Cracker Barrel - As Addicting As Crack (for some)

Whenever I say or type the word Crack, I think of Whitney Houston. "Crack is cheap. I make too much for me to ever smoke crack. Crack is wack."

Well Miss Houston, Crack may be wack but Cracker Barrel is not.

I had mixed feelings about Cracker Barrel prior to my most recent visit there. I used to go a lot with my family when they would drive me to college. I know I was always excited to stop and have breakfast there but once I was actually eating I never really loved my meal and thought it tasted rather processed. I also always remembered the long wait for a table which is rather annoying, even though they have those fun rocking chairs out front. For me the best part was playing that little wooden triangular peg game when you hop over pieces. I think I stole a few of those games off the table and played them in the car on road trips (editorial note - stealing is bad - do not steal, unless it is a really awesome glass from a bar and you have a big bag).

A week or two ago I was traveling to Philly so we hit some rural towns outside of the city. Cracker Barrel's are pretty much located off major highways in kinda white trash areas of our fine nation. You know, the real America! I am kidding. I was with my girl Roadie and she is big foodie like myself. Anyway it turns our she LOVES Cracker Barrel the same way I love Jose Tejas so when we drove past one I told her I would love to stop at one on the way home. I figured I would give the Cracker another chance.

It was rather early for dinner when we arrived so we dined with the over 90 crowd. The ambiance here is very inviting. The front of the restaurant is a shop with country like things and candy. As a kid I used to always get those flavored candy sticks. Those things totes rock! The actual dining area is very cozy, they even have a huge fire place that warms up the whole restaurant which was nice the day we went because it was cold, rainy and miserable out. It did leave my fro smelling like smoke though.

I figured I was going to eat breakfast for dinner because breakfast is obviously their speciality. I was dying for pancakes because I saw a commercial for pancakes on TV (ummm advertising does work I guess). I ordered two eggs, pancakes and bacon. It was a lot of food but I could handle it. I was really happy with my order. The pancakes were fluffy and the eggs were fresh. The bacon was also delicious, nice and crispy, just the way I like it. Roadie is a real Cracker Barrel expert, she even worked at one in college which I can not get over and knows all about the star system they have for workers there. She gets all country legit and eats the grits, gravy and all that kinda stuff. Girls from the Bronx do not really eat grits.

I looked at their dinner menu and it seemed OK. Real traditional American food, kinda boring, nothing outside the box. What did stand out to me is that you are able to pick your sides and as any fan of this blog may know, I love being able to pick my sides. I need options. From the sides that they have I would pick, Fried Apples, Mac n' Cheese, Mashed Potatoes and Hashbrown Casserole.

So if you are traveling along the east coast and see one of these on the side of the road, stop and treat yourself to a country breakfast. It would be very American of you.