Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

Unfortunately we had a less than satisfying experience here, despite our high expectations. Arrived at 7:30am on a Sunday. Not at all busy yet still had to wait at the front for several minutes before we were seated. Asked for coffee & water. Five minutes later (!) coffee finally arrived, no water. Our breakfasts were served relatively promptly (there were only 5 other tables with diners at the time) but it was nothing spectacular. We agreed the eggs were rubbery, sausage & bacon were just ok, nothing special; biscuits tasted like mushy flour, gravy was bland; grits were ok; coffee was not particularly good.
Maybe this is just the level of food at CB, if so, no need to go there again. We can do a much better breakfast at home. If a restaurant is going to specialize in serving breakfast all day, they better do a bang-​up job of it.

Come here with some regularity because of large servings and good food for the price. You wouldn’t know it from the restaurants I review, but I’m dieting, and the healthy fixins menu works well for me. Good chicken dish that fills me up and doesn’t break the calorie bank. The store area has a nice selection of candies and old-​fashioned sodas, some of which I haven’t seen in other Cracker Barrel locations. Service is hit or miss at this location, but tends to be decent for the most part.

Awesome breakfast place! Quiet and enjoyable! The server was super nice and the food was great!
I ordered fresh start sampler! It filled me up with great food!

The place was crowded but we were seated quickly. The waitress was friendly and fast. The food was fast especially considering how packed the place was. As usual the food was great.

The place you take your parents to when they’re visiting, with a diverse menu of southern comfort food.
There’s only so much you can say about a chain restaurant — you either like the food or you don’t. Fortunately, I’ve always been a huge fan of Cracker Barrel’s brand of southern comfort food. Large breakfasts (all day), hearty hot sandwiches, and sprawling dinners with all the fixings. The service was excellent here too.

Summary: Can quantity and quality coexist? This restaurant proves it can.
Positive:
1) Large portions
2) Friendly staff
3) Family friendly atmosphere
4) Large dining area
5) Diverse menu of American classics (good for picky eaters)
6) Clean bathrooms
7) Large, well lit parking area
8) All day breakfast
Negative:
1) Table seating can be a little cramped
Cracker Barrel is one of our classic standbys when my wife and I want reasonably priced, good food. It’s signs are common and expected on most long highway trips. The template is pretty much the same depending on which location you visit, so if you’ve eaten at one, you’ve probably eaten at this one too. The parking lot is large and well lit. Besides game day, it’s never a problem finding good parking close to the restaurant. The front of the restaurant, well, is in typical Cracker Barrel fashion: made to look like a rustic country store, but instead looking like a confusing cross between a flea market, William Sonoma and Spencer’s Gifts all got together and had a baby. Besides picking up an occasional chocolate bar, I never spend too much time at the storefront. Making your way past the nick-​knacks is the hostess station. We’ve never had to wait to be seated. However I can imagine, due to the size of the dining area and parking lot, the wait cannot be too terribly long. The dining area is a huge, single room, partitioned off in the center by a latticework wall. Keeping in line with the «down home, country store» motif, various bygone relics adorn the walls. They keep a good balance between keeping things interesting and fun without making it look like your grandma’s attic. Table seating can be a little cramped. It’s not uncommon to feel someone hit the back of your chair when they are getting up to leave. Each table has a small lit lamp, a menu listing all of the seasonal specials, and that wooden wedge game that uses golf tees we were all taught how to make in shop class. On this particular day, we were seated at 6:42pm and our waiter came by and took our orders at 6:45. Drinks came by at 6:48, and food arrived at 6:57. I see this as pretty much average and on par for a restaurant of it’s size. Where Cracker Barrel excels at, in my opinion, is offering excellent quality food and in portions large enough that you feel like you are getting your moneys worth (and then some). My wife and I both ordered Chicken Fried Steak dinners, though they call it Country Fried Steak. The steak was fried well, and the breading was not greasy. The green beans had a hint of bacon flavor to them and corn was pretty much average (aka out of a can). Their biscuits are some of the best I’ve ever had. Not too dense and not crumbly. A good match for the Sawmill Gravy (traditional cream based gravy with black pepper smothered over chicken fried steak). For two Country Fried Steak dinners, sides w/​biscuits and two orders of iced tea, the total was $ 26.46.
A common sight along the American highway, I tend to think of Cracker Barrel as an oasis when I’m on the road. Now that I live only a few minutes away from one, I don’t have to wait for the next summer road trip for those biscuits.

