Best to assume that you can't trust anyone here - Server Cracker Barrel Employee Review

2.0
26 Jan 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good flexible job if you want to work during the day. Could make decent money working breakfast and lunch. Easy to trade shifts with other servers. Earned one week vacation after one year. If you like being busy, you will rarely be bored. There was always something to do. The computer learning that needed to be completed to progress through the PAR program, contained valuable information that helped improve job performance. If you have a manager that wants to help you, you can learn a great deal. If you have a good performance record, it is pretty easy to transfer from one restaurant to another. Nice clientele. Lots of nice families and cute kids.

Cons

Restaurant is open on Thanksgiving. Inconsistencies in how performance was evaluated. Some that were promoted to PAR 4, had no business receiving that promotion. Inconsistencies in how much money you could make depending on what section you received, although it usually evened out week to week. Seemed like management was often listening to your personal conversations. It felt like they wanted to find something out that they could use against you. Maybe it was not management's intention, but somehow a backstabbing mentality was created and fostered. I really learned the lesson "Distrust everyone until they prove to me otherwise" from this job. Employees were often pulled into the office to be asked what they knew about a person or a situation. Seems like employees were 'rewarded' if they came to management with information about someone. Not enough feedback was given about job performance. Company's mission statement 'pleasing people' applied to external guests, but not to 'internal guests', the employees.

Explore other reviews about Cracker Barrel

5.0
8 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great career with a reliable schedule and pay.

Cons

High stress environment with some physical adjustments.

2.0
3 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Most coworkers were genuinely great to work with and made shifts more enjoyable. * The guest interaction and serving aspect of the job is something I personally enjoy. * Some shifts could be positive depending on staffing and team on duty.

Cons

*Management was often unprofessional with inconsistent communication and expectations. * Certain coworker behavior occasionally affected morale and created a less positive work environment. * There was a noticeable blame culture where issues were not handled in a constructive way. * In my experience, bringing up workplace concerns or uncomfortable situations did not always feel welcomed or supported, and it sometimes felt like speaking up led to negative attention. * Scheduling and hours were inconsistent, making it hard to rely on stable income. * Inconsistent scheduling sometimes resulted in difficult shift patterns, including working split doubles (such as 9–3 followed by a 4–close shift), which often meant not getting out until around 10:30 PM and then repeating the pattern on consecutive days. * Training was limited, and expectations were often unclear, which made the job more stressful than it needed to be. * In my experience, HR concerns or formal complaints did not feel like they were taken seriously or addressed in a meaningful way.

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