Panera Warning!

[dfixit]

I thought I found a good gluten-free restaurant. They always had trouble finding the gluten-free menus so I printed it from their website and installed in a plastic sleeve and wrote on it please do not remove from book. When I ordered I asked them to change their gloves. The order taker went to the kitchen and returned with a comment from the manager that there is gluten everywhere. So I ordered and looked through the kitchen window and was shocked! Their breads are on a shelf above the salad bar fixings! So every time the grab a couple slices for a sandwich order, guess where the crumbs fall? Everyone, email Panera and ask them to fix their kitchen to minimize cross contamination! 

[Ennis-TX]

Yeah, many places are like this. The gluten free menu at most places is for fad dieters not medical diets. Do research on places that have better practices, a few chains have practices in place to keep gluten off the grills and keep gluten free alternatives in prepackaged bags they bring for you to open.
I found out that a few simple dishes can be done in some establishments. IE, my local Chili's I can order roasted veggies or fish, they have a conveyor oven, they put the food on foil sheets and run it through it then straight to my plate. I get it unseasoned and bring my own condiments or sauce. I did this for awhile to meet with people in public and "eat out". Do speak to the managers of places like you have been doing.
For the most part choose dedicated gluten free restaurant, most large cities have one or two. Big city north of me has 4 now, 2 gluten free pubs owned by a father with 2 celiac daughters, a dedicated gluten free cafe, and a Mexican restaurant owned by a celiac. We also have 4 gluten free bakeries in that area (All 40-60miles from me)
Check FindMeGlutenFree app.
I started a small gluten free cottage home bakery in my home town, and am opening a catering and food truck that is 100% paleo, IE gluten, diary, corn, and grain free, so I can work in safety with the food I love to cook.

For the most part, cook for yourself, get creative, meal prep...I always rotate meals, and keep 2-4 days of meals in the freezer. Fix a bland base, and season it different each day if you can.
Soups, Trovolo Makes Ice Cream Quart Containers for freezing your own icecream....they are PERFECT for freezing soups in large portions. Then 7-12min in the microwave straight from the freezer stirring a few times between and your set no cooking. Just do a HUGE pot of soup and portion out into them...I have 8 in my freezer now.

Steam Pouches, Vacuum seal pouches, fill with veggies, meats, sauce/marinade. Seal and freeze. Pull out stab a few times to poke holes put in a lipped plate with a splatter cover over it and zapp to steam cook the contents. I love to make custom veggie pouches this way.