Independent profile. Not owned, sponsored or endorsed by Cracker Barrel.
Cracker Barrel Reviews & Complaints
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. is the Lebanon, Tennessee company behind the Cracker Barrel restaurant and gift-shop chain, which it says had 655 stores in 43 states on September 11, 2026. BBB rates it A+ with 277 complaints, and Trustpilot shows 2.2 from 612 reviews. Its legal history includes a 2025 Maryland civil-rights settlement and EEOC and Justice Department consent resolutions; 12 archived complaints date from 2002 to 2011.
Contacts
Official website
- Official websitecrackerbarrel.com ↗
Corporate & press
- Corporate headquarters (SEC filing)(615) 444-5533 1 complaint mentions this number
- Careers site (job search)careers.crackerbarrel.com ↗
Reference numbers (not support lines)
- Listed by BBBBBB-listed number (guest contact)(800) 333-9566 1 complaint mentions this number
Locations
- Headquarters305 Hartmann Drive, Lebanon, TN 37087
Company Information
- Legal name
- Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.
- Founded
- 1969
- Business type
- Restaurant and retail store chain (Cracker Barrel Old Country Store); Tennessee corporation headquartered in Lebanon, Tennessee, listed on Nasdaq as CBRL; the company reports operating 655 stores in 43 states as of September 11, 2026, none franchised
- Website
- crackerbarrel.comSource: Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2026, checked
- Headquarters
- Lebanon, TNSource: Form 10-K cover, checked
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. is a public company that files annual reports with the SEC, lists a headquarters address and telephone number in them, and reports operating 655 Cracker Barrel stores (restaurant with gift shop) in 43 states as of September 11, 2026. BBB lists the headquarters as accredited with an A+ rating, and also shows 277 complaints in three years; Trustpilot shows 2.2 from 612 reviews on an unclaimed profile. Sites that use the Cracker Barrel name for packaged cheese or other products are different businesses from the restaurant chain.
A restaurant complaint concerns a specific visit. Local health departments, state civil-rights agencies and the EEOC have authority over different kinds of complaint; the company's own contact channel should be tried first and the outcome kept in writing.
Independent Sources
Complaint Themes
Reviews & Complaints on USAComplaints
13 complaints linked to the Cracker Barrel profile are published on this site (2002-2026). 1 is from 2023-2026.
- Mashed Potatoes Hard Enough for a Fork to Stand Up
- Porcelain pieces found in coleslaw at Winchester location
- Cigarette smoke from smoking section ruined family dinner
- Slow service and missing items at Wilkes-Barre location
- Hard chicken livers sent back twice with no compensation offered
Show 8 more complaints on this page
- No raise during last two years of five years of work
- Hours cut, poor reference and unemployment benefits contested
- Checks stolen from my purse accepted at two locations
- Stolen checks cashed at two restaurants without ID check
- Vegetable soup contained beef stock and I was still charged
- Unpaid hours never reimbursed and mandatory meeting during prenatal checkup
- Got sick after meal and heard pig fat is used in biscuits
- Injured at work by rug, insurer denied treatment, no job offered
Complaints and review sites
Each figure is from a separate source and none is combined with another.
- BBB (headquarters listing, Lebanon, TN): rating A+; BBB states the company is BBB Accredited (accredited since October 26, 2011); 277 total complaints in the last 3 years and 51 filed in the last 12 months; customer reviews 1.22 out of 5 from 51 reviews. BBB shows about 180 listings under this name, one per location; only the headquarters listing is used here. That listing names Julie Masino under business management, while the 10-K says David Deno became Chief Executive Officer on August 10, 2026.
- Trustpilot (crackerbarrel.com): 2.2 from 612 reviews, 83 of them in the last 12 months; the profile is unclaimed, and Trustpilot notes that the company has not invited its customers, so reviews may not be representative. Trustpilot does not fact-check reviews.
Archive on this site. 12 approved complaints from 2002 to 2011 are linked to Cracker Barrel, all as the main subject. By subject (counted by hand from the texts): four from current or former employees about pay, workplace safety, harassment or references. Three are about food (an ingredient dispute, a soup that contained beef stock after a server said it was vegetarian, a piece of porcelain in a meal). Three are about dining-room service or staff conduct. Two are from a person whose stolen checks were cashed at two restaurants. One is about a smoking section. None of these has been independently confirmed by us, and the company's side is not recorded in them.
Had an experience with Cracker Barrel? Tell other people what happened.
Submit a ComplaintProblems with a visit, an order or a job: where to complain, and where else to report
The company's annual report (Form 10-K, fiscal 2026) says it has 'public notices in our menus, on our website and posted in our stores informing guests and employees about how to contact us by internet with questions, complaints or concerns regarding services or products'. The company also says that its store employees are trained 'on how to gather information and investigate and resolve guest concerns'. Check the current contact form on the company's site rather than relying on a number copied from elsewhere.
- Note the store city and address, the date and time, and any order or receipt number; BBB's complaint instructions for this company ask for exactly these three items (store location, date/time of purchase or visit, order number) in step 2 of its complaint form.
- Keep the receipt, photos of any food problem and the names of staff you spoke to.
- Corporate telephone number printed on the company's SEC filings: (615) 444-5533 (headquarters switchboard, Lebanon, Tennessee). BBB separately lists (800) 333-9566 for the company; that number is BBB-listed and was not confirmed on the company's own website.
- For a food-safety concern, the company's 10-K lists among its food-safety practices 'monitoring of all health department inspections of all Cracker Barrel locations' and 'monitoring and responding to' foodborne illness outbreaks. Your county or state health department is the regulator for restaurant sanitation and illness reports.
Employment complaints. Several archived complaints on this site (2002 to 2007) come from former employees. A wage, harassment, discrimination or retaliation complaint about a restaurant job is handled by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and state agencies, not by BBB; the court and agency matters listed show how some such claims have been resolved.
Discrimination at a restaurant. The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights and Attorney General's office, and the U.S. Department of Justice in 2004, have each dealt with public-accommodation complaints against the company (see the related section).
Government agreements and consent decrees
Maryland Commission on Civil Rights and Office of the Attorney General (December 8, 2025). The two agencies announced a settlement over a visit by students with autism and their teachers to the Cracker Barrel in Waldorf, Maryland, after what they described as 'serious concerns of differential treatment rooted in disability' and a joint investigation. Under the terms listed in the press release, Cracker Barrel will 'revise and strengthen its public accommodation policy nationwide', pay $75,000 in total to the affected students ($7,500 per child). Cracker Barrel will also donate $17,500 to two programs at Dr. James Craik Elementary School, reimburse $446.56 for the school's meal and transportation costs, and contribute $9,000 to the Civil Rights Enforcement Fund. The release also mentions improved training and a formal written apology. The release does not say whether the company admitted or denied the allegations.
More on regulatorsShow less
U.S. Department of Justice (announced May 3, 2004). The Department announced a complaint and a jointly filed consent order in the Northern District of Georgia, which at the time 'remains subject to court approval and which covers Cracker Barrel restaurants nationwide'. The Department alleged discrimination against African-American customers in violation of Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and said evidence was found at about 50 restaurants in seven states. The five-year agreement required nondiscrimination policies, training, a complaint-tracking system, an outside auditor and outside testing. The consent order itself (Document 4 on the Northern District of Georgia docket, No. 4:04-cv-00109-HLM, stamped filed May 3, 2004) states the following. 'Entry of this Order does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing by Cracker Barrel, nor do the parties intend for it to be interpreted as such.' The order's later history was not reviewed here.
EEOC. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced three consent resolutions: a $2 million decree for three Illinois restaurants (March 10, 2006), a $255,000 settlement for a Tennessee restaurant (April 10, 2009) and a $15,000 settlement of a disability-hiring suit (February 5, 2021). A consent resolution is not a finding by a court on the merits.
Court matters and settlements
The cases listed are consent resolutions announced by agencies; other federal dockets naming Cracker Barrel, including suits filed by individuals, are not summarized. The company's 10-K (Item 3) says it is 'party to various legal and regulatory proceedings and claims incidental to their business in the ordinary course' and that management does not expect a material adverse effect on results or financial position.
