This is an archived article and the information in the story may be outdated. Please check the time stamp on the story to see when it was updated last.
Stopping at Cracker Barrel on a road trip is an American rite of passage. Styled to resemble an old-fashioned general store, the restaurant offers a unique shopping and eating experience. The chain is known for country-style Southern comfort food, so the menu is full of biscuits and fried chicken. However, there are a few things you should never order at Cracker Barrel. Click to discover what you should always avoid ordering at the restaurant.
[Image: Shutterstock]
Cracker Barrel was built on a business model that was meant to minimize the amount of time between when you are seat and when you receive your food. According to a former Cracker Barrel server, "The atmosphere behind the scenes is extremely dysfunctional there is a lot of shouting and screaming people scrambling around trying to get everything done in record time. It's a real beat the clock game and not to give you a great dining experience its to get you fed and shoved out the door to enable staff to seat another set of guests. Feed 'em and street 'em that is the CB way."
As a result, the customer suffers. The former employee asks, "Do you think the server is using safe food practices while making your salad when rushing to get four other things done at the same time? Are you...being treated like a priority when someone untrained in safe food handling [is] touching your food?" Makes you think...
[Image: Cracker Barrel]
According to a former Cracker Barrel line cook, almost everything served at the restaurant is frozen. However, the breakfast is made of "real" food. This is because breakfast foods, such as pancakes and eggs, can be cooked quickly on a grill. So if you want fresh food, breakfast is your best bet.
[Image: Cracker Barrel]
Unfortunately, Southern comfort food isn't always diet-friendly. If you stop by Cracker Barrel for breakfast, avoid ordering Grandpa’s Country Fried Breakfast. This meal features 2 eggs, grits, gravy and buttermilk biscuits with butter, fried apples (or hash brown casserole) and chicken-fried chicken or country-fried steak. This massive meal is not exactly healthy conscious.
[Image: Cracker Barrel]
If you are looking for healthy options, check out Cracker Barrel's Wholesome Fixin’s menu. This is the restaurant's menu of healthier meal options. As a bonus, this menu comes with the full nutrition info for each meal. The Food Network recommends the Apple N’ Cinnamon Oatmeal, which includes servings of dairy, whole grains, and fruit.
[Image: Cracker Barrel]
READ MORE: The One Thing You Should Never Order At Hardee's, According To A Nutritionist
