The Big Signs of Cracker Barrel allows you to stop in and select your protein, vegetable and bread of choice. The new menus allow you to stay within your budget. The only drawback back is a hostess who is determined to stack people on top of people when there is room to spread out-/ I asked can we have a window and she retaliated we don't allow customers to pick their seats." Why not when the rooms are open and many of the tables are half empty? Well, our server-- Jordan-- saved the day and relocated me to a viewing window of choice-- stating I just want to make you happy. The country sampler of one piece of fried moist chicken breast, a sampler slice of meatloaf and collard greens were all delicious. The refreshing lemonade hit the spot. Thank you Jordan for making my meal enjoyable. If it were not for Jordan this would rate a three on customer service! read more

See all

I would like to leave a review about the seasonal campfire meals. However, I can't. We came in and were seated promptly. Then15 to 20 minutes went by with no recognition that we were taking up space at a table. The restaurant was not even busy. Then the folks that came in after us were seated, got their drinks, and placed an order. Still nothing for us - a party of 2. We finally left after it ea apparent that we were not going to get served. Been a very long time since we had something like this happen anywhere. read more

very kind and prompt staff!! Tha manager at Clive location is great! I had a great breakfast and had one sausage patty that got overcooked til dry and they completely brought me a new plate and comped my breakfast and I did t even ask and I wasn't even upset. Great customer service!! read more

It's breakfast and fried foods that are comfort and stick to your ribs for sure, but not diet friendly. Seating is pretty quick and service is prompt but not necessarily friendly. Once our food was served he was MIA. It becomes here is your check so get going. The space is open, so it does get loud very quickly. The gift shop is grossly overpriced. read more

See all

The only thing consistent about this place is its inconsistency. One day I can walk in and get incredibly quick and friendly service. The next time I am greeted with the opposite experience. Tonight they seated me and I saw others come in after me and get their food. I stopped a server and was told I had been seated but the server assigned to my table was not here yet. I don't dine here often because the selection is not particularly healthy. After a long cold week, I felt like comfort food tonight. Maybe I should have sought out another spot. They were not busy at 4:30 but the service was slow. I chose Cracker Barrel because I thought I could get in and out in a reasonable time. My ice tea glass sat empty for most of my meal, with no offer to refill read more

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store - In the mood for comfort foot on this cold snowy night. - Southern Near Me - Clive, Iowa

See all

2nd Time to go order was wrong. No biscuits or gravy! Missing sides. Won't be back! Called and person could have cared less!

So we tried again Wednesday to eat at Cracker Barrel and you won't believe what happens this time . So it was 3:30 pm there were 4 tables with guest on our side of the restaurant. We waited 15 minutes and no server ever showed up to our table so we left . On the way out the manager was at the station where the guy that sat us was we told him we waited 15 minutes and we're leaving. The man that was sitting people said to the manager,"I don't know what his problem is " referring to me . Well my problem was we had other things to do beside being ignored. read more

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store - There was food on the silverware like it came from another table. - Southern Near Me - Clive, Iowa

See all

Food was a 10,Our server Malissa H was outstanding.The ambiance was down home and cozy.I rate food places all over the USA and this place was a 10 on my rating scale.Well done to the staff for a great lunch.We will definitely be back. read more

The food was pretty average, I loved how my mac and cheese tasted though. The service was amazing! Michael was our server/waiter and was so splendid, he got me a refill on my sprite when my Nana was in the bathroom! The ambience is very nice and cozy with the blinds closed. If you get Michael as your server/waiter than you should know you're in good hands! Please give him a raise! read more

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store - The aftermath of me and my nana eating! - Southern Near Me - Clive, Iowa

I do scales 1-10 and I have seen a lot of close 9 and 9.5....but this is my first 10. Friendly staff ,fast service,great environment .Great job Melisa H.Good job to you and staff for a great meal.See you again. read more

Service was great & food was also very raid-able would recommend, Atmosphere was also great!

