded than i like.

I was working for Cracker Barrel and it has gotten horrid over the past year or so. The management has cut the servers down to two tables (one third of servers pay gone) so that they have more time to run trays, get bread etc... Besides that, managers are constantly yelling over the top of everyone. If you say anything negative to your co-workers, you end up in the office being advised to keep your thoughts to yourself. They make you feel like you are no more than a number. No matter how hard you work, it is never enough for them. No pat on the back or anything positive. You can NEVER do enough. Same servers get the same good sections and nothing is ever fair. It takes away your respect and greatly affects your attitude. I think everone will be seeing a not-so-good change in the restuarant people have known over the years. Portions are smaller, prices higher and the service not as good. Greed will be their ultimately downfall. Too bad they can't see it.

Great Chicken Fried Steak. I recommend breakfast anytime. Good coffee, Fair prices

Good food at a good price.  The quality does vary from location to location and the ones in New Jersey are HORRIBLE!

I just have something short to say. haha they give you too much food. You get the plate and think...how in the world am I going to eat all that? I am desperate for a job and one just opened up in the outdoor mall about 20 minute walk away. I think I'm going to apply, cause I'm low on cash and Christmas is comming up. Ive always wanted to buy my whole family really nice gifts, maybe this year I can do it. Hopefully halfway decent. Im a bit scared, this will only be my 2nd retail/food service job.

The service is EXCELLENT you never have to ask for a refill on your drinks. Great home cooked meal

Cracker Barrell is the leading cause of explosive diarrhea...it'd be better to consume the food in the bathroom on the toilet just so you don't shit yourself in the dining area....squirt-squirt...how many times have you seen a trail fromt he dinning room to the bathroom?

Cracker Barrel is not the value it once was. For this style of food, I would rather gamble with a non-franchise restaurant - a place that locals go on Sunday afternoon.

I believe John McCain is the new fry cook at Cracker Barrel.  I've never eaten here but their country store is sort of quaint.

when you're traveling on the interstate this is the best place to dine and dash. when you get your bill take a trip to the bathroom while your dining companion fetches the get-away car. slip out the door through the gift shop, hop in the car, and hit the road with a full stomach and full wallets.

The food gave me and my wife the shits. It seemed like a good place to eat. One hour later... you can count on squirting on the porcelon pot. Just think back to the last meal you ate there.

Very good combination of country food.

I love Cracker Barrel.  I am shocked so many others dislike it so much.  I think you get a ton of food for the price.  I suggest the breaded shrimp.  You get to choose 3 sides, I always get the same: fried okra, steak fries, and dumplings.  I love it, I can't wait to go back!!!

People will always bitch about every eating establishment, they are never satisfied. I enjoy this establishment, the food is good and the service is as well. I also love the gift shop and the massive fire places. Go there and enjoy.

Always great home-cooking and love the rocking chairs on the porch.

Every time I'm in Florida I end up having breakfast at this joint. Not because I really want to, because thats all you get down there around certain areas. That aside, breakfast here isn't bad.

I worked at Cracker Barrel (store #612) and I just quit today. I loved my job, the cutsomers, and most of my coworkers...but I HATED the shit that the management got away with. I liked the managers as people in the real world, but as managers I didn't like most of them. They worked you for hours on end, even if you didn't have the hours they worked you in your availability schedule. I'm a freshmen in college (a nursing major) and I need my sleep, and time to study. Many of my coworkers on the night shift were my age too. Whenever any of us needed to get off earlier than normal....or even just needed to actually LEAVE ON TIME they wouldn't let us. Even if it was for a class we were going to miss because of work, or because we needed to study for an exam. They just didn't care. I understand that it's a business, but they need to actually CARE for their employees a little. Especially when the younger employees are the ones who work to go to school. It's like they don't understand that our... Read more

Cracker Barrel sucks, especially the one in s.a., tx. i used to cook there, it was the worst job i've ever had. i would explain but it's not worth it.

Wow Such Harsh Reviews...I got a Job at Cracker Barrel Right After I turned 16, and I just quit at age 19 since I am going into the NAVY...All I can say is that I absolutely loved working at that place, The management was AWESOME (Store #453) And we always had regular guests, I was a Host, and Although it was repetitive, same thing every day, well worth it...I learned alot from that place and all I can say is Thanks to Cracker Barrel, The staff is friendly, the food is great...and JonathanBaker1 obviously didnt work long enough to truly judge a place like Cracker Barrel...

consistantly good no matter which one you go to. Pretty close to good ole fashioned southern cookin! Cant beat it for breakfast when you are on the road! They are usually very busy in the morning, especially on weekends. But there is a country store (lots of overpriced gifty stuff) to look around in while you are waiting for a table. I cant believe anyone hasn't eaten here, but if you havent, you'll find one at just about every other interstate exit, atleast in the midwest or south!

I work at Cracker Barrel in Mount Vernon, Illinois. Oh my GOD this place is Sooooo dirty, disgusting is more of the word. The management treats you like thieves, walks you out after your shift. You can't even drink a soda out of the fountain without paying for it (not even fast food is that cheap) The par 4 servers are BITCHES!!!! I hate them all, they take their job way to seriously. i am frantically seaking other employment and when i find it I won't even call them to tell them I resign. They aren't worth it.....Please never never apply for a job there....PS i have waited tables at Ruby Tuesday, Red Lobster, TGIFridays and Ihilani Resort in Hawaii so it's not the job....This company SUCKS!!!!!!!!

I love cracker barrel, i happen to work at the largest producing cracker barrel in the u.s and would'nt change a thing. It is SPOTLESS clean in the back, the cooks wear gloves, hairnets, facial hair nets, aprons ect.. all you can see are their eyes! There are sinks everywhere, everyone washes their hands constantly. we do not get fired for eating biscuits, for heavensakes!!! We NEVER touch food, lemons ect.. with bare hands, gloves only. We are required to have clean, fresh, ironed clothes, hair in buns, no nail polish but who cares? i wounld'nt want a dirty person serving me food either! The food is great! And it happenes to be cooked in one of the cleanest kitchens that i've ever seen, every night there entire place gets hosed down and scrubbed for hours. the employees are treated great, we get half priced meals on the clock, and 20% off for up to 6 people all other times including things from the gift shop, even if the are on sale already, we get insurance, paided vacations, and fle... Read more

Great memories of this place.  We use to take trips in the car through beautiful Virginia in the fall and stop at Craker Barrel.  The food is delicious and the prices are right.  Always enjoyed my visits to CB.

I truly detest Cracker Barrel. It is SO NASTY! CB is a greedy money-hungry corp. that treats their employees like shit. I worked there for a week and it sucked terribly. The bullshit video and testing is rediculous. And once you are there, they treat you like a thief. I have worked in a few restraunts, and NEVER been treated so poorly. That place is full of shit. And now that I have seen the kitchen, I WILL NEVER EAT THERE AGAIN!!!! It is filthy!!! I just can't serve old leftovers at that price and put up with that crap! The only reason they stay in business is b/c they over charge and dumb people buy into it! I would not feed that GREASY CRAP to my DOG!!!!!!