I don't know what the Cracker Barrel's beans taste like, but I usually cook mine in de-fatted chicken stock, with an onion and then add chopped cilantro when they are done. This is what I call my "healthy beans" because I am not using any fatty meat for seasoning, and they are really tasty. On the other hand, my favorite beans are cooked with salt pork. While I know that is not a healthy way to cook beans, I still cook them that way, once in a while......not often, but maybe once a year or so. When I use salt pork, I sometimes add an onion.