Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com!
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Outback Steakhouse

SueC

By SueC
in Gluten-Free Restaurants

Recommended Posts

SueC Explorer
SueC
Posted

OK I am very sad :(

I went to the Outback Steakhouse tonight for dinner, and asked for a gluten-free menu. Our waiter did not seem to sure what that was(first bad vibe!!) and then remembered where they were. I then thought I educated him on the finer points of what gluten-free means and that I get VERY ill if any contamination happens. He seemed to understand so I proceeded to order OFF THE gluten-free MENU!

Soooooo, out comes our salads and they are covered with croutons...I now wanted to cry because I know the shrimp I ordered and was so looking forward to was not to be........ :( I have lost complete confidence in the cooking and serving staff and will not take any chances.

We talked to the manager and he didn't really get the seriousness of my situation either so we left.....

I felt horrible that my family had to leave but we were so mad that we couldn't eat there. I have eaten there before without a problem but tonight nobody there seemed to know anything about the gluten-free menu that they seem to be so proud of. It really was such a dissapointment.

Sorry to ramble but I needed to vent..

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Guest nini
Guest nini
Posted

Call or write to Corporate and lodge a complaint... Don't let one bad experience get you down, let it get you going... I would also call the manager at a not so busy time and double explain the seriousness of your diet and the fact that they are partnered with GIG in this effort, they need to be aware of the needs of the Celiac community or they will find themselves out of business. We are a vocal group and can get things accomplished.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mytummyhurts Contributor
mytummyhurts
Posted

Yes, please, please, please write and call them so they know what happened. It surprises me that their staff knows so little about this when they have a gluten-free menu. Maybe you should note in your letter that they should educate their staff more. I really don't understand why all restuarants don't go over the fact that some people may be allergic or intolerant to certain kinds of foods and it's very important that their staff take every request seriously or else someone may get ill. It seems almost every time I've asked someone if they use a dedicate frier for the fries I get the weirdest looks like "why would you need to know that?" They should be taught just to answer every question with out looking at their patrons like they are stupid. They should also talk about food allegies/intolerances at that government class you have to take to get your food handlers card.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
grantschoep Contributor
grantschoep
Posted

Yes, write a letter. Don't be angry and make the servers get screwed. Just make a good point that they f'ed it up. I've worked in the waitressing field... basically you have crappy days. You sometimes don't know what the hell the customer is talking about(and you make fun of them) but... you do want to make them happy, and satisfied. Why? Tip anyone?

A letter to the store, politily written will get action. Hopefully, to get more of the employee's educated on diets, gluten of course.

So I live in a make beleive world where I think the above will happen. Oh well. My goal, in 2005, ok I added 2006, is to get all my normal restaraunts to know me, and to know gluten free, and to serve me without incident. So far, its working... I have one fast food place, Tokyo Joes, that the servers recognize me. Fortunatly, all the good things on the menu... ok I lie, but most everything is gluten-free. Ok... so its one thing or so... but thats what I eat! hehe

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SueC Explorer
SueC
  • Author
Posted

I did write a letter to their corperate office to let them know and hopefully will get a reply! It is not the fault of the staff there but a huge corperate mistake in failing to properly train thier staff. Maybe my letter will make them more aware.... we can always hope :)

I will definanetly go there again but I was very disappointed in my visit yesterday!! Hopefully I will have more success next time.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites
pixiegirl Enthusiast
pixiegirl
Posted

I eat at Outback and PF Changs regularly (both are owned by the same company) and I've never had a problem regardless of where they are (I've been in them all over the country.

I'm really careful, however (overly so). When I walk up to the front desk I ask there for a gluten-free menu because they often keep them behind the desk. I also ask that hostess if they will send the manager over to the table. Once the manager stops by I tell them I need to go gluten-free for my meal and they always say they are on top of it. When the waiter comes over I then let them know I've spoken to the manager about this (they almost always say, yes i know he/she spoke to me) and I explain my food issues as an allergy. I've found they really perk up at the term allergy as opposed to celiac or gluten sensitive, etc. The food industry is pretty up to speed about allergies. I also explain to the waiter that if they accidently put crutons on the salad they can't pick them off, that it has to be made fresh.

So far I've had really good results with both places. Once Outback made a mistake with the crutons and they were happy to fix it. I do make a fuss in both places but never once has anyone been put off by all this and my health is far more important that then fuss!

