I was on business in Iowa and had always heard of this restaurant. It is truly unique, as it's both a Country Store (Tons of Crap for Sale) and a full fledged Restaurant. Our Waitress, was quite old and I felt a bit bad, as it seems she was at the retirement age. She was of the old school Waitresses with the pencil behind her hair and the pad to write things down (which also doubled as our hard to read bill). While there, I had the Chicken Pot Pie. Being a West Coast Kid, I'm most familiar with the ones at Marie Callenders. This was one was quite different, it wasn't as creamy as I'm accustomed to having. Whatever the differences, this was one was a keeper. If you are ever near a Cracker Barrel, you should check it out. It's definitely an experience!
(3)
Stefanie D.
Service was okay. Not the best service I've had at a Cracker Barrel. Food was the typical food you get at any Cracker Barrel. Used the gluten free menu.
(3)
VJ S.
Not impressed. Have been to other cracker barrels in other states and had a better experience. Service was good, , food was mediocre, and the kitchen screwed up the order. Took a look in there on the way to the restroom and it was complete chaos. Maybe they were short handed? Might be back, but probably not .
(2)
Sheila A.
Heidi was the best thing about this place. I'm one of those problem children who can't have gluten and I choose not to eat meat or dairy. She didn't even bat an eye and was very helpful when I asked questions. Probably the best server I have ever had. I'm only I coking off a star because I wish more things were meat free. But get it's cracker barrel and I knew there had to be a bales potato. My mom absolutely loved get food and the service. Thanks to Heidi it was a great experience :)
(4)
Kristyn M.
They still are rolling out the delicious home cooked meals. My grandparents are huge fans and go every time they are in town. Id like to come back for breakfast but still everyone at the table enjoyed their meal though the two of us who ordered fish meals felt there could have been a little more to the meal.
(3)
Mark O.
My roommate hates this place, so I'm always by myself when I visit Cracker Barrel. Service has been very pleasant to terrible, depending on the server. I wish they had smaller tables available for people on business or those who don't have a significant other (or family) to dine with, but I believe the smallest they have is a four-top. Stuffing is absolutely terrible, no fluffiness to it and tasted like it was the pan they made to start the lunch shift (I went in around 3:00). The ranch dressing is also horrible; it tastes bottled. Very thick and no buttermilk taste to it at all. Everything else is very enjoyable, especially the chicken & dumplings over mashed potatoes. I wish they'd leave honey and preserves on the table, I always forget to ask and the waitress usually seems annoyed about having to run to the kitchen to grab some. I also don't like getting the short end of the stick being a solo diner and only getting two total pieces of bread. For southerners yearning for a taste of the south, they sell bottled Cheerwine in the gift shop (made w/ real sugar).
(3)
Sarah M.
This is one of my favorite place for breakfast or late lunch. We usually go there once a week on Sunday if we can. Some staffs are very nice and friendly. Had a couple rude servers before. So it is very depends.. Ask for Ross. She is the best server at this place. Food is pretty decent and prices are reasonable. Will come back again.
(4)
Janet E.
The wait here is long when you show up at 1140am on a Sunday morning. We had to wait 40 minutes before we were seated. While waiting outside, we were subjected to a bunch of cigarette smokers because Cracker Barrel had placed their cigarette receptacles right outside the entrance. By law there is no smoking within 15 feet of an establishment. This was definitely not 15 feet away. As for the food and the service, it was great! During our visit there was a screaming child that was non-stop. I guess there was not much the restaurant could do about that. It definitely ruined the dining experience a bit. Thankfully the screaming kid left before our food arrived.
(3)
Noah O.
