Gah! Wish u weren't so far away. We were down in Urbana for my brother's gradation and came to breakfast before the big event. I had never been to Cracker Barrel before but after this experience, I will definitely be back. The food was delicious. I loved the baked apples. The coffee cup was kept full. I love the idea of the little peg game on the table to play while you wait. The waitress was so sweet and offered me a cup of coffee to go. Super nice staff throughout.
(4)
Maxine W.
I've reviewed another Cracker Barrel in the past, and this location lives up to the all-american constant that I've come to expect from Cracker Barrels. Its a tradition for my sister and I to have a meal at Cracker Barrel when I come to visit her, so we headed straight over there when I got off the train yesterday morning. I was pleasantly surprised to be seated without a wait- it was about 10:45 in the morning and the parking lot was PACKED (post-church crowd?). But we must have come in at the perfect time because there was one empty, clean table- and it was ours! Our server was very nice, our food came out quickly and tasted great. You know how sometimes when food comes out really fast it tastes old like they made it earlier and waited for someone to order it? This wasn't the case. It was all piping hot and fresh. The odds were ever in our favor.
(4)
Glenn W.
Great meal today...Lilia was a great waitress also....highly recommend!
(5)
Tyler N.
Ok.. since the last time I was at this Cracker Barrel (on June 7th, 2012 ... with it's respective awful experience with of not getting a Rib Eye steak cooked to my liking) ... I tried several times over the course of two months following my last visit to register a complaint at the crackerbarrel.com feedback page .. that .. when submitting the feedback.. threw a 'web server 501' error (likely meaning a programming or setup error malfunction on the server prevented the operation from finishing). Finally, in August 2012, the 501 error was fixed and they received my feedback .. albeit 2+ months late. They promptly responded in snail mail a FREE 1 PERSON MEAL coupon to be used sometime before 1-13-2013. Well ... today ... Nov 24, 2012 was the day I returned to Cracker Barrel to give them another chance at making a Rib Eye dinner for me. My girlfriend ordered a Meatloaf meal. Our meals were .. .much much better (at least mine was) than last time. The Rib Eye was cooked to medium (as I like). I could use a steak knife and cut it rather easily. It had good flavor. I also had cornbread muffins and a baked potato with butter. Cornbread muffins *always* tend to be a little dry and tend to clump in the back of my throat. Usually I need a drink handy to wash it down as it clumps. My girlfriend really like the meatloaf meal she ordered. Thought it was a good change from what she considered to be normal. It was quite tasty and the vegetables she selected were also very good. The only chink in the armor of my meal was the baked potato. It was very very well cooked (or nuked.. not sure if they use a confection oven or a microwave oven) with the ends of the meat of the potato being very hard (like an over nuked or over baked potato gets) and the skin (which I do eat) was extremely tough. When I asked the server for a new potato, I said "the potato's skin cuts like leather". When coming to that conclusion, it took quite a bit of downward force on the knife to cut through the potato. A baked potato shouldn't offer so much resistance to being cut. After the server replaced the potato, the replacement was absolutely fine. No problems. The only other chink was service. Service wasn't spectacular. Generally, I give servers a standing rule that if they see my drink nearing or beyond half full, bring another without asking me. Eventually, I'll slow down and on my last drink it'll take a long time for me to get down to the halfway mark. This particular server had a hard time keeping me well lubricated with my Coca Cola. There were many times I waited for the next Coke to arrive for a few minutes. In general, this visit to Cracker Barrel was somewhere near average. Not great. Not awful. Had my first baked potato been edible an the server kept me sufficiently lubricated with a constant flow of Coke .. they'd have received 4 stars. Because it didn't .. this was a great improvement over the last time .. but didn't WOW me. 3 stars.
(3)
Jason O.
We stop at the Cracker Barrel when we are traveling. It has a good variety of food and serves breakfast all day which is nice. No complaints about the quality of food and service here I like to stick to the catfish, cod, trout, or salads and haven't been disappointed yet. The wait can sometimes be long but once you are in they have enough staff to handle the crowds even when it's packed.
(3)
Chaz B.
DO NOT GO TO THIS RESTAURANT IF YOU ARE A PERSON OF COLOR. The manager, I believe of indian or Syrian decent is one of the most prejudice individuals I have ever met in my entire life. His attitude is discussing. Please join me in boycotting this establishment. I will never, ever eat here again. Nasty, despicable place. I will forever let any person who will listen to me know that this place is a throwback to Jim Crow days.
(1)
Taffy G.
