Cracker Barrel may have described its Campfire Meals for its summer menu as having “comforting flavors,” yet one woman’s meal was anything but. The customer in question was so appalled by her Campfire Chicken, it had folks rallying for a ring to the health department.
In a viral TikTok, Tay (@tasiathemuse) first shares a screenshot of Cracker Barrel’s $13.99 Campfire Chicken meal on an ordering app. On its website, the Southern-inspired restaurant chain described it as “marinated half-chicken seasoned with our signature campfire spices and cooked slow in foil to lock in a buttery broth.”
It also described it as “hearty” and “comforting.” That is why when Tay opened the foil, she was taken aback by the state of the chicken. The creator shared a photo of her meal. While the corn, potatoes, and veggies looked fine, the chicken appears undercooked. It looks nothing like the picture, lacking seasoning and frankly, any cooking.
The chicken, a glistening white, was speckled with a few seasonings. Tay reveals she got not one, but two Campfire Chicken meals. And they both looked raw.
“POV: these [chickens] died for nothing,” Tay wrote in the on-screen text.
Viewers Were Shocked—And Disgusted
Tay’s clip earned over 667,000 views. Several folks are repulsed by the Cracker Barrel meal.
“No cap I thought you were showing the before it’s cooked,” one user wrote. Another quipped, “Camp fire sold separately!”
A third user stated, “I would have called the Health Department.”
In the comments section, Tay revealed that she picked up the meal and took it right back when she saw it. She said they remade the meal, and it “came out like this again.” Some folks urged her to demand her money back, and the creator assured them she got a whole new meal.
Other viewers faulted Tay for buying from Cracker Barrel in the first place.
“First mistake was walking into that establishment,” a top comment read. Another said, “Like why are you even there? If the name didn’t tip you off the damn decor should have.”
Cracker Barrel And Controversy
Cracker Barrel has often come under fire for accusations of racism and discrimination in the past. For instance, in 2004, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit alleging that the chain engaged in racial discrimination against Black customers. However, it was settled in 2010 when it was determined that Cracker Barrel had made major reforms.
The chain has also been at the crux of a Salmonella outbreak (perhaps unsurprisingly, per Tay’s video) in 2008. Officials didn’t make the connection until an investigation in 2018 led to them testing a Texas Township Cracker Barrel location. According to Yahoo, “Initial samples taken from the restaurant showed Salmonella Mbandaka present in the cooking, food preparation, dishwashing, and storage areas.”
So when Tay’s alarm bells went off after seeing her Campfire Meal, she might have just saved herself from catching Salmonella.
@tasiathemuse @Cracker Barrel make it make sense??? #fyp #fypシ #fypシ゚viral
What Happens If You Eat Raw Or Undercooked Chicken?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 million people get a food-borne illness every year from eating contaminated chicken. You may get mild food poisoning that can be managed at home, but raw chicken also contains these bacteria, per Very Well Health:
- Campylobacter: Causes diarrhea, cramping, nausea, vomiting, and fever
- Salmonella: Causes fever, headache, cramping, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting
- Clostridium perfringens: Causes diarrhea and abdominal cramping
While Tay didn’t provide an update to the chicken debacle, she did receive a comment from Cracker Barrel’s official TikTok account.
“Hello, thank you for bringing this to our attention,” it wrote. “Please DM us with a preferred email address and the location visited, so we can make it right.”
BroBible reached out to Tay via TikTok direct message and to Cracker Barrel via email.