We were passing through Des Moines and needed something to eat, so we gave Cracker Barrel a chance. We arrived about 2:30 PM on Sunday and the place was packed. We waited about 10 minutes for table before being seated due to a huge family (approx. 20 people) hogging several of the tables and talking over each other at the top of their lungs. The waitress came out and the first words out of her mouth was about how busy it was. Everytime she came to our table she was griping, but that wasn't much because she was lousy and seldom came back. Once our food arrived, it was luke warm at best and bland as if it was prepared for a nursing home or a hospital. For the money I paid I expected better quality food and better service.
(2)
Lawrence A.
I've been to many Cracker Barrel's, but this one is above average in every way! I came back to Iowa to visit family and went here with a friend for the Sunday chicken dinner. I think it's the best fried chicken at almost any price, anywhere and it is boneless with two sides for $10 or less. Great service as well and super convenient in/out!
(4)
Bill L.
This place was a great discovery for me! After eating here for the first time I went back twice in the next week! This place is always busy, but never too crowded that you would have to wait for an extended amount of time or affect your experience. The theme is an old country mixed with old western mixed with southern feel. The staff is very friendly and seem to be very happy to be serving you. The food tastes homemade and has a very authentic southern /country taste. There is always a plentiful amount of food put on your table and the price is great! I don't think I know of any other place in town that have food like this. You will definitely see me eating back here!
(5)
Gerald Z.
Okay if you come to cracker barrel and don't get the pancakes you are crazy. These are seriously the best pancakes i have ever had. Everything else here is meh though, so that's why I give it 3 stars. Just order the pancakes and you won't be disappointed.
(3)
Scott T.
I love this place. Chicken and dumplins are awesome. Chicken fried steak is delicious. Fried apples are amazing. Biscuits and cornbread are both good. Peach cobbler is the bomb. Meet me out front, we'll play checkers while sitting in rocking chairs.
(5)
Amy A.
This is my husband pick last night, it's one of his favorite restaurant. I've always been so so on Cracker Barrel. We went at 4:45 in the evening so it wasn't very busy. We were seated right away and our waitress came almost immediately and took our drink order. The lemonade is fantastic. It's served in a frosty mug and it's real lemonade with pulp. They even give you free refills on it. Our server was very attentive to the refills on our drinks. My husband ordered a half an order of biscuits and gravy and French toast. I ordered the chicken tenders mashed potatoes broccoli and fried apples. The fried apples kind of like apple pie filling. The chicken tenders were homemade and very fresh. The helping of them was a Normas I had probably ate chicken tenders. The mashed potatoes are homemade and still have lumps of real potato. The broccoli seemed overcooked, dry and rather flavorless. My husband said his meal was really good. There was so much food we couldn't even finish everything. The waitress seemed almost like she was trying to hurry us out of there but maybe she was just trying to be efficient. She told us about all of them desserts about four times and gave us our ticket shortly after we got our meal. But she was really nice. I hate that you don't have to table because then I had to go wait in line in the general store park while some lady scrutinized her ticket to see if everything was charge correctly. I think it's just a way to get you to buy more crap before you leave. I give it a three star because there was nothing epic about the experience. Most of the food was good but not all of the food. The server was very nice but almost fake nice. I would say it was just okay.
(3)
Robert R.
not my typical CB experience. Called ahead for some to go and it was a mess. The person on the other end of the phone couldn't get my order right (it was pretty simple). got overcharged for one item. Overall, it was disappointing. BTW, in general, getting sit down food to go sucks. (not a reflection of this CB). Do what i am going to do...plan better and sit down and eat. It will make your day better.
(2)
Ben D.
