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Waffle House vs Cracker Barrel

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Me trying to explain both of these to our agent in New York: Waffle House has truckers and Cracker Barrel has retirees.

She: Are those my only choices?

Yes. Yes, those are.

Damn, that chicken and waffles look good. I’ve gone back to working out after taking a holiday break and I am so hungry. I haven’t had fried chicken in ages. My fired chicken is fish. Steamed. With broccoli. Oy.

Mmm, yummy chicken.

PS. We know that this debate can get heated, so a reminder – personal attacks won’t be tolerated. Halloween is coming up and Mod R is very happy to decorate the Trash folder. 🙂

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Comments

    • I think I’m a bit too English – my eyes see dessert waffles and chicken strips together and my stomach says “errmm…”

      • +1 Donna and my Great Grandfather came to Texas to fight in the war with Mexico. He raised his family on his 40 acres near Waco. I like fried chicken with mashed potatoes and spicy gravy, and I like waffles smothered in butter with maple syrup; but not together.

      • Maybe I’m a bit too Californian? Born and raised there; I’ve now lived in Virginia for 16 years and still have absolutely no interest in chicken and waffles. Just … no.

    • Cracker Barrel has added alcohol to the menu now so that video is out of date. Everything is good there. Even if you don’t try all the menu items you never leave hungry. My favorite thing is the apple dumpling but I am usually too for dessert. Thanks for the video.

    • Are we drunk or hungover? Waffle house.

      Is Grandma or Parents coming? Cracker barrel.

      Are all the clubs closed and we need food? Waffle House.

      Relatives from out of state? Cracker barrel.

      Best friend, sibling, or hookup? Waffle House.

      Hurricane? Waffle house.

      • +1 Priscilla, I was just getting ready to reply with a similar answer.

        Late night with friends =Waffle House

        Meal with relatives = Cracker Barrel

        This probably puts me in the minority, but I actually prefer Waffle House, simply because Cracker Barrel never gets the bacon crispy enough. I always order my bacon as “crispy, not burnt”, CB never quite manages crispy.

        • Yes! Raisin toast, grits and cheesy eggs! Coffee! More coffee! God, it’s been decades since I was in the South.

          • Edit to add, I’m 3rd generation Texan, and no one in my family has ever offered me waffles and chicken simultaneously. Tea with 1 cup of sugar per quart, yes. A loaf of rainbo bread with room temp butter, yes. Pepper and cream gravy, yes. Watermelon with or without salt (no that is a family fight.!) But never waffles and chicken simultaneously.

    • “Neither” is an appropriate choice.

      For example, “There are no Waffle Houses in California, so it’s neither for us.”

      Or, “…so we get to brag about In & Out.”

      Or “…so I’m a big fan of the Black Bear Diner.”

      I too live in California, and you wouldn’t catch me dead in a Cracker Barrel.

      Big Bear is where it’s at!

      • I have been to In & Out. There’s nothing wrong with it, but have to admit I’m not sure why Californians are so gung-ho about it.

        • Yes. Sorry but there’s an In and Out in Austin and I still go to Phil’s. Best burgers in town in my book.

        • We love In & Out in CA. All the food is cooked fresh and the old fashioned way, including the fries.

          I stopped at Waffle House when visiting relatives in the Midwest. I have to admit that I saw it on the Anthony Bourdain show and I was curious. I ordered pecan waffles and it was good.

          But I have to say that the breaded chicken looks like a heart attack on a plate.

        • We need to be friends, lol. Lived most of my life in California and do not understand the In and Out cult at all. Even my husband thinks I’m crazy, but to me, they’re just okay fast food burgers.

          • The In & Out burgers are ok, fries meh. Burgers at Sylvester’s are the bomb, so is the tri-tip salad (with choice of feta or blue cheese).

            There is a Cracker Barrel in Santa Maria, also meh. No Waffle House or local Black Bear’s Diner. We had a Bob’s Big Boy in Morro Bay a few years ago–good food, but terrible service so it folded. Best diners in SLO county are Margie’s in Paso Robles or Louise’s in Downtown SLO.

      • In and out and Black Bear Diner in Texas, now! Love BBD’s corn muffins with honey ????

      • It’s Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles for me! Though I think that’s only a southern CA thing…which is sad for me as a recent northern CA transplant.

      • I’m from SoCal and have moved back to LA, but lived in the South too. I actually love Waffle House AND Cracker Barrel (there are some in CA, but not nearby 🙁 ) but can’t stand Black Bear Diner. The food is not good, and it took over my Bob’s Big Boy so boo to that. InNOut is an ongoing argument in my house. 1/2 the family prefer YNot Burgers or Fat Burger, the other 1/2 like InNOut. Mmm, burgers, must go throw down with the kids cuz I think I need a hamburger now. (My thighs are not thanking you people!)

      • I was a pilot for In-N-Out Burgers. Those are some seriously great people who really care about their product. I’m so glad they are doing well. It has been a lot of years, sigh. Why does it seem I keep saying that about so many things??

    • plenty of places inCA that serve waffles anf fried chicken. the best is Roscoe’s locations in L.A.

  6. Cracker Barrel….I’ll take retirees at early bird dinner fighting over who gets to play the peg table games over the fistfights and gunfire at the local Waffle House any day….

    • Yep, I was going to mention the peg game.

      I don’t know if I’ve ever been to a Waffle House so I can’t comment on it vs Cracker Barrel.

  7. They fill different niches, but both are welcome sights on a road trip. The wait is always longer at Cracker Barrel, but you can browse in their store, so I don’t know if that’s a plus or a minus.

  8. In our area, it’s Waffle House vs Cracker Barrel vs Bob Evans.

    I miss having Bob Evans nearby. ????

  9. None of our local Waffle Houses have enough parking for trucks. Or even to get into the parking lot. And we don’t have Cracker Barrels in Tucson, so it’s Waffle House for us.

    • and Waffle House in Tucson is open on Christmas Day, which was wonderful the year my night owl brother decided he wasn’t getting to bed until 6am which meant that the rest of us would have to wait until after 2pm for our gift opening and breakfast. My husband took me to Waffle House over by the state park and it was great. Friendly. I don’t prefer the margarine and “table syrup” to butter and “real” syrup. but, otherwise have a warm spot for a restaurant that saved our Christmas morning.

    • There is a Cracker Barrel in Marana (a city on the northern border of Tucson). The shop carries a brand of licorice that my midwestern friends love so I’ve stopped there to buy it on my way back from Phoenix (if I haven’t stopped at one in Phoenix or Casa Grande). I like the shop a lot and the big bathroom. The restaurant is the only one I know of that has the egg “nest” on the menu.

      • My sister used to live in Marana back in the early 70’s, at that time there wasn’t anything around except for a bar and gunstore , she had to go food shopping in Tucson and bring coolers with her for the refrigerated items. It would have been great to have a Cracker Barrel.

  10. Oh, my. On food alone Cracker Barrel would win, but I lived in Atlanta for years. Ive seen many Waffle Houses and unless you are coming home from a party wasted, I cant imagine intentionally choosing Waffle House. That being said, their waffles are the best of any I have ever had anywhere, bar none.

    • I miss Waffle House, there’s none in Utah. Getting eggs scrambled, smothered, covered, and chunked is yummy! I know it’s usually hash browns, but I like making things different.
      My husband and I actually just ate Cracker Barrel last night, after craving their chicken and dumplings.
      Chicken and waffles is ok, not my favorite dish.

    • No. I’m sorry but you can’t play on this one.
      Next week BDH will discuss the different nuances of salmon species and you can RULE that discussion.

      • The weather service actually uses the “Is the Waffle House open?” as an indicator of severity for hurricanes. No joke – look it up.
        I guess if the Waffle House is open, the weather can’t be *that* bad…

  13. We’re a dozen comment in, and nobody has mentioned the Waffle House jukebox?

    Waffle Do Wap!

    In full disclosure, I’m a northern / coastal elite, so I’m not legally allowed to vote in this election.

  14. Has to be Gluten free. No to both.

    Big never to Cracker Barrel due to political reasons for me. Not going to get kicked off / banned so I am not going to explain here. Ever.

    I like it here! Lol

      • Yup, I don’t go to those places either. ????

        Plenty of truly local diners in my corner of Ohio so I’m spoiled for choice, but now that it’s been mentioned I’m remembering having observed numerous retirees at most of them….