We ordered 3 plates. Two of them were breakfast. This is a very nice thing about this restaurant, they serve breakfast all day!
My kids really love pancakes and eggs, so this was the place we found to eat such a yummy food.
I ordered a rib eye medium cook. I think it was well cooked but didn’t have any taste. In US the meat in average is cooked like that. We loved the service. The manager walks around and ask if everything is okay.

Called in a to-​go order and was told a 30 minute wait on a child’s grilled chicken tender plate with steamed broccoli because they were busy. No problem… I ran an errand while I waited but when I got to restaurant they were not busy and had no wait. My chicken tenders were noticeably small and they were cold (prob because they weren’t that busy and they prepared them right when the ticket was called in). The broccoli that I asked for plain came drenched in some sort of seasoning (and she repeated order twice). The unsweetened tea tasted like it had been sitting in the canister all day. I would not recommend ordering to-​go here.

Horrible customer service. Was supposed to receive a price correction on a product that was incorrectly labeled, but they did not follow through on their word.

The service at this location is superb. Management came and took our orders due to the wait staff being busy. Everybody was genuine and helpful. Food came out hot and quick. Food tasted great. I will definitely be returning.

Food was gross and pretty sure it’s what made me sick. Staff seemed stuck up and other customers were very rude. Just bad overall experience.

Best place to stop for breakfast when visiting State College! Breakfast is always busy in State College, but Cracker Barrel turns their tables quickly without disrupting good service. Any wait is easy since you can browse in the store or wait outside in a rocker. Our server was very nice. The food was a bit of a wait, but well worth the wait. All portions were decent, and our server made sure we had warm biscuits while we were waiting.

I have been at several different Cracker Barrel’s. This place seems ok. The walk from the main parking lot to the entrance seems to be a long distance.
I stopped in Cracker Barrel on a Friday at 645 am and was seated very quickly since there was no more customers in the place. I was informed that the biscuits were not ready yet and would probably be 15 to 20 minutes if I ordered them (which was ok since I was not in a rush). I ordered the Old Timers sampler which came with the biscuits and the waitress said she would wait to put the order in until the biscuits were ready which I was ok with.
The food came up in 15 minutes and I enjoyed it. I had the scrambled eggs, grits, biscuits and gravy, hashbrown casserole, and sausage patties. The food came out hot since the waitress had waited to place my order in and I enjoyed it. I liked the hashbrown casserole which was a different take on hashbrowns then I had before.

My brother and I went here the Sat of homecoming (Mich game). We got a seat in a reasonable amount of time and the breakfast was great. I used to work in Stage College when I was a student and the customers can really wear on you during football season. Our server was friendly and funny. Management was out and about. The restaurant was clean. There was also ample parking. Skip downtown and head to CB.

Great food, great service! The management always comes out and asks how every thing is. I have never had a bad experience here!
Check the back corner by the door for awesome clearance deals!!!

Had brunch here today and it was amazing. The wait seemed a little long but we did order about three breakfast platters.
The french toast is amazing here. Best I’ve ever had. The pancakes are right up there too. Crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. The eggs were good. Meats were meats.
Service was a tad over-​friendly. Manager also stopped by.
I do believe the food quality at every Cracker Barrel is above average. Only had breakfast here.

