What’s Vegetarian at Cracker Barrel? (Updated for 2026)
Cracker Barrel is the rocking-chair-and-country-store chain built on Southern comfort food, and a lot of that comfort food involves pork. So what about the vegetarians? You’ve actually got more to work with than the fried chicken and country ham let on. Between the Country Vegetable Plate, a full breakfast lineup, and a plant-based sausage, you can put together a real meal here. You just have to know which “vegetable” sides are quietly cooked with meat.
A Quick Look at Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store opened in 1969 in Lebanon, Tennessee. Dan Evins started it as a gas-station-and-restaurant combo aimed at highway travelers, and the company still calls Lebanon home today. It trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker CBRL.
The chain has grown to about 657 stores across the United States, and it pulled in roughly $3.48 billion in revenue in its 2025 fiscal year. That makes it one of the largest family-dining chains in the country. The menu leans hard into scratch-made Southern cooking, which is great news for biscuits and bad news if you assume every side labeled “vegetable” is meat-free.
There’s no separate vegetarian menu, but the kitchen does a lot from scratch and is used to special requests. A little planning goes a long way.
What’s Vegetarian at Cracker Barrel? (Updated for 2026)
Cracker Barrel Vegetarian and Vegan Options
| Menu Item | Vegetarian | Vegan |
|---|---|---|
| Country Vegetable Plate (pick 4 sides) | ✅ | ⚠️ (depends on sides) |
| Impossible™ Sausage (made from plants) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Buttermilk Pancakes | ✅ | ❌ (egg & milk) |
| French Toast (no bacon) | ✅ | ❌ (egg & milk) |
| Eggs, any style | ✅ | ❌ |
| Grits | ✅ | ⚠️ (ask for no butter) |
| Biscuits / Corn Muffins | ✅ | ❌ (dairy) |
| Hashbrown Casserole | ✅ | ❌ (cheese) |
| Macaroni n’ Cheese | ✅ | ❌ (dairy) |
| Mashed Potatoes (no sawmill gravy) | ✅ | ❌ (butter & milk) |
| Steamed Broccoli | ✅ | ✅ (no butter) |
| Fried Okra | ✅ | ⚠️ (batter & shared fryer) |
| Cole Slaw | ✅ | ❌ (mayo) |
| Fresh Seasonal Fruit | ✅ | ✅ |
| House Salad (no bacon) | ✅ | ⚠️ (cheese & egg; modify) |
| Green Beans / Turnip Greens / Pinto Beans | ❌ (cooked with pork) | ❌ |
Vegetarian Breakfast at Cracker Barrel
Breakfast is where vegetarians do best at Cracker Barrel, and it’s served all day. Stick with the sweet and egg-based plates and you’ll eat well.
- Pancakes and French toast: The buttermilk pancakes (plain, blueberry, or pecan) and French toast are vegetarian. They contain egg and milk, so they’re not vegan. Order the French toast without the side of bacon.
- Eggs and Impossible Sausage: Build a plate with eggs any style and swap the meat for Impossible™ Sausage, which is made from plants and is the one solid vegan protein on the menu.
- Breakfast sides: Grits, biscuits, fried apples, fresh fruit, multigrain toast, and tomato slices are all vegetarian. Ask for grits without butter if you want them vegan.
The Country Vegetable Plate: Your Vegetarian Entree
The Country Vegetable Plate is the closest thing to a vegetarian main course at Cracker Barrel. You pick four sides and it comes with a buttermilk biscuit or corn muffin. Safe vegetarian picks include macaroni n’ cheese, hashbrown casserole, mashed potatoes (hold the sawmill gravy), steamed broccoli, fried okra, cole slaw, sweet carrots, corn, fresh fruit, and fried apples. The catch is in the next section: a few sides that sound vegetarian aren’t.
What’s Vegan at Cracker Barrel?
Vegan options are thin, but they exist. The Impossible™ Sausage is your best bet for protein. Round it out with fresh seasonal fruit, a plain baked potato (no butter or sour cream), steamed broccoli with no butter, and grits ordered without butter. Most other sides are cooked with butter, cheese, or milk, so build your plate carefully and tell your server you’re avoiding all dairy. Skip the pancakes, biscuits, mac n’ cheese, hashbrown casserole, and cole slaw if you’re strictly vegan.
Special Dietary Requirements and Allergies
Cracker Barrel cooks a lot from scratch, which makes it easier to modify a plate but also means hidden ingredients. The big one for vegetarians is pork: green beans, turnip greens, pinto beans, and similar Southern sides are often simmered with ham or bacon, and the sawmill gravy is made with pork sausage. The house salad arrives with bacon unless you ask otherwise, and chicken n’ dumplins and some soups use meat stock. For dairy and gluten, ask your server for the allergen guide, which Cracker Barrel keeps current. Cross-contact is always possible in a shared kitchen, so flag any serious allergy directly.
Tips for Vegetarians at Cracker Barrel
- Order the Country Vegetable Plate and pick four meat-free sides for a full meal.
- Ask for green beans, greens, and pinto beans without ham or bacon, or just skip them.
- Hold the sawmill gravy on biscuits and potatoes; it’s made with pork.
- Ask for the house salad without bacon.
- Swap breakfast meat for Impossible™ Sausage to add a plant-based protein.
- Going vegan? Ask for no butter on the grits, broccoli, and baked potato, and skip anything with cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion: What’s Vegetarian at Cracker Barrel?
Cracker Barrel takes a little navigation, but vegetarians can eat well here, especially at breakfast. Lean on the Country Vegetable Plate, the egg and pancake dishes, and the Impossible™ Sausage, and watch out for the pork hiding in the greens, beans, and gravy. For more help eating out, see our guide to eating vegetarian and vegan at restaurants, browse the full restaurants category, or check what’s vegetarian at Denny’s, IHOP, and Boston Market.