        • Bob Evans would be similar to cracker barrel. My family is from Ohio and that’s where my grandmother would take us to eat whenever we visited.

    • Totally agree with you. Big never to Cracker Barrel, Chick Fil A and Hobby Lobby. Also, I went to Cracker Barrel once years ago and I thought their food was awful.

    • Been tempted but for same reason,haven’t gone there,there is one near where we walk out dogs in NW NJ. Don’t miss it there is a hot dog place,Davy’s hot dogs, almost next door that is to die for.

      I was at a waffle house years ago, at the time had really long hair and got me some dirty looks, but was with a couple of guys the size of a water buffalo so nothing happened. Food was ok,nothing special.

  16. In Florida, the Waffle House index is used to determine hurricane severity. If WH is still open, don’t panic. If WH closes, RUN!

        • That’s because the old director of FEMA was from Gainesville FL and he had to come up w/ a simple way to tell people how to know when to evacuate.

          • Yep. I live in Texas, but my dad’s family farmed & settled Florida (before it was a state)!
            I was born in Gainesville, had my kid in Key West. I literally have family in every county. So when I call to check on them during a storm / hurricane, the most common question asked is: are the lights still on at WH? Yeah? Ok, no need to evacuate yet. Lol!!!

    • So true. When Michael hit WH hooked up a portable generator and kept on cooking. They earned my loyalty.

  18. Moved to New Orleans and spent time with my Macon, Georgia family who told me they went to Waffle House for Easter breakfast every year. They swore by Waffle House. So when my Los Angeles sister visited and we took a road trip through the south, and she wanted to stop somewhere authentic for lunch {not TGIF, or McDonalds} and was imagining genuine bbq. I assured her the real southern experience was Waffle House, which, coincidentally, was off of just about every exit. So we went to Waffle House. Never forget the look of horror on her face. This was her southern experience! Crappy home fries and under cooked waffles in a charmless rectangle of a diner. With watered down imitation maple syrup. She never blamed me but she never trusted my fine dining instincts again. And we had to wait until another trip to Austin, TX to get the bbq.

  19. I like both????
    Hash browns at Waffle House and has brown casserole at Cracker Barrel. Also brown beans at Cracker Barrel with corn bread muffins and chicken and dumplings Okay I’m hungry now

  20. In Los Angeles it’s Roscoes chicken and waffles, IHOP or Mel’s Diner Fried chicken and waffles are America’s contribution to world cuisine in my opinion Nobody does it better (or at all)

    • I would go so far as to say if you want chicken and waffles you should skip everywhere else and just go directly to Roscoes.

      If that means you have to fly, so be it.

      And for bonus points, you can go to Disney after!

    • Yes, Roscoes Chicken and Waffles! Forget the others, Roscoe’s is an LA soul food institution, lol!

  22. Toss up. Grand slam good memories with the limited menu. Better menu mixed with horrific dining experiences. Hmmmm.

  23. Waffle Houses are important in Florida. That’s how we know if we need to evacuate for hurricanes.

  24. When I was pregnant all I wanted for breakfast all the freaking time was Cracker Barrel’s blueberry pancakes! I will only order pancakes from them. Love them! I also love their eggs in a basket meal.

    I will admit though I do like waffle houses hash browns but that’s about it for them. If you ask me to choose one of the other then Cracker Barrel will win every time.

  25. We have neither in the UK, so I have no opinion. 🙂 I will never understand the American custom of eating meat with waffles, though. Waffles should be eaten with Nutella, as befits their sweet deliciousness. Fried chicken should be eaten with coleslaw, and maybe some spicy potato wedges.

    Damn. Now, I’m hungry.

    • Frankie & Benny’s in the UK had a Chicken and Waffles breakfast with bacon and maple syrup. With a Bloody Mary, it was the perfect hangover breakfast.

      Yeah, your Mod knows how to party 😀

    • I am in the US and don’t understand meat with waffles. Just because it exists doesn’t mean I have to eat it.

    • I think you forgot Birds Eye. I still like them sometimes with veggie fingers but we used to have them as kids with fish or chicken fingers and beans for Friday dinner. They are waffly versatile after all ????

      • Yes, potato waffles are an exception to this rule. Not even I would eat those with Nutella! 😀 (And I ate them with almost every meal as a child…)

    • I’m trying to figure out when chicken and waffles became a thing in the U.S. Was that mostly a Southern thing? I don’t remember it up north when I was growing up.

    • Buttery & sweet (waffles with maple syrup) and crunchy, spicy & savory (fried chicken-I prefer dark meat for even more depth of flavor). Berries on the waffles. Maybe some whipped cream.. With lots of good hot coffee. Nothing better on the weekend when you have the time to savor. Yum.

    • I was born, raised, and have lived most of my life in Atlanta. Waffles and chicken are still beyond my comprehension. ????‍♀️ I’ll take Nutella or something equally sweet and decadent with my waffle every time. Just not chicken.

  26. I live in Spring which is a burb of Houston so the Waffle House Disaster Index is a big thing here. When it’s flooding or a hurricane hits you know it’s bad if the Waffle Houses are closed. As far as food both fill a niche so I like both. I love browsing the store at Cracker Barrel while waiting to be seated and the food is good home cooking. Waffle House became a travel game for my family whenever we took a road trip. The first person to see the Waffle House sign would scream “Waffle House” at the top of their lungs and get a point. At the end of the day whoever had the most points won. Since Waffle House is everywhere just about there was tons of screaming going on. Also some time you just want good old greasy truck stop food and Waffle House hits the spot. They will always have a place in my heart because of their cheesy eggs. In the last several months before my dad passed away, most days the only thing we could get him to eat was my version of Waffle House cheesy eggs which had been his favorite thing to order there.

  27. Not gonna lie. I’ve only eaten at cracker barrel once in my life. I was so dissapointed in their nasty syrup I’ve never gone back.

  28. Local restaurant – When the chef was in the mood he would make gingerbread waffles with home fries and ham or sausage. Never on the menu. He would just write it on the “Chef’s Special” chalkboard when he decided to make it. Yummy.

    Sadly I don’t live near there any more.

  29. I live in a Marine Corps town the Waffle House is the place for younger Marines after long nights out, or when they roll out of bed at 2pm, not very family friendly. So we go to Cracker Barrel mostly.

  30. I haven’t been to a Waffle House since very early childhood. Whenever Mother came down to Champaign, IL for doctor appointments (which at the time I worked at said clinic) she insisted in treating for lunch…at Cracker Barrel.

    There are many, many nice restaurants in Champaign-Urbana at that time. She and Daddy came down around my birthday and wanted to treat for lunch; while Dad & I are waiting for her to finish her visit to the “ladies room” he asks where I want to go for lunch…

    Me: O_O

    Dad: What?

    Me: You know as soon as Mother comes out she’s going to say, “let’s go to Cracker Barrel” you KNOW that

    Mother comes out to the car.

    Mother: So you want to go to Cracker Barrel for your birthday lunch?

    For some reason she was highly miffed at Daddy & mine’s hysterical laughter.

    Still – I’ll take the Old Timer’s Breakfast with bacon & hash brown casserole, thanks!

  31. I ADORE the Waffle House. Their waffles are amazing, delicious, and CHEAP! I wish we had them in the PNW!!!

  32. Haven’t been to a Waffle House in decades. No Cracker Barrel, for several years – we used to have (work) team lunches there, but the person who insisted in Cracker Barrel moved to Tennessee.

    We tend to favor family-owned restaurants over chains. Currently that’s several Mediterranean (including Turkish) as well as sushi and Thai.

  33. I never went to Waffle House, even though I go past one when I go out. It’s been a long time since I’ve gone to Cracker Barrel (pre-COVID). When I lived in Missouri, there was a Bob Evans, and it was good. 🙂

    So as to the question, neither for me since I don’t go to either one.

    • STL girl here, I replied above about my preference in the WH vs CB debate, but given a choice Bob Evans is preferred over both of the others. My friend and I go to “breakfast” at Bob Evans every January 1st. It’s been our tradition since I moved into my new house, which I closed on just a couple of days before the end of the year. That first year we slept on a couch and watched dvds on a TV setup on cardboard boxes. Since I hadn’t really moved in yet there was no food or dishes, and pre-covid, nothing delivered here, so out we trundled in the frigid cold to Bob Evans, which was the closest restaurant open when we woke up.

