My First Trip To Cracker Barrel

I grew up in Rhode Island, spent eight years living in Seattle, and somehow never made it to a Cracker Barrel. Not once. Which is wild, because the chain is basically everywhere—highways, road trips, family outings. But for me, it was this mythical Southern-country spot I had only heard about. Then last week, I finally went —I had no idea I was walking into the middle of a culture war.

First Impressions: Candy, Comfort, and Cheap Eats

Walking in, I was hit with what felt like a general store and a restaurant mashed into one. Shelves of candy, little toys, rustic home décor—it was like a nostalgic country flea market that also happened to serve chicken and dumplings. Naturally, I went straight to the candy aisle. On the show I even said, “I got a sweet too so I was all up in there,” because seriously—who could resist? As for the food, I ordered mine to go (yes, I brought it to the movies with me). The staff was kind, the scenery had that cozy roadside-America charm, and the prices were a pleasant surprise. The food itself? Pretty good. Not life-changing, but comforting in that stick-to-your-ribs kind of way. For a first visit, Cracker Barrel left me smiling.

The Logo Controversy: What I Didn’t Expect

Here’s the twist: right before my first visit, Cracker Barrel was all over the news. The company had rolled out a new logo—one that ditched its longtime mascot, the old-timer leaning on a barrel—and replaced it with a cleaner, modern text look. That redesign lasted… not long. The backlash was instant and loud. Social media lit up, conservative voices called it “woke,” and even Donald Trump chimed in. Sales took a hit, the stock price dropped, and within a week, Cracker Barrel announced it was keeping the original “Old Timer” logo after all. Branding experts later said the redesign stripped away the storytelling that made the chain what it is. Even one of the co-founders called the whole rebrand “pitiful” and told them to “keep it country.”

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My Takeaway

So there I was, walking into Cracker Barrel for the very first time, right as all this was happening. And honestly? None of it took away from the experience. I wasn’t thinking about logos when I bit into my meal. I was thinking about the candy I had just bagged up, the friendly smile from the woman at the register, and the fact that I finally got to check “eat at Cracker Barrel” off my list. For me, the brand controversy was just background noise. The real story was the food, the charm, and the people inside. And if you’re asking me? Cracker Barrel is good in my book.