Employee Savings Plans (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Aug. 01, 2014	Aug. 02, 2013	Aug. 03, 2012
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%
401(k) Savings Plan [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	$ 2,167	$ 2,180	$ 2,026
Non-Qualified Savings Plan [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	25,322
Liability obligations to participants	25,322
Company contribution to the plan during the period	$ 253	$ 241	$ 283

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

No definition available.

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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

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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

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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

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- 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

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

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- Definition

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

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
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Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage employer matches of the employee's percentage contribution matched.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
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- Definition

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

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
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- Definition

Maximum percentage of employee gross pay the employee may contribute to a defined contribution plan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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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 Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 715

-SubTopic 70

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

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

Reference 2: 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

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