13 Cracker Barrel Items That Make The Trip Totally Worthwhile

Restaurant dining is one of the first things to get cut from a budget when money is tight, and it makes diners more discerning on the occasions they do want to enjoy eating out for a meal. 

If you want to stretch your restaurant budget, you likely want a real treat for the occasion, and Cracker Barrel delivers that nostalgic Southern comfort food that's perfect for days when you don't want to cook.  

See the top choices from the Cracker Barrel menu when you want to get the most delicious bang for your buck while dining out.

Editor's note: Prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by location.

Price: $11.99

Tender chicken slow-simmered with creamy sauce and strips of dough is a classic Southern dish that diners order over 11 million times a year from Cracker Barrel. This iconic dish is made fresh in-house every day, using top-quality chicken and a proprietary dumpling mix that doubles as their biscuit recipe.

The mix can be purchased dry to recreate them at home when money is too tight to go out to eat.

Price: $15.99

Get two of the most popular Cracker Barrel menu items for the price of one in this delicious fusion dish. Reddit user ReleventReference points out that Cracker Barrel uses large chunks of beef that are then slow-cooked into a pot roast, and it only gets better when turned into a shepherd's pie topped with a crispy layer of hashbrown casserole as a crust.

Price: $3.09

There are few restaurant dishes that get as many copycat recipes as Cracker Barrel's famous hashbrown casserole. The "secret ingredient" is cream of chicken soup, which acts as the binding agent between the cheese, potatoes, and onions.

You'll want to add this as a side regardless of whether you're eating breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Price: $10.49

"Choice of two sides" is the Cracker Barrel trap. That may be enough for lesser restaurants, but not so here. Adding on a bunch of extra sides can quickly raise the bill, but you can save a few bucks by ordering the country vegetable plate, which gives you a choice of four sides.

Price: $9.99

According to Cracker Barrel, Momma's Pancake Breakfast is the most popular menu item. The all-day breakfast policy means you don't have to be an early bird to get this tasty meal. It comes with two farm-fresh eggs and a choice of bacon or sausage.

Best of all, Cracker Barrel serves real maple syrup instead of the flavored high-fructose corn syrup found in other restaurants.

Price: $12.49

What do employees order from Cracker Barrel? According to Redditor Sangrine, the meatloaf is their go-to meal option. "I personally like the meatloaf, [m]ac 'n cheese, and their fried chicken. You really can't go wrong with any of it."

The meatloaf has tomatoes, onions, and green peppers, and it's topped with a layer of ketchup that makes it taste like home.

Price: $14.49

It can be hard to find a good turkey dinner outside of Thanksgiving season, but on Thursdays, Cracker Barrel has you covered.

Reddit user Typical-Hospital-351 says, "My absolute favorite is the turkey and dressing dinner on Thursdays!"

Price: $19.49

These ribs are slathered in a sweet and tangy brown sugar BBQ sauce, but you can only get them as a Saturday special.

A restaurant reviewer from Delish says the ribs are "slow-cooked until the meat falls apart off the bone and have the same savory flavor that we love in a Thanksgiving ham".

Price: $14.99

The maple chipotle-glazed chicken was introduced to the menu in 2020, and has become a customer favorite ever since.

The chicken is topped with cheese, bacon, a drizzle of ranch, and garnished with diced green onions for a perfect melding of flavors.

Price: $3.09

One of the simplest menu items is also one of their best. Cracker Barrel's fried apples are actually baked and are often described as the essence of apple pie. The butter, brown sugar, and apples caramelize together as they cook to create a dish near perfection.

Is it breakfast? A side dish? A dessert? Yes, to all of the above.

Price: $13.49

The dessert menu is Cracker Barrel's weakness, or at least it would be if their breakfast menu didn't make up for it. Skip dessert and order breakfast instead, because the strawberry cheesecake pancakes are basically the same thing.

Reviewers even rated these better than IHOP's New York Cheesecake pancakes, and they were more affordable, too.

Price: $13.99

You can't serve Southern cuisine without a top-notch fried chicken, and according to Cracker Barrel, their fried chicken is one of the most popular dishes on the menu.

They've got their own special recipe seasoning, and the dish is served with honey to drizzle over the crispy, flavorful chicken.

Price: $$16.49

Not everybody is going to be a fan of catfish, but those who are will find not one, but two, options on the menu. The grilled option has a Cajun-style spicy seasoning, and the fried version is encrusted in cornmeal and served with a tartar dipping sauce.

Just be warned, the Cajun seasoning may be too spicy for some.

Cracker Barrel packs a delicious menu that fans may love, but they're making many of the same mistakes that drive consumers to cook at home instead. With many families trying to save money on groceries, restaurant dining has become a luxury rather than a casual dining choice.

On top of that, Cracker Barrel is also raising prices and pumping money into expensive remodels that strip away a lot of its nostalgic charm, opting for a more modern farmhouse-chic trend. Only time will tell if true fans take to the changes.