These Magic Words Will Get You The Best Part Of The Meal Faster At Cracker Barrel

They say good things come to those who wait, but wouldn't it be way cooler if good things would come without the waiting? Think about it: You sit down at the table at a Mexican restaurant and the chips and salsa just magically appear. Instantly. At your favorite Italian restaurant, you can fill up on the delicious, freshly baked bread in the breadbasket before your chicken cacciatore ever hits the table. So, why should Cracker Barrel be any different?

One of the reasons we go to Cracker Barrel is for the biscuits and the corn muffins, right? We each have our favorite, but whether you're Team Corn Muffin or Team Biscuit you're happy when they come out with your meal. In fact, you may be happier to see the bread than you are to see whatever Cracker Barrel meal you ordered. It turns out you can easily get not just one but both of these carby treats long before the meal arrives — all you have to do is ask.

Use these straightforward, magic words to get what you want: "corn bread and biscuits." That's all you have to say. Then, let your server know you'd rather get yours right away rather than waiting until the rest of the food comes out.

Even though you can indeed get your biscuits and corn muffins before the meal arrives, there's a slight chance you'll be charged for the bread if you ask for both. The Reddit boards are full of heated debates about whether or not bread at Cracker Barrel is free, but most of them insist the biscuits and corn muffins do come free with most (but not all) menu items. Exceptions include items that are considered bread in and of themselves, such as pancakes, French toast, and sandwiches. In these cases, the biscuits and corn muffins don't appear to be complementary — and no free bread if you're not ordering anything.

It also seems to depend on which CB restaurant you find yourself in and who your server is, with some servers being willing to bring out bottomless baskets, like this alleged staffer who posted, "30 year employee here ... If you order food, you absolutely can get as many biscuits as you want." Meanwhile, another commenter said, "I personally don't mind giving each guest one extra biscuit, but if you ask me for a whole extra basket then I'm going to charge you for it."

Of course, even if you do get charged, it's not going to set you back too far. The cost for a breadbasket, if there is one, will only be $1 or $2. Even if you are charged extra for bread, there are ways to save a few bucks on your Cracker Barrel bill and you can always use your Cracker Barrel rewards points to offset those charges.