Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

Prices have raised , Food was OK. Not as good as the past.

We went to eat lunch at the Cracker Barrel in Horseheads, NY. We generally eat at the one in Henrietta NY which has always been great. However, this one was very disappointing! The coffee was warm, not hot. I ordered the maple bacon grilled chicken that didn't have any bacon on it - the waitress did go back and get 2 pieces for me. The mashed potatoes were thick and stiff, more like day old mashed potatoes that were reheated without adding additional liquid. The food overall was like the coffee, warm but not hot. I told my aunt about it since she lives in the area. She said she and a friend used to go there but it was the way I described it. On their last visit several years ago, her friend ordered pancakes but they had black specs - from the grill that hadn't been cleaned prior to cooking the pancakes. They never went back. Sorry to say, we won't be going back to the one in Horseheads either.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 4

Server kind of forgot me at the end but the pancakes were very good.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 3

I used to love Cracker Barrel, but things, chain wide, seem to have gone downhill. The best thing about the restaurant is the store. That's pretty much the same as it has always been but the food and atmosphere in the restaurant itself it's not like it used to be.
There are still some interesting antiques on the walls but the decor is much more sparse. A lot less to catch your interest.
The biggest deal is the food though. I know they did this years ago, but it's still disappointing that the maple syrup is not pure maple syrup anymore, rather a mixture of sugar syrup and maple syrup. It doesn't taste the same.
I ordered the Friday fish special, which comes with four pieces of fish. I was astonished that the four pieces are about two bites each. It looks like they took one fish fillet, cut it into four pieces, breaded them, and called it four fillets. Both the mashed potatoes and carrots were room temperature cold! The carrots were watery and bland with absolutely no taste. Lastly, I ordered the cornbread muffins, and they didn't arrive until I was finished with my meal.
I don't think I will ever order anything at Cracker Barrel again except for pancakes, if I go again.
The employees were pleasant.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 4

Went there at noon on a Monday. Service was very quick! We ordered an appetizer and it was out in less than 5 minutes. Our meals came in less than 15.

I ordered the Crispy Tenders. Sadly, they did not look like the picture - like they are batter dipped and nice and crispy. Rather, they were lightly breaded.

I did appreciate that you get 3 sauces. I'm a sauce guy. Most places, if you ask for 2 they'll bring you 1 and you'll have to remind them. Not here. They aren't stingy with the sauce.
The Honey Mustard was good. Maple Chipotle was good, though very watery. The Country Comeback sauce was so-so, very similar to the KFC sauce.

Got mashed potatoes and mac and cheese for the sides as well as a biscuit and the cornbread. All were good. Nothing "wow that was amazing" but they certainly weren't bad.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5

Cracker Barrel Lunch Review – Horseheads, NY

While passing through Horseheads, NY, we made a quick lunch stop at Cracker Barrel, a familiar Southern-style chain known for comfort food and cozy vibes. We ordered two entrees: the Shepherd’s Pie Skillet and the Smoky Grilled Chicken.

The Shepherd’s Pie (first two photos) arrived sizzling in a small cast iron skillet and was topped with a golden-brown cheddar crust. It looked indulgent and hearty. Digging in, the savory stew beneath revealed generous chunks of beef, celery, and carrots, nestled under a layer of hash browns and melted cheese. The flavor was rich and comforting, although the cheesy crust was a bit too salty for my palate — otherwise, a satisfying and warming dish, especially for a cold day.

The Smoky Grilled Chicken plate (third photo) was a lighter, more straightforward option. Two grilled chicken breasts were served alongside steamed broccoli and sweet corn. The chicken was seasoned well, but didn’t quite stand out — a solid choice for those looking for a leaner, healthier meal.

Unfortunately, our first-choice dessert, the Strawberry Ice Box Pie, was unavailable. We opted for the Coca-Cola Brownie Cake with vanilla ice cream instead, which sadly didn’t deliver. The brownie was too light and lacked the fudgy richness we were hoping for — not one we’d recommend.

Cracker Barrel offers a dependable stop with friendly service and rustic charm, but on this visit, it was a mixed bag. Stick with the classics, and maybe skip dessert unless it’s that elusive Strawberry Ice Box Pie.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 4

Food could be hotter,

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: The Cracker Barrel's Country Boy Breakfast

I ordered delivery. The food was cold, incomplete order and the pancakes were burned. I won’t be ordering from this location again

Food: 1

Service: 2

We were disappointed we couldn't order the chicken pot pie! They said only available on Saturday???? Our meal that we ordered was tasty but only Luke warm.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Two Buttermilk Pancakes, Chicken Pot Pie

Food always seems to be luke warm..or cool.

Kid-friendliness: Good kids menu. Reasonable prices!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 1

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Fish

Always a good meal here. Enjoy looking at all the merchandise on display.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Blueberry Pancakes, Fish

Good place to get meal staff seems short sometimes and they forget to check on tables often toward middle and end of meal but overall still nice place.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Grilled Chicken

Joined the waitlist online. Then went inside to check in with host. Meanwhile it says 10 minute wait and confirmed with host that we were 3rd on the waitlist and only had a 10 minute wait.... 33 minutes later. We were never actually on the waitlist. She didn't even finish our conversation before checking in the next person in line BEFORE US. WTH. People coming in after us and getting tables before us. All the same size party. I'm good thanks.

Service: 1

Went during the middle of lunch quiet atmosphere was good. Food was as good and prepared, correctly I’d recommend if you’re in town and need Country home cooked meal

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Chicken Fried Steak

The waitress was very nice but unfortunately our food wasn’t hot and it took a bit for drinks to come out. My mom got blueberry pancakes and they weren’t done in the middle, that tells me that they didn’t coat the blueberries in flour before putting them in the pancakes. The hashbrown casserole was either sitting out or was cooked too long because the outside was hard and dry and it didn’t seem like it was from baking. Idk if they have new staff both front and back of house but it seems they need more training.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 3

Recommended dishes: Grilled Chicken