Poochini

[Poochini]

I hope I'm doing this correctly as this is my first post.

I am extremely sensitive to Gluten. Mine is a severe arthritic response.

We received a Gift Card to a Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Tulsa,  OK.  We went to the one at Tulsa Hills.

I called and asked if they had a gluten free menu. Yes,  I was told they did.

I got there and got the gluten free menu. (Not.)

Please read it before you eat there. It tells you that you need a medical professional to review the menu with you before ordering.

This is their Gluten "Friendly" menu from their website.

<Gluten Friendly

The items on this menu (if ordered as directed*) are prepared to be “gluten friendly.” However, these items are not necessarily gluten free. Because most Texas Roadhouse dishes are made from scratch, cross-contact with allergens can occur. If you are gluten sensitive, we recommend you review the list of suggested menu items** with a qualified medical professional prior to consumption.
  * Salt and pepper make excellent gluten-friendly seasoning alternatives. ** Some seasonings use proprietary blends, therefore all ingredients may not be listed.
Entrées

    Any Steak

    No seasoning and no butter.
    Grilled Chicken

    No marinade.
    Pork Chops

    Hold the Texas Roadhouse Seasoning and/or
    peppercorn sauce.
    Salmon
    Steak Kabob

Sides

    House Salad

    Limit dressing to oil & vinegar.
    Hold the croutons.
    Fresh Vegetables

    Limit seasoning to salt
    and pepper.
    Baked Potato

    Limit seasoning to salt
    and pepper.
    Sweet Potato

    Limit seasoning to salt
    and pepper.

Dinner Salads

    Grilled Chicken Salad

    Skip the chicken marinade and croutons. Limit dressing to oil & vinegar.
    Steakhouse Filet Salad

    Hold the Texas Roadhouse Seasoning on filet. Limit dressing to oil & vinegar.>

I was glutened because neither the server or the two managers knew that their mixture of butter and margarine had gluten.

They assured me the Roadkill Entree was gluten free. The manager said he guaranteed this 150%. This is a chopped steak with onions and mushrooms.

After 15 minutes,  they came to tell us it had GRAVY on it and could they put pepper jack cheese on it instead. OK.

They also brought a small tub of "pure butter" for my baked potato.

I could tell that it wasn't the right color for butter. Cancel that.

I told them just to forget it. I told they just didn't have the proper knowledge to deal with gluten free customers.

They assured me they could do this correctly.

We started over with a rib eye and sweet potato.

My knees began to swell after leaving.

I don't know if they didn't clean the grill or what.

I take responsibility for this,  too. Too many red flags and we didn't leave. Husband was hungry and his meal was fine.

Also there are peanuts all over the floor. If a child has a severe peanut allergy,  this may be a problem. I'm really  not knowledgeable regarding that.

I've never posted about a bad gluten restaurant experience before,  but I wanted you to be aware of this chain, as of November 31, 2016. New Years Eve Day.

This was my experience.

 

[GFinDC]

Hi Poochinni,

Welcome to the forum!

I am sorry you had a bad experience at your local Texas Roadhouse.  I encourage you to contact them and tell them about the issues.   Feedback can make a difference.  Maybe next time they will be more careful.

I have eaten at my local Texas Roadhouse several times and didn't have any problems.  But I expect that different locations with different staffs could be problematic.  They need to be informed that they screwed up and caused you to get sick.  The squeaky wheel gets the grease after all, and you have a perfectly good reason to be squeaky at them.

They won't learn if we don't let them know they have a problem.  Thanks for sharing your experience!

 

[Awol cast iron stomach]

Yes I have had bad experiences even when a gluten-free menu is offered. I haven't been to your exact chain restaurant.  If it's busy times or the waiter/waitress seems confused or not confident I strongly suggest going up to manager or cook to order. How knowledgeable are they, do they lead with right questions for a proper organized order process etc. We mostly stay at home for food and I research places if I travel  by seeking  local celiac groups web sites before as well. Plain chicken or steak no marinades etc and broccoli are usually safest for myself and my son. Frankly most places say gluten-free menu but verify celiac safe kitchen knowledge.

I am sorry for your bad experience, heal soon.

[cyclinglady]

I once took a self-defense class given by our Police Chief.  In a nut shell, he stated that even a scrawny guy can over power a woman.  Our best defense is one that guys lack -- intuition.  I have applied that advice to even eating out.  Get a bad vibe?  LIsten to that inner voice, just order a drink or leave.  

I do research in advance using recommendations posted here or on sites like Find Me Gluten Free.  I choose places that are recommended by celiacs and not a gluten-free dieter.  I talk to the manager and chef and that usually is at very nice restaurants where chefs actually have some formal training.    I never discuss it with wait staff.  As a former waitress, I was told to sell.  Believe me, I could talk you into an appetizer and dessert.  The bottom line is that I always have back-up food with me and I listen to my gut (no pun intended.)

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