The Dangerous Thing Once Found In A Cracker Barrel Hamburger
Cracker Barrel has been an interstate favorite among diners from the first time it opened its doors in 1969, and since then, the chain has seen massive growth. Fans of Cracker Barrel love its old-time decor, the rows of rocking chairs lined up along the exterior, and the signature homestyle menu. To date, the chain has served over 230 million guests, with 40% of those diners representing travelers who are just passing through and stopping for a plate of fried chicken or a stack of pancakes.
Like any restaurant chain, Cracker Barrel has had its fair share of scandals. Some critics have suggested that Cracker Barrel's decor is problematic, and others have claimed that the restaurant behaved discriminatorily toward certain patrons. The scandals extend to the restaurant's kitchen as well, including a food safety scare at a South Carolina Cracker Barrel that left one woman injured and diners questioning the safety of menu items prepared at the restaurant.
An unpleasant surprise in a Cracker Barrel beef patty
According to NBC News, Irene Grann was eating a beef hamburger at a Cracker Barrel location in Myrtle Beach, SC when she started bleeding from the mouth. The 56-year-old patron, who was dining with her husband at the time, said it felt like something was stuck in her throat. It turns out that something was a piece of metal. Even the restaurant manager working that day backed up Grann's story, saying that after the injured diner was transported from the restaurant, he inspected her partially-eaten hamburger and found a piece of a razor blade that had somehow been embedded into her patty.
Following the event, Cracker Barrel was quick to recall the same hamburger meat from over 300 locations so that others wouldn't get hurt. And fortunately for Grann, she didn't need stitches. This unfortunate incident is just one of many other kitchen safety concerns that have occurred at Cracker Barrel, such as the restaurant's bloody fries incident and a 2018 salmonella outbreak attributed to the chain. In the end, it wasn't clear where the metal in Grann's burger came from, and both she and her husband say they would eat at Cracker Barrel again.