Vegan Calm states that Cracker Barrel’s french fries fit some people’s definition of veganism, but advises others who are worried about the oil and fryer they are cooked in should avoid them. The fries are cooked in soybean oil, which doesn’t contain animal products, but has questionable health benefits, as it is linked to diabetes and obesity.
Other chain restaurants such as McDonald’s have also been under fire for also cooking their fries in animal fat, despite the actual ingredients being vegan friendly (via Choose Veganism). However, it is unclear if other non-vegan items are cooked in the same fryers at Cracker Barrel.
According to GoDairyFree, Cracker Barrel cautions its plant-based patrons that some items containing milk might be fried in the same fryer as vegan items. Therefore, by some definitions of veganism, Cracker Barrel’s fries can’t be considered vegan.
But if cross-contamination isn’t a problem due to allergies or other ethical reasons, Cracker Barrel’s fries do not inherently contain any meat products and do fit certain definitions of veganism.