A wave of customer backlash is colliding with a major corporate shakeup at Cracker Barrel, as the Southern chain works to repair its battered reputation among longtime diners.
Known for decades for its rocking chairs, country store aisles and hearty comfort food, Cracker Barrel has faced mounting pressure from customers upset over menu items quietly pulled from restaurants nationwide.
Dishes such as black-eyed peas, fried haddock, red-eye gravy and fried chicken livers have all disappeared, leaving longtime fans searching for answers.
Perhaps no discontinued dish has generated more frustration than the Sunrise Sampler, a breakfast platter that once combined eggs, grits, fried apples, hash brown casserole, sausage, bacon, country ham and biscuits with gravy in a single order.
Josh Cooper, who owns Cooper’s Next Level BBQ in Tallahassee, Florida, told Fox News Digital he was disappointed to see the platter vanish from menus.
“I noticed a while back that Cracker Barrel removed the GOAT of all breakfasts, the Sunrise Sampler, from the menu,” Cooper said. “You used to get a little bit of everything without breaking the bank.”
Cooper noted that diners hoping to recreate the meal today have only one option: ordering each component individually. That approach comes with a steep markup compared to the platter’s original price point.
“Now, in order to get that same teaser touch from the Sunrise Sampler, you have to order it all à la carte, which costs around $25 for the same great meal,” Cooper said. “Blasphemy!”
Fox News Digital contacted Cracker Barrel seeking comment on the discontinued menu items.
The menu complaints represent the latest chapter in a rocky stretch for the chain.
Last year, Cracker Barrel drew widespread criticism after rolling out a redesigned logo and updated restaurant interiors that many longtime customers said abandoned the brand’s country roots.
That rebrand was one piece of a larger $700 million company-wide overhaul touching more than 660 locations, which also included menu changes and simplified dining room layouts.
Public pressure eventually pushed Cracker Barrel to reverse the redesign, but customer skepticism toward the company has not fully faded.
Now, the chain faces additional upheaval at the top. Cracker Barrel announced last week that CEO Julie Masino will depart the company on Aug. 10. Her replacement, David Deno, previously served as chief executive of Bloomin’ Brands.
Cooper said the controversy surrounding Cracker Barrel’s recent decisions goes beyond any single dish or design choice, pointing instead to a broader disconnect between corporate strategy and customer expectations.
He said diners are simply “asking for comfort and nostalgia.”
“The reality is that nostalgia matters. And when you remove popular items without controlling the narrative or managing customers’ expectations, you are bound to have upset patrons,” Cooper said. “Whether it’s due to rising food costs, kitchen timing or any other reason, it’s important to communicate with the people who put you on the map in the first place. Communication matters.”
Tennessee resident Rachel Love, who describes herself as a devoted Cracker Barrel customer, said she is hopeful the company will bring back one side dish in particular.
“I absolutely loved the black-eyed peas, and I’m so glad they’re getting some attention,” Love told Fox News Digital. “They were one of my favorite sides and always felt like such a classic part of the Cracker Barrel experience.”
Love said she is also holding out hope for the return of the chain’s baked apple dumpling, which she called “the perfect comfort dessert” for a restaurant built around an old-fashioned dining experience.
Love said the underlying issue extends well past any individual recipe.
“People aren’t just asking for old menu items — they’re asking for the comfort and nostalgia that came with them,” she said. “Sometimes bringing back one classic dish means more to loyal customers than introducing several new ones.”
The combination of menu grievances and executive turnover leaves Cracker Barrel navigating a critical moment as it looks to rebuild trust with the customer base that built its brand.
Incoming CEO David Deno inherits a company still working through the aftermath of last year’s rebranding controversy, alongside a customer base actively campaigning for the restoration of classic dishes.
Whether the leadership change results in the return of fan-favorite items such as the Sunrise Sampler, black-eyed peas or baked apple dumpling remains unclear as Cracker Barrel enters this transition period.
