Red Lobster

[shimma]

Hi,

This is the response I got from Red Lobster when asking about gluten-free items on their menu:

"Thank you for your interest in Red Lobster; it is always a pleasure to hear from

our guests.

We are sorry we are not able to provide general nutritional information or have

list of items that do or do not contain gluten, as our chefs are continuously

creating and customizing recipes for our menu.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact us.

Sincerely,

Arlene

Manager"

Not very helpful! Hopefully we can find more national chains that are willing to provide information to people with allergies. I encourage everyone to email or call your favorite restaurants. Maybe we can get a few more Outbacks or P.F.Changs out there so we have safe options when we travel or dine out.

[emmeeann]

anyone know any gluten free items at red lobster?

[lauradawn]

I don't think they are very gluten free friendly, however I would think something like the crab legs, where they are just steamed and not actually cooked in anything would be ok. I don't know about the butter to dip them in, but you could check on that.

[Guest Evelyn's mom]

My husband and I are both former Red Lobster servers and have talked a lot about what foods they have that should be gluten-free. We don't have one in our area anymore but when we travel we always seek one out and would love for our daughter to be able to eat there. Of course you should talk to the manager and chef at the particular Red Lobster you'll be visiting but let me suggest a few entrees:

Baked Cod, Several guests would come in and suggest it be baked in just water. I'm not sure about the butter (not really butter actually butter flavored oil stuff) they use but BYO butter

Peel and eat shrimp

Live Maine Lobster

Crab Legs (again BYO butter)

Even their Maine tails can be prepared in a way that they'd be gluten-free.

The key is to avoid cross contamination...nothing Grilled or Fried! The steamers would be safe.

Fresh fish is a good pick if again it's baked in water.

The chicken is marinated in an italien dressing, maybe a manager could help you with the brand name.

Don't get the salad!! Having been a waitress, all too often I along with my coworkers dug in the salad bin shortly after appling croutons to another salad...sorry

Steamed veggies are prepped into individual little bags and microwaved, should be safe.

The baked potatoes are brushed with the oil goo first and sprinkled with salt. They are usually baked in advance so don't trust any that take less than 45 minutes to get to your plate. I'm sure if you call ahead, special prepartions could be done for you.

Hope this helps

RaeAnn

[Guest Evelyn's mom]

I forgot to add a very simple scampy sauce that tastes great with shrimp, crab etc.

It's a mixture of Chardoney, butter, garlic powder, parsley and salt to taste. Sorry I'm not more specific, I'm kindof an add and taste cook.

[lovegrov]

I've personally given up on Red Lobster and just eat at other seafood restaurants. If you do go, I've heard in the past that the seasoning they use for vegetables and some of the seafood definitely had gluten.

richard

[emmeeann]

Thanks for the help-they have switched the luncheon to Logan's roadhouse-another not gluten friendly place. May try the chef salad.

[kabowman]

Well, I just had a GREAT experience at Red Lobster in Bloomington Indiana. I got lucky with our waiter. I didn't call ahead (which I always do), I warned the guy when we sat down I had really bad food intolerances, and if he couldn't find any food for me to eat, no problem, I would just have a salad. Well, while I worked with the bartender to get a drink, our waiter worked with the cook to figure out something I could eat besides a salad.

Now, I have quite an extensive list of food intolerances: Lactose/Casein, Gluten, Yeast, Corn, Soy, Vinegar, Wine, Peanuts, Almonda, Garbonzo, and MSG.

The waiter came back out, told me no problem, suggested I eat XXX which I agreed would be fine, he said his mother had almost the same food intolerances I have so he completely understood. We worked out the fine details (i.e., salad, no dressing, no cheese, no croutons, veggies, etc) and dinner was GREAT. I didn't get sick.

-Kate

[msserena]

HI

I had received a email from AppleBees recently and it pretty much said the same thing. So, I guess I will prob never eat there again

[cmom]

Hey Kabowman, I also eat frequently at Bloomington but am too backward to ask for a gluten-free menu (Yes, I know!!) Other than Red Lobster, do you know which other BLoomington restaurants accomodate those of us who need gluten-free food? Thanks.

[cdford]

We had such a great experience with our local Red Lobster (Douglasville, GA) that I contacted corporate about it. The waiter, the manager, and the chef were all involved. They even thought to open a fresh thing of salad fixings so that there was not a risk of cross contamination. I requested that the veggies be in butter only (no extra seasonings) and have had multiple entrees such as the talapia, the crab legs, or the shrimp scampi (not sure if they fixed in regular or just for me, but it was really good). My daughter prefers to get an unseasoned steak. They are one of the few places where you can still get real butter (soy presents a real problem with margarines).

[kabowman]

CMOM:

Good to know you are near B-Town - where and are you planning on attending the celiac disease Support Group meetings?

I eat at:

- The Runcible Spoon on 6th - very understanding about food interolerances, great for breakfast

- Chili's

- Yogi's on 10th & Indiana

- Red Lobster (new)

- Outback (but I like Texas better)

- Texas Roadhouse (I don't even use my cards there--steak, green beans and salad all seem OK--Julie the bartender is WONDERFUL)

I explain that I am a problem customer up front then I hand the waiter a card with my food intolerances, which are quite extensive, for him/her to show to the chef/cook and it has gluten = flour, wheat, etc. for each one. I had one cook ask me if butter was OK with the lactose intolerance which is when I decided to make the cards.

For the first four on the list, I explain that I need my food cooked in a clean skillet, not the grill, etc. I can order chicken, steak, or hamberger with my limitations. I also like guac. on my stuff for extra flavor.

