The Dinette Set by Julie Larson for May 27, 2012

One of my pet peeves is the classic “Sit in the bar” or “visit our gift shop” revenue enhancer. Burl was right the first time; there’s no one in there, but then he strikes pay dirt by finding a cheap anniversary gift at CB. Go ahead and shake it really hard, Burl.Second pet peeve: needing a guide dog and a GPS to get out of a CB (and other like highway establishments.) Most are really a gift shop with a restaurant attached. You have to run/walk a 5K to get anywhere in a Buckee’s.

Never been to a Cracker Barrel, don’t think we have ’em here….

We used to have… well, about 65 miles from here… the mother of all destination restaurant/giftshop family attractions, known as the Nut Tree.Expensive food, looong waits…. so of course you’d spend all that time ogling the giant sugar cookies (You could get your name on them!), plush animals, honey sticks, adorable dish towels and moo-cows that pour syrup and cream….everything packaged with ribbons or flowers… Fresh “home made” miniature coffeecakes wrapped on little wooden cutting boards, candies and candles in old fashioned containers that cost more than the contents.The thing that made me crazy is….it was good!The gifts were over-priced but of a very nice quality.The food and service, once you actually got a table, were ordinary coffee shop fare, but delicious and fresh…The booths were very comfortable and clean, and the waitresses, even though made to wear uniforms that matched the curtains (!!), were the nicest anywhere.And you could escape some of the wait and some of the “experience” by going to their smaller place across the highway, the Coffee Tree, which was also a bit cheaper.I wanted SO much to hate the place but I couldn’t.

Meanwhile, this just proves that the Pennys will cut loose of a buck if they’re not near a Dollar General or a Big Lots.

I’m sure the first place they looked was on the clearance shelf…Joy got some almost out-dated jam that she’ll still keep for Christmas presents….But when it comes right down to it, they love nothing better than an opportunity to buy things…. any things……do you think Joy got a moo-cow creamer?

Good Morning, Crustwood!

I ‘found’ the sucker, but the Cracker Barrel has me beat they found two (more).

PacoPuddy — yet another reason it was so amazing that they were always so nice!

Not to mention dealing with hordes of tourists, vacationers, hyperactive, cranky children just let out after 5 hours in the car….The place was always busy.

I once teased my cheerful waitress about trying to be invisible in the flowered curtain-material blouses, and she remembered me, and would always wave her hand when I came in, and laugh, and say “Here am!”

There are fewer things more exciting than a destination roadside restaurant when a couple of team buses pull in.

My wife and I go to the CB a few times a year. Yes you wait in the gift shop, but to be fair, my wife likes to go there so she can browse their stuff before we go in. She tells me, “you go sign us in and meet me there when they call us”.

A few times there was no wait, so I had to go find her to tell her our table was ready.

Yes, their gift shop items are a bit pricey, but we rarely buy anything. We see a lot of unique things that are cute and/or funny, but also not really something we want. Once in a while I see something I think someone would love for a gift, so I make a mental note to come back and get it when it comes closer to their birthday, and of course I never do.

The food on the other hand is always reasonably priced and most of it is a good country style and filling. I am especially partial to their Chicken and dumplings, my wife likes their breakfasts. I also love their toasted sour-dough bread. One word of caution, don’t order their cornbread, it sucks.

Once again as we are leaving my wife tells me to pay for the dinner while she shops around a bit (they do not pick up the check at the table, you pay at the register). At this point she normally finds something to buy, more times than not it is some candy that she thought they had stopped making years ago.

So, in spite having to cross the gift shop to get to the restaurant and kind of being stuck to browse while waiting, we always have a decent time, a decent meal and have never spent too much there. Also, you don’t HAVE to wait in the gift shop, when the weather is nice you always go outside and sit in one of the many rocking chairs they have provided for you to wait, which coincidentally are also for sale.

A while back someone made an accusation that some of the commenters on here were being paid to stimulate conversation and draw attention to the strip (esp. the controversial ones). I just want to know if Julie is going to give me a little extra today for doubling as a restaurant critic?

Oh yeah, almost forgot, Good morning Crustwood!

Best walk stick i ever brought was at CB how mant times i could of sold it like when iam at the sea shore

I agree with everyones comment except…my wife bought 2 outdoor rocking chairs there, much to my chagrin, But they have stood up well over the years and are of a really high quality.

1. Burl’s grinning like he got those windchimes at 75% off.2. The Hostess became a Host in the intervening time (how long were they shopping?)3.Good Morning Crustwoodies Stay cool, drinks lots of water. Enjoy the day!

Every buss tour based vacation I’ve been on….. here or in Europe….. goes thru the gift shop to get to the restaurant area….. it’s restaurant SOP……….. I picked up a cute bird house form CB…. ! ! !

Paraphrasing; there’s a sucker born every minute, and Two of them right their in the vestibule.

Attention Crustwood: Susan went to PBS and had a tiny “meltdown” there today. When she comes back, please give her some TLC (and a wide berth); it’s for our own good.

What does the hostess mean, ‘Your table is ready’? Since the Penny’s went to check out the gift shop, everything in the dining room has disappeared!

The sucker is in the first panel between Burl’s and Joy’s heads – only it’s colored purple, on a chair back. (Of which there are no chairs nor dining room in the second panel.)

I must live in some sort of cultural limbo. I’ve never been to a restaurant with a gift shop. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen such an animal. By the way I live in a highly tourist plagued region and tend to avoid the most touristy venues.

sunshine do you mean the vacaville nut tree

There went the tip.

i highly recommend Truckstops America (TA). they’re all mom’n’pop run places, and food is genuine home cooking (huge portions). of course, the gift shop caters a tad to the 18-wheel crowd….

I notice the waiter/greeter has a mustache in the second strip. Is that because the wait was sooooo long? I got the “sucker” part — I think the message is you’re a sucker if you eat at CB…

I had never been to a place with a gift shop in most of my life, but some friends wanted to have a brief meeting after an otdoor even where some went (not me or some others) and we were planning another party. They chose to have it at a CB. Out of courtesy I ordered a slice of pie even though it is not the food that I prefer, because wwe were using a double table for at least an hour. Many of the folks also visited the gift shop. I just never cared for “country” style decor or food. The pie was OK and the staff were very nice.

I have been to a Cracker Barrel several times. I like their food. They do not serve alcohol. I did browse the gift shop(aka “money trap”) while waiting on a table. I thought their prices were very reasonable in both sections. Maybe the Pennys came after a big group left and they had to clean up the mess. I am not paid to post any comments. I just have a big mouth. lol

I love CB food — and don’t recall ever having a wait.

Sounds like a lot of folks like CB (and many of my friends who decided on that meeting too- none quite as old as me). I don’t eat anywhere without drinks (as those who know me would agree) so had mine in my purse, but bought the pie.