  34. I haven’t had fried chicken in so long, I think I forgot what it tastes like. We get baked chicken. Somehow, it just isn’t the same. I tried using Panko, but afterward, the chicken just stared back at me, crispless and unhappy, like me.

    • I tried a fried chicken recipe from Cook’s Country that is fried all at once. It turned out very good.

      For this recipe, the chicken is brined in buttermilk with salt, pepper, and other spices. All purpose flour is mixed with a little bit more buttermilk (not the milk used for the brine) to make flour crags and the chicken is dredged through it. Then the chicken sits in the refrigerator on a wire rack set on the rimmed baking sheet. Then the chicken is fried in oil. Yummy!

      • True southern fried chicken needs to be fried in the family heirloom cast iron frying pan. And more importantly it was fried in lard ( or a combination of lard and oil). On our honeymoon my wife thought I was going to turn into a chicken I ate so much, we drove down south and did lot of driving on local roads,hitting these little restaurants and diners, and man was it good. I don’t eat chicken these days ( I suspect the places we ate the chicken was locally raised), but I remember it well.

  35. That question must be a southern thing. When my cousin got married the morning we were all heading home from all the wedding festivities my cousin, the father of the bride told us to meet at Cracker Barrel. His sister was upset. She and her husband wanted to go to the Waffle House that was right next door. Being good northerners my sisters and I made a break for it. We had the longest distance to drive so no one questioned us as we said goodbye but the battle lines were draw. Half wanted to eat at Cracker Barrel the others Waffle House and they were letting it be known. There were like 20 of them.

  36. We have a local mom and pop place, Lettie’s great fried chicken, best I ever had. But I haven’t sampled much ????

  37. In Vermont we don’t have either restaurant, though I’ve tried Cracker Barrel when traveling. We just have local restaurants, many of which cook with local, organic food. Yum. I do miss sweet tea, though.

  38. I haven’t been to either one (we don’t have them in the San Francisco Bay Area) but from what friends tell me I’m more interested in Cracker Barrel.

    Plus that guy who came in last in his fantasy football pool and had to spend 24 hours in a Waffle House (and eat waffles to reduce his time) made me ill… *turns green thinking about it *

  39. Waffle House if you are broke and in a hurry. Cracker Barrell if your in the mood for good food. But Bob Evans kicks both their butts… LOL

    • Another +

      Tho I’ve once been to a Cracker Barrel — I think — in Buffalo. Is that where they also have a little store with all kinds of tchotchkes and old time candies and stuff before you can escape?

      No idea what a Waffle House is but I’ve got in mind some kind of Chalet with those guys in lederhosen dancing around. Probably not what it really looks like, considering the comments.

  41. I am British and have lived in the UK all my life. However, I have three American 1/2 brothers (don’t ask, it’s a long story), 2 live in Georgia and 1 lives in Florida so I know both Waffle House and Cracker Barrel – Cracker Barrel wins. However, in Jacksonville close to where my brother used to live, there was a Mom & Pop style diner. Their breakfasts – eggs over easy (you mostly don’t get to choose in UK restaurants) chipolata chain link sausages, lovely crispy bacon and the most yummy hash browns – grated, not the thick brick-like offerings we get in the UK. I could have eaten there every day of all my holidays – sigh. However, grits. Nope. Not even with butter or flavourings. Not happening. Not. At. All. so I every time I pass on the grits I get told I don’t pass the “southern” test…. still, they love me 🙂

    • Grits are awesome when done right. But most restaurants make them too runny. Even Cracker Barrel, good grits should be stiff with lots of cheese and butter.

      • I’m from the south. Unless I’m physically there (living in NM right now), Cracker Barrel is the only place where, if you find a lump in your grits, they will understand the kitchen must come to a standstill and investigate this catastrophe.

    • Growing up in CA, I only knew about instant grits sweetened and with milk. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I even knew people added other things to the grits, and I still wonder why. I guess you can tell I never lived in the South.

  42. This “argument” totally ignores that Waffle House being open or closed is a check FEMA does in the severe storm times of the year. The “Waffle House Index” is a real thing.

    Waffle House is over an hour’s freeway drive for me, Cracker Barrel is about 15 minutes away. Both places have plus and minus points in my book.

  44. I wish I could eat at them. In high school I developed a severe allergy to eggs and I can’t even be in a room with eggs cooking or the smell of eggs without going anaphylactic. Basically imagine what a peanut allergy looks like only with eggs. . .

  45. I had fallen down the YouTube wormhole the other night and came across Anthony Bourdain’s first time visit to the Waffle House and it was a hoot. Like him I had never heard of the Waffle House, he loved it, that might possibly be because I live in Canada … LOL … if the border ever re-opens I will make the Waffle House a stop on my world famous bucket list food tour.

  46. There’s a bit of distinction between them in that Waffle House is primarily breakfast food served all day, and Cracker Barrel is country cooking, which includes breakfast but has lunch and dinner with a variety of meats and veggies. I LOVE their meatloaf!! We have both nearby, plus Waffle House’s correlate, the IHOP. Pre-Covid, we ate at Cracker Barrel at least once every couple of months, but haven’t been to Waffle House in ages. My husband is at CB every week for a men’s prayer breakfast.

  47. Retired and we went to Florida last winter, stayed in some Cracker Barrel parking lots and tried the chicken – not overly impressed so we stopped eating there. All through the south it seemed we passed a Waffle House on every corner, but never went in one till we were on our way home – we loved their breakfast and chicken! It immediately became our gold standard, but sadly we were leaving the south and no more Waffle Houses. Guess we just have to go back for Waffle House food.

  50. The two are only similar in that both serve food.
    WH is for late night/early mornings after overindulging at the tavern and hash browns are needed to soak up alcohol. Also, coffee.
    Cracker Barrel? Nope, I avoid it like the plague.
    Why take my word on it?
    I live within walking distance of where Rowena will have had been encased in molten glass.
    Pro tip: The WH museum in Avondale Estates looks like a real WH, but you will not be served if you sit at the counter (yes, several have tried).

  51. Wrong continent, so that’s “neither” for me ???? but somehow I’m getting flashbacks to the “coca cola/pepsi” debates from my childhood ????

  52. I’ve eaten at both when we’ve traveled through the US, but I never eat fried chicken and/or waffles– not conducive to diabetic health and I’d NEVER be able to figure out how to calculate the number of carbs for my insulin pump. So, I only ever eat easily identifiable and countable things like scrambled eggs and toast at the Waffle House or Cracker Barrel. Both are fine, but I do prefer Bob Evans when we see one of those. Great coffee. Here in Canada, it’s Cora’s for sure and Sunset, which are only open for breakfast and brunch until maybe 2:00 pm. Steeped tea for me or coffee for hubby at Tim Hortons.

    • In the South they aren’t, my area has Cracker Barrel, Waffle House, Bob Evans, IHOP, Village Inn, and Perkins for breakfast chains. It’s just that people prefer those too over the others. Although I know some die hard IHOP fans.

  54. I have to say that I don’t care for fried chicken. I will eat it, but all the crunchy coating will be peeled off and not eaten.
    Also I don’t get why anyone would want syrup on chicken, but then I don’t even put syrup on pancakes or waffles.
    I am definitely not from the south. 😀
    My husband jokes that I am not American.
    We do go to Cracker Barrel when we are near one. Not retirement age.

  55. Waffle House all the way, so long as you order from the right part of the menu. Breakfast folks, breakfast!! Great hash browns, so long as you order them scattered and crispy. Top them with a couple of over easy eggs and enjoy with a cup of decent coffee while you eat, watch and enjoy the ballet at the cook top.

    Go late at night and you’ll see some very interesting folks. At least in my town, during the day the place is very family friendly.

  56. My cousins always take me to Cracker Barrel when we are in Nashville. I ordered eggs any style with corned beef hash. I asked if they really meant any style, our waitperson confirmed yes, any style. I ordered them my favorite way, poached medium, whites done, yolk runny. First time she came back she asked how they are cooked. I describe doing them in a pot of water at home. She comes back with two roundish hard boiled eggs. The same the second time. I spared us all and said maybe scrambled would be better. So yes, Waffle House is okay with me. But I really like the little meat-and-threes they have everywhere.