Only decent. I have been going to Cracker Barrel for 20+ years. It used to be my favorite spot for breakfast. It seems like the service has gotten worse since then. The food isn't as delicious as before, and it cost more than before. They seem to have modernize the menus and feel, and that takes away from its charm. I hope Cracker Barrel can improve since there is so much history here. read more

this is the worst meal I've ever had from a restaurant. We've eaten there many times with few complaints. Tonight I ordered our usual meals and both were awful! My mashed potatoes were not mashed, just dumped. My dumplings were big chunks that were not cooked through. My husband's pancakes were thin and like rocks from being heated in a microwave. He said the bacon tasted bad. I don't know if I will ever have confidence to try them again. read more

This place is packed!!!!! Is a bit loud too but with that being said Maybe since it is Valentine's Day. The hostess took our name and we were seated within 25 mins. Started off with a vanilla latte but my favorite was the lemonade. I ordered the meatloaf and my husband decided to get the country fried southern chicken. They have a huge list of sides you can choose from. We got a baked potato for an additional Charge mac and cheese and steak fries. Meatloaf was outstanding. I wished the chicken was a bit hot in term of temperature. We order a mini cheesecake, way too sweet for me. Overall the cost was about 45 including tip. Definitely get the lemonade don't skip out on it Plenty of parking Great souvenir shop read more

See all

WE WILL NEVER GO BACK! When we sat we heard someone at the next table ask for another set of cutlery. When my wife checked hers, she found some small bits of dried food stuck to the fork. My fork didn't look very clean either. Then as I drank my coffee I noticed coffee stains on the inside walls of my cup! I wanted to get up and leave. My wife asked to speak with the manager. He appeared to be overworked, tired, and very annoyed. My wife very calmly explained, and asked for clean cutlery & cup. He made no verbal response, no apology of any sort, but was obviously very angry. I assumed that he was angry at his staff (as I would be), but my wife said that he had been shaking his head from side to side as he walked away and that he was angry at us. Then, when my breakfast arrived, I found what appeared to be two black seeds stuck to the edge of my plate. I flicked them off and ate. It was actually pretty good for the price, but we will certainly not be going back. read more

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store - The cutlery wasn't much cleaner! - Southern Near Me - Clive, Iowa

See all

Service was spotty and food was pretty mediocre. Honestly, we didn't have anything terrible here but it definitely wasn't the quality we remembered having as kids. Crowd at this location was kinda rough too. Prices were fair though, and the hashbrowns are a highlight. read more

If there was a star for zero I'd use it. Terrible food. Worst we have had. Ate here a couple of months ago and got crap food. Cracker Barrel is one of our favorites so we thought we would try again. Maybe it was just a bad day. Nope. This time was worse. We both got the fried catfish, mashed potatoes and gravy. I got carrots my husband green beans. My fish was over fried, so much so there was hardly any actual fish to eat and what fish there was had black spots running through it. We didn't get gravy on the potatoes so the server brought out a bowl for each of us. They could have kept it in the kitchen. Tasted like pasty flour. Potatoes were like watered down. My carrots looked like they were scraped from the bottom of the pot. Mushy, falling apart and sickening sweet with sugar crystals all over. My husband's green beans tasted spoiled and metallic. It's almost like they kept reheating the same batch over and over because they didn't want to throw them out. The biscuits looked like they weren't given time to rise. They were flat. The kitchen was very slow at getting the food out. Our server acted like he didn't care if he took care of us or not. We waited forever for our check. We did let the server know our disappointment in the meal. All he cared about were we okay with him. I did let the cashier know about our experience. She said sorry and took our drinks off the price of the tab. I told her I appreciated that but it didn't make up for the crap food. I said we won't be back to this particular Cracker Barrel. read more

Amazing service. I screwed up on my take order and they re did it for me no charge. Above and beyond nice

Probably the worst service I have ever had in a restaurant. Server was basically absent. Seemed to want to hang in the kitchen rather than check on his tables. Food was good. Lemonade tasted like mold. Prices definitely affordable. What happened to getting biscuits or cornbread on the table with your meal? Won't be going back. read more

Clive,Iowa Cracker Barrel used to be great to eat at, but now it is awful! We got the Thursday turkey special and the chicken fried chicken dinners ladtnight. There was 2 small pieces of turkey with gravy that was separating and nasty and the stuffing was so dried out it was hard to eat my husband's meal was nasty too and they didn't give us our muffins and biscuits. And only 1 set of utensils. We won't be back!! It is expensive and like they just don't care about quality! We will be going to Machine Shed down the road from now on, at least you get good food and they care about quality!! ONE STAR for this Cracker Barrel!!! read more