More on the lawsuitsShow less
- EEOC v. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. and CBOCS West, Inc. (N.D. Ill. No. 04-C-5273): decree entered March 10, 2006. The decree set a $2 million fund for 51 current or former employees at restaurants in Bloomington, Mattoon and Matteson, Illinois over sexual and racial harassment and retaliation (suit filed August 11, 2004). The decree also required training, a posted notice, reporting of sex or race discrimination complaints to the EEOC, and a bar on retaliation.
- EEOC v. Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores, Inc. (E.D. Tenn. No. 3:07-cv-00376): three-year consent decree announced April 10, 2009; $255,000 over alleged sexual harassment and retaliation at the Cedar Bluff, Tennessee store, with annual training and complaint reporting.
- United States v. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (N.D. Ga. No. 4:04-cv-00109-HLM): Title II consent order filed May 3, 2004 (see the government agreements section for its terms and its no-admission clause).
- EEOC v. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (D. Md. No. 1:18-cv-02674-PX): announced February 5, 2021. The settlement was $15,000 to a job applicant plus an injunction, ADA training and a posted notice, in a suit over an alleged refusal to hire a deaf applicant for a dishwasher position at the Linthicum Heights, Maryland store.
Cases where the company was the claimant. The 10-K reports that in fiscal 2026 the company received $47,422 thousand, net of legal fees, under a settlement resolving interchange fee litigation, and $12,596 thousand in settlements of litigation involving its poultry and pork suppliers. These are company recoveries, not consumer claims.
Court & Public Records
EEOC v. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. and CBOCS West, Inc.
SettledConsent decree entered on March 10, 2006: a $2 million fund for 51 current or former employees at restaurants in Bloomington, Mattoon and Matteson, Illinois (claims of sexual and racial harassment and retaliation; the EEOC says it filed the suit on August 11, 2004), harassment training, a posted notice, reporting of sex or race discrimination complaints to the EEOC, and a bar on retaliation. The EEOC release says its investigation found reasonable cause; it contains no admission or denial by the company.
EEOC v. Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores, Inc.
SettledThree-year consent decree announced April 10, 2009 and signed by Judge Thomas A. Varlan: $255,000 over alleged sexual harassment of a class of women and retaliation at the Cedar Bluff, Tennessee store, annual anti-harassment and anti-retaliation training for three years, complaint reporting and posted notices. The release states no admission or denial.
EEOC v. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store
SettledSettlement announced February 5, 2021 in a suit over an alleged refusal to hire a deaf applicant for a dishwasher position at the Linthicum Heights, Maryland store: $15,000 to the applicant plus an injunction against disability discrimination, ADA training including on interviewing and hiring, and a posted notice. The release states no admission or denial.
United States v. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (Title II consent order)
SettledOn May 3, 2004 the Justice Department announced a complaint and a jointly filed consent order alleging discrimination against African-American customers; the consent order (Document 4 on the docket, headed Rome Division, stamped filed May 3, 2004) resolves the complaint. Its five-year terms: nondiscrimination policies, training, complaint tracking, an outside auditor and outside testing. The order states: 'Entry of this Order does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing by Cracker Barrel, nor do the parties intend for it to be interpreted as such.' The signing date on the copy read is not legible, and the docket's later history was not reviewed.
Who operates Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (SEC CIK 0001067294) is a Tennessee corporation headquartered at 305 Hartmann Drive, Lebanon, Tennessee, and its common stock trades on Nasdaq under CBRL. The company says it was 'originally founded in 1969'. It was formerly named CBRL Group, Inc. (SEC filings under that name run through December 10, 2008).
Scale, as the company reports in its 10-K for the year ended July 31, 2026. As of September 11, 2026 it operated 655 Cracker Barrel stores in 43 states, none of them franchised. Restaurants generated about 81 percent of revenue, with the rest from the retail gift shop; about 93 percent of restaurants also serve beer and wine. It employed about 74,500 people as of July 31, 2026, and its average check per guest in fiscal 2026 was $15.58. The company runs a loyalty program, Cracker Barrel Rewards, which launched in the first quarter of fiscal 2024. The 10-K says it 'allows members to earn points ("pegs") for each qualifying purchase in store or online' and that pegs 'are then converted to rewards upon reaching certain thresholds'. On gift cards the 10-K says: 'Gift cards do not carry an expiration date; therefore, customers can redeem their gift cards indefinitely.'
