Cracker Barrel, fresh from the political fallout following its shortlived logo rebrand, has been accused of serving up half-baked food.
Employees told the New York Post that the Southern-homestyle chain allegedly began cutting corners in the kitchen earlier this year, swapping freshly made biscuits and meatloaf for frozen, day-old ones microwaved before serving.
The changes, allegedly starting in February to boost efficiency amid staffing shortages, resulted in “rubbery” biscuits that were also “hard like a rock,” employees said.
This reportedly came before the chain received swift backlash for changing — then reverting — to its longtime “Old Timer” logo.
As for the meatloaf, the employees told the paper they now make it the day before and microwave it for just over a minute before serving.
Multiple employees claim that Cracker Barrel microwaves old biscuits and meatloaf to serve to customers (Getty Images)
“Before, we cooked it in our oven, and the cook would cut it up still in the pan, which was in our steam line. It was fresher,” one cook told the outlet.
Another person claiming to be a Cracker Barrel employee backed this claim in a video posted to X last month, showing frozen, prepackaged meatloaf in a freezer.
Similarly, sides such as bacon, green beans, turnips, pinto beans, corn, and carrots are pre-cooked the day before and simply reheated, leading to complaints that flavors are now watery or overcooked, employees claimed.
The Independent has contacted representatives for Cracker Barrel for comment.
The shift correlates with broader corporate adjustments, including reductions in staff hours and removal of prep cook positions under CEO Julie Felss Masino.
While management characterized the changes as efficiency-driven and waste-reducing in response to kitchen labor challenges, some employees and customers say they have noticed a decline in food quality.
Some have expressed their concerns on Reddit threads and social media posts. One user said: “The green beans taste exactly like canned green beans… The biscuits get rock hard about 43 seconds after they are out of the bread warmer.”
Another added, “Biscuits have been terrible since the change… always come out lukewarm or hard as a brick.”
These internal operational shifts added fuel to an already heated controversy over Cracker Barrel’s August logo redesign. The rebrand, which replaced the iconic “Uncle Herschel” illustration with a minimalist wordmark, triggered a wave of customer outrage—accusations of being “soulless” and “woke,” as well as criticism from conservatives, including President Donald Trump.
The chain swiftly reverted to the original logo in late August.
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