Consider Yourself Warned! - Manager Cracker Barrel Employee Review

1.0
Jul 6, 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

*Country music playing in the restaurant. *Decent salary compared to the industry average. *Decent benefits overall even though medical was really expensive. *Guests are pretty amazing.

Cons

*Be prepared for politics; if you're not part of the "in" crowd then you will have a tough time even if you perform well. *Managers mistreat each other behind closed doors all the time. *Back of the house procedures are subpar. *Staff and management are continually stressed and environment is not peaceful or smooth. *Opinions don't matter even if it makes operations better. *Expect to work extremely long hours, sometimes up to 16-18 hours if the night crew doesn't show up to clean. *Kiss all of your holidays goodbye because you'll put in more hours than are "scheduled" or you'll be retaliated against. *Don't outperform your GM or they will most likely retaliate from fear. *Divorce rates are insanely high within the company so don't take the job if you're married; or take it if you want to get divorced.

Explore other reviews about Cracker Barrel

5.0
Mar 17, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Enjoyed management and my coworkers

Cons

sometimes can be strict compared to other restuarants

2.0
Jun 3, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Most coworkers were genuinely great to work with and made shifts more enjoyable. * The guest interaction and serving aspect of the job is something I personally enjoy. * Some shifts could be positive depending on staffing and team on duty.

Cons

*Management was often unprofessional with inconsistent communication and expectations. * Certain coworker behavior occasionally affected morale and created a less positive work environment. * There was a noticeable blame culture where issues were not handled in a constructive way. * In my experience, bringing up workplace concerns or uncomfortable situations did not always feel welcomed or supported, and it sometimes felt like speaking up led to negative attention. * Scheduling and hours were inconsistent, making it hard to rely on stable income. * Inconsistent scheduling sometimes resulted in difficult shift patterns, including working split doubles (such as 9–3 followed by a 4–close shift), which often meant not getting out until around 10:30 PM and then repeating the pattern on consecutive days. * Training was limited, and expectations were often unclear, which made the job more stressful than it needed to be. * In my experience, HR concerns or formal complaints did not feel like they were taken seriously or addressed in a meaningful way.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All