This feature went
away for a while, but now... IT'S BACK! I tryout questionable food
items so that you don’t have to in… Steveats. (Note: Title
developed in about 10 seconds of brainstorming.)
Somewhat
surprisingly for a man known for questionable food decisions, I
hadn't ever been to a Cracker Barrel before embarking on this little
(ir)regular writing venture of mine. It would seemingly be right in
my wheelhouse – a chain of questionable quality, with weird,
gravy-coated offerings? – but it is quite awkwardly placed in my
old stomping grounds of Rhode Island. It's right off of Route 95 in
Coventry... but so is Popeye's, and if I'm going along that stretch,
you can bet I'm going to Popeye's instead of Cracker Barrel.
However, this
feature always leaves me looking to try things to write about, and I
was finally enticed in during the Thanksgiving time frame with an
offering that may or may not be seasonal – country fried turkey. I
sometimes have a hankering for the “country fried” variety of
food, although with steak, I usually take two bites and go, “Why
yes, that is what it tastes
like, and I'm quite satiated, thank you.” I was expecting a similar
experience with Cracker Barrel.
But
here's the thing... It was shockingly good. By this, I mean that the
skin had a nice, fried crisp, and the meat was succulent and tender.
Like, as far as a fried bird tender went, this was one of the better
ones I've had. Typically, whether you're talking KFC or Applebee's or
McDonald's, if you're getting the chicken tendies, you're getting a
dipping sauce, because they're dry. Not the case here! The white
gravy on top was quite unnecessary, because the turkey was moist on
its own, and because white gravy is a disgusting-looking food
substance.
Let
me be clear though – This is not the start of a love affair with
Cracker Barrel, because the rest of my meal was utterly and
completely flavorless, and the total came out to around $15. This is
more in line with what I was expecting, basically, bland food for the
family. I got two piles of mush that they called mashed potatoes, and
macaroni and cheese, but they were hard to tell apart except by
color. Some cranberry chutnuy added a third color – crimson – to
my plate, and it had enough “kick” to be mixed into the mashed
potatoes. Lastly, I got two biscuits, which were pretty big and
flavorless.
All
in all, I got one good food option out of five at the Cracker Barrel.
From hearing other friends describe their past experiences with the
chain, this seems like a good percentage, and I shant risk lowering
it with another visit anytime soon.
Want to support
Steve’s blogging? Then purchase something via the
Amazon clickthru link for Your Parents Basement, Steve’s other
project! Or, you know, check the
show out! If you have a request for a future Steveats,
leave it in the comments on here or on my
Facebook. To check out some of the past Steveats, go here!