Last night was just.... so disappointing. My fiance and his sister stopped in for dinner on our drive back from Joplin, MO because they were both really craving Cracker Barrell... I was already very well aware that I have never greatly enjoyed their heavy food so I was going to pick from the lighter menu options. We sat down and asked for waters and our waitress hurriedly ran off to get them. Over the course of the next ten minutes while we were talking and figuring out what we would like she returned to our table several times asking if we were ready to order, laughing uncomfortably, and then rushing away again. After spending several moments looking over the ridiculously vast menu they finally knew what they wanted and we all ordered our food. I should mention that simple questions asked of the waitress during this time went unanswered. She did not know what the soups were, she didn't know anything about the dressings offered... I would hope that a server would know the menu, but this one plainly did not. I got the Chicken Salad, she got the multigrain pancakes, and he got the country fried steak. Once the food had been set in front of us the real adventure began. My salad was just fine, thankfully the only effort that the cooks play in making the salad is arranging the ingredients in the bowl out of separate bags, no cooking or fuss involved. The other dinners were... less than satisfactory. The chicken fried steak was soggy, the fries were cold, the coleslaw was bland, the fried apples were good. The multigrain pancakes were dry and powdery, there was no syrup until we asked another server to bring it to us, and the eggs were not cooked properly. I should also mention... the waitress did return to our table, but not to ask us how our food was or refill our beverages, she merely wanted to lay the bill down and then promptly walked away and never returned to our table. Not a single employee returned to our table form that point forward. If ever in Des Moines, the only reason to visit this restaurant is to buy overpriced souvenirs... avoid eating here.
(1)
Steve G.
Food showed up cold. Our waitress had a hard time keeping water glasses full of water. Food was ok but not worth the wait time.
(2)
Timothy A.
This is by far the worst Cracker Barrel I have been to. The servers were rude and took forever to even take my order. They had an attitude that it was an inconvenience to serve me. I ordered Mamma's pancake breakfast, which is normally my favorite Cracker Barrel meal. However at this location, the pancakes were doughy and the bacon was overcooked. the eggs seemed like they came out of the microwave. As much as I love Cracker Barrel, I will not be returning to this location!
(1)
Maggie W.
This Cracker Barrel is great! Awesome service, and the food is delicious and homemade. chicken and dumplings - best thing ever - billowy and tender 'flat' dumplings and real white meat chicken. meatloaf - kinda eh, studded with canned mushrooms (would not order again). hashbrown casserole - underwhelming and bland. fried apples - yummy, though they leave the skins on. macaroni and cheese - no Kraft boxed stuff here. homemade, creamy goodness. fried chicken salad - DELISH!!!! huge portion, fresh ingredients, yum. biscuits - amazefest and fluffy. cornbread - a little dry (wouldn't recommend). double chocolate fudge Coca-Cola cake - PURE SUGAR, didn't finish. ick. peach cobbler with ice cream - divine. absolutely perfect in every way. :) The decorations on the walls are interesting and so Iowa - old vintage farm equipment, small town signs, love it! The little store in front has all sorts of old-fashioned candies, cool candles, books, toys, t-shirts, and many more gift items. It's fun to walk around and window shop. Or sit out front in one of the homemade rockin' chairs and people watch while you wait. I'm always happy going to the Cracker Barrel, and it's family friendly too! P.S. The foods reviewed were sampled over many visits, not all at once, LOL.
(4)
Monica L.
The apple dumplin is awesome.
(4)
Mark G.
I love Cracker Barrel-Great comfort food, awesome cabin feel inside with fireplace, friendly service, and love the country store. One of my fave chains, can't got wrong here....They are usually located off the interstate.
(5)
Trisha J.
Take out with out silverware and condiments. Food tasteless. Don't waste your money. It's almost as bad as the nearby Mexican restaurant El Rodeo. Skip that one too
(1)
Tiffani J.
Classic choice. Love to shop after. NEEDS A Bit Of Customer Service with Waitress To Clients but other than that ... food always on point.
(4)
Twinkiemo C.
Aaah....having been north (MN, WI, IL) for the last 8 years, it feels good to be at a real CB again for a fattening southern meal! Having a little turkey n dressing, greens and cornbread muffins! Mmmm!
(5)
J D.
Can always count on Cracker Barrel for a good country meal. We don't have these in California so it was a nice for the children to experience something different. Great comfort food and the staff was very friendly.
