Tennessee – The Cracker Barrel State

Ok, seriously, WTF, Tennesee? If we weren’t passing a Cracker Barrel, we were seeing a Cracker Barrel sign on the interstate. It became so bad that we were going to try to take pictures of them on the way back. Instead, one of us would start laughing when we spotted one causing the other to start looking around for a sign. It was made even more amusing by the fact that neither of us eat there by choice due to not being a fan of some of their business practices – I only eat there if my aunts want to go there (my Aunt Peggy loooves her some Cracker Barrel chicken & dumplings).


According to their website, there are 50 locations in Tennessee, and it felt like we passed all of them on I-40 (I think it was I-40). In reality, I think we passed maybe 5 or 6? But it felt like all of them since there are signs about every 5 or 10 miles alerting you to an impending Cracker Barrel. Heaven forbid you miss one. Not only that, but their actual store signs are usually higher and larger than any other sign around to be sure that you don’t miss it.


We stopped for lunch on Thursday because it was pouring down rain and we’d already passed 3 accidents. We pull off and onto guess what road?

Yup, Cracker Barrel Lane

We stopped to use the bathroom at some random little truck stop on the edge of NC on the way back, and as Doug is purchasing a hideous coffee mug for me, he makes a comment about finding a Cracker Barrel. The guy behind the counter says, “Oh, there’s one, let me see, one, two, three…three exits up.” Doug and I look at each other and start laughing then explain to the guy about the seeming deluge of Cracker Barrels in Tennessee. The guy behind the counter laughs and says that he and his brother noticed that too when they were driving up to a military camp thing the previous year.

We stop for the night at a Comfort Inn in TN on Saturday night. Guess what’s next door?


Yup, another f’in Cracker Barrel.

So yeah, if you happen to drive through any part of Tennessee, keep an eye out for Cracker Barrels – they’re everywhere trying to suck you in through subliminal mind games.