According To Customers, You Might Want To Avoid Cracker Barrel's Country Fried Steak

Country fried steak is a staple of Cracker Barrel's menu, and it fully embodies its focus on Southern-influenced comfort food. The dish, which is also known as chicken fried steak, is anchored by a breaded and fried USDA steak (usually cube steak) and smothered in the chain's white Sawmill gravy (which, it should be noted, defines the item as country or chicken fried, not the batter). It is partnered with two or three sides and either buttermilk biscuits or corn muffins. And while that sounds deeply satisfying, there are some Cracker Barrel customers who would advise you to steer clear of the country fried steak.

The meal, which can be found under the Beef N' Pork section of the Cracker Barrel menu, has long been considered among Cracker Barrel menu items that continue to disappoint customers, many of whom are not shy about voicing their dislike. "God, that was awful," wrote one individual on a Reddit page devoted to Cracker Barrel. 

A review on Tripadvisor also warned against the meal, citing an unfortunate encounter at an Arkansas Cracker Barrel in 2020. "It was tough and overcooked or had been sitting under a heat lamp for a while. Tasted like it had been fried in the same grease as the chicken livers," he wrote. The writer concluded the grisly account by noting that both he and his wife were plagued by stomach trouble on their drive back to Colorado the following day.

Although a handful of negative reviews are unlikely to have a significant impact on Cracker Barrel's fortunes, it's no secret that the franchise, which rose from humble beginnings in 1969 to more than 600 stores in 44 states, has been taking it on the chin for some time. Among the many signs that Cracker Barrel isn't doing so well are menu and image changes that lead to the discontinuation of many popular menu items, store closures, investor problems, an aging customer base, and, in what might be considered a textbook example of shooting one's self in the foot, its own CEO declared the company largely irrelevant in 2024. Et tu, Julie Felss Masino?

Only the restaurant gods can say if Cracker Barrel can reverse the downward trend, but there are more hands-on ways that it can change the unfortunate reputation of its country fried steak. They might want to consult chef, television host, and author Carla Hall, who has a recipe she calls the "Better Than Cracker Barrel Chicken Fried Steak."

Though many online recipes that aim to duplicate Cracker Barrel's formula call for saltine crackers in the batter, Hall's recipe uses a mixture of rice flour and cornstarch. According to Hall, the rice flour doesn't absorb as much oil, while the cornstarch makes a crispy crust that won't fall off the steak. So consider this option, Cracker Barrel. It has to be better than a steak that tastes like it was fried with chicken livers.