  57. I was about to comment that we have neither place where I live and then realized, we actually DO have a Cracker Barrel.

    This realization shook me to the core, because this place is just off the interstate, five minutes from my childhood home and it opened *twenty years* ago (at least).

    In that time, I have never once even considered going there. Never. Not refused, mind you, or consciously decided not to- just never even entertained the *notion* that I might go to Cracker Barrel.

    It’s not just me, either- *no one* I know among my quickly polled family and friends has ever gone to Cracker Barrel. It’s been there for 20 years, so SOMEBODY must be eating there, but everyone I ask just sort of blinks in confusion when I ask. Nobody has anything bad to say, they’ve just…never thought about it.

    Maybe it’s cursed? A cleverly disguised magical gateway to a fae realm or a school for superheroes?
    I can just imagine some dark priest rubbing his hands with glee at the perfect front to keep us dyed-in-the-wool, stick-in-the-mud Yankees from nosing around his secret temple. ‘They’ll NEVER go to *Cracker Barrel*, mwahhahaha!’

      • Seriously! This is the conversation I just had with a co-worker:

        Me: Hey, have you ever been to Cracker Barrel?

        Her: What, down south?

        Me: No, the one we have here.

        H: we don’t have a Cracker Barrel.

        M: Yes we do. It’s right off the highway in *part of town she regularly drives through*.

        H: Ohhhh yeah..huh.

        Second Co-worker: Is that new?

        Me: No, it’s been there at least twenty years.

        Them: Really?
        A flurry of questioning sweeps through the office. Everyone responds the same way. No one’s ever been there. No one knows anyone who goes there. No one ever thinks about it. I call my Mom. Text my brother. Same.

        That’s got to be SOME kind of magical shenanigans, right?

        • All I’m saying is that if you turn up there unexpectedly you *will* see a dragon 😀

          • Well now I CAN’T go, because if there ISN’T a dragon, the disappointment will be absolutely crushing.????

            • I think the whole office and family group should plan to go together… as the hord descends, you’ll soon find out if its a hidden school for wizardry….safety in numbers for you all.
              Just come back and tell us if you see the dragon

        • It’s like in HA’s “Alphas: Origin”. You have to be the right subspecies to see the exit.

  58. Waffle House is food for hangovers and hashbrown cravings. Crackerbarrel is after church food. LoL I’m in SC so I know both well.

  59. I like both for different reasons. Waffle house for when you want cheap, greasy diner food. I mostly love waffle house for their hash browns since you can add different toppings. Cracker barrel when you want something home cooked without having to cook. I used to always get their vegetable plate. Hashbrown casserole and their green beans are sooo good. I found a recipe online that was supposed to be similar to cracker barrels hashbrown casserole. It didn’t turn out right, but I’ve tinkered with it some to where it’s good, but still not as good as cracker barrel.

  61. Places to get food in the South that I miss since moving North again:
    Waffle houses, sheetz (gas stations), Bojangles.

    No to Cracker Barrel. I mean, if someone else is paying, and I’m willing to wait like 1-3 hours for food.. then yeah.

  62. Yeah we don’t have Waffle House in NY state. I remember seeing Waffle House when I went to college in PA but never bothered going (I didn’t have a car on campus anyways). We do have a few Cracker Barrels but I have never been to either, southern fried cooking chains are not my thing. I always equate Waffle House with brawls because whenever I seem to see Waffle House make the news, it’s usually for a violent reason.

  63. I don’t like chicken and waffles in combination, but I have some very persnickety taste buds. What other people like to eat really is not my business.

  64. Two eggs medium and 2 pieces of bacon are the same every where. It’s the required coffee that makes the difference.

  67. I lived for just over 20 years in Atlanta. Home to Waffle House and quite a few Cracker Barrels.

    There are intersections with 2 Waffle Houses, and they’re both packed all day. There are a few in more…. upscale…. areas. I remember one one time some “prim and proper lady” literally looked down her nose at me – in a WAFFLE HOUSE. I was seriously like where the *expletive* do you think you are? It’s not like I was over\under-dressed in my jeans and t-shirt.

    I’m sorry – but anywhere my usual order is “Double order of hash browns, scattered, smothered, double covered and chunked” should have anyone looking down on anyone else…..

    I like Cracker Barrel just fine, hubby’s not a fan though. I just don’t find their “southern” food all that authentic. It’s a road trip thing if I want a big breakfast at 7a ….. and there’s Waffle House 🙂

    • And apparently I need a nap….. second paragraph “shouldn’t have anyone looking down”

      Last paragraph – we’ll eat a big breakfast at Cracker Barrel on road trips if there ISN’T a Waffle House 🙂

  68. We’re a Cracker Barrel choice here; when we lived in Baton Rouge, our lone Waffle House that I knew about for many years was a very sad, dilapidated grungy place near LSU, and the food was terrible. (Later, I would see a few elsewhere around town, but couldn’t shake the association with really unclean areas visible to us.)

    I did wonder about the Buckee love (from a different blog post), until we went to Austin after Hurricane Ida and stopped at Buckee’s on the way there (and back) and wow, it was pretty cool. And the brisket sandwiches were excellent.

  69. My youngest son is a chef. He’s been having weight issues mostly because of meds but he’s also “helping” me with a low carb diet. Other night he made “fried chicken” in the air fryer, breaded with yogurt and parmesan cheese. It tasted really good…but it wasn’t fried chicken. (And yeah, waffles are right out)

    • Oh, and I have neither a Waffle House nor a Cracker Barrel. Not even a Denny’s.

  70. I stop at Cracker Barrel for breakfast in winter sometimes, so I can sit in front of the fireplace. Foodwise, it’s just too much starchy stuff, but I love the fireplace.

  71. Up here in Minnesota we don’t have a WH, and we only have one Cracker Barrell left. When we head south on the interstate we usually stop in (hubby grew up in Texas) and enjoy breakfast. Sadly, this last weekend we were disappointed. Day-old biscuits (?!?), sausage-free biscuit gravy, a bare tablespoon of hash brown casserole, a single tiny bottle of syrup, no spoons, and no games at the tables. Such a let down; my hubby is grieving for the loss of his taste-of-home restaurant.

  72. Well, Cracker Barrel hasn’t given me food poisoning, so there’s that.

    I have been back tomWaffle House since the incident, but I avoid the orange juice.

  73. I got told by my knee surgeon that I am JUST this side of ‘you need to lose weight before we can Do Surgery’. Well poot! So, carbs and fried glory cannot be on my plate for a long time to come, and it hurts a lot.

  74. Waffle House for breakfast or brunch, especially if family is in town. Cracker Barrel for fried chicken or catfish and iced tea.

    • Thank you for your service. My husband and I had our first date at IHOP, about six weeks shy of 38 years ago now.

  77. Cracker Barrel always has a wait to get in and Waffle House is great for those on a budget.

    But you’ve got to watch It’s A Southern Things “If genies we’re southern”. He comes out of a gravy boat and the bit about the door signs was described about 10 houses in my dad’s neighborhood.

  78. This has me wracking my brain to try and think if we have any iconically British food chains and I’m coming up blank.
    There’s your good old greasy spoon/builders cafés but it’s not something that’s franchised.
    We’ve got pubs but these days they are all turning into gastropubs and microbreweries anyway AND I don’t even drink!
    There’s maybe two pie and mash shops left that I can think of and despite being London born I’m firmly against liquor and as for jellied eels…ugh.
    At least US citizens have options to argue over!

  79. I understand location pain.

    I mail-order pasties(pre-covid) because in the London area they’re just…wrong.

    A pasty must come from Cornwall or Devon(if I’m desperate) or the magic just isn’t there.

    • Very occasionally I will eat a Ginsters pasty. I will enjoy it as I do so. And then quite quickly I will not. Which is why it’s only occasional ????

  80. I ate Oreo pie from Waffle House once. It was good. It’s too sketch to go inside, though…

    • I have fond childhood memories of playing checkers in front of the fireplace at Cracker Barrel though ????

  81. Okay, wife of an ex-long haul driver. Neither Cracker Barrel nor Waffle are haute cuisine. Cracker Barrel offers a comfort meal with an excuse for veggies or salad, generally clean restroom and space to relax. You frequently have to park the rig elsewhere and walk to the restaurant but it is great to get out of the truck. Waffle House on the other hand is pretty consistent with its food offerings and quality expectations, frequently is located at an exit that has accessible truck parking and is open at all hours.

