Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, casual dining chain Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (Nasdaq: CBRL) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Cracker Barrel's business and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.

Cracker Barrel facts

   
Headquarters (founded) Lebanon, Tenn. (1969)
Market Cap $1.5 billion
Industry Restaurants
Trailing-12-Month Revenue $2.5 billion
Management CEO Sandra Cochran (since 2011)
CFO Lawrence Hyatt (since 2011)
Return on Equity (average, past 3 years) 40.3%
Cash/Debt $127.3 million / $588.9 million
Dividend Yield 2.5%
Competitors Denny's
DineEquity
Waffle House

Sources: S&P Capital IQ and Motley Fool CAPS.

On CAPS, 86% of the 191 members who have rated Cracker Barrel believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.   

Earlier this week, one of those Fools, Doyle1667, succinctly summed up the Cracker Barrel bull case for our community:

Although not the best P/E, its revenue growth is noticeably amazing. Combine that with a good menu and leadership and you have a new competitor on the block. Its dividend does make it competitive to other bigger restaurants. [We'll] see how this new bull runs.

If you want market-thumping returns, you need to put together the best portfolio you can. Owning exceptional stocks is a surefire way to secure your financial future. Of course, despite a strong four-star rating, Cracker Barrel may not be your top choice.

We've found another retailer we are incredibly excited about -- excited enough to dub it "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2012." We have compiled a special free report for investors to uncover this stock today. The report is 100% free, but it won't be here forever, so click here to access it now.

Want to see how well (or not so well) the stocks in this series are performing? Follow the TrackPoisedTo CAPS account.