Most of the time going here is just fine. The food is fast, inexpensive, and has that home-​cooking vibe. It’s something different to eat and for the most part the taste is consistent each time.
However, there was a time when we had horrible service. We placed our order, received our drinks, and then waited. And waited some more while not seeing our waitress or a manager. After about 30 min of waiting (typically it’s less than 15) our waitress said our food was coming. After another 30 minutes our food came out and it was all cold and cooked incorrectly. The salad lettuce was wilting – meaning it sat ready to go for quite awhile. We got the manager and had all of our food replaced on a rush. We come to find out our waitress put our order in under «employee» meal, which is why it took so long. It wouldn’t have been as bad if she or the manager just owned up to it. The manager didn’t even give us a discount or dessert on the house.
And not to mention that during this whole ordeal, a child, maybe 6 or so, was crying loudly and wondering around the restaurant while to the parents sat there and didn’t do anything. The manager didn’t speak with them and when we left, the mother gave us a dirty look.
In the end, we complained to the main office and they promptly sent us to free dinner/​drink coupons. We went back again and the food was fine. Overall, it seems based on my experience and the experience of other reviewers it’s hit or miss when going to the State College Cracker Barrel.

Oh Cracker Barrel. You’re always in the middle of nowhere. Thus, the only time I’ve been to you is in State College, where we’re in the middle of nowhere. I’m actually confused by Cracker Barrel’s whole get up, but somehow it works for them. Once you enter, it’s like some weird general store type of place with all these really random trinkets. From things like candy and soda, to rocking chairs and clothing, this place really is… random.
Once you actually get over that fact, then you’re ready to be seated for the food. The food here is pretty damn country. From chicken and dumplings, to chicken fried steak, to meat loaf, this place screams country. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing either though. If you’re looking for something hearty and with plenty of fat, then Cracker Barrel is your spot. The beauty of their entrees is that you get 3 side dishes with your meal. That means, on top of your choice, you get to choose again from things like mac & cheese, apple sauce, french fries, etc. Lots of food ey?
My personal choice of fatty goodness is their sample platter. You get topped off with a trio of candied ham, chicken & dumplings, and meat loaf. Add the 3 sides, and whoa nelly, you’ll be quite the full one.
One thing that’s been inconsistent has been the wait. I’ve had to wait here for an hour before my food is served, and sometimes 20 minutes. WAY too long for the food that I’m getting to be honest since I know it’s all in this vat ready to go. Nonetheless, if you’re looking to get full for cheap, then Cracker Barrel is your spot. I still can’t get over the randomness of the general store though.

This place deserves no stars to begin with but it won’t allow me to so I’ll leave it at one star. I just left this place a few minutes ago due to the fact that my friends and I went in, got seated and waited 20 minutes but no servers came over to even ask if we wanted anything to drink. One server came over to clear out the table next to us but payed no mind after we said we were ready to order. So we just got up and left. What’s worse is the place was empty to begin with.

I used to always see Cracker Barrels at rest/​truck stops in the Midwest and assumed it was just greasy food but really has a lot of Southern charm. Most items on the menu are comfort foods.
This place is good for breakfast/​brunch with your friends. Portions are fairly big. This location is a new establishment so everything is still very clean.
Prices are inexpensive for breakfast/​brunch.

Cracker Barrel is a wonderful, down home Southern chain. I was so pleased that one was built here in SC. They serve terrific southern fare. Your best best are their breakfasts which are served all day, Fish Fry every Friday and unlike the previous reviewer I loved my chicken fried steak! Also, the hash brown casserole is a must have for breakfast.

Cracker Barrel is a remnant from when I was in my teens and moved my sister into college. It was inoffensive, and not too bad considering it was a chain in Kentucky.
With the new opening in State College and another decade of life under my belt, all I can say it’s the schlockiest restaurant I’ve ever had the pleasure of entering. I though nothing could beat Texas Roadhouse’s terrible taste in country music and mandatory square dancing, but lo.
The food was largely inoffensive. I enjoyed my country fried steak which was overly nothing special and the gravy was chilly. My fiancée on the other hand sent back her chicken with dumplings since the chicken was undercooked. Thankfully, they replaced the meal entirely and she ended up with meatloaf, which again was average.
Go for the schlock and faux home cooked food just to see, but don’t make it a point to return.