    Now every time we travel (he won’t fly)we gauge travel distances by where the next Cracker Barrel is during daylight and Waffle House at night.

  82. I got confused, lol, in my part of the world, Cracker Barrel is a brand of cheese put out by Kraft Foods company . But if I ever get to the USA and see a Cracker Barrel restaurant, I definitely will eat there.

  83. Reading this discussion is really strange from an german point of view.
    Having fun, learning a lot.
    ????

    • Yes! It’s a window into another world (there’s a fast food chain that has fire places?! And sells scented candles?) … The passion of this debate is truly inspiring.

      I especially love that there’s a Waffle House disaster index. We need something like that in Australia.

  84. Went to Waffle House after prom in 1989, all dressed up in our tuxes and floor-length dresses.

  85. If the fried chicken and the waffles are on separate plates, then ok. Some foods should not touch on the plate. (Yes, I was one of those kids – it can mix in my stomach, but NOT on my plate…)

    I would be more interested in the biscuits and sausage gravy shown in the background of the waffle/chicken plate!! Love me some biscuits with sausage gravy!! Can be breakfast, lunch, or supper!!

    Never been to Waffle House.
    Have been to Cracker Barrel. Depends on the individual CB; the one closest to me has been ruined by crabby theme parks goers. The one north of me by 45 minutes is really nice, so I go to that one. Worth the drive for much better food and pleasant service.
    Also like IHOP – pumpkin pancakes in October/November and gingerbread pancakes in December!!

  86. I’ve never been to a Waffle House, but I’ve eaten a few times with my mom at Cracker Barrel. I did not enjoy the ambiance or the meal. Even with it’s vast menu I had a hard time making a choice because everything is fried and topped with gravy.
    In Los Angeles it’s Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles and it’s delicious every time!

  87. I have to be gluten free and the only place I can find good gf waffles is the Original Pancake House in Chicago. Love Waffle House for eggs, bacon & hash browns when on a road trip.

    Really like Cracker Barrel gift shop – not the food so much…

  88. Cracker Barrel hands down!!! They also have the cute country store at the front that has a lot of cute stuff to buy. Waffle house reminds me of late nights going out and starving at 3 am.

    Unfortunately our Cracker Barrel that is closest to us (40 mins away) went way down hill with their food. I understand the pandemic and shortage of staff so less options on menu but it should still taste like Cracker Barrel.

  89. We were in Kentucky in 2001 for Pony Club convention. We had Waffle House for breakfast and Cracker Barrel for Dinner. Breakfast had to be quick but dinner we could browse the store. Both were new to us as we are from CA.
    I liked both of them. There is now a Cracker Barrell in Victorville way up the hill that we haven’t tried yet.

  90. Chicken and waffles always seemed like it wouldn’t work well to me either until I tried it. It’s soooo good. We have Slim Chicken around my area and that’s my go to place for chicken and waffles.

  91. Well. I only eat the grits scramble thingy from waffle house and then only if they can guarantee me no cross contamination with any gluten, so with celiac, fried Chicken and waffles is never a food option for me and even if it was I can’t imagine the two things together…
    I can’t honestly remember having gone to a Cracker Barrell even though I see them everywhere.

  92. Waffle House, because I can eat breakfast any time of day. Cracker Barrel’s store is cool, but their food mediocre at best.

    FYI, most waffle Houses do not have enough parking for bit trucks (at least the one around me don’t). So I doubt a lot of truckers eat there.

  93. We are lucky to have an AMAZING place here in Massachusetts called “Flip the Bird.” They make fried chicken sandwiches that are truly to die for…if you look up Flip the Bird, Beverly, MA you can drool over the menu. My fav is the PCH which has apple slaw and avocado… lol when COVID struck they did order online and there were so many orders it broke their system ….

  95. While I love a good scattered, smothered, covered… hashbrown casserole wins utensils down. ???? #crackerbarrelftw

    • Every time someone has commented the “scattered, smothered, covered” hash brown order at WH today all I can hear is “Adam and Eve on a raft and wreck ’em”. 😀 I feel like I’m in a 50s diner hehe.

  96. Hands down waffle House! Consistent food across the board. I go out of my way as a traveling salesman for two restaurants waffle House is number one and a vegan restaurant in New England is number two.

  97. We don’t have this in my pocket of the world. My eyes are saying yum but my brain is saying WTF.

  98. I have never actually been to a Waffle House, but it kind of fascinates me that people informally use whether they are open to judge the state of supply chains during natural disasters. As for Cracker Barrel, I was dragged there repeatedly as a child/teenager and have developed an aversion to the place that will probably never go away. The long waits were annoying, the food was meh, and the thought of that store still makes me shudder with memories of holiday-themed sensory overload. If you love it, that’s great, but I can never willingly go to one. So I guess Waffle House by default for me. At least it would be something new…

  99. I’m in NC and we have both Waffle House and Cracker Barrel. I think for preference, depends on your mood.

    Now for chicken and waffles, try it first before you say no. It’s not like you are adding whipped cream on top… lol, although that may be super interesting.

    There is a local place that has waffles topped with chicharrones- OMG, now that is good! the waffles are made with corn flour and very nice contrast.

  100. Cracker Barrel 100%. The chicken and dumplings are the BEST. Don’t love their cornbread, but that’s ok because biscuits.
    Mmmm… Haven’t been there in ages. Might have to go.

  102. Scrambled eggs with cheese at Waffle House, chicken and dumplings with a side order of greens at Cracker Barrel, omelets at IHOP, pancakes at Perkins, and scrapple, sausage, and eggs fried hard at Bob Evans. I still prefer the independent diners like Theo and Stacy’s in Kalamazoo or the Highland diner in Highland Illinois, but I have very rarely ever met a breakfast I wouldn’t love for three meals a day.

    • OMELETS at IHop? I’m sorry but that is just wrong.. it’s the house of pancakes.. pancakes are delicious. I have a headache now.

  103. Cracker Barrel drug of choice: Lipitor
    Waffle House drug of choice: marijuana (or something)
    ‘Nuff said.

    Now if you want to talk 24-hour hangover sustenance and ambiance, we’re talking White Castle in my part of the world. Nothing like it. Double cheeseburger with pickles and onion.

    Not to start something. Don’t be a hater.

    • White Castle onion rings and a chocolate milkshake were the best where I went to in a small town in Missouri. I didn’t like their hamburgers.

  104. I have only eaten at waffle house I enjoyed it. Maybe it was the novelty as I am in the UK

  107. The one time we tried to eat at Waffle House, it was too dirty to sit down. I know this doesn’t speak to all locations, but it was our experience. We’ve eaten at Cracker Barrel several times. It’s novel to walk through the country store and the breakfast is good, a lot of food.

  108. I prefer the food at Cracker Barrel, but don’t really like the atmosphere so we just pick it up!

  109. OK
    I grew up in San Antonio, Texas.
    There are 2 Air Force bases in San Antonio, and also, Fort Sam Houston (i think it is #4 of largest state-side Army bases?)
    There are MANY military units in San Antonio, there is EVEN a Luftwaffe unit.
    Yes, that is the German Air Force.
    So. Military folk from all over the world.
    There are also colleges.
    And university campuses, which bring to the City of the Alamo thousands of ravenously hungry bottomless pits, cleverly disguised as students dedicated to learning and Preparing For Life.
    I lived in San Antonio from 1962, until we moved to Wisconsin in 1972 — i was 14.
    Although i was not yet a college student, i DID qualify as a (previously mentioned) RHBP. I was, after all, a (fast)growing child.
    My parents LOVED the entire concept of restaurants.
    By the age of eight, i could tell you the best place to get hush puppies (Stage Coach Inn on the way to Cuervo); Sopapillas (La Quinta) and Pizza (Shakees).
    Now with all of that as preface, let me just say:

    Never, NOT ONCE, did i ever hear of chicken-n-waffles.

    I have eaten mussels, oysters, crab, lobster, frog legs, snails, birds, beasties and bugs. I have even tried to take a bite out of my brother (the snails taste much better,,,garlic!).
    I lived here in Oregon for nearly 30 years before anyone mentioned chicken-n-waffles.
    I thought they were joking. Or delusional.
    What worries me is that somewhere in the most you-caint-git-there-from-here part of Southern nowhere-in-particular there is a cook at a diner who is about to fry up a big ol’ batch of possum-n-waffles …. Or maybe Snapping Turtle!
    Yum?