Stopped here on our way back form Florida... not much to choose from out here... I tried the shrimp & grits.. AWESOME!!!! Never thought this would be a good combo but it works here!! And try the crustless coconut cream pie... MMMM!!! good attentive service.
(4)
Grace T.
Breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day, which is why Cracker Barrel is so great! They serve breakfast all day and their food is amazing! I'm from California, so there's nothing like eating country-style breakfast like Cracker Barrel! I always get the pancakes when I come here because their syrup is to die for!
(5)
S H.
Great good. Fast seating. Amazing service. Very friendly. Never overly busy!! Love it!
(4)
Edward M.
Have only eaten breakfast there. Not bad. I like that they have grits. Not many places in town offer them. Grits remind me of the pastina I ate as a child. Their hash brown casserole is quite good, though servings of it are small. I get a Sampler that includes grits, eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, hash browns, biscuits, gravy, and apples in small amounts. The service is friendly and efficient. Prices are reasonable. Decor very country. The gift shop has lots of junk and kitsch but upon closer inspection has some items from the past that bring back memories, such as types of candy and snacks. Also, unlike some places I have breakfasted, they don't make you feel like an oddity because you're dining alone.
(3)
Ellen M.
Gross man! The food is tasteless slop and will only add about five cholesterol points to your day. Not impressed with the granny bait store either. The service is friendly, so at least the people who made you come here understand civility.
(2)
Lisa B.
I have been back several times and have been mostly satisfied with everything. They have microwaved a few items to re heat them but that's OK. I recently tried their grilled haddock and it was really good. I also like the grilled chicken tenderloins. I have those with the hashbrown casserole and pinto beans. I get the apple bran muffin instead of the corn bread. I still don't care much for their cornbread but everything else has really improved. I am so glad it has because I really like to browse the Country Store.
(4)
Nelson M.
Restaurant review I want to say that I really like Cracker Barrel a lot, for the price and food you get this is not a bad place for a meal. This is a review of the wonderful breakfast I had here. After hearing from my coworkers that the Country boy breakfast is an amazing way to start the day I came I saw and ate like a king for breakfast. This is quite a feast where you can chose from country ham, pork chop, or steak grilled to order. I selected the steak and it was quite tender and cooked to my liking (medium rare) even though the menu says they have to cook everything to medium. It included 3 eggs cooked your way along with fried apples, hashrown, grits, gravy and buttermilk biscuits, and apple butter. This was quite a bit of food for breakfast but it certainly hits the spot. Everything was cooked well and not overdone. Service was excellent and friendly. I have yet to be disappointed. Pros: inexpensive, great breakfast lunch or dinner, friendly service Cons: it is a small drive out from Champaign Hidden deals: Daily weekday lunch specials for 5.99 Daily weekday dinner specials as well Check the website for more details
(5)
Sharon S.
Pam was our extremely attentive, and patient, waitress. Food was excellent, as always. Usually we avoid Sunday's but the turnaround was quick!
(5)
Kristina H.
This Cracker Barrel always has hot food and good service. However this last visit like other customers my husband ordered a medium ribeye and it came to the table well done. He is not a complainer so he did not send it back. They need to find employees who can cook a steak! Not that hard!
(4)
Jojo F.
I was on a trip with my husband and the in laws as we made our way to St.Charles, MO for a wedding and we somehow managed to eat here. Twice. Yes, twice. So, the service is charming and friendly. The menu is chock full of traditional Midwestern fare (aka, everything has some surprise chuck of meat in it). I'll explain. On our first breakfast visit, I ordered the oatmeal and blueberry muffin combo and coffee. The muffin was nice and warm was meant to be shared. The oatmeal was really good, no quick oats here. And I ended up buying a "ChiChi the Chihuahua " dog for the car trip. Trust me. It was a good idea. The second trip was more of a brunch and I ordered the "Midwest Veggie Plate", with my choice of 4 sides. I chose brown rice, turnip greens, potato wedges and beans. How 3 out of 4 of those dishes had shredded meat that was certainly picked out, will be a mystery to me. Brown rice with shredded meat? Beans with bits of ham? Turnip greens with a sliver of meat. It was like a demented macrobiotic plate. I kind of ate my meal, but with scrutiny. You don't really go to Cracker Barrel...you just kind of end up there. Best enjoyed on road trips with family.
(3)
lisa N.
