Cracker Barrel Vs Bob Evans: The Chain That Serves The Better Value Breakfast
At a time when going out for dinner seems like an unaffordable luxury, breakfast at a family-style chain might seem more doable. Even then, you'll want to get the most bang for your buck, so which one should you pick? In one corner, there's Cracker Barrel, the restaurant named after a feature found in old-timey general stores. In the other, there's Bob Evans, one of the oldest chain restaurants still up and running in the United States (the first prototype opened in 1946). Going by prices alone, the winner appears to be Bob Evans.
The least expensive full breakfast at Bob Evans (not counting sides or a la carte items) is the $6.99 Mini Sampler, which consists of one egg, a biscuit, two sausage links or bacon strips, and a choice of fresh fruit, hash browns, or home fries. At Cracker Barrel, you can't get a full morning meal for less than $7.49. At this price, you get a choice of two biscuits with breakfast meat and a breakfast side, a sourdough egg sandwich with a side, or three biscuits with gravy and bacon or sausage.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Bob Evans breakfasts top out at $17.99 for a breakfast called The Whole Hog, which includes eggs, bacon, sausage links and patties, a pancake, French toast, and either home fries or hash browns. This same sum would also net you steak tips and eggs accompanied by bread and either fruit or potatoes. At Cracker Barrel, steak and eggs with a side and biscuits will run you $19.99. Bob Evans does, however, charge slightly more for coffee: $3.99 as opposed to Cracker Barrel's $3.39.
Apart from prices, which restaurant is better?
Cracker Barrel and Bob Evans are both popular breakfast restaurants, and if you're not basing your decision on price alone choosing between them is largely a matter of personal preference. Some people prefer one, and some the other. Many people simply go with whichever one's closer to them. The advantage here goes to Cracker Barrel because it currently has 658 locations nationwide as opposed to Bob Evans' 416. This could account for the fact that it's ranked higher overall with YouGov poll respondents — Cracker Barrel holds the number 27 spot on a list of most popular dining brands while Bob Evans is way down at 70. (The list includes 272 entries, so this is still pretty good.)
Cracker Barrel also has the advantage when it comes to pancakes. Both sides offer a wide variety, but when it comes to basics Cracker Barrel's are top-notch. Its plain buttermilk pancakes rank the highest of any chain breakfast spot according to customer reviews, while its blueberry pancakes are not far behind. The pancakes can also be less pricey than those at Bob Evans. Cracker Barrel's Sunrise Pancake Special consists of two buttermilk pancakes with either eggs or breakfast meat and is priced at just $7.99. Bob Evans' cheapest pancake breakfast, on the other hand, consists of four buttermilk pancakes and a choice of breakfast meat or fruit for $11.99.