More company historyShow less
Recent events the company discloses. The 10-K says the company 'faced challenges related to negative publicity from brand initiatives' including 'the launch of a new logo and modern test store remodels'. The company says it 'responded by returning to our former logo and discontinuing the modern test store remodels during the first quarter of 2026'. It states that David Deno began serving as Chief Executive Officer on August 10, 2026, replacing Julie Masino. It also states that in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 it sold 35 locations of its former Maple Street Biscuit Company fast-casual concept and closed the remaining company-owned locations.
Cracker Barrel cheese sold in grocery stores is a separate product line from the restaurant chain; archived complaints about packaged cheese are not linked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns and operates Cracker Barrel restaurants?
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., a Tennessee corporation headquartered in Lebanon, Tennessee, operates the stores; its 10-K says that as of September 11, 2026 it ran 655 stores in 43 states and that none were franchised. The stock trades on Nasdaq as CBRL.
Where does Cracker Barrel list job openings?
Cracker Barrel runs a careers site at careers.crackerbarrel.com. It has a jobs-near-me search that takes a city and state or detects your location, and groups openings into culinary and kitchen, distribution center and hotel, guest hospitality and retail, store and retail management, and store support center teams.
How do I contact Cracker Barrel corporate?
Cracker Barrel's headquarters telephone printed on its SEC filings is (615) 444-5533, at 305 Hartmann Drive, Lebanon, Tennessee 37087. The company says its menus, website and stores carry notices on how to contact it by internet with complaints. BBB lists (800) 333-9566.
What should I include when I complain about a Cracker Barrel visit?
BBB's profile for Cracker Barrel asks for the store location (street, city, state), the date and time of the purchase or visit, and the order number if there is one. Keeping the receipt and photos helps any complaint, whichever channel is used.
What are Cracker Barrel's BBB rating and complaint numbers?
BBB's headquarters listing for Cracker Barrel (Lebanon, TN) showed an A+ rating, accreditation, 277 complaints in the last 3 years, 51 in the last 12 months, and customer reviews of 1.22 out of 5 from 51 reviews. BBB shows about 180 listings under the name, one per location.
What does Trustpilot show for Cracker Barrel?
Trustpilot showed 2.2 from 612 reviews for Cracker Barrel at crackerbarrel.com, 83 of them in the last 12 months, an unclaimed profile, and a notice that the company has not invited customers, so reviews may not be representative.
What was the 2025 Maryland settlement with Cracker Barrel?
On December 8, 2025 the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights and the Attorney General's office announced a settlement with Cracker Barrel over a visit by students with autism to the Waldorf restaurant. The settlement includes a nationwide revision of the public accommodation policy, $75,000 to the students ($7,500 each), a $17,500 donation to school programs, $446.56 reimbursement to the school and $9,000 to a civil rights enforcement fund.
What was the 2004 Justice Department case against Cracker Barrel?
On May 3, 2004 the Department of Justice announced a complaint against Cracker Barrel and a jointly filed consent order in the Northern District of Georgia (No. 4:04-cv-00109-HLM) alleging discrimination against African-American customers under Title II of the Civil Rights Act. The five-year agreement required policies, training, complaint tracking, an outside auditor and testing. The consent order states that its entry 'does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing by Cracker Barrel'.
Which EEOC settlements has Cracker Barrel agreed to?
The EEOC announced a $2 million decree against Cracker Barrel for three Illinois restaurants on March 10, 2006, a $255,000 settlement for a Tennessee restaurant on April 10, 2009 and a $15,000 disability-discrimination settlement on February 5, 2021. Each also included training or other non-monetary terms.
Are complaints about Cracker Barrel cheese about the restaurant company?
Cracker Barrel's 10-K describes the restaurant and retail concept, and does not describe a cheese business; only complaints about the restaurants and the employer are linked. Archived cheese complaints name another manufacturer in their offender field and are not linked here.
Sources (5)
Public records
- Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2026 sec.gov
- SEC EDGAR company page for CIK 0001067294: 'CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE, INC', State of Inc.: TN, SIC… sec.gov
- Maryland Commission on Civil Rights press release, December 8, 2025 mccr.maryland.gov
Review sites
- BBB business profile and Cracker Barrel Form 10-K bbb.org
- Trustpilot page for crackerbarrel.com trustpilot.com