This is my favorite restaurant to go in Champaign, and if something particularly good happens to me, this is where we go to celebrate. You have to order carefully, it is true. The pork barbecue is good, the rainbow trout is pretty good if not fried, but the main reason to go is the GREENS. They have flecks of meat in them which is what makes them good. This is the reason that i like southern cooking. The biscuits and cornbread are also very good. I would avoid all other of their meat entrees, particularly their meatloaf which has a really weirdly fluffy and light consistency, as if meat had been aerated and transformed into a different substance with different properties, and the "chicken n noodles," which is like condensed chicken soup from a can, but with extra slime. Beef stew is a disaster; even the waitress described it as "fatty." Desserts are insanely huge and can be shared if you are a family of 4. Three of us all had a go at the apple dumpling and barely made a dent in it. It went back looking more or less the same as when it arrived. The thing I like the most about this place is its multicultural democratic bent. Despite the downhome theme of this place, which might seem off-putting if you are not a white person from the midwest, I have always had excellent service here. It is also the only restaurant in our town that I have seen that has both a white and a black clientele (I have never seen Asian people here, except for some people who were clearly part of a bus tour and therefore not there of their own free will).
(4)
Carmen M.
Not very many food options! I went there at brunch time. I was feeling breakfasty but they didn't have many breakfast options so I got a cheeseburger instead. I would've definitely had something breakfast-like though.
(3)
Jamie L.
I've eaten here numerous times. It's a favorite of our children. The wait staff is a bit iffy sometimes, but the food has always been consistent. They have the cutest gift shop and their prices are great!
(4)
Crystal B.
If you like catfish, get the fried catfish plate! You won't be dissapointed.
(4)
Andrew T.
I love Cracker Barrel for Sunday morning, on the way out of Champaign food. Great way to end the weekend. All the food is good, esp the hash brown casserole, but we all knew that. I'm reviewing especially for service. Twice now, we've been with parties of at least 10. This past weekend? 14! Both times, we've been seated without much wait (no wait this past weekend...and who would expect no wait for 14...at a breakfast place...on Sunday), been served quickly, been given separate checks without a second word, and just had a totally painless experience. Orders are all correct, food prepared well for what it is. Good times. This past visit...3 of us went to put names in for everyone, expecting a wait, and they pushed a huge table together, and sat the scouting party, letting them just wait for everyone else to show up. All service I guess I wouldn't expect from a run of the mill, always busy breakfast place. So - visit this Cracker Barrel without fear. Order Grandma's French Toast.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Breakfast Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
MARIA O.
Gah! Wish u weren't so far away. We were down in Urbana for my brother's gradation and came to breakfast before the big event. I had never been to Cracker Barrel before but after this experience, I will definitely be back. The food was delicious. I loved the baked apples. The coffee cup was kept full. I love the idea of the little peg game on the table to play while you wait. The waitress was so sweet and offered me a cup of coffee to go. Super nice staff throughout.
(4)Maxine W.
I've reviewed another Cracker Barrel in the past, and this location lives up to the all-american constant that I've come to expect from Cracker Barrels. Its a tradition for my sister and I to have a meal at Cracker Barrel when I come to visit her, so we headed straight over there when I got off the train yesterday morning. I was pleasantly surprised to be seated without a wait- it was about 10:45 in the morning and the parking lot was PACKED (post-church crowd?). But we must have come in at the perfect time because there was one empty, clean table- and it was ours! Our server was very nice, our food came out quickly and tasted great. You know how sometimes when food comes out really fast it tastes old like they made it earlier and waited for someone to order it? This wasn't the case. It was all piping hot and fresh. The odds were ever in our favor.
(4)Glenn W.
Great meal today...Lilia was a great waitress also....highly recommend!
(5)Tyler N.
