The Simple Cracker Barrel Side Everyone Raves About (It's Just Beans — But Incredible)

Cracker Barrel is one of those chain restaurants that dishes up sides with major fans, including some of the Tasting Table team. Sometimes a straightforward side is exactly what one of its most popular main dishes calls for, and Cracker Barrel's Pinto Beans have been identified as an order that delivers. Our Tasting Table writer and chef waxed poetic about this dish, describing the slow-cooked recipe as delightfully savory while offering flavors of smoky onion. Mixed with pieces of country ham, this is an option that is simply delicious. "This is probably not a selling point for most persons but this restaurant had the best, most flavorful pinto beans," agreed a customer on Tripadvisor.

A spruced-up serving of the pinto beans can be ordered as part of the Beans n' Greens premium side option. This decision will usher not only a dish of pinto beans but also a classic lineup of turnip greens, sliced onion, vinegar, and chow-chow relish to your table. Customers who have taken culinary initiative by spooning this combination of onions and relish on top of the serving of pinto beans have been delighted by the results.

Unfortunately, some visitors to Cracker Barrel have described orders of pinto beans that were tasteless, "not so good," or "simply not edible." Other samplers have wished the order was a bit saltier, but this is a problem that can be remedied with a quick shake of salt. Overall, people seem to enjoy the taste of this simple side. For example, another person on Facebook said they "[loved]" Cracker Barrel's pinto beans as different users shared ideas for pairings like cornbread and fried potatoes.

Unswayed and determined lovers of the pinto beans have tried to replicate Cracker Barrel's recipe at home by soaking beans overnight and cooking on low heat with bacon grease or slices of salt pork. An immersion blender can be used to produce a desired consistency. Whether you dine in at the restaurant or at home, a side of cornbread served alongside the pinto beans is frequently recommended. And any leftovers can be used up in one of the many tasty recipes that call for pinto beans.