Cracker Barrel has become a watchword across the American South – a synonym for warm country cooking, a little bit of fun shopping, and now even alcohol.
And with the more recent expansion (at one point they were opening nearly 50 new Cracker Barrels a year!), the restaurant now has over 600 locations slinging up country-fried steak, delicious biscuits, and good old-fashioned pancakes.
But there are still six states without a Cracker Barrel to call their own. Let’s talk about each in turn.
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This is probably no surprise.
Alaska is geographically huge and has a tiny population, many of whom reside in sparsely-populated communities lacking easy long-distance transportation.
It’s a shame because – with all that cold weather, they sure could use some great country cooking served up with a smile!
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Hawaii is also probably not a surprise.
It’s isolated, and lots of the population live on different islands.
However, given all the tourists, you could see a Cracker Barrel doing well here IF they can work out the logistics.
Which brings me to #3, and this one’s a real heartbreaker:
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Oregon lost its final Cracker Barrel earlier this year when its Medford restaurant went under in April.
What’s especially heartbreaking about this loss is that, previous to 2023, Oregon had four Cracker Barrels – but three closed their doors in 2023, leaving just the Medford location to hold down the fort.
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What is it with the Pacific Northwest?
Oregon closed all of its Cracker Barrels, and Washington State – as far as I can tell – has never had one.
Maybe a piece of it is that there are so few transplants from the American South (most folks from down here don’t love year-round cold rain).
Which is a shame – there’s nothing like a country-fried steak and mashed potatoes to warm you up on a cold night!
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What is it with the Pacific Northwest?
Next to Alaska, Wyoming is one of the most rural states in the US, so it’s not totally shocking that it doesn’t have a Cracker Barrel to call its own.
That said – I’m surprised Jackson Hole or Cheyenne haven’t been selected as a location – Jackson Hole gets plenty of tourist traffic, and you’d think they would help a Cracker Barrel succeed.
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I think Vermont’s lack of a Cracker Barrel can be explained by culture more than anything else – it’s by far the crunchiest of the three most Northeastern states (Maine and New Hampshire have a lot more in common culturally with a Kentucky or Ohio than I think most people realize).
Of course, the frigid winters probably don’t help either.
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Of course, even if you’re lucky enough to live in a state with a Cracker Barrel, that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily close!
Sometimes people have to drive upwards of 100 miles to get to their nearest Cracker Barrel. That’s a real shame, and it shouldn’t be that way.
Where do YOU think Cracker Barrel should open next?
Let us know in the comments!
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