Hamburger Steak

What's in the Hamburger Steak?

At 610 calories per serving, the Hamburger Steak represents about 31% of a 2,000-calorie daily intake. On the macronutrient side, roughly 28% of those calories come from protein, 62% from fat, and 8% from carbohydrates — a profile typical of Cracker Barrel's Entree section. Sodium is often the line to watch with sit-down chain entrees, and this dish delivers 1310mg, or about 57% of the FDA's daily reference value. If you're watching salt, pairing the Hamburger Steak with a side salad (dressing on the side) and water rather than a sweetened beverage is the standard mitigation. Like most items at Cracker Barrel, the dish is built for shareable portions and is plated at restaurant scale rather than a strict single serving. Boxing half of it before you start is one of the simplest ways to bring the per-meal calorie load down meaningfully without giving up the experience.

How this fits a 2,000-calorie day

One serving of the Hamburger Steak supplies 610 calories, which represents roughly 31% of a 2,000-calorie reference day. That is a moderate restaurant-portion meal — generous compared to a home-cooked plate but not at the upper end of the chain's menu. A side salad or a smaller appetizer can round it out without pushing the day over budget.

The macronutrient split lands at roughly 28% protein, 8% carbohydrate and 64% fat by calorie share — a useful frame because raw gram counts often understate how much of a dish's energy actually comes from fat. Protein delivery is meaningful here at 42g per serving, which can keep satiety high relative to carb-heavy or fat-heavy alternatives.

Sodium clocks in at 1310mg, or about 57% of the FDA's 2,300mg daily reference value. That is on the higher end for a single restaurant serving. It still fits a normal day if other meals are light, but two restaurant meals in a row at this sodium level will add up quickly. Saturated fat is the other line worth watching at 17g — about 85% of the daily reference value — primarily a long-term cardiovascular consideration rather than a single-meal one.

Allergen profile

No major allergens flagged

No major allergens are flagged on this item in the chain's posted nutrition disclosure. That said, every full-service restaurant kitchen handles wheat, dairy, eggs and seafood somewhere on the line, so cross-contact remains possible. If you have a severe allergy, telling the server before ordering — and asking for the manager's confirmation that the kitchen can accommodate — is the standard precaution.

How it stacks up against the casual-dining category

Across the 146 Entree entries we track in this category — averaging 791 calories and 1,869mg sodium per serving — the Hamburger Steak at Cracker Barrel sits roughly 23% lighter than the category average. It also delivers 559mg less sodium than the typical Entree item we list, which is the more useful number if you're cross-shopping menus on the way to a reservation.

For direct cross-shopping, here are the closest Entree matches we track at competing chains:

Ordering strategy

If the Hamburger Steak is the entrée you want, the highest-leverage adjustments are usually the ones that change the surrounding meal rather than the dish itself. Because the entrée itself is moderate, you have headroom for an appetizer or a starter side without dropping into restrictive territory — useful for a longer dinner where the goal is to stretch the meal rather than minimize it. Sauces, dressings and finishing oils are routinely the largest hidden source of calories on a casual-dining plate; getting them on the side gives you direct portion control without changing the dish you actually want to eat.

Ingredients summary

Beef patty, brown gravy, onions, mushrooms

The bottom line

The Hamburger Steak from Cracker Barrel is a moderate entry on the chain's menu at 610 calories and 1,310mg of sodium per serving. Protein delivery is strong, which is the dish's most useful nutritional feature. Anyone tracking sodium specifically — including most people on blood-pressure medication — should weigh this dish against the chain's lower-sodium options on the same menu before committing.