Don't do it! - Assistant Manager Cracker Barrel Employee Review

2.0
Mar 21, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The food is pretty good. Atmosphere is nice. The gift shop is nice and the Team members get a great discount.

Cons

Where to start? the company refuses to staff the restaurant for success at all times. This means that you, as a Manager will be working at least 90% of your shift as an hourly if you are in the kitchen that shift, and you still will not be able to keep up. One day you are going to bed at 2AM and the next day you are getting up at 3AM. Get used to apologizing to guest multiple times per shift. The Take out service is horrible. In order for the company to save a few dollars an hour you will field multiple calls a day about messed up / incomplete orders and in return compensating the guest free meal(s). Just to be clear, this is not sour grapes. I have 33 years of Corporate Management experience. There is a reason that the company pays a little more; they will chew you up and spit you out. Quality of life is horrible. My advice; don't do it.

Explore other reviews about Cracker Barrel

5.0
Feb 10, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Caring and extremely high energy servers, cooks and hostess. The management handles everything at the restaurant with integrity and competence. They know and love their guests. They even know what they order and their other preferences.

Cons

The cuts in hours they are forced to make due to corporate interference.

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.

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