Top 10+ Cracker Barrel dishes you should avoid completely

Dumplins

If there's one comforting Southern food we'll always love, it has to be dumplings. It's basically just rustic pasta, covered in a creamy white sauce that doesn't have much flavor beyond basic ingredients like salt and black pepper. But it's the texture of this dish that really shines; well-cooked dumplings are nice and chewy, with almost an al dente edge to them. If you feel the same way about dumplings that we do, then you might jump at the chance of ordering Cracker Barrel's dumplins (conspicuously missing the "g") off of the sides menu. But unfortunately, you're not likely to be thrilled by this carb-y option.

The actual dumplings here are not bad, with that chewy, almost gummy texture we look for. However, the sauce really falls flat. It's too thick and almost glue-like, without any of the soupiness that you might expect from this dish. And although it's not advertised as a side that comes with chicken (which is the usual accompaniment for Southern-style dumplings), it's missing any chicken-y flavor, which renders a dish with basically no flavor at all. If you actually do want dumplings from Cracker Barrel, you should probably just order the full serving of chicken and dumplings instead.

Meatloaf

You might expect Cracker Barrel's meatloaf to be a standout dish, considering what the restaurant is known for. After all, meatloaf seems like just the kind of thing the chain would be able to pull off, with its reputation for embracing these sorts of homestyle classics. But, alas, the meatloaf is just not worth your time. Over a fifth of respondents to that same Mashed survey said that the meatloaf was actually the worst dish on the menu. If so many people agree that you're better off not ordering this dish, it's a good indication that you should probably choose something else.

Apparently, the meatloaf wasn't always so bad. One customer on Reddit claims that it's not what it used to be, suggesting that at one point, the meatloaf was actually quite enjoyable. These days, though, it seems to be lacking in flavor, with some customers complaining that it doesn't even come with any sauce on top, which is essential for a meat dish that can often be quite dry without some sort of added moisture. 

You can always gamble if you're really craving meatloaf — after all, the quality of food you get at a Cracker Barrel probably has a lot to do with the specific location you visit. But if you want to make sure you're getting the best bang for your buck, you may want to avoid it completely.

Roast beef

We've already covered the fact that Cracker Barrel's meatloaf might leave you feeling dissatisfied, but don't worry. There are other beefy, meaty dishes on the menu. Why not opt for the roast beef instead? Well, that may be a flop, as well. It seems like it depends on which Cracker Barrel you go to when it comes to what you're going to get with the roast beef, but in most cases, it's not good. Some claim that the roast beef is quite fatty. That's not always a problem, particularly if you enjoy a richer cut of meat. But there's a limit — too much fattiness means that you're not actually getting any of the flavorful, lean meat in the mix.

However, others complain of a completely different problem with the roast beef at Cracker Barrel, such as several commenters in a Reddit thread who claim that it's actually quite tough. That may be even worse than excessive fattiness, since you can't really cut around a tough piece of meat that's tough all the way through. You may get lucky and end up getting a decent plate of roast beef, but we wouldn't risk it.

Fresh fruit

When you're at a restaurant that's known for heavier dishes, it can be nice to get a side dish that's on the lighter side to help balance out your meal a bit. And whether you go to Cracker Barrel for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, having a side of fruit is a great way to make sure you don't feel too heavy by the time you get up from the table. But unfortunately, there's a good chance that you won't have a particularly good experience if you do order the fruit.

You may assume that a side of cut fruit is hard to mess up, but apparently, Cracker Barrel manages just that. Some complain that the fruit is out of season and therefore really lacking in flavor. The blueberries and strawberries may be quite tart if you don't visit the restaurant during the summer months, and the pineapple is likely to be bland. 

Again, this is a situation in which you could potentially order this side and get lucky with good-quality fruit. But ultimately, it seems like Cracker Barrel might not care enough about quality control to ensure that every dish of fruit it offers actually tastes good. So, this dish, like so many others on this list, is a gamble.

Corn

Cracker Barrel offers its patrons a variety of incredibly simple sides that can accompany many of the main dishes on the menu. These sides don't really seem to be that inventive — it's not like you're ordering veggie-focused small plates at an upscale restaurant. So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the corn is super, super basic: just a bowl of plain corn. Cracker Barrel could've offered buttered corn on the cob, at least, but if you order this side dish, you won't even get something that exciting.

The main problem with this side dish, though, isn't the fact that it's boring. After all, plain corn is a side that many people enjoy, and if you want a bit of extra color on your plate, it's not necessarily a bad option. The issue is that the quality of the corn generally isn't all that good. When you're working with a dish that's literally just a single ingredient, you want to make sure that one ingredient actually tastes good, not like it came straight out of a can that's been sitting in the back of a pantry for years. 

If your expectations aren't that high in the first place, then go ahead and snag some corn as a side dish. Otherwise, look for something else on the side menu.