Cracker Barrel's changed language on famous peg game in rebrand sparks criticism

26 Aug 2025 By foxnews

Cracker Barrel has altered the language on its classic table peg game amid the chain's controversial rebrand, and, like its logo change, the move is not going over well with everyone.

The game that's on all the restaurant's tables previously poked good-natured fun at struggling players, where the goal is to remove all the pegs but one by jumping over them on the board: "Leave only one - you're a genius. Leave two and you're purty smart. Leave three and you're just plain dumb. Leave four or mor'n you're just plain eg-no-ra-moose."

Now, peg games say if you leave three or more, "Don't be embarassed [sic], try again!" The word was misspelled on a board photographed by Fox News Digital, with only one "r" in embarrassed.

"The peg game is still the same peg game our guests have known and loved for years, and some may look visually different now, but the rules and fun remain completely unchanged," a Cracker Barrel spokesperson told Country Living.

CRACKER BARREL'S NEW TEXT-ONLY LOGO IS 'HOW YOU DESTROY A BRAND,' CRITICS CLAIM

"In Cracker Barrel's process of rebranding from old-timey to modern old-timey and killing their business, they woke-ified the peg game to minimize hurt feelings of those who don't do so well," X user William Allen said in a Friday post.

In a slightly tongue-in-cheek post for OutKick, writer Zach Dean condemned the change as being too soft: "But re-wording the back of the peg game, so idiots don't get offended when they inevitably suck at it? Come on. Sucking at the peg game is as American as apple pie. It's a rite of passage. It's tradition. That game made us all stronger as kids growing up. And it challenges us still to this day."

The restaurant chain has faced severe backlash for its rebrand, including replacing the overall-clad "Old Timer," or Uncle Herschel, who was depicted in the logo sitting on a porch and leaning against a barrel next to the store's name.

CRACKER BARREL DISMISSES CRITICS AS 'VOCAL MINORITY' WHILE RIVAL RESTAURANT ADDS TO BACKLASH

A new logo, which was unveiled on Aug. 19, just says "Cracker Barrel" in plainer type, and has no images or illustration.

Images of revamped locations with less cluttered stores and barer walls have also drawn criticism, while defenders say the changes are welcome and claim conservatives are working themselves into outrage over nothing.

Cracker Barrel admitted on Monday that it "could've done a better job sharing who we are and who we'll always be" after customers expressed outrage over the restaurant chain's new logo.

"If the last few days have shown us anything, it's how deeply people care about Cracker Barrel. We're truly grateful for your heartfelt voices," the company said. "You've also shown us that we could've done a better job sharing who we are and who we'll always be."

Fox News Digital reached out to Cracker Barrel for additional comment.