For many families, enjoying a delicious Thanksgiving turkey dinner together is a cherished tradition. If cooking an elaborate meal yourself sounds stressful, Cracker Barrel’s convenient heat-and-serve options provide a handy alternative. But how much does their holiday spread actually cost? Let’s break down the pricing for Cracker Barrel’s Thanksgiving turkey dinners to see if they fit your budget.
Cracker Barrel’s Turkey Dinner Options
Cracker Barrel offers several Thanksgiving meal packages so you can choose the right size and menu for your gathering. Options include:
- Thanksgiving Heat n’ Serve Feast – Serves 8-10 people. Includes two turkey breasts, cornbread dressing gravy, relish sweet potato casserole, two more sides, rolls, and pumpkin and pecan pies. Starts at $154.99.
- Thanksgiving Heat n’ Serve Family Dinner – Serves 4-6 people Includes a turkey breast, cornbread dressing, gravy, relish, choice of two sides, rolls, and pumpkin pie Starts at $89.99.
- Thursday Turkey n’ Dressing Meal – Individual turkey meal with dressing, choice of two sides, biscuit, and pumpkin pie. Starts at $14.99 per person.
- Sides By the Pan – Order extra portions of your favorite sides a la carte. Prices vary.
- Pie and Desserts – Add on extra pies, cakes, or other desserts. Prices start at $12.99 each.
Cost Per Person
To estimate the per person cost, let’s take a closer look at the pricing for Cracker Barrel’s popular Thanksgiving Feast:
- Base Price: $154.99
- Serves: 8-10 people
- Per Person: $15.49 – $19.37
With tax, the per person price comes out to approximately $16 – $20. Gratuity is optional if you pick up your meal.
While the base price seems affordable for a holiday meal for 8-10, once you factor in add-ons the total cost can increase significantly.
Some optional fees and upgrades to consider:
- Additional Sides: $10 – $26 each
- Extra Desserts: $12.99 each
- Additional Turkey: $26 – $44
- Beverage Pack: $15.99
- Gratuity: 15% – 20%
Depending on your selections, extras can add $5 – $15 or more per guest.
Is Cracker Barrel Worth the Cost?
At $16-$35 per person, Cracker Barrel’s Thanksgiving packages can be a bit pricier than home-cooked. However, the convenience factor along with the variety of menu options may make it worthwhile for many families.
Advantages of Cracker Barrel’s Thanksgiving meals:
- Convenience – Just heat and serve.
- Huge portions & generous leftovers.
- No grocery shopping or cleanup required.
- Wide variety of sides and desserts.
- Quality tasty food.
Compared to ordering a full-service catered dinner, Cracker Barrel offers good value. And purchasing sides a la carte can help control costs for smaller groups.
While not the most budget-friendly, for an easy Thanksgiving dinner that pleases the whole family, Cracker Barrel offers a solid heat-and-serve holiday meal option.
Tips for Saving Money
Here are some tips to keep costs down if ordering Cracker Barrel’s Thanksgiving feast:
- Choose the smaller meal for 4-6 people if you have a smaller gathering.
- Skip upgrades and add-ons or just get a few favorites.
- Split costs with other households if sharing the meal.
- Order early when menu prices are lowest.
- Pick up your meal yourself to avoid delivery fees.
- Skip the gratuity and tip as you see fit.
- Use leftovers creatively to stretch your money.
With smart choices, Cracker Barrel can still be an affordable way to enjoy Thanksgiving with less work. Focus on the connections with loved ones over the meal, not the price per head.
I tried this pre-made holiday heat and serve meal from Cracker Barrel.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars. Some of the dishes were horrible disappointments, but others exceeded my expectations. Mostly, I was impressed by the volume of food, and the variety of options.
Cracker Barrel has several different take-home holiday meal options. I selected the Thanksgiving Heat N’ Serve Feast. The base price of this meal is $154.99, but after taxes, gratuity, optional upcharges, and one add-on, my total was $210. The website description states: “Includes two Turkey Breasts, Dressing, Gravy, Cranberry Relish, Sweet Potato Casserole, two sides, Rolls, Pumpkin Pie and Pecan Pie.” This meal is supposed to serve 8-10, which is a low estimate. The food is packed cold and requires two hours to prep and heat before serving. The kit has to be used within 72 hours of picking it up from the restaurant, which is still a pretty generous window. More about the meal options and side items later.
Be prepared with extra refrigerator space.
I picked up my meal inside the store (rather than curbside), and it was a quick and easy process. I had pre-paid, and I opted to pick mine up a few days before Thanksgiving, so there was no rush or line. The staff even carried the box of food to my car for me. I appreciated this, because it’s heavy. They packed everything neatly in a reinforced cardboard box with a lid and handles, which made it easier. Even so, I used all my car’s trunk space transporting this home. Be prepared.
If you are not cooking and serving this right away, you will need an ungodly amount of refrigerator space. As in, a nearly empty refrigerator. Here are the entire contents of my box and bag. This is a ton of food.
You will also need aluminum foil, and I would recommend two roasting pans — one for the turkey breasts, and one for the dressing. More about that later.
How much is Thanksgiving dinner at Cracker Barrel?
FAQ
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