Susan

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jenvan Collaborator
jenvan
Posted

Sue-

Glad you wrote a letter! You never know...I wrote a letter to one restaurant on a bad experience with their gluten-free menu, and they corrected the problem--educated staff, and send me a $50 gift certificate to come back :) Your letter may make it easier for others as well...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Mahee34 Enthusiast
Mahee34
Posted

The past few times that I've been to Outback they can't find their gluten free menu and I've gotten sick at least twice. I really think that all restaurants need to hire someone like us to modify and make sure that the menus are followed. I work in a bar and grill and they don't even really care about people like me!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nettiebeads Apprentice
nettiebeads
Posted
The past few times that I've been to Outback they can't find their gluten free menu and I've gotten sick at least twice.  I really think that all restaurants need to hire someone like us to modify and make sure that the menus are followed.  I work in a bar and grill and they don't even really care about people like me!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I know it's sad. They are in a service industry but don't care about people, just the bottom line. Too labor-intensive ($) to make sure a patron doesn't get sick from their food.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
VegasCeliacBuckeye Collaborator
VegasCeliacBuckeye
Posted

Don't be too harsh on them.

We represent less than 1% of their total sales.

I appreciate the effort from these places, but I do not expect it (I have been a waiter/bartender fore 10 years)...

Life at restaurants has gotten better than it was 5 years ago . And back then it was better than 5 years prior to that. For all of you newbies, you should have tried to eat out 10 years ago.....it was almost impossible.

I can't even think how it was like 20-30 years ago...

Appreciate what we have and educate those who are ignorant.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lovegrov Collaborator
lovegrov
Posted

I don't doubt there are bad Outbacks but the ones I've been to they've cared very much. The corporate office cared enough to be one of the first ever chains to come up with a gluten-free menu.

richard

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      120,996
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Eehendrix
    Newest Member
    Eehendrix
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.3k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Jujuconnor
      Diarrhea mystery solved after a year

      By Jujuconnor · Posted

      ❤️
    • GardeningForHealth
      10 years later, my celiac is progressing

      By GardeningForHealth · Posted

      As a side note, it seems that medical science has evolved in the past 5-6 years regarding Celiac Disease, and I am now catching up. It seems that anything that disrupts the microbiome sufficiently enough can--in genetically susceptible individuals--lead to Celiac Disease. I have been reading now that antibiotics, excessive simple carbohydrates such as refined sugars and starches, the manner of birth such as C-section vs vaginal delivery, the diversity of one's diet, the presence of certain bacteria or viruses, can all contribute to microbiome dysbiosis, which can lead to Celiac. This is fascinating research.
    • GardeningForHealth
      10 years later, my celiac is progressing

      By GardeningForHealth · Posted

      I mostly eat healthy. My diet has varied over the past 10 years but mostly consisted of meals I cooked at home made from scratch. Ingredients I used over the years include (not in order): non-wheat grains such as teff, sorghum, millet, and eggs, butter, cheese, some milk, meat (poultry, red meat, but very little processed meat), gluten-free baked bread (mostly Canyon Bakehouse brand), vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, peanuts, chocolate (not in the past 6 months). However, the mistakes I made in my diet are that I consumed too much sugar and carbohydrates from gluten-free baked goods that I baked myself at home such as gluten-free dessert items, and also I ate pretty much the same exact meals over and over, so a great lack of diversity in what I ate. I got lazy. I think this messed up my microbiome. The meals I ate were mostly healthy though. I always made sure to eat vegetables and fruits on a daily basis.  I have checked for nutrient deficiencies over the years and I am sometimes low in Vitamin D. I started supplementing it after that. What concerns me is the progressive nature of the food intolerances, which indicates the gut is not healing and has been leaking all along. 
    • TessaBaker
      Hair loss

      By TessaBaker · Posted

      It sounds like you're dealing with a complex situation, and I can understand how frustrating it must be not to have a clear answer. Gut health can indeed play a significant role in various aspects of our well-being, including hair health.
    • Celiac16
      Thiamine supplementation

      By Celiac16 · Posted

      I have found similar benefits from thiamine. I was diagnosed with celiac at 16 and never really recovered despite strict gluten and dairy free diet and no detectable antibodies on checkup bloodworks. I’ve tried stopping the b1 but start to feel bad again- I wanted my doctors to do more extensive testing for the different thiamine transporters and enzymes which would be a better indication if I was deficient or dependent on it but everyone dismisses it (there are know genetic mutations where you need to take it daily for life). I have looked into Thiamine Responsive Megablast Anemia and I have a lot of the more mild symptoms of the disease that manifest when thiamine isn’t given to the patient such as optic neuritis… I just find the parallels interesting. i think that celiacs could be a side issue of inflammation that resulted from vitamin deficiencies. I was eating a lot of sugar leading up to my diagnosis and since eating gluten free didn’t make me feel much better, I’m wondering if this was more the underlying issue (sugar heavily depletes b1). I usually take 1.5g thiamine a day.
×
×
  • Create New...