    • Chicken and waffles came out of the Black South, part of the soul food culture. They are delicious! We have many options for them here in Atlanta. In fact, Gladys Knight has a chicken and waffles restaurant here.

  110. We do occasionally eat at a Cracker Barrel when we are in the mood for food we grew up with in Southeast Texas on the border with Louisiana. My go-to order there is Beans and Greens with cornbread. This is one of the few restaurants that doesn’t sweeten the cornbread, which is how my mama made it. Just don’t care at all for sugar in my cornbread.

    I once ordered a chicken-fried steak and when the order came out it was chicken. I sent it back and waited til they brought out the right thing. I’m not a fried chicken fan and my husband thinks there’s nothing better than KFC, though he’s learned to like the local Royal Farms version. That’s where he goes when he’s jonesing for fried chicken.

  111. I’m near Kansas City and we just got our first Black Bear Diner about a year ago. We love it. It’s closer than Cracker Barrel, which we also love.
    I grew up eating at Cracker Barrel and always enjoy the food. I’ve only eaten at a Waffle House once. I’m never going to seek one out for itself, but if I’m hungry and on the road I’d be delighted to see one.
    My drunken college days are over, but we always went to a Sonic that was open all night. I’m not sure why we thought a cheese coney would be good after booze, but it always hit the spot.

  113. Bwah haha . Thank you for the post, Ilona Andrews.

    I like both. Waffle House and Cracker Barrel. Years ago, my sister who only stays at “motels” where the room door opens into an enclosed corridor (meaning hotels— I usually am traveling with a big dog or dogs and it gets interesting when they need to potty while waiting on elevator so I like really like convenience of motels) drew the line at Waffle House with a C rating in either Texas or Mississippi when we were traveling to see our military sister out west. Rest of time we ate at Cracker Barrel or Waffle House. Comfort food for us born and grown in southeastern USA.

    I really got tickled by the difference in iced tea between NC, SC, AL, GA, LA. MI, Texas, AZ, Tennessee then home. Some places it was sugar water with tea flavoring or it was tea with a hint of sugar or “weird” tasting water. At those places we switched to coke or Pepsi in an unopened can.

    Tell your agent that one should always try local cuisine in local community. The water is different so tastes different. That what I tell nieces and nephews as they explore the big wide world. It’s part of the adventure.

  114. I was scratching my head. Down under in Apocalypse Land (aka Australia). We have this delicious cheese and that is all.
    Also last 18months we have had drought, fires, floods, a mouse plague, a pandemic, an earthquake and now a tornado. All the first-borns should be trembling in fear.

    Hmmmm

  118. Im in NC where both are up & down the scale.

    I prefer Cracker Barrel but I’ve seen Waffle Houses out on the coast set up like upscale dining ( it was a WTH moment). Most WH around Charlotte look unappetizing. But I’ve found that the waitresses at the CB can make or ruin the experience.

  120. You folks are aware that chicken and waffles were first noted in the vicinity of the Cotton Club? In Harlem, NY, NY? I don’t know if it’s still available, but I seem to remember an episode of one of the shows Anthony Bourdain did with a review and many nice images of what he used to call “food porn”.

  121. Waffle House has it’s share of retirees. It also has teens, young adults, and middle aged customers.

    The food is better than Cracker Barrel. My husband and I ate there recently. We were not impressed. The chicken fried steak tasted like the stuff from the freezer section at the grocery store.

    Waffle House is always freshly cooked where you can watch the entire process. “Dinner and a show”.

  122. Bay Area resident goes…. Cracker Barrel? Waffle House? What are those?

    After visiting the south and dining like twice at both because residents there insisted I “must”, I’m happiest with Cracker Barrel.

  123. There’s a reason we call them crapper barrel and awful house lol. Both will enhance your bathroom trips. Lol. I’m partial to Cracker barrels chicken n dumplings

  124. just moved to Washington State a couple months ago so no Waffle House, Cracker Barrel or Bucees. I really miss Bucees…

    My husband and I drove two hours to Portland Oregon because I really wanted two Cracker Barrel rocking chairs for my new front porch. Ok, maybe fried catfish and turnip greens had something to do with it.

    Gotta go with Cracker Barrel, but much love for smothered hash brown.

  125. For those with Celiac,

    Fried Chicken: Marinate boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into thirds in buttermilk seasoned with salt and just enough cayenne pepper to turn your mixture LIGHT pink in the refrigerator for at least 12 and up to 24 hours. I use a ziplock bag in a plastic food bin so that nothing can escape.

    In a fresh ziplock bag add King Arthur gluten free flour. You won’t know how much you need in total until you’ve completed this next step. Start with one and a half to two cups of King Arthur gluten free flour. Add chicken pieces One At A Time agitating to coat after each addition. As your bag of chicken gets too wet to coat the additions with dry flour add another half cup of flour and continue until you have dry flour on all sides of every piece and it looks as if there MUST be too much flour. Refrigerate again for another 3 hours, turning every 30 to 45 minutes to keep the chicken pieces separate and ensure even concretion.
    I use a cast iron dutch oven and Crisco Shortening but have gotten fantastic results the one time I was out of Crisco and used Avocado Oil. Fill pot with enough Crisco to reach a depth of about 1 inch when fully melted and hot. I judge the temperature correct when a single chopstick or bamboo skewer placed against the bottom has bubbles rising from it. This method is called Pan Frying.
    Place the chicken pieces in the bottom of the pot gently with the side nearest you touching bottom first so that if there is a wave of hot grease it is moving away from you. The fat should come about half way up the side/depth of your chicken pieces. They must not touch each other. You will need to work in batches. The oil should Not be bubbling when the chicken first goes in and if it gets very busy bubbling your oil is too hot. Do not disturb your chicken. Let it cook a bit over 15 minutes until the first side is truly golden brown and turn the chicken gently again making sure that the side near you touches first. Cook another 15 minutes so that the second side is done. Remove from pot and allow to drain on a rack or paper towels. Repeat process until you have run out of chicken. Warning! you may have to employ drastic measures to ensure that any housemates or family don’t abscond with your chicken as quickly as you cook it. I developed this recipe when I was trying to help a friend who had been diagnosed with celiac and “couldn’t survive” without fried chicken. Yes, it does improve the dish to use free range or yard birds rather than battery hens.

    • Ooooooo! Sounds yummy! Thanks, my son has celiac and I’ve been afraid to try fried chicken recipes, too intimidating. But this sounds manageable.

  126. Go on YouTube and see if you can find anyone fighting at Cracker barrel? Waffle House you can always find a fight. I worked at Waffle House and was fired because I was on workman’s comp and now I work at Cracker barrel thank God..

  127. Unfortunately it doesn’t really matter in Oregon or Wichita, Kansas. Waffle House is ILLEGAL in both.

  129. Can drinking a laxative and going to the bathroom to wait be a third choice? I’d rather skip the middle man, or men in this case.

    I usually eat at Cracker twice a year when relatives (old and/or Southern relatives) come to visit. Haven’t been to Waffle House since high school.

  130. Sooooooooo true.

    Add:

    I would totally break down characters from our favorite authors into who world eat where, but I’d be eaten alive.

    So, I’ll stick to safe stuff.
    Sam and Dean=Waffle House
    Crowley=Cracker Barrel

    For me, Event of an Apocalypse=Waffle House. Black coffee, smothered and covered hashbrowns please.

  131. I read the title really quickly when it popped up in my feed and I was like… what’s a crack barrel?

    We don’t have either in the UK, but with other waffle places like wafflemeister I can guess what waffle house might be like….though I don’t think I’ve seen one that mixed in chicken…. so maybe more like the My Old Dutch pancake places in terms of combos.

    And watching the vid above, cracker barrel is like our Riad cheifs or moto service station?

    The Back porch bickering is funny

  132. Waffle House for the win! Where else can you get two over easy with hash browns and crisp bacon at 3am? With raisin toast!!

  133. Retiree here, Waffle House coffee is better. Unfortunately, they keep me the restaurant temperature at refrigerator level. Cracker Barrel is noisy but the the fried chicken is excellent. ????