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Brunch Bike Parking : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes
Matthew R.
I was on business in Iowa and had always heard of this restaurant. It is truly unique, as it's both a Country Store (Tons of Crap for Sale) and a full fledged Restaurant. Our Waitress, was quite old and I felt a bit bad, as it seems she was at the retirement age. She was of the old school Waitresses with the pencil behind her hair and the pad to write things down (which also doubled as our hard to read bill). While there, I had the Chicken Pot Pie. Being a West Coast Kid, I'm most familiar with the ones at Marie Callenders. This was one was quite different, it wasn't as creamy as I'm accustomed to having. Whatever the differences, this was one was a keeper. If you are ever near a Cracker Barrel, you should check it out. It's definitely an experience!
(3)Stefanie D.
Service was okay. Not the best service I've had at a Cracker Barrel. Food was the typical food you get at any Cracker Barrel. Used the gluten free menu.
(3)VJ S.
Not impressed. Have been to other cracker barrels in other states and had a better experience. Service was good, , food was mediocre, and the kitchen screwed up the order. Took a look in there on the way to the restroom and it was complete chaos. Maybe they were short handed? Might be back, but probably not .
(2)Sheila A.
Heidi was the best thing about this place. I'm one of those problem children who can't have gluten and I choose not to eat meat or dairy. She didn't even bat an eye and was very helpful when I asked questions. Probably the best server I have ever had. I'm only I coking off a star because I wish more things were meat free. But get it's cracker barrel and I knew there had to be a bales potato. My mom absolutely loved get food and the service. Thanks to Heidi it was a great experience :)
(4)Kristyn M.
They still are rolling out the delicious home cooked meals. My grandparents are huge fans and go every time they are in town. Id like to come back for breakfast but still everyone at the table enjoyed their meal though the two of us who ordered fish meals felt there could have been a little more to the meal.
(3)Mark O.
My roommate hates this place, so I'm always by myself when I visit Cracker Barrel. Service has been very pleasant to terrible, depending on the server. I wish they had smaller tables available for people on business or those who don't have a significant other (or family) to dine with, but I believe the smallest they have is a four-top. Stuffing is absolutely terrible, no fluffiness to it and tasted like it was the pan they made to start the lunch shift (I went in around 3:00). The ranch dressing is also horrible; it tastes bottled. Very thick and no buttermilk taste to it at all. Everything else is very enjoyable, especially the chicken & dumplings over mashed potatoes. I wish they'd leave honey and preserves on the table, I always forget to ask and the waitress usually seems annoyed about having to run to the kitchen to grab some. I also don't like getting the short end of the stick being a solo diner and only getting two total pieces of bread. For southerners yearning for a taste of the south, they sell bottled Cheerwine in the gift shop (made w/ real sugar).
(3)Sarah M.
This is one of my favorite place for breakfast or late lunch. We usually go there once a week on Sunday if we can. Some staffs are very nice and friendly. Had a couple rude servers before. So it is very depends.. Ask for Ross. She is the best server at this place. Food is pretty decent and prices are reasonable. Will come back again.
(4)Janet E.
The wait here is long when you show up at 1140am on a Sunday morning. We had to wait 40 minutes before we were seated. While waiting outside, we were subjected to a bunch of cigarette smokers because Cracker Barrel had placed their cigarette receptacles right outside the entrance. By law there is no smoking within 15 feet of an establishment. This was definitely not 15 feet away. As for the food and the service, it was great! During our visit there was a screaming child that was non-stop. I guess there was not much the restaurant could do about that. It definitely ruined the dining experience a bit. Thankfully the screaming kid left before our food arrived.
(3)Noah O.
