OC Food Diva: 2017 World Food Championships: Cracker Barrel in Pensacola, FL

Thursday, March 29, 2018

2017 World Food Championships: Cracker Barrel in Pensacola, FL

The menu items in this post were provided by Cracker Barrel but the opinions expressed here are my own.

After spending a couple of days in New Orleans, we headed back to our hotel in Pensacola to spend our last evening where we called home for the last week. It was time to start packing up all the kitchen equipment, cooking utensils, and leftover ingredients for the road trip back to Orange County, CA. It was also the last night for my mom as well since she would be boarding the first flight out the next morning. One place on her foodie bucket list was Cracker Barrel and that’s where we were having dinner. The location in Pensacola was a short drive on the I-10 and conveniently located right off the freeway.

Chicken Fried Chicken is a generous portion of deep-fried chicken breast fillet topped with Sawmill Gravy and served with your choice of three Country Vegetables n’ Sides plus complimentary hand-rolled Buttermilk Biscuits or Corn Muffins. The hubby went with whole kernel corn, country green beans, and cole slaw. The chicken fried chicken had a crispy, blistered outside and juicy chicken breast inside. The Sawmill Gravy was a creamy and thick, stick-to-your-ribs type of gravy. The corn was sweet. The green beans were a little over cooked but had a nice flavor. The cole slaw was crisp and had a nice creamy, slightly sweet dressing. Rating: 4.8/5

Country Fried Steak is a generous portion of USDA Choice steak breaded, deep fried, topped with Sawmill Gravy and served with your choice of three Country Vegetables n’ Sides plus complimentary hand-rolled Buttermilk Biscuits or Corn Muffins. I went with mashed potatoes, fresh steamed broccoli, and brussels sprouts n’ kale salad. The country fried steak was perfect with a crispy, blistered outside and juicy steak inside. The mashed potatoes were a perfect side. The broccoli was steamed just right, still a little crisp on the stalk and tender florets. The brussels sprouts n’ kale salad was refreshing with the crisp, raw brussels sprouts and kale along with the sweet dressing, sort of like a slaw. Rating: 5/5

Fried Chicken Livers is served with your choice of two Country Vegetables n’ Sides plus complimentary hand-rolled Buttermilk Biscuits or Corn Muffins. Mom went with whole kernel corn and cole slaw. The chicken livers were crispy on the outside and perfectly cooked on the inside. The crispy outside contrasted with the soft texture inside and the faintly irony flavor pairs well with the batter on the outside. If you love liver like my mom and I do, you must try this dish! Rating: 5/5