Skip to main content

The wife and I just had a Breakfast meal at Cracker Barrel this morning and while Cracker Barrel does have some pretty good pancakes, all be it they are quite sweet tasting, there really isn't any comparison when it comes to their other breakfast offerings compared to say Waffle House.

For instance the eggs at Cracker Barrel are at best medium in size and most likely small whereas the eggs at Waffle House are Large to Jumbo in size and the difference is noticeable.  The meats are also much better at Waffle House and price wise Waffle House gives you more for the money.  Where Cracker Barrel excels is more in the atmosphere and Cracker Barrel is much better at addressing problems when they occur often adjusting the ticket in addition to fixing the problem.   My last problem at Waffle House did net a call from someone in Management, due to my online complaint, but there was no offer to make up for the problem and ruined meal.  That said I've ate at Waffle House many times more than Cracker Barrel and in all those times only had one problem so even though there wasn't anything done to atone for the mistake you really can expect that what you get is going to be what you order and it's going to be right at Waffle House.  Seating at Cracker Barrel also gets the nod and at least there you can bring a large family or group and set together whereas at Waffle House there are no such accommodations.

All in all if it comes to wanting to get my money's worth and have the best breakfast experience I'm going to chose Waffle House over Cracker Barrel or at least that's my experience and take on it.

Now one other comment regarding Breakfast venues and that concerns McDonald's, Bojangles, Jacks, and Hardees.  Of these Jacks has a local following that seems steady and there are lots of things to like about Jacks.  McDonald's does offer specials at times but lately they are trying to make up for some lost profits and have done away with the free senior drinks and you can't even expect to find a complementary newspaper to read while you eat.  Bojangles on the other hand still offers a free drink to seniors and their food is always hot and fresh or at least I've had no complaints in that area.  Hardees on the other hand has lost lots of business to Bojangles and McDonald's and even Jacks and in my opinion has gone downhill in most every way.  Frankly I don't know how the Florence location remains profitable even while having one of the best locations in the Shoals.  I'm sure I'm missing lots of other good places (Staggs Grocery  being one of them) but there are lots that I just haven't gotten around to trying so hopefully others will share their experiences and thoughts and recommendations.

 

 

Be as the Bereans ( Acts 17:11 )

Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

For those who want a No Fuss/No Muss Fast Breakfast

The Breakfast restaurant on Colbert side that that offers good value, consistency of food quality, between locations was Jacks, specifically the "Breakfast Special". I sure most here have had this item, but for those who have not, It simply Scramble Eggs, Bacon or Sausage pattie, Sau/Gravy, Biscuit, Grits: The Eggs, bacon & Sau/Gravy Biscuits items were uniform between locations of Tuscumbia, Muscle Shoals, and Sheffield, in that the scramble eggs were just right, not to mushy or overcooked, bacon crisp and Sau/Gravy viscosity as well as, meat to gravy ratio seem comparable between restaurant locations.  Grits were not dried out and thick like they had been sitting on a warmer then stirred up before being served to you.  Fluid but not to fluid. I was so surprised after each location I tried, how similar the food was. Being a detailed oriented person and pay attention to staff & their behavior, as well who is shift manager, restaurant maintenance & cleanness. Don't forget, the Food Inspection Rating. Preparation and presentation to the customer are a must for all food establishments.

I have not visited the Jacks in Lauderdale as of yet, but I will see if they fit my consistency ranking analysis that I apply to the Colbert Jacks..

By the way, any of you remember when Shoneys Breakfast Bar was the Big thing back in the early/mid 90's..We loved going there, Good Food, atmosphere, service.  No one hardly goes there anymore.. Shoneys was once a Big Breakfast Name in the restaurant Breakfast Business, throughout the South East. Now just a So So place to eat, many have closed. Quite disappointing on last visit several years back, never went back... Food tasted bland and did not look appetizing.. employees shouting across room to other coworkers, who were paying more attention to each other than customers, poor service, low maintenance inside, place looked stale and overpriced for what was offered.. I would like to hear if someone has had a more recent visit, with their report. I would be willing to go back and give it another try if some of you would rate it as an A+ restaurant..

Maybe when I last visited, Shoneys, must not have had a quality auditor hired to inspect/evaluate franchisee's at the time..

 

Ah yeah Shoney's, I had forgotten them and you are right they used to have a great Breakfast and Breakfast Bar.  The wife and I were talking about the Florence Shoney's the other day wondering how long they could exist in business with their sparse customer base.    I used to love Shoney's also even for lunch and dinner but it seems things have change in a very negative direction.