We were passing through Des Moines and needed something to eat, so we gave Cracker Barrel a chance. We arrived about 2:30 PM on Sunday and the place was packed. We waited about 10 minutes for table before being seated due to a huge family (approx. 20 people) hogging several of the tables and talking over each other at the top of their lungs. The waitress came out and the first words out of her mouth was about how busy it was. Everytime she came to our table she was griping, but that wasn't much because she was lousy and seldom came back. Once our food arrived, it was luke warm at best and bland as if it was prepared for a nursing home or a hospital. For the money I paid I expected better quality food and better service.
(2)Lawrence A.
I've been to many Cracker Barrel's, but this one is above average in every way! I came back to Iowa to visit family and went here with a friend for the Sunday chicken dinner. I think it's the best fried chicken at almost any price, anywhere and it is boneless with two sides for $10 or less. Great service as well and super convenient in/out!
(4)Bill L.
This place was a great discovery for me! After eating here for the first time I went back twice in the next week! This place is always busy, but never too crowded that you would have to wait for an extended amount of time or affect your experience. The theme is an old country mixed with old western mixed with southern feel. The staff is very friendly and seem to be very happy to be serving you. The food tastes homemade and has a very authentic southern /country taste. There is always a plentiful amount of food put on your table and the price is great! I don't think I know of any other place in town that have food like this. You will definitely see me eating back here!
(5)Gerald Z.
Okay if you come to cracker barrel and don't get the pancakes you are crazy. These are seriously the best pancakes i have ever had. Everything else here is meh though, so that's why I give it 3 stars. Just order the pancakes and you won't be disappointed.
(3)Scott T.
I love this place. Chicken and dumplins are awesome. Chicken fried steak is delicious. Fried apples are amazing. Biscuits and cornbread are both good. Peach cobbler is the bomb. Meet me out front, we'll play checkers while sitting in rocking chairs.
(5)Amy A.
This is my husband pick last night, it's one of his favorite restaurant. I've always been so so on Cracker Barrel. We went at 4:45 in the evening so it wasn't very busy. We were seated right away and our waitress came almost immediately and took our drink order. The lemonade is fantastic. It's served in a frosty mug and it's real lemonade with pulp. They even give you free refills on it. Our server was very attentive to the refills on our drinks. My husband ordered a half an order of biscuits and gravy and French toast. I ordered the chicken tenders mashed potatoes broccoli and fried apples. The fried apples kind of like apple pie filling. The chicken tenders were homemade and very fresh. The helping of them was a Normas I had probably ate chicken tenders. The mashed potatoes are homemade and still have lumps of real potato. The broccoli seemed overcooked, dry and rather flavorless. My husband said his meal was really good. There was so much food we couldn't even finish everything. The waitress seemed almost like she was trying to hurry us out of there but maybe she was just trying to be efficient. She told us about all of them desserts about four times and gave us our ticket shortly after we got our meal. But she was really nice. I hate that you don't have to table because then I had to go wait in line in the general store park while some lady scrutinized her ticket to see if everything was charge correctly. I think it's just a way to get you to buy more crap before you leave. I give it a three star because there was nothing epic about the experience. Most of the food was good but not all of the food. The server was very nice but almost fake nice. I would say it was just okay.
(3)Robert R.
not my typical CB experience. Called ahead for some to go and it was a mess. The person on the other end of the phone couldn't get my order right (it was pretty simple). got overcharged for one item. Overall, it was disappointing. BTW, in general, getting sit down food to go sucks. (not a reflection of this CB). Do what i am going to do...plan better and sit down and eat. It will make your day better.
(2)Ben D.