Ok.. since the last time I was at this Cracker Barrel (on June 7th, 2012 ... with it's respective awful experience with of not getting a Rib Eye steak cooked to my liking) ... I tried several times over the course of two months following my last visit to register a complaint at the crackerbarrel.com feedback page .. that .. when submitting the feedback.. threw a 'web server 501' error (likely meaning a programming or setup error malfunction on the server prevented the operation from finishing). Finally, in August 2012, the 501 error was fixed and they received my feedback .. albeit 2+ months late. They promptly responded in snail mail a FREE 1 PERSON MEAL coupon to be used sometime before 1-13-2013. Well ... today ... Nov 24, 2012 was the day I returned to Cracker Barrel to give them another chance at making a Rib Eye dinner for me. My girlfriend ordered a Meatloaf meal. Our meals were .. .much much better (at least mine was) than last time. The Rib Eye was cooked to medium (as I like). I could use a steak knife and cut it rather easily. It had good flavor. I also had cornbread muffins and a baked potato with butter. Cornbread muffins *always* tend to be a little dry and tend to clump in the back of my throat. Usually I need a drink handy to wash it down as it clumps. My girlfriend really like the meatloaf meal she ordered. Thought it was a good change from what she considered to be normal. It was quite tasty and the vegetables she selected were also very good. The only chink in the armor of my meal was the baked potato. It was very very well cooked (or nuked.. not sure if they use a confection oven or a microwave oven) with the ends of the meat of the potato being very hard (like an over nuked or over baked potato gets) and the skin (which I do eat) was extremely tough. When I asked the server for a new potato, I said "the potato's skin cuts like leather". When coming to that conclusion, it took quite a bit of downward force on the knife to cut through the potato. A baked potato shouldn't offer so much resistance to being cut. After the server replaced the potato, the replacement was absolutely fine. No problems. The only other chink was service. Service wasn't spectacular. Generally, I give servers a standing rule that if they see my drink nearing or beyond half full, bring another without asking me. Eventually, I'll slow down and on my last drink it'll take a long time for me to get down to the halfway mark. This particular server had a hard time keeping me well lubricated with my Coca Cola. There were many times I waited for the next Coke to arrive for a few minutes. In general, this visit to Cracker Barrel was somewhere near average. Not great. Not awful. Had my first baked potato been edible an the server kept me sufficiently lubricated with a constant flow of Coke .. they'd have received 4 stars. Because it didn't .. this was a great improvement over the last time .. but didn't WOW me. 3 stars.
(3)Jason O.
We stop at the Cracker Barrel when we are traveling. It has a good variety of food and serves breakfast all day which is nice. No complaints about the quality of food and service here I like to stick to the catfish, cod, trout, or salads and haven't been disappointed yet. The wait can sometimes be long but once you are in they have enough staff to handle the crowds even when it's packed.
(3)Chaz B.
DO NOT GO TO THIS RESTAURANT IF YOU ARE A PERSON OF COLOR. The manager, I believe of indian or Syrian decent is one of the most prejudice individuals I have ever met in my entire life. His attitude is discussing. Please join me in boycotting this establishment. I will never, ever eat here again. Nasty, despicable place. I will forever let any person who will listen to me know that this place is a throwback to Jim Crow days.
(1)Taffy G.
Stopped here on our way back form Florida... not much to choose from out here... I tried the shrimp & grits.. AWESOME!!!! Never thought this would be a good combo but it works here!! And try the crustless coconut cream pie... MMMM!!! good attentive service.
(4)Grace T.
Breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day, which is why Cracker Barrel is so great! They serve breakfast all day and their food is amazing! I'm from California, so there's nothing like eating country-style breakfast like Cracker Barrel! I always get the pancakes when I come here because their syrup is to die for!
(5)S H.
Great good. Fast seating. Amazing service. Very friendly. Never overly busy!! Love it!
(4)Edward M.
Have only eaten breakfast there. Not bad. I like that they have grits. Not many places in town offer them. Grits remind me of the pastina I ate as a child. Their hash brown casserole is quite good, though servings of it are small. I get a Sampler that includes grits, eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, hash browns, biscuits, gravy, and apples in small amounts. The service is friendly and efficient. Prices are reasonable. Decor very country. The gift shop has lots of junk and kitsch but upon closer inspection has some items from the past that bring back memories, such as types of candy and snacks. Also, unlike some places I have breakfasted, they don't make you feel like an oddity because you're dining alone.
(3)Ellen M.
Gross man! The food is tasteless slop and will only add about five cholesterol points to your day. Not impressed with the granny bait store either. The service is friendly, so at least the people who made you come here understand civility.
(2)Lisa B.
I have been back several times and have been mostly satisfied with everything. They have microwaved a few items to re heat them but that's OK. I recently tried their grilled haddock and it was really good. I also like the grilled chicken tenderloins. I have those with the hashbrown casserole and pinto beans. I get the apple bran muffin instead of the corn bread. I still don't care much for their cornbread but everything else has really improved. I am so glad it has because I really like to browse the Country Store.
(4)Nelson M.
