Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

It was exactly what I had hoped for and expected. Being a city (Chicago) dweller, we do not frequently get out to Cracker Barrels, except on road trips. This trip was down to South Carolina, by way of Knoxville. Like all Cracker Barrel restaurants, this one was easily accessible, right off the interstate.

What I expected: a ton of home-style food, a friendly atmosphere, great service, and a cheap final bill.

What I got: all of that. Our waitress was a 4 star server. What's a 4 star server? Well, the star rating is based on the time spent working at the restaurant, along with the ability to pass progressively harder tests. 4 stars is the highest possible, and not easy to obtain. So needless to say, the service was excellent.

I had the chicken & rice lunch, which is a Saturday-only special. It was excellent. Everyone in my party was also very pleased with their meals as well.

The only thing I have to complain about was the cornbread biscuits. They were very dry and just not good overall. But that's just a small downside to an otherwise excellent lunch. All in all it was 12 bucks after tip, which is still a little more than a fast food place, but much, much better.

The advertisment in our paper for the fresh-cooked taste of the Campfire Grill looked really good, so we went there for lunch today. I had the Campfire Chicken, for 8.29, and the raspberry iced tea. Both were very good. The chicken was half a chicken, a few new potatoes, large carrots, not the little ones, corn on the cob, a little tomato, and some onion chunks. It was seasoned just right and everything was sitting in it's own juices. It comes wrapped in foil so be careful when you open it and yes the server did warn me. It's hard not to over do the corn in this way of cooking, but it was still ok. Also comes with a choice of cornbread or biscuit. This lunch was so home-made. They have a new menu that looks really good, I can't wait to go back. Good job Cracker Barrel.