The Cracker Barrel Mug Innovation That Totally Disappeared

Road-trippers throughout the U.S. know Cracker Barrel as a comforting presence along many of the nation's interstates. With 661 restaurants in 45 states, the chain offers filling and delicious food, a relaxed and homey atmosphere, and a delightful gift shop featuring old-school candies, soda, and more. Not to mention a great rest stop!

However, despite being a common roadside sight for over 50 years, there's plenty that the average diner might not know about Cracker Barrel. There's also a lot that can change about a restaurant in half a century, including plenty of menu updates. The chain has added and removed a number of menu items throughout the years, sometimes causing controversy among fans in the process.

Perceptive Cracker Barrel customers may have noticed one small but important change several years ago, rocking the boat for cold beverage enjoyers everywhere: the chain no longer serves its drinks in frosted mugs.

For years Cracker Barrel served cold beverages to customers in clear, frozen mugs. Fresh out of the cooler, these mugs kept beverages like soda, milk, and orange juice frosty throughout the meal. It was an innovative way of serving drinks as it removed the need for ice, giving diners a higher volume of liquid per beverage — and less dilution from melting. The chain even advertised a special "Frozen Mug Apple Cider" beverage in August 2016 via a Facebook post. It featured the classic frosted mug filled with fresh, USA-grown apple cider. 

Frozen mugs were something that most other restaurants didn't offer, and a major draw for thirsty fans of ice-cold beverages, especially root beer. "Tough to drive through West Virginia and not stop for a frosty mug of root beer @ Cracker Barrel," tweeted one customer.

However, by 2018, the apple cider special — and all of the frozen mugs — were gone. Cracker Barrel didn't make a statement on why they decided to make the cut, but the restaurant's fanbase certainly had opinions.

Shortly after the restaurant removed the mugs from its menu, Cracker Barrel fans young and old took to Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites to share their thoughts. The consensus? People weren't happy.

"I'm disappointed that you stopped using frosted mugs. We only get to Cracker Barrel a few times a year," said one unhappy Twitter user. "#BringBackFrostyMugs!" demanded another customer on Facebook.

Despite the complaints, Cracker Barrel has been silent on the subject. Historically the restaurant has rarely responded to customer backlash, especially regarding discontinued menu items. However, they did release a statement (per The Hill) in 2022 after a menu addition: plant-based meat options. The move caused a stir among their meat-loving fanbase, but the chain refused to back down; Impossible Sausage is still available on the breakfast menu to this day.

Seeing as it's been five years since Cracker Barrel's frosted mugs first disappeared, it's unlikely they'll return. In the meantime, you can get your cold Cracker Barrel beverages in regular glasses with ice and a straw — but, as many customers attest, it's just not the same.