Cracker Barrel - Norman

My father-in-law wanted to eat here for his 82nd birthday a couple of weeks ago. There were 10 of us. They pushed two tables together to accommodate. Unfortunately, we could barely move our arms. I asked for them to add another table, but they wouldn't. I think the waiter was either new or overwhelmed. We had to keep asking for extra syrup, jelly, water, etc. One person never rec'd their orange juice. Food was not hot when brought out. One person's pancakes were burnt. The manager came by the table to ask how everything was. My mother-in-law started telling her about our issues. The manager said she was not charging for any of our meals, but asked us to leave a good tip for the waiter. We did. I went to speak to the manager and said I don't feel comfortable not paying (we all did eat after all). She appreciated my offer, but again said "no charge". She wanted us to come back.

Cracker Barrel works hard at giving the patron a well rounded experience. The first thing you see is a porch full of rocking chairs and giant checkers sets to play with. Their country store is a great place to kill time while you wait for your table. On weekends you will usually have a wait, but not that bad. This location is very quick. Whether you go for breakfast or dinner, you can expect above average southern food done chain style. Some things are like Momma did, some worse, and maybe a few better. Desserts are usually pretty great as well. Just don't forget to grab some nostalgic candy from the store on the way out.

Cracker Barrel makes a profound effort to be consistently accommodating so that their patrons experience a pleasant and comforting meal. This particular store accomplishes these goals well. The food hits the comfort spot just as it has been designed to do. Every dish on the menu is intended to exude the home comfortable feeling of your years past. I cannot tell if the store is there to set up the dining experience or if the restaurant is there to drive after meal purchases in the store. Most likely both feed off each other much like the proverbial snake that eats it's own tail. If you want home style cooking try here.

Excellent Food. A prototypical Cracker Barrel. Wonderful food, nice country atmosphere, great gift shop. This restaurant is always packed, so expect a wait, both to get in and sometimes for your food.

Everything was great as usual. Our waitress was a bit slow but the food overcame that.