Employee Savings Plans (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Aug. 03, 2012	Jul. 29, 2011	Jul. 30, 2010
Defined Contribution Plan Disclosures [Line Items]
Participation eligibility terms of the plan	salaried and hourly employees who have completed ninety days of service and have attained the age of twenty-one
Percentage of company match to employee contribution (in hundredths)	25.00%	25.00%	25.00%
Maximum percentage of employee's compensation matched by company (in hundredths)	6.00%	6.00%	6.00%
Percentage of company contributions that vests annually (in hundredths)	20.00%	20.00%	20.00%
Percentage of company contribution that vests on employee's fifth anniversary of employment (in hundredths)	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Qualified Defined Contribution Retirement Plan (Plan I) [Member]
Defined Contribution Plan Disclosures [Line Items]
Percentage of compensation allowed to be deferred by eligible employees (in hundredths)	50.00%
Company contribution to the plan during the period	2,026	1,986	2,023
Non-Qualified Defined Contribution Retirement Plan (Plan II) [Member]
Defined Contribution Plan Disclosures [Line Items]
Percentage of compensation allowed to be deferred by eligible employees (in hundredths)	50.00%
Percentage of eligible bonuses allowed to be deferred (in hundredths)	100.00%
Market value of the trust assets	29,443
Liability obligations to participants	29,443
Company contribution to the plan during the period	283	388	316

Name:	cbrl_DefinedContributionPlanDisclosuresLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	cbrl_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

The amount of employer contributions provided during the period related to its defined contribution retirement plans.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cbrl_Non-QualifiedContributionPlanContributionsByEmployer
Namespace Prefix:	cbrl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This represents the entire liability recognized in the balance sheet that is associated with the company's non-qualified defined contribution retirement plan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cbrl_Non-QualifiedDefinedContributionPlanLiabilitiesNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	cbrl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage of company match that vests on the fifth anniversary.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cbrl_PercentageOfCompanyContributionThatVestsOnEmployeeSFifthAnniversaryOfEmployment
Namespace Prefix:	cbrl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of company match to employees' contribution.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cbrl_PercentageOfCompanyMatchToEmployeeContribution
Namespace Prefix:	cbrl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of eligible bonus that eligible employees can defer.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cbrl_PercentageOfEligibleBonusesAllowedToBeDeferred
Namespace Prefix:	cbrl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This represents amount of the entire plan assets recognized in the balance sheet that are associated with the company's rabbi trust established for its non-qualified defined contribution plan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cbrl_PlanAssetsForNon-QualifiedPlanAssetsNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	cbrl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage of employees' gross pay for which the employer contributes a matching contribution to a defined contribution plan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerMatchingContributionPercent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of employer's matching contributions to a defined contribution plan that vests in a given year.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanEmployersMatchingContributionAnnualVestingPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum percentage of employee gross pay, by the terms of the plan, that the employer may contribute to a defined contribution plan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanMaximumAnnualContributionPerEmployeePercent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Description of the terms and benefits provided by the employer's defined contribution plans. A defined contribution plan provides benefits in return for services rendered, provides an individual account for each participant, and has terms that specify how contributions to the individual's account are to be determined rather than the amount of benefits the individual is to receive. Under a defined contribution pension plan, the benefits a participant will receive depend solely on the amount contributed to the participant's account, the returns earned on investments of those contributions, and forfeitures of other participants' benefits that may be allocated to such participant's account. A description of the plan(s) including employee groups covered, the basis for determining contributions, and the nature and effects of significant matters affecting comparability of information for all periods presented.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 132R

-Paragraph 11

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 715

-SubTopic 70

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6414718&loc=d3e28014-114942

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 106

-Paragraph 518

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Defined Contribution Postretirement Plan

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6510416

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DescriptionOfDefinedContributionPensionAndOtherPostretirementPlans
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration