The Sweet Secret Menu Dessert Only Some Cracker Barrels Offer

Whether you show up for the old-timey atmosphere, the chicken fried steak, or you just can't get enough of Cracker Barrel's Cinnamon Roll Skillet dessert, the menu offers tons of items that keep diners coming back for more. Many Cracker Barrel enthusiasts don't know that you can order some off-menu items — and often, the kitchen will be happy to accommodate your request. 

Vanilla milkshakes are becoming an increasingly popular secret menu item at Cracker Barrel, and it's easy to see why: most locations already offer vanilla ice cream, so it doesn't take much for the back of the house to whip up a milkshake for you. In most cases, Cracker Barrel vanilla milkshakes are served with chocolate shavings for an extra touch of elegance to wrap up your meal.

It's important to note that milkshakes aren't offered at every Cracker Barrel, and whether you get to enjoy one with your meal or not may depend on both your location and your server. At many chain restaurants, desserts are heated (if necessary), plated, and decorated by your server, and it's likely that milkshakes aren't an exception at most Cracker Barrel locations. You may have more luck in getting your server to agree to make you a milkshake if you go to the restaurant at a non-peak time — for example, your waiter or waitress may have more time to make you a milkshake on a lazy Tuesday afternoon than they would during the Friday night dinner rush.

If you're lucky enough to find a Cracker Barrel that's willing to make you a vanilla milkshake, it's possible that they'll be willing to add in a few other flavors to make your dessert even more decadent. You can ask for other toppings in addition to or instead of chocolate shavings — you might even be able to ask them to crush up your favorite old-school candy from the Country Store and add it to the top of your shake. If you're in the mood for chocolate, ask your server if they have chocolate syrup in the back that they'd be able to blend in (or ask them to use chocolate milk from the kids menu instead of regular milk when they're mixing it up to create something similar to a New England-style milkshake). 

If you're in the mood for a fruity sweet treat — kind of like a Culver's Concrete — you could ask your server if they'd be willing to blend some peach cobbler into your shake (just know that you'll likely be charged for both desserts). You can also ask if they could mix in other seasonal dessert offerings, like Strawberry Icebox Pie in the summer. Need a caffeine boost? Ask your server to blend your shake with some iced coffee (choose a flavored option like an iced vanilla or caramel latte to jazz it up).