It really saddens me too have to give one of my favorite restaurants such a horrible review. We have been coming to Cracker Barrel for years. However the last few times the food has been horrible. The traditional chicken and dumplings were way over cooked and scummy. The shrimp was way over cooked. Over all the food was borderline not even editable. And sadly the service was terrible too know real fault too the server. He was completely over whelmed. We were a party of 12. Food orders were messed up, some items never arrived too the table and no one was happy with the food except two orders that were hamburgers. Not sure if you have new cooks or your ordering from a different company. Sadly we will not be back anytime soon.​ read more

Good food, fast service, clean atmosphere. Love to shop in their little store too! Great location!Close to nice reasonably priced motels and also shopping areas read more

I love Cracker Barrel. It's so cozy. The dumplin's, the biscuits, beans, mashed potatoes and beaf stew is among my favorites things to eat there. It's fun to look (and purchase) things from their store and I appreciate how clean they keep everything, including the bathrooms! read more

Not all Cracker Barrels are created equal, and the further north you go - generally - the less satisfying they tend to become, but that has not bee nthe case with this location. Even with the post-pandemic staffing challenges, Cracker Barrel is doing pretty well. Food comes out hot (especially important for things like the fried okra) and manages to be close to what my south-Georgian grandma used to make. You can, truly, judge a gravy by its color... Things to know about this business: * Cracker Barrel has day-of-the-week specials and so is worth looking that over for a good deal * The lemonade here is outstanding * Easy access - Just off of I35/80 at University Avenue. If you are driving through, there are a number of gas stations to fuel up at before jumping back on the road * Cracker Barrel has large family meal options (as well as holiday meal packages) that are a good value and have been very helpful for us when time has been short, we're under the weather and need a pan of comfort food (aka meatloaf), etc. Three small caveats here: 1) Make certain that you have all the parts and pieces you asked for. 2) The carrots are great, but only if the come with their butter topping. 3) Plasticware must be requested. If you are looking for a little bit of southern(ish) cooking at a place with ample options, this Cracker Barrel may be just the place for you. read more

From the point of entry to the exit, what a disaster. When we checked in, she asked us what my name is, and then on the intercom, she announces that my table is ready while I am looking at her. Is this a candid camera, or what? She looks at me and asks if I am Troy. Do we need to do drug tests? After seating us at our table, the waitress took our drink and appetizer orders. Shortly after, she delivered 1 drink (out of 6) and then disappeared. A while later she returned asking if we were ready to order. I asked about the other drinks, and she told us they were out of Coke Zero and asked if we still wanted to order something to drink. Drug testing should be mandatory. After a while of not seeing our waitress, she stopped by to see how we are doing. We still have not received any of our drinks or the appetizers. off she went. More time lapsed, and she returned with our food. No drinks or appetizers. She said the cooks forgot to make the appetizers and will remind them. She returned shortly after, this time carrying our drinks. We began our meal, having each ordered steak and chicken tenders. I asked if we could get some more steak fries, as each of us only received four. The steaks tasted like dehydrated, freezer-burned liver. The meat tasted so bad that none of us could eat it. Our struggle to make the most of the situation nearly turned into a comedy. until the appetizers arrived. We ordered two cheese curds. As anticipated, the fried cheese curds turned out to be frozen! I informed the waitress about their frozen state, and she promptly removed them. All of our glasses were empty, and getting refills was impossible. The waitress returned (mind you, she is staring at all of our plates of partially eaten dinners and too afraid to ask how everything was) and dropped off one order of cheese curds. Well, maybe we can get something decent to eat. NOPE! They, too, found themselves frozen. The waitress looked at me like she was on candid TV waiting for the cameras to pop out. When she returned, this time with a first round of drink refills, she handed me the check and told me they took off the cost of the two appetizers. While looking at the bill, the appetizers were still there. However, Cracker Barrel's highly technical billing practices indicate that they deducted a percentage from every other item on the bill, giving the impression of being generous by discounting everything. But the amount of this so-called discount added up to the amount of the two appetizers. The attempt to deceive us into believing they were taking care of us is insulting. The real offense lies in their deceitful practices of providing subpar service and food. They then proceed to charge us for the substandard service and food. After all the problems we had, not once did the manager stop by to talk with us. In today's economy, who dares to leave uneaten steaks on their plates unless, of course, they suck? Then to add battery acid to an open wound, have us deal with staff who all need to either stop taking drugs or stop staring at the sun. We still didn't receive the requested cheese curds or steak fries; instead, they simply dismissed us. Cracker Barrel is no longer relevant! No wonder they are skirting the idea of filing Chapter 11. Wake up, Cracker Barrel. read more

