Mashal M.
Yelp
Walked in and was told the wait would be 35 minutes. Totally fair, it was busy. That was my first mistake: believing them. After exactly 35 minutes, we politely asked how much longer, and were told, with the confidence of someone making it up on the spot, "Another 15 minutes."
That "15 minutes" blossomed into a full hour before we were finally seated, at which point, I was so hungry I considered chewing on the decorative lantern hanging above the hostess stand.
We ordered what I assumed were the easiest, fastest items on the menu: chicken tenders and pancakes. You know, things a toddler could cook with adult supervision. Apparently not. Our food took another 40 minutes to arrive. That's 100 minutes of waiting so far, for anyone keeping track.
And then came the plot twist: no utensils. No napkins. Nothing. We were just staring at our food like contestants on a survival show. Asked our waitress for some basic tools to eat our meal and were told, "I'll have to see if I'm allowed."
Excuse me??? Since when did forks require managerial clearance?
Eventually she returned, victorious, with plastic utensils from the takeout counter. At this point, I was just impressed that she came back at all.
Now, let's talk about the food: Was it worth the wait? In a word-no. It was fine. Just fine. The kind of meal that makes you say, "Yep, that's food," before immediately forgetting what it tasted like.
The bathroom was truck stop clean. Grime on the seats and the smell that could peel paint.
In summary: if you're looking for a dining experience that tests your patience, makes you question the nature of time, and rewards you with mediocrity served on a plate, with a side of plastic cutlery, Cracker Barrel is the place for you.
Two stars, and one of those is purely for the rocking chairs out front.