I wonder if they sold out to another company or if their owners just have failed to do what they need to.  I would hate to see Shoney's close and I thought with the closing of IHOP and Tourway that Shoneys should be able to make it but when you allow your quality to drop and make so many bad impressions then it's tough to overcome and re-establish your customer base.

Historical note about Shoneys:

At its peak in 1998, the restaurant chain operated or franchised over 1,300 restaurants in 34 states. None of those businesses remain a part of the Shoney’s restaurant enterprise today.

In 2000 the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and was acquired by Texas-based investment group Lone Star Funds two years later. On January 1, 2007, Lone Star announced that the Shoney's chain — at this point down to 282 restaurants — was being sold to David Davoudpour, founder and CEO of Atlanta, Georgia-based Royal Capital Corporation, the largest franchisee of Church's Chicken restaurants. Davoudpour set up a new company, Shoney's North America, LLC, as a subsidiary of Royal, and currently serves as chairman and CEO. Lone Star had originally planned to sell the chain to Centrum Properties, a Brentwood, Tennessee investment group, but Centrum later sued to get out of the deal.

** Only after reading the Wikipedia info regarding Shoneys/Big Boy Franchises, seems the company went through many twist and turns by Owners of Franchise Names used in different regions of the country. Sounded like a confused Business model throughout history (1947 - 2014)

One interesting startup company spun out, was Mr.D's later renamed as Captain D's Seafood Restaurant..,  Kinda deviated from you breakfast topic..

Shoney's was founded by a very smart and successful businessman, the late Ray Danner, who also was a philanthropist of note. While he was CEO, the business thrived:

http://www.civicscope.org/nashville-tn/RayDanner

Danner lived just down the road from my parents' house and  his mailbox was mounted on a replica of the the little Shoney's man (see below) with the box itself in the position occupied by the plate and fudge cream cake (yum!) shown below. Some of the stuffy neighbors (not my parents, though) objected to the commercial  implication of this feature, but their complaints went nowhere.

 

The very first of the Shoney's restaurants operated adjacent to the railroad overpass (the "Thompson Lane tunnel") on Thompson lane in South Nashville.  It included drive-in service, which is no longer available at any of the Shoney's restaurants as far as I know.

It was THE favorite hangout of my high school community, with the drive-in booths being filled to capacity following local high school ball games. Those looking for an empty space constantly circled the parking lot to grab the first one available.

After decades of seeing Shoney's thrive, it is sad to witness its decline. They still serve that fabulous fudge cream cake, though, and it seems to be the same yummy thing it was in the golden days of Shoney's.  On a bet, I once ate three of the things after a big spaghetti dinner and my high school buddies had to pay for them.

Attachments

Images (1)
  • blobid0

The very first Shoney's I ever heard of was in Huntsville where University and the Parkway intersect. 
When we would go to visit family there, my uncle would take us to Shoney's , I'd get a Big Boy and an order of fried onion rings, maybe the first time I ever had onion rings. 
To this day, I still think Shoney's has the best onion rings. 
I don't think I have ever been to the one in Florence. Here in MS, the food on the bar is a crap shoot, one day excellent, maybe the next poor. Veggies are always pretty sorry shape. 
For a couple of years, I noticed I had to check every item on my ticket, as EVERY TIME I would go, there were things added to my check that I did not order, or get. That problem has improved tho.

 

Of all the fast food joints, I generally prefer Bojangles but I also like McDonald's and Chick-fil-A. Some of the things that I like about Bojangles is that they're fast, consistent, and accurate. Of the hundreds of times that I have been there, they have only gotten one thing wrong and it was on a large order and that's pretty good considering that I have to check my food before leaving any of the other fast food joints because of the ridiculous number of errors.

 Staggs has a good breakfast, they're just a little out my way on most mornings so I don't go there often. My opinion for best breakfast on the Colbert side is the Shell Convenience store at the corner of 72 and 43, cooked to order and the food is really good. 

After reviewing the comments on this board along with remembering several good meals at Shoney's I think I'll give it another try and see how it pans out.  I looked at their menu http://www.shoneys.com/our-menu/ and saw a few things of interest such as the "Baked Spaghetti" so may give that a try or go for a burger and shake.  Either way I'd love to see them be more successful and be as I remember a few years back.  Shoney's Menu

Add Reply

Post

Untitled Document
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×