This location is our go-to... distance and preference-wise. Friendly service from the time you come in and leave. Though we always go for Grandma's Sampler or Momma's Pancake Breakfast, their menu has plenty of options and their daily specials are a nice addition. In the past, we've tried their pancake breakfast family meals -- appreciate the options, price and quantity. With pleasant weather, outside seating and games are delightful, but busy times during the winter are not so fun as the inside gets packed and store items are so close together. read more

Pecan pancakes and friendly service. The turn around time and attention to your needs was considerable. read more

Food was excellent, service needs to be a little more friendly but other than that 9/10 experience here.

Food was standard except my sandwich was missing bacon and barely had mayo. I asked for all of these things the server was quick to bring me the missing items. Service was blah not horrible they were very busy for Sunday morning. Was overcharged for bacon instead of the price listed for the sandwich. This may have been a mistake on my part. Either way the server fixed it quickly. If my eggs weren't cold this would have been eggcellent. read more

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store - Egg Sandwich grilled sourdough bread - Southern Near Me - Clive, Iowa

Food was good service was poor One of the customers got so mad she called the police. Good times. read more

We had a party of 7 adults and 4 kids that we're meeting for a birthday dinner.We walked in at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday and they told us it would be an hour wait. We went outside, hung out and visited and 30 minutes into it, they announced our name over the intercom only to tell us the only way we could be seen was to split our tables up. The host was not polite. We ended up going elsewhere to be accommodated. read more

Food was almost inedible, the ham is so try my dog wouldn't even touch it. The Mac side was like glue, go get the cheap stuff at Walmart, it's 100x better. The waitress didn't bother to bring refills and didn't offer to exchange food when we said it was not good. Honestly, I am hoping and praying I don't get sick. Let me add this. Cracker Barrel in general has been great at many locations I have visited. This specific location is terrible. Avoid Clive location at all costs. read more

In a world where customer service has experienced a slide into the proverbial depths of Hell, where entitlements are handed out like Halloween candy to anyone energetic enough to get out of bed (or not), and where the innocent are guilty simply because someone says they are, it's refreshing to find a place of refuge and solace. I truly appreciate when an establishment goes above and beyond (or at least gets within the general vicinity) and they provide you with an experience far north of your meager expectation of mediocrity. Good customer service has become the purple cow of the pandemic world and the teat appears to by drying up even further. So what does one do when you find that purpurean bovine? You shout it from the highest mountains and call on the angels of Heaven to sound the trumpets of glory as you eagerly empty your bank account into their gratuity coffers! My hopes for an epic experience at this Cracker Barrel was heightened by the thoughtful addition of a sticker on my to-go order that read, "SEALED WITH CARE". The word "CARE" was even emphasized with the use of a fluid font, for which the marketing department must have toiled months on end with limited biscuit breaks to ensure all of their customers are overwhelmed with the warmth and love by which their meals are prepared. Our food was delivered on time, it was, in fact, still warm when we arrived back at our hotel room. We happily divide our meals of fried chicken, over easy eggs with beautifully runny yolk, grits, a baked potato with butter and gooey sour cream, a chicken fried steak covered with gravy and dumplings moist enough to satisfy a Saharan thirst. All was right with the world and we gave thanks for our bounty. Now, let us partake! Crap, no plastic ware! The only item we were quite adamant we needed when we ordered and confirmed during our curbside pickup. Oh, so close! A complete waste of a well executed marketing sticker on the bag! So, as I lay here writing this review with the crusty remains of an over-easy egg between my fingers, I can't help but wonder what the hell went wrong. I am still searching for any place that actually cares not just advertises that they do. Let me know if you hear the moos of that cow. All I hear is flatulence. read more

