Cracker Barrel launches biggest menu revamp in 55 years: Here’s what’s changing
Cracker Barrel is rolling out the largest test menu in its 55-year history.
The menu overhaul, which will be tested for a limited time at select Texas restaurants, is part of Cracker Barrel’s strategic transformation announced last month, reports Nations Restaurant News.
“For nearly 55 years, guests have known and loved us for our authentic, homestyle cooking, and that’s not going away, we’ve only added more flavor and crave to the menu and made it easier to navigate,” Cammie Spillyards-Schaefer, senior vice president of operations for Cracker Barrel, said in a statement. “We look forward to gaining valuable feedback from both our guests and employees on the test.”
The new menu includes 20 different items. It was tested at one store in February before rolling out to 14 Texas locations through Aug. 5. The chain has not announced if the menu will be expanded to other locations.
Among the new items are:
- Hashbrown Casserole Shepherd’s Pie: pot roast served with onions, celery, carrots, peas, and mashed potatoes topped with hashbrown casserole crust and sour cream. Served with a choice of biscuits or cornbread muffins.
- Green Chile Cornbread: cheesy green chile cornbread topped with a drizzle of honey and whipped butter.
- Chicken n’ Dumplin Soup: homestyle dumplings served with shredded chicken, celery, carrots, and onions in broth.
- Cinnamon Bread French Toast: cinnamon streusel bread topped with cinnamon and cream cheese icing. Comes with two eggs and a choice of bacon or sausage.
- Banana Pudding: traditional banana pudding made with layers of vanilla wafers, whipped cream, and caramel sauce.
Cracker Barrel will also have a revamped menu of daily specials, including a rotation of classic menu items like lemon pepper trout served with turnip greens, BBQ ribs and chicken and rice.
Cracker Barrel is one of several restaurant chains around the country that have announced the closure of multiple locations. In April, the chain closed four locations in California.
The closures come amid the restaurant chain’s struggle to maintain popularity. In a May presentation to analysts. Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino said the brand wasn’t as “relevant” as it once was, reports CNN.
“The way we communicate, the things on the menu, the way the stores look and feel … all of these things came up time and time again in our research as opportunities for us to really regain relevancy,” Masino said.