Restaurant review I want to say that I really like Cracker Barrel a lot, for the price and food you get this is not a bad place for a meal. This is a review of the wonderful breakfast I had here. After hearing from my coworkers that the Country boy breakfast is an amazing way to start the day I came I saw and ate like a king for breakfast. This is quite a feast where you can chose from country ham, pork chop, or steak grilled to order. I selected the steak and it was quite tender and cooked to my liking (medium rare) even though the menu says they have to cook everything to medium. It included 3 eggs cooked your way along with fried apples, hashrown, grits, gravy and buttermilk biscuits, and apple butter. This was quite a bit of food for breakfast but it certainly hits the spot. Everything was cooked well and not overdone. Service was excellent and friendly. I have yet to be disappointed. Pros: inexpensive, great breakfast lunch or dinner, friendly service Cons: it is a small drive out from Champaign Hidden deals: Daily weekday lunch specials for 5.99 Daily weekday dinner specials as well Check the website for more details
(5)Sharon S.
Pam was our extremely attentive, and patient, waitress. Food was excellent, as always. Usually we avoid Sunday's but the turnaround was quick!
(5)Kristina H.
This Cracker Barrel always has hot food and good service. However this last visit like other customers my husband ordered a medium ribeye and it came to the table well done. He is not a complainer so he did not send it back. They need to find employees who can cook a steak! Not that hard!
(4)Jojo F.
I was on a trip with my husband and the in laws as we made our way to St.Charles, MO for a wedding and we somehow managed to eat here. Twice. Yes, twice. So, the service is charming and friendly. The menu is chock full of traditional Midwestern fare (aka, everything has some surprise chuck of meat in it). I'll explain. On our first breakfast visit, I ordered the oatmeal and blueberry muffin combo and coffee. The muffin was nice and warm was meant to be shared. The oatmeal was really good, no quick oats here. And I ended up buying a "ChiChi the Chihuahua " dog for the car trip. Trust me. It was a good idea. The second trip was more of a brunch and I ordered the "Midwest Veggie Plate", with my choice of 4 sides. I chose brown rice, turnip greens, potato wedges and beans. How 3 out of 4 of those dishes had shredded meat that was certainly picked out, will be a mystery to me. Brown rice with shredded meat? Beans with bits of ham? Turnip greens with a sliver of meat. It was like a demented macrobiotic plate. I kind of ate my meal, but with scrutiny. You don't really go to Cracker Barrel...you just kind of end up there. Best enjoyed on road trips with family.
(3)lisa N.
This is my favorite restaurant to go in Champaign, and if something particularly good happens to me, this is where we go to celebrate. You have to order carefully, it is true. The pork barbecue is good, the rainbow trout is pretty good if not fried, but the main reason to go is the GREENS. They have flecks of meat in them which is what makes them good. This is the reason that i like southern cooking. The biscuits and cornbread are also very good. I would avoid all other of their meat entrees, particularly their meatloaf which has a really weirdly fluffy and light consistency, as if meat had been aerated and transformed into a different substance with different properties, and the "chicken n noodles," which is like condensed chicken soup from a can, but with extra slime. Beef stew is a disaster; even the waitress described it as "fatty." Desserts are insanely huge and can be shared if you are a family of 4. Three of us all had a go at the apple dumpling and barely made a dent in it. It went back looking more or less the same as when it arrived. The thing I like the most about this place is its multicultural democratic bent. Despite the downhome theme of this place, which might seem off-putting if you are not a white person from the midwest, I have always had excellent service here. It is also the only restaurant in our town that I have seen that has both a white and a black clientele (I have never seen Asian people here, except for some people who were clearly part of a bus tour and therefore not there of their own free will).
(4)Carmen M.
Not very many food options! I went there at brunch time. I was feeling breakfasty but they didn't have many breakfast options so I got a cheeseburger instead. I would've definitely had something breakfast-like though.
(3)Jamie L.
I've eaten here numerous times. It's a favorite of our children. The wait staff is a bit iffy sometimes, but the food has always been consistent. They have the cutest gift shop and their prices are great!
(4)Crystal B.
If you like catfish, get the fried catfish plate! You won't be dissapointed.
(4)Andrew T.
I love Cracker Barrel for Sunday morning, on the way out of Champaign food. Great way to end the weekend. All the food is good, esp the hash brown casserole, but we all knew that. I'm reviewing especially for service. Twice now, we've been with parties of at least 10. This past weekend? 14! Both times, we've been seated without much wait (no wait this past weekend...and who would expect no wait for 14...at a breakfast place...on Sunday), been served quickly, been given separate checks without a second word, and just had a totally painless experience. Orders are all correct, food prepared well for what it is. Good times. This past visit...3 of us went to put names in for everyone, expecting a wait, and they pushed a huge table together, and sat the scouting party, letting them just wait for everyone else to show up. All service I guess I wouldn't expect from a run of the mill, always busy breakfast place. So - visit this Cracker Barrel without fear. Order Grandma's French Toast.
(4)