  134. Fear Kate Daniels. She is a mighty and terrible ruler. Grendel can anoint the petitioners with his vomit. It’ll be great . . .

    Re-reading for the nth time and still finding this hysterical.

  137. Having traveled extensively through the south, sorry, the South!, I’ve been to both and I have to say Waffle house hands down. Cracker Barrel leaves me, meh, while Breakfast at Waffle House does it for me every time.
    Also, Chicken and Waffles is a take it or leave it thing. I love both individually, and NOBODY in the northern states does fried chicken like the South (Georgia, mid-70’s, outside of Ft. Stewart, some guy had set up a little cooker out of his garage and fried the chicken and then dredged it through honey!!! Best I’ve ever had!!) unless they are transplants..

  138. Been to Cracker Barrel once, Waffle House never. We have IHOP here. I prefer locally-owned holes-in-the-wall to any of them.

    I feel your steamed-fish-and-broccoli pain. Any more than trace amounts of dairy and wheat now mess up my guts for months. Most types of oil other than olive, including sunflower (which is in everything now) and avocado, same. Trace amounts only do for a few days, so I’m willing to deal with it on an occasional basis. Full servings however are right out, and so are Cracker Barrel and Waffle House.

  139. I vote Cracker Barrel, but not Chicken and Waffles at any place. When I had to live with my (now X) Mother In Law, because my Husband left after saying he didn’t want responsibility of raising our children.I lost my job and my van had been stolen. I was stuck. She fried EVERYTHING. I can still see her bending over, grabbing the frying pan from the cupboard by the stove and slapping it on the burner.
    Every day there was fried (insert some meat) and salad at times. Me and the kids just couldn’t…..so we would choke down a couple bites and say we were going to the park, or taking a walk. Cracker Barrel was a life saver!!!! They served real veggies!!!!!!! We could have non fried food…grins. My kids when they were older would get Chicken and Waffles when we went to a local BBQ place, but I just can’t. I’ve contemplated it, but never tried it.

  140. I’ve never been to either one. The few times I’ve traveled to the US, I think I stayed too far north. Sbarro’s on the other hand, good Italian fast food, or it used to be. I haven’t been in a long time.

  141. In the Land of Sugar ???? We could only choose from Denny’s or ihop, and if I had to choose it was always ihop. But now we have The Toasted Yolk…breakfast nirvana ????. The close second is my house but I hate cooking for one.

  142. My answer is why not both? But I have never felt quite comfortable about my local Waffle House since it had a grizzly doubke homicide. So, it’s usually only Waffle House when we travel.

  143. Oh, my lord- you oughta collect and post the most, er, ‘heated’ replies. It’d be a hoot.

  144. Waffle House all the food is rich and tasty; Cracker Barrel is bland homestyle food where they forgot about seasonings and salt. Waffle House serves breakfast 24 hours while other restaurants cut you off at 10:30 am. Waffles, Bacon, and hashbrowns cooked with whatever you can imagine piled on top or dry meatloaf and buttered vegies.

  145. Chicken and waffels? From my Czech POV this is very strange choice indeed… but if you like the taste, who am I to judge. My father loved the cowtongue in aspic (or any other brawn). Simply enjoy what you like. I love czech open sandwich “obložené chlebíčky”.

    “Hello, Granny! What a strange taste you have.” Said little Red riding hood

  146. North easterner here but we drive up and down the east coast often to visit family.
    Not a fan of either restaurant but if push came to shove I’d pick Cracker Barrel.
    I haven’t gone to a Waffle House yet that wasn’t grungy and that just puts me off.

  147. Well, I love Cracker Barrel cause I love their southern style vegetables–fried okra is a guilty pleasure. But…since you’re in Texas I absolutely loved going to Luby’s Cafeteria when I visited Austin. My mother always had the LuAnn platter–a generous 1/2 size portion of the meat, 2 sides and a roll. Yumm, their yeast rolls tasted good. And, chicken fried steak makes my mouth water.

  149. I can’t compute this food picture at all. The chicken is a main course and needs a lot of salad to offset the deep fried aspect. The waffles are dessert but why would you have maple syrup AND butter – one or the other surely? Too much or I’m just too English …

    • It’s a meal for hungry late night travelers. It’s too late for dinner, and they will sleep through breakfast. But what if they could get both? Dinner and breakfast: Chicken and waffles!

  150. There are ‘gift’ cards for both. Most of our WHs are inner city and we have just 1 CB. Buses show up at the CB, never the WHs. The Cb has more space and better cooks, while it seems those who cook at the WHs don’t seem to care enough to ‘cook’ to order. The WHs seem to have ‘food made in a dorm room’ currently, menu cut down, while CB has Expanded theirs. Here in CO Springs.

  151. Me, an NB great-grandmother, prefer Waffle House, especially if I am eating alone, which is frequently. Oh, and my hair is bright purple. I guess I’m just not the Cracker Barrel type.

  152. I went to a Waffle House in 2019 when my mom and I went to Arkansas. No chicken and waffles available. The waitress had never even heard of it. We have a cracker barrel where I live and it’s menu consists of sadness and regret.

    On the upside if you ever head to North Carolina Pigs N Grits is fantastic bbq.

  153. Guess I’m too “New England” for fried chicken and waffles. As the visiting friend from “away” I’ve been to Cracker Barrel several times. Not bad, but meh. On the other hand, Waffle House was the first local restaurant we went to when we moved into South Caorlina. We had passed papers and moved in on the same day. Days late due to a hurricane. The movers left at 8pn and we realized that we had not eaten since the breakfast bar in our hotel that morning. Not a speck of anything, but cat and dog kibble. Shows you who rates high in our house. The first place we came to was Waffle House. We didn’t expect much, but the place was clean, people friendly, serivce quick. As a bonus the bacon was great I had seconds. The waffles were excellent and although we really doubted the ad the maple syrup was the real thing. Not what we got in the woods of NH, but still actual maple syrup. Hunger is the best sauce, but when I mutiny over supper, Waffle House is the go to.

  154. I pick waffle house over cracker barrel because I use to work at Cracker Barrel and let me tell you ( If you only knew the truth about cracker barrel) you would never eat there !!!

  155. I vote waffle house the hashbrowns with cheese are a thing of beauty . Same with scrambled eggs with cheese .yes I have a theme lol

  156. Yeah I think I’m more a ‘Steamed fish with broccoli’ person myself. I guess it’s a cultural thing.

  157. Cracker Barrel— the perfect stop when traveling. Clean bathrooms, cool store stuff to peruse and buy, fast service in well decorated dining room. Love the platter with three sides and a plate of warm biscuits with butter and jelly. Always welcomed warmly even when traveling alone (female). The absolute winner.

  158. I am from the North (WI) and while I have lived all over the world I never got to the South all that much. The first time I met my now-husband’s family was at a cracker barrel. Rocking chairs on the porch- ok, nice. You walk into…a gift shop full of tchotchkes, color, and noise. I walked straight back out again slightly traumatized.
    I don’t actually remember the meal, just how unexpectedly annoying that gift shop/waiting area was.

  160. Southern California native:

    Knott’s Berry Farm chicken dinner place (don’t even know its name) for chicken dinner (love their biscuits too)

    In-N-Out for burgers (technically not “In & Out” or “In and Out”, but however you spell it, the burgers are great)

    IHOP for pancakes

    Randy’s (making a come back recently) for donuts

    I’ve never felt a crazy urge (or even any urge at all) for waffles, but if I do someday, I’ll definitely try Roscoe’s 🙂

  161. I like IHOP, myself. Waffle Houses look trashy* and Cracker Barrels are just restaurants with the gift shop up front.

    *IHOPs are open all night, also too.

  162. For me, there’s no question: Cracker Barrel always wins with me.

    My husband loves Waffle House, I think because he has the same nostalgia the poor woman on the video does. I would prefer to go anywhere else. There is a reason I agree with the monicker: the Awful Waffle.

    I have been to a dozen or so Waffle House locations. One or two were clean enough for me to go back. Most had additional guests of the disgusting six legged variety (shudders). The clientele can sometimes be sketchy, depending on location. To be fair, going during the day is much better than evening/late night. It is one of the only places you’ll find open after a hurricane or on Christmas so kudos to them for providing service during those times. If I want a salad. It’s usually pitiful.