Last night was just.... so disappointing. My fiance and his sister stopped in for dinner on our drive back from Joplin, MO because they were both really craving Cracker Barrell... I was already very well aware that I have never greatly enjoyed their heavy food so I was going to pick from the lighter menu options. We sat down and asked for waters and our waitress hurriedly ran off to get them. Over the course of the next ten minutes while we were talking and figuring out what we would like she returned to our table several times asking if we were ready to order, laughing uncomfortably, and then rushing away again. After spending several moments looking over the ridiculously vast menu they finally knew what they wanted and we all ordered our food. I should mention that simple questions asked of the waitress during this time went unanswered. She did not know what the soups were, she didn't know anything about the dressings offered... I would hope that a server would know the menu, but this one plainly did not. I got the Chicken Salad, she got the multigrain pancakes, and he got the country fried steak. Once the food had been set in front of us the real adventure began. My salad was just fine, thankfully the only effort that the cooks play in making the salad is arranging the ingredients in the bowl out of separate bags, no cooking or fuss involved. The other dinners were... less than satisfactory. The chicken fried steak was soggy, the fries were cold, the coleslaw was bland, the fried apples were good. The multigrain pancakes were dry and powdery, there was no syrup until we asked another server to bring it to us, and the eggs were not cooked properly. I should also mention... the waitress did return to our table, but not to ask us how our food was or refill our beverages, she merely wanted to lay the bill down and then promptly walked away and never returned to our table. Not a single employee returned to our table form that point forward. If ever in Des Moines, the only reason to visit this restaurant is to buy overpriced souvenirs... avoid eating here.
(1)Steve G.
Food showed up cold. Our waitress had a hard time keeping water glasses full of water. Food was ok but not worth the wait time.
(2)Timothy A.
This is by far the worst Cracker Barrel I have been to. The servers were rude and took forever to even take my order. They had an attitude that it was an inconvenience to serve me. I ordered Mamma's pancake breakfast, which is normally my favorite Cracker Barrel meal. However at this location, the pancakes were doughy and the bacon was overcooked. the eggs seemed like they came out of the microwave. As much as I love Cracker Barrel, I will not be returning to this location!
(1)Maggie W.
This Cracker Barrel is great! Awesome service, and the food is delicious and homemade. chicken and dumplings - best thing ever - billowy and tender 'flat' dumplings and real white meat chicken. meatloaf - kinda eh, studded with canned mushrooms (would not order again). hashbrown casserole - underwhelming and bland. fried apples - yummy, though they leave the skins on. macaroni and cheese - no Kraft boxed stuff here. homemade, creamy goodness. fried chicken salad - DELISH!!!! huge portion, fresh ingredients, yum. biscuits - amazefest and fluffy. cornbread - a little dry (wouldn't recommend). double chocolate fudge Coca-Cola cake - PURE SUGAR, didn't finish. ick. peach cobbler with ice cream - divine. absolutely perfect in every way. :) The decorations on the walls are interesting and so Iowa - old vintage farm equipment, small town signs, love it! The little store in front has all sorts of old-fashioned candies, cool candles, books, toys, t-shirts, and many more gift items. It's fun to walk around and window shop. Or sit out front in one of the homemade rockin' chairs and people watch while you wait. I'm always happy going to the Cracker Barrel, and it's family friendly too! P.S. The foods reviewed were sampled over many visits, not all at once, LOL.
(4)Monica L.
The apple dumplin is awesome.
(4)Mark G.
I love Cracker Barrel-Great comfort food, awesome cabin feel inside with fireplace, friendly service, and love the country store. One of my fave chains, can't got wrong here....They are usually located off the interstate.
(5)Trisha J.
Take out with out silverware and condiments. Food tasteless. Don't waste your money. It's almost as bad as the nearby Mexican restaurant El Rodeo. Skip that one too
(1)Tiffani J.
Classic choice. Love to shop after. NEEDS A Bit Of Customer Service with Waitress To Clients but other than that ... food always on point.
(4)Twinkiemo C.
Aaah....having been north (MN, WI, IL) for the last 8 years, it feels good to be at a real CB again for a fattening southern meal! Having a little turkey n dressing, greens and cornbread muffins! Mmmm!
(5)J D.
Can always count on Cracker Barrel for a good country meal. We don't have these in California so it was a nice for the children to experience something different. Great comfort food and the staff was very friendly.
(4)