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store - Southern Near Me - Clive, Iowa

Apple butter on pancakes is amazing. Grilled cheese isn't bad either. Good drinks also

As a retired military family traveling across the United States, it's nice to stop into a family friendly restaurant, especially one that has a high-quality food menu. Well, that is Cracker Barrel, except this location. The two cashiers were talking bad about a third employee who was NOT responding to calls for additional help. I asked about a military discount, one of the two cashier's responded that we don't honor a military discount. I asked was it only at this location? Which I knew was not true because I have received many military discounts at various Cracker Barrels locations as we travel. She then decided to lecture me on the difference between a military discount and the rewards program. I understand both programs very well. I informed her that during my travels "MOST" not all Cracker Barrels honor my military service, and all give a rewards points for eating a meal at their Cracker Barrel. I did not like the lecture, just a simple "sorry, we don't" would have work just fine. The issue between you and the missing employee is a management problem that should never be taken out on a customer. This is not a reflection on Cracker Barrel as a whole, just this location. read more

Paid a lot ($28 which includes tip and tax) for a to go order of new york strip steak and chicken with two sides. The steak was packaged with the two sides, corn and potato casserole. They had heavily buttered the steak, and between the butter and the grease running off of the steak, the corn and potato was all soaked in the resulting liquid and mushy. The chicken was safe, in a different container. So working on the steak with my plastic fork and knife, I eventually gave up trying to cut through the gristle. It was not a good piece of steak at all. I actually ended up sticking the fork into the steak and then trying to bite off portions of it, but the gristle was so strong in some places this didn't really work either. So, moving on to the sides. I was able to eat some corn that was relatively dry. The potato casserole was just basically slop with all the butter and grease mixed in. They need to think about their packaging a lot more and how the experience actually is. And for this price, provide a better cut of steak. read more

Great old school breakfast place with large portions and reasonable prices I usually get breakfast but there are lunch items in the nice thing about breakfast is it's all day. It has all the classic type breakfast that you would want cooked how you want it as well as a little southern touch with grits, sliced sweet apples and great biscuits with sausage gravy accompanying most breakfasts. they also have a large gift shop that has interesting items with a country flair they can give you some unusual gifts for people. Everything from old School candy things that will bring back memories of your youth to interesting crafts for the home. read more

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store - Breakfast friends - Southern Near Me - Clive, Iowa

Not sure what happened to this place but it went downhill fast. This used to be a go-to spot on Sunday for lunch. The Sunday crispy chicken was so good. Im not sure if management changed or what happened but all of the sudden, it was like they cooked the chicken in the morning and left it under heat lamps for a few hours to dry out and become chewy. We put up with it for a couple weeks before getting chicken that was so bad we had the manager come out. He claimed that the chicken was freshly cooked which was absurd as it wasnt hot or crispy like it had always been before. Didnt even bother sending it back after dealing with the manager. We left without paying as we didnt eat more than a bite and haven't been back since. read more

Aside from authentic and authentically great southern food - the customer service here is insurmountable! I had a catering emergency around noon - and walked into Cracker Barrel to See if they can put together a meal set for 20 people . Guess what- not only did the wonderful manager make it happen I'm under 30 mins - but he's team packaged everything up nicely to ensure warmth is preserved. The delivery was a huge win and - after trying the food myself - can't wait to go back and actually sit down at this vibrant place. Thank you guys for making my quick work visit from San Francisco that much better. It's true what they say about Midwestern hospitality read more

Our family of 5 ate here tonight. 4 out of 5 of our meals were delivered. We had to ask for silverware, and waited 10 minutes for it. When it arrived, we were informed the 5th person's meal would be another 20 minutes. That's a total of 30 minutes after our food was delivered. He graciously insisted we eat while our food was hot. Long after we were done eating, his meal finally arrived. We all enjoyed our meals but Cracker Barrel, we beg you, please 1) Bring silverware along with the beverages and 2) Please serve the entire table at the same time. Thank you. read more