    I have been to a lot of Cracker Barrel locations and maybe one was dirty enough for me to be concerned. I can almost always count on Cracker Barrel to be clean. The food isn’t always spectacular but it’s almost always good. The salads are almost always fresh. My super picky kid looooooves the biscuits and won’t eat them anywhere else but tears through those when we go. Cracker Barrel is just far more consistently good for me.

  163. What about air frying? I’ve had air fried chicken & it was soooo yummy! Crispy on the outside, not the least bit greasy (ok, the skin is naturally somewhat greasy but not too much), moist, juicy, tender….. Waffles smothered with berries & a touch of real maple syrup are good, too.

  164. Twist my arm & I’ll say Waffle House even though I’ve never been. Cracker Barrel is pretty fake, but the real killer is the stench of potpourri wafting in from the “country” store. Instant migraine. I’m more of a Texas Roadhouse girl myself.

  165. “Waffle House does one thing well.” I would disagree – they do 2 things well, Waffles and cockroaches – crawling across the tables. Never, ever again…

  168. Waffles over anything except Sarris chocolate. Sarris chocolate wins every time. Especially Sarris’pretzels covered with chocolate. I am hungry now.

  169. I too am dieting and my new best friend is the air fryer. Made whitefish fillets the other day.

    Fish should be dry so as to aid in crisping process. Season fish as desired. Preheat air fryer. When it’s ready spray the basket with your favorite spray oil, I use olive oil. Place fish in basket. Set to cook for 8-10 minutes. At about four minutes you want to carefully flip the fish.

    Ours comes out firm and slightly crispy on the edges. Haven’t tried salmon yet but it’s supposed to be good. I found several recipes on Google.

    I’m personally doing the Profile by Sanford program and it’s going very well for me. Best wishes to you!

  170. I live 123 miles from the nearest Waffle House. When we drive to Nashville to visit family we pass it and always stop for breakfast. We did finally get a Chick-fil-A a few years ago and a Container Store. Slowly but surely civilizing the plains! ????

  172. I’m in Australia. We don’t have either of these restaurants. So my opinion is null and void. I’m here for the kitty and pupper photos 🙂

  173. …. Cracker Barrel is delicious but it’s fancy. Gotta have some money to eat there. The one or two times I’ve been to Waffle House, it was yummy but definitely…… lower socioeconomic status. Is fo da broke folk.

    That said I now have a rabid craving for Cracker Barrel, thankyouverymuch.

  174. I don’t know either, but on balance I’d have to go with the truckers. They know good food!

  175. Waffle House I’ve been there working for 30 years and fixing to retire from there it’s always a good place to work and I meet all kinds of different people I wouldn’t want to work at any other place

  176. We go to Cracker Barrel on road trips because they are everywhere and we like the store. But I have trouble finding a single thing on their menu that I like. Well, I can stand the sides. But non of the entrees. :-:

  177. I actually never understood chicken and waffles. Never tried it, doesn’t sound good to me. Syrup goes on waffles, pancakes, French toast, or sausage.

  178. When I was just dating my wife, I made Thanksgiving reservations for 7pm at a fancy restaurant. When we got there they denied I ever made the reservation as they stopped serving at 5. (?!!) We ended up at a Waffle House!She said,” look at all these relaxed people not eating with family they don’t like.” It was the first of many meals there, as we raised several teenage boys and their friends–Waffle House is extremely affordable. Now we’re older (dammit!), and we have an RV, and Cracker Barrel lets you stop overnight and stay in their parking lot. I can’t say enough about how cool that is. I’m so grateful to them. So… I love them both!

  179. Nothing wrong with waffles and fried chicken.

    While on the road, I eat at Waffle House, at home, it’s Cracker Barrel.

    • Yep. Taste good.

      The grease carry over flavor from the chicken as you bite into a buttery, maple syrup waffle….

      Heavenly.

  181. I didn’t know about Waffle House; judging by an online map, I live in a Waffle-House desert.
    I hadn’t thought of Cracker Barrel as being skewed towards retirees – but the goods sold in their general-store section tend to belong in an attic, so maybe?

  182. I’ll be honest, I like both. But I only go to them while traveling, so it’s been awhile and depends on what’s available where I am, heh. But Cracker Barrel generally has both decent food and decent service. I hate grits, but their cheese grits are a game changer. It’s the only place where I actually consider ordering them. LOL

  183. And from a different perspective…if you’re like a relative of mine who observes certain laws (i.e. keeps kosher), there was the time we went to a Cracker Barrel and discovered that they still use lard in some items. It’s Waffle House for the pecan waffle now. But the %$%@ jukebox is too loud. (I don’t know if they still have jukeboxes. It’s been a while.)

  185. I live in Michigan so have access to Cracker Barrel and greatly appreciate the hashbrown casserole. However, I hope ya’all down south appreciate what a treasure Waffle House is. There is no better breakfast anywhere. Cheesy eggs, peppered hash browns, excellent coffee and the joy of watching them plate 20 meals in the time it takes me to eat it? Priceless AND delicious.

  186. Also, Cracker Barrel has a built in shop with old fashion candies, and merch too from home decor, lotions, apparel, and comfort baking goods. It’s menu is more of a countrified IHOP but somehow with all the things that are bad for you (sugar and cholesterol) and tends to be placed in areas to capture some tourists too (even if just those driving through). When the cancer had destroyed my sister’s digestive track, I made an hour roundtrip trip to Cracker Barrel to get their candy (lemon drops, watermelon drops, etc.). She couldn’t eat anything anymore, and even drinking water was hard for her, but she was desperate for something with flavor, so the hard candies gave her that. Meanwhile I somehow ended up with 4 cop cars following me and pulling me over to berate me. There was construction barrels everywhere, it was pitch black, the city lights were out, and I got turned around trying to find my turn. I was not amused.

    Waffle House is more a tiny box of a restaurant, a more base liner diner sort of feel without the retro diner chic. Plus there’s the Waffle House index used to measure how bad a natural disaster. More traditional breakfast flair, a bit less countrified.

    I’m not a fan of either, give me IHOP. My local IHOP truly is a melting pot of the community. At certain times it’s retirees, but at other times you see the young 20 somethings going there to catch up at odd hours due to their work, at other times all the teens are there before/after games, or working on school projects. The food is great, and service too. (Sadly, IHOP will vary by location, some are good, some not so much).

  187. In Australia, Cracker Barrel is a cheese…a really good cheese, but a cheese! It is really hard to think about as a restaurant! I have a picture of all these tiny people sitting on a block of cheese, possibly eating it.????

  188. I am a Texan living in South Florida, where both Waffle Houses and Cracker Barrels are scarce. I have a fond love of them both, however, NOTHING beats scattered smothered and covered….especially after midnight!

  190. When my youngest children were about 6 and 8 respectively, we went on a down-country drive from Wisconsin to Alabama – and then over to Florida and back. My daughter (6) became terrified of the Waffle House. She thought it was the same Waffle House that magically appeared whenever we stopped for breakfast. Once she shared this, guess where we stopped the next morning? Cracker Barrel. At 23, she says she still knows there’s really only one House, and it follows us around wherever we go. She’s not sure of its intentions.

  191. Waffle House is great because you can use it as a sign of how devastated an area is after a hurricane.

    Cracker Barrel is good because of the hash brown casserole (which you can make at home.)

    Both tend to have clean bathrooms and are fairly quiet places late at night if you are traveling.

  192. I live in Ohio, grew up in Cleveland but have relatives in West Virginia, and Virginia. I have eaten steak and eggs, I have had chicken and dumplings but chicken and waffles have never appealed to me. I love Cracker Barrel, and have enjoyed Waffle House in South Carolina while on vacations. Our Waffle House in Ohio is only if your desperate, or hungover. Putting syrup on pancakes doesn’t sound good to me.

  193. Huddle House is my fave for nostalgia’s sake. I basically lived at the one in Ruston, LA when I was in college.

  194. So I think Chicken and Waffles was created in Harlem NY, which may explain why it isn’t a true “southern thing” My husband makes it here on Long Island, and it is the best, especially with honey and hot sauce (no syrup!!) On Long Island there are no Cracker Barrels or Waffle Houses, you have to cross two bridges to get to either one, so I don’t know which is better.

  195. What are you hungry for?
    Cracker Barrel for pancakes or hashbrown casserole or the biscuits ???? but Waffle House has it all over them for cheesy eggs and bacon.

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