The Best Days To Eat At Cracker Barrel For Way Cheaper Meals

Controversies haven't diminished our love for Cracker Barrel, not even when the chain discontinued beloved menu items or made changes to its biscuits that caused widespread backlash (which, by the way, it later rolled back). There's something about this roadside casual eatery that almost always hits just right, with generous portions of comfort food and a retail store full of retro candy, cool gizmos, and shabby chic décor items. So we were pretty psyched recently when we discovered that Cracker Barrel had quietly rolled out a weekday discount menu that has the potential to slash our spending. 

Called Early Dinner Deals, these specials are available Monday through Friday at Cracker Barrel between 4 and 6 p.m. You might have to head out to dinner a bit sooner than normal, but you will likely find that the payoff is worth it. The meals are offered for dine-in only, meaning that you can't get them for takeout or on third-party delivery apps. The idea is that the deals are smaller portions of Cracker Barrel classics, offered for a great price. Exact prices will vary by location, but the dinners available all consist of your favorite homestyle grub — and social media seems to indicate that the specials start at under $10.

Many diners will find something familiar that they love on Cracker Barrel's early dinner menu. There's your choice of chicken 'n dumplings, meatloaf, grilled chicken, steak tips, and a fried chicken breast as main dishes. All meals except the chicken 'n dumplings are served with two of your favorite homestyle sides, and you also get a warm basket of either biscuits or cornbread served with butter and preserves.

The Early Dinner Deals aren't the only money-saving specials that Cracker Barrel offers, either. The chain has cost-effective weekday lunch specials between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. including a pick-two combo of soup, salad and loaded baked potato, or from a selection of hearty hot meals. It's clear that Cracker Barrel is vying for those all-important consumer dollars by offering weekday meals that are sweet deals — so Monday to Friday before 6 p.m. is the time to visit for savings.