I called the Village Deli and asked if they would cook for me and they told me NO. I don't go there any more.

Do NOT be afraid to SEND IT BACK if you see crouton crumbs or if it comes out with a bun!!! Send it back, don't get sick! Everyone I have dealt with is very understanding, most of these places want to see you served and happy. I also notice that we get faster service - I think they are afraid to have my food sitting around.

I haven't called to many others and I don't order anything deep fat fried. I have only been at this for about 6 months so I am sure my list will expand and don't forget to re-check on ingredients occasionally.

-Good luck, Kate

[ashbjenkins]

I thought Red Lobster was owned by Darden Restaurants just like Olive Garden, Carrabas, Bonefish Grill. Why do the others have a gluten free menu and Red Lobster doesn't? Just wondering.....

[cmom]

Thanks for the info, Kate. I haven't attended any support groups. I'm 45 minutes away from B-town so usually don't have the energy to drive that far for a meeting. I do wish Bloomingfoods would put all of their gluten-free products in one section so we wouldn't have to read labels down every aisle.

[pixiegirl]

I just want you to know that you have your restaurants mixed up.... the restaurants you listed are owned by 2 different parent companies... One, the Outback people are very gluten-free friendly, the other Darden is not.

Outback owns: Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Lee Roy Selmans, Cheese Burger in Paradise, Bonefish Grill and Paul Lee's Chineese. They have franchise agreements with Flemings Steak House and Roy's restaurants. I'm not saying all these places have gluten-free menu's but the chain is very gluten-free friendly.

Darden owns: Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze and Smokey Bones. They are not gluten-free friendly. I had a horrible experience with Olive Garden, I went in and spoke to them and they told me they didn't want me to eat there, that they felt comfortable with NOTHING. I e-mailed the company a day or so later and received an e-mail that said if I had such severe food allergies (I don't have any allergies, which I explained, just celiac) that Darden restaurants were not for me.

I wouldn't go to a Darden restaurant now if you paid me, they were so.... not nice. I'd like to add I'm a stockbroker and I won't buy their stock either!

susan

[kactuskandee]

Well, I actually had a pretty good experience with Red Lobster last time I was there. It was mainly because of my server. She was young but very bright and when I explained I wanted the baked sole WITHOUT seasonings because I suspected that their seasoning blend, (which looks like paprika) had wheat in it....without being asked to, she went back to the kitchen and checked and came back and said, "sure enough, it did". Then too, the servers make the salad, and I tell them about even coming near the salad with any crouton, and what it could do. Of course, your attitude is everything and if you treat them as if they had never before heard of someone being quite that sensitive and you gently try to teach them, I think they genuinely try to accommodate you..after all..they love the good tips!!!

[pixiegirl]

Certainly experiences will vary from restaurant to restaurant and as many people here always say.... eating out will always be a risk... but I think we can decrease that risk by going to very gluten-free friendly places.

Best, Susan

[Nat'sMOM]

My daughter (21 months) has celiac disease. We had a really great experience at the Red Lobster we went to. I gave the waitress her dining out card when I ordered (I think it was grilled chicken and steamed veggies) next thing I know the manager is at the table and she explains that everything is marinated, but that she would gladly get a fresh piece of chicken out of the freezer and send it threw the broiler (cause she didn't feel the grill was safe) and just asked that I be patient because it would take just a little longer because it was frozer. I was so shocked and happy at the same time I almost hugged that women. Well just thought I would share.

Kristi

[Melanie]

I went there this weekend and they told us after a half hour of waiting that they were out of most fish and only had shrimp and lobster. I won't go there again.

[Squeebone]

Just received this from Red Lobster:

Dear Mrs. Merris,

Thank you for your interest in Red Lobster; it is always a pleasure to hear from our guests.

We appreciate your interest in our menu and the availability of gluten-free items in our restaurants. While we cannot guarantee anything on our menu is gluten-free, we can suggest several menu selections with modifications you should request when ordering. Prior to placing your order, please let your server or the manager-on-duty know that you or someone in your party is gluten intolerant.

Suggested items with noted special preparation instructions:

Appetizer

Chilled Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail - without the cocktail sauce

Salad

Order without croutons and use oil and vinegar dressing

Entrees

North Pacific King Crab Legs - steamed and served with melted butter

Snow Crab Legs - steamed and served with melted butter

Live Maine Lobster - steamed and served with melted butter

Any "Today's Fresh Fish" - broiled without seasonings

Shrimp - broiled without seasonings or sauces

Chicken* - broiled without marinades, sauces, or seasonings

Steak* - broiled without marinades, sauces, or seasonings

Side-Items

Steamed broccoli - prepared without seasonings

Steamed asparagus - prepared without seasonings

Children's Entrees

Snow Crab Legs - steamed and served with melted butter

Broiled fish - broiled without seasonings

Chicken* - broiled without marinades, sauces, and/or seasonings

*Check with the manager-on-duty to ensure chicken or steak items have not been pre-marinated.

While Red Lobster has made diligent efforts to provide complete and current gluten-content information, our kitchens are not allergen-free environments. Changes in recipes, as well as the hand-crafted nature of our food, may result in variations in the ingredient profile of any item.

Red Lobster does not assume any liability for your use of this information. Guests with any special food sensitivities or dietary needs should not rely solely on this information as the basis for deciding whether to consume a particular menu item, and are individually responsible for ensuring that any such menu item meets their individual dietary requirements. Any medical concerns regarding the consumption of these items should be directed to your physician or other healthcare provider. If you would like to speak personally with a Red Lobster representative, please call us at 800-562-7837. Our representatives are available Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact us.

Sincerely,

Nissy

Guest Relations Representative