8 Things You’d Love to Know About Cracker Barrel

We've uncovered a charming story that makes us love Cracker Barrel even more.

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Cracker Barrel restauraunt
Shutterstock / 4kclips

Cracker Barrel is one of those places that knows how to draw people in! Its Southern charm and warm atmosphere have people stopping all day long for a taste of their famous Southern-style food. Here are some surprising facts about Cracker Barrel to savor with your biscuits.

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Shell gas station
Shutterstock / Rob Wilson

Cracker Barrel Used to Sell Gas

When Cracker Barrel opened in 1969, drivers could stop in and fill up on Shell gasoline. The restaurant chain continued to sell gas at its locations up until the mid-1970s.

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Nostalgic stone fireplace inside a Craker Barrel restaurant and Old Country Store.
Shutterstock / James R. Martin

Each Restaurant Has Local Decor

Each Cracker Barrel is decorated based on what’s popular around the local area. Plus, the restaurants are decked out with actual antiques! The company even has someone in charge of uncovering the historic odds n’ ends used at each Cracker Barrel.

Some of that flair might be worth a pretty penny.

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Chicken and Dumplings in a Pot
Shutterstock / DeliriumTrigger

Cracker Barrel Sells Millions of Chicken N’ Dumplins

More than 11 million orders of Cracker Barrel’s famous Chicken N’ Dumplins are sold each year. That’s a LOT of Dumplins! (We’ve also heard that the chain sells 37 million pancakes and 13 million pounds of chicken tenders.) If you want to enjoy a huge chunk of those tasty dumplins, here’s how you can win free Cracker Barrel for a year.

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Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Location
Shutterstock / Jonathan Weiss

It’s Named After an Actual Barrel

Back in the day, country stores used to sell soda crackers (similar to Saltines) in barrels. Customers would use the barrels as makeshift tables to stand around and chat. Today, Cracker Barrel’s logo is still a man sitting in a rocking chair next to a cracker barrel.

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Kraft Packages of Cracker Barrel cheese
Shutterstock / Pat Wellenbach/AP/REX

There’s No Relationship to Cracker Barrel Cheese

You’ve probably seen Cracker Barrel cheese in the dairy section at your grocery store. The Cracker Barrel cheese has nothing to do with Cracker Barrel restaurants, but we bet they’d make a great mac n’ cheese anyway.

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Hanging row of cast iron skillets at swap meet
Shutterstock / Leah Smalley

They Sell Kitchenware

Believe it or not, if you go to Cracker Barrel’s website, you can buy tons of kitchen products! Browse popcorn makers, pots and pans, plus home décor. They also sell candy and clothing, plus gift baskets for any Cracker Barrel lovers you know.

Here’s some of our favorite Cracker Barrel loot.

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Delicious milkshakes on wooden background
Africa Studio/Shutterstock

Shh—They Secretly Make Milkshakes

Cracker Barrel doesn’t have milkshakes listed on its menu—at any location. But if you ask your server to whip up a milkshake, you won’t be disappointed. Yelp reviewers claim the restaurant’s milkshakes are one of Cracker Barrel’s best kept secrets.

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Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Location
Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock

Cracker Barrel Can Predict the Next President

During the 2012 election, one analyst said the race boiled down to Whole Foods vs. Cracker Barrel. Republicans had the most votes in places with Cracker Barrels, Democrats won in places with a Whole Foods. Look for Cracker Barrel to predict the next election!

Julia Mullaney
Julia Mullaney is a writer, blogger and self-proclaimed macaroni and cheese connoisseur based in New Jersey. She is currently a health & fitness writer for Cheat Sheet and previously worked as the editorial manager of Edible Jersey Magazine. Her work has been published in Rachael Ray Every Day, Art Quench, RMagazine and Edible Jersey. She is the author of Man, you can Cook!, a cookbook full of simple recipes for men who consider the kitchen to be uncharted land. In her spare time, she also runs a food blog full of original, easy recipes. Chow down at simplydeliciousblog.com or on Instagram at @simplydeliciousblogger.