Some Cracker Barrel customers are saying its menu items are not quite what they used to be, the news coming after the massive controversy about the chain’s failed logo redesign.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Tuesday reported the restaurants’ regulars were grumbling about the food and how its menu has changed.
There have been changes to streamline the work done in the kitchen and help cut costs. The newspaper detailed some of those updates, explaining, “Cracker Barrel shifted to making its signature biscuits in big batches and chilling them, rather than rolling out the dough on demand. Green beans and other sides were prepared in ovens instead of traditional stovetop kettles, and food was reheated when needed.”
Cracker Barrel debuted a fresh logo in August, replacing the iconic one showing an older man in overalls sitting next to a barrel with one that simply said “Cracker Barrel.” However, that change drew heavy criticism, even from President Donald Trump who called the move a “mistake,” Breitbart News reported.
The WSJ quoted a 73-year-old Cracker Barrel regular who said the quality being offered at the restaurant is not up to par as it was in previous years.
Craig Watkins said, “I want pure syrup on pancakes, not that watered down junk.” In order to remedy the syrup issue, he brings his own when eating at the restaurant.
In August, social media users shared what were reportedly plates of food they ordered at Cracker Barrel:
Finance Buzz shared a list on Friday of Cracker Barrel meals people should not order based on reviews of those items:
Cracker Barrel might want to send its seafood menu to sleep with the fish and instead focus on popular menu items. The Friday Fish Fry is ranked as the second-worst menu item by Tasting Table for being soft and mushy. Why is their worst special on the day most people go out to eat? If you’re craving fish and chips, skip Cracker Barrel and go to a seafood restaurant.
…
Cracker Barrel has some great homestyle country comfort cuisine that costs about the same as an equivalent amount of fast food from a drive-through at about $15 to $20, but not every dish is a winner.
Breitbart News’s John Nolte wrote in August that Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino did not hide the fact she had planned what he called a “woke coup” against the restaurant chain’s culture.
But the chain did return to the old beloved logo once President Trump advised it to reverse course.
The WSJ said the chain is working on stepping up the quality of its food offerings.