Pot Roast News

Cracker Barrel tests 20 new dishes at 3 Houston-area locations

Cracker Barrel pot roast casserole with biscuits.

Courtesy of Cracker Barrel

Southern-themed restaurant chain Cracker Barrel Old Country Store has unveiled a menu overhaul — its largest ever — and is testing the new menu for a limited time, only in Texas, at 14 locations across the state.

The new menu is part of of a strategic transformation initiated in May, to revive the chain's fortunes.

Cracker Barrel was founded in 1969 in Lebanon, Tennessee, as a restaurant-gift store combo, specializing in homestyle food, plus retail products — everything from rocking chairs to pancake mix to kids' games.

They do affordable homestyle food, a cuisine that is increasingly hard to find; but according to a release, they've been struggling with sales and traffic since the pandemic, with a 4 percent decline in traffic for the second quarter ending January 26.

Their plan: a brand overhaul including this new test menu, alongside other initiatives like store remodels and digital technology, with a goal stated by CEO Julie Felss-Masino to modernize and refresh the Cracker Barrel brand without losing its signature homestyle charm.

The 20-menu item test, which includes green chile cornbread and banana pudding, began in February at a singular store, and is currently being served at 14 Texas Cracker Barrel locations, available now through August 5.

Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole Shepherd's PieCourtesy of Cracker Barrel

Highlights of the new menu include:

Hashbrown Casserole Shepherd's Pie: a slow-simmered pot roast served with onions, celery, carrots, peas, and mashed potatoes topped with a griddled hashbrown casserole crust and sour cream. The item is served with a choice of buttermilk biscuits or cornbread muffins.
Green Chile Cornbread: cheesy green chile cornbread drizzled with honey and topped with whipped butter
Chicken n' Dumplin Soup: homestyle “dumplins” served with shredded chicken, celery, carrots, and onions in broth
Cinnamon Bread French Toast: griddled cinnamon streusel bread topped with cinnamon and cream cheese icing, served with two eggs and a choice of bacon or sausage
Banana Pudding: layered with vanilla wafers, whipped cream, and caramel sauce

They've also updated their selection of daily specials, rotating menu classics like Lemon Pepper Trout n’ Classic Turnip Greens with new Southern BBQ Ribs and savory Chicken n' Rice.

"For nearly 55 years, guests have known and loved us for our authentic, homestyle cooking, and that's not going away, we've only added more flavor and crave to the menu and made it easier to navigate," says Senior VP of Operations, Cammie Spillyards-Schaefer. "We're excited for the Texas community to be the first to experience some of our new culinary innovations like premium, savory Chicken n' Rice and Green Chile Cornbread and we look forward to gaining valuable feedback, from both our guests and employees on the test."

The only locations you can try them are as follows:

Allen, 1323 Central Expressway N.
Arlington, 4300 South Bowen Rd., I-20 & Bowen Rd.
Arlington, 1251 North Watson Rd., SR 360 & Brown Blvd/Ave K
Benbrook, 8010 SW Loop 820, I-20 & Winscott
Weatherford, 132 East I-20, I-20 & Hwy 51
Houston, 18151 Katy Freeway, I-10 & Barker-Cypress Rd.
Houston, 14765 N. Freeway, I-45 & Airtex
Kingwood, 24400 Eastex Fwy, US Hwy. 59 & North Park
Cypress, US 290 & Mueschke Rd., 27040 NW Fwy
Abilene, 1602 Hwy 351, I-20 & State Hwy. 351
Amarillo, T2323 I-40 East, I-40 & Quarterhorse Dr.
Lubbock, 5018 Milwaukee Ave, Hwy. 82 & Milwaukee Extension
Midland, 3108 N Loop 250 West, Loop 250 & Wadley Ave.
Wichita Falls, 2400 Sierra Dr, I-44 & Sierra Dr.

Given that they're previewing the menu at such a limited number of locations, and only in Texas, it seems like it's essential for every Texan to try them. They're putting this in our hands. We could be single-handedly saving this company's life.

The company and its affiliates operate approximately 660 company-owned Cracker Barrel Old Country Store locations in 44 states and also own the fast-casual Maple Street Biscuit Company, which they acquired at an unfortunately non-propitious time: October 2019, on the very eve of the pandemic.

cracker barrel news-you-can-eat

Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

italian cuisine wine fredericksburg hill country openings news-you-can-eat