Jump to content

  • 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 Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

I Ate At Pf Changs Last Night!

amber-rose

By amber-rose
in Gluten-Free Restaurants

Recommended Posts

amber-rose Contributor
amber-rose
Posted

I highly recommend PF Changs! They have a great Gluten-free menu! For an appetizer i got Soothing Chicken Lettuce Wraps, which were delicious!! :P Then I got lemon chicken, and the gluten-free Singapore Street Noodles (like chow-meing). The dishes come in large servings so me, my mom, and my friend ate out of the same meal as me! They couldnt tell the difference. Then for dessert i got the Chocolate Dome w/ rasberry sauce and fresh berries! Oh my, it was soooooo delicious! I had a great experience there! the gluten-free soy sauce was very good too! thought i'd share!

-amber :P

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


TinkerbellSwt Collaborator
TinkerbellSwt
Posted

Glad to hear you had such a wonderful experience! I had a great experience there too a few months ago. Its so nice to be able to go out and have a "normal" restaurant experience.

and PS I loved those lettuce wraps too!!

jaimek Enthusiast
jaimek
Posted

I just ate at PF Changs on Saturday night and got massive D afterwards. I wrote the manager an email stating that they need to be more careful about cross contamination. I was so disappointed cause I have never gotten sick from there before. Now I am afraid to go back :huh:

skinnyminny Enthusiast
skinnyminny
Posted

I am not sure I get glutened there every time but I always feel sick I ate there saturday and felt just sick I guess its from it being heavier foods than I am use to

CarlaB Enthusiast
CarlaB
Posted

I've had an enjoyable experience every time I've eaten there. I eat very little of the rice, which is gluten-free, so I guess I stick to the lighter fare.

jaimek Enthusiast
jaimek
Posted

Here is the email correspondence that I had with the manager of PF Changs:

From Me:

Hello, My husband and I had dinner at your restaurant this past

Saturday night. We sat at the bar upstairs, and ordered an

entire gluten free meal (lettuce wraps, Chang`s spicy chicken, and

lemon scallops). We frequent several PF Chang locations and have never had a

problem. Saturday night was a different story. Not too long after we

left the restaurant, I got violently ill. I am extremely disappointed

that this happened, as I am now afraid to eat at your location. My

fear stems from the fact that PF Changs offers a gluten free menu, and

obviously, there was a cross contamination issue. I greatly appreciate

the fact that the chain will cater to Celiacs, but I also believe that

if this is the case, then there should be a section of the kitchen that

is dedicated to cooking those gluten free items. I am writing this to

avoid the situation in the future for other fellow Celiacs. I understand that you are extremely

busy, but like I said before, if there is a gluten free menu offered,

then the restaurant should be able to deliver without any problems.

Thank you in advance for listening to my questions and concerns.

From the Manager:

I could not agree with you more and I am certainly sorry for any

discomfort we may have caused you and your husband this past weekend.

We are well aware of the issues that people with Celiac disease have

and work diligently to insure that they can enjoy a meal at PF Changs.

Needless to say, I am sorry that this did not occur.

I do want you to feel comfortable dining at our restaurant. As a

matter of fact, the Lemon scallops and the Changs chicken are always gluten

free. We do not need to modify the dish when someone is gluten

intolerance. The lettuce wraps however do have a small amount of soy

sauce in them and therefore we do need to use a wheat free soy sauce.

The only thing I can think of is that the wrong order was delivered to

your table? With that said, I know that we can do better and would ask

you to give us an opportunity to prove it to you. I would appreciate

it, if you would consider an invitation be my guest at our restaurant.

If you will forward me your address, I will send you some "Be Our

Guest" certificates along with my thanks.

Once again, I thank you for your feedback and hope that you will give

us another chance to win back your confidence.

Sincerely,

Mark Logan

PF Changs China Bistro

So, that is good to hear that they were very responsive and helpful. He answered me back the same day I wrote the original email.

Aurora2Borealis1 Newbie
Aurora2Borealis1
Posted

One huge problem I have with people complaining about restaurants they've eaten at and been "glutened" at is that sometimes people just get sick after eating out. You know - NON-CELIAC people!!! Oh goodness what a thought! Maybe it's not the gluten that made you sick, it's just that your stomach did not agree with what you ate that particular day. I work in a restaurant so I know that there certainly is a possibility that there is gluten accidentally in your food, but instead of pointing fingers at restaurants that are actually trying to accomodate our disease we should be grateful that they're even trying to begin with. Every restaurant that has a gluten free menu has a disclaimer because some things are out of their control. If you REALLY are glutened, don't get mad at the restaurant, take into consideration that we take a chance everytime we go out to eat. It was YOUR choice to eat there, it was a chance YOU took after reading that disclaimer. Writing an email or letter to the restaurant is a good idea if you also want to thank the restaurant for trying, like jaimek did. As for restaurants who don't have gluten free menus and servers who don't know what gluten is, get as mad as you want.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


jaimek Enthusiast
jaimek
Posted

I have to disagree with some of your post. If the restaurants that offer gluten free menus cannot follow through with it, and have some sort of designated area to cook those meals, then they should be notified that people are getting sick. I know for a fact that that meal was what made me sick. I have been gluten free for over 3 years now and know the difference between gluten sick and regular sick. I thought that they should be aware of the fact that I got sick, to try and correct any cross contamination issue that may have arised in order to avoid this in the future. I think it is great that he went back and discussed these issues with the staff so that they are more careful. I also made sure to tell him how much we appreciate the fact that they do offer a gluten free menu. He was very responsive and appreciative so I think it was a good thing that I made him aware of the situation.

pegom1 Rookie
pegom1
Posted

jaimek: I think your correspondence was worded perfectly! You politely made them aware of the cross contamination issue while thanking them for their efforts in accomodating celiacs. While in Las Vegas last month, I went to PF CHangs for the first time and I was thrilled with all the dishes I tried. However, about 8 hours later it was obvious I "got glutened". I was disappointed but accidents do happen. I went to a different PF Changs in Las Vegas and asked the server to be extra safe with my order and had an enjoyable meal. I think the way you went about notifying them was excellent. It will most likely prompt the manager to speak with the staff about the importance of ensuring the dishes are gluten-free for us. I for one thank you for writing!

Archived

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

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


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,549
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Blough
    Newest Member
    Blough
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Taken Seriously

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Your post demonstrates the profound frustration and isolation that so many in the Celiac community feel, and I want to thank you for channeling that experience into advocacy. The medical gaslighting you endured for decades is an unacceptable and, sadly, a common story, and the fact that you now have to "school" your own GI specialist speaks volumes about the critical lack of consistent and updated education. Your idea to make Celiac Disease a reportable condition to public health authorities is a compelling and strategic one. This single action would force the system to formally acknowledge the prevalence and seriousness of the disease, creating a concrete dataset that could drive better research funding, shape medical school curricula, and validate the patient experience in a way that individual stories alone often cannot. It is an uphill battle, but contacting representatives, as you have done with Adam Gray, is exactly how change begins. By framing it as a public health necessity—a matter of patient safety and protection from misdiagnosis and neglect—you are building a powerful case. Your voice and your perseverance, forged through thirty years of struggle, are exactly what this community needs to ensure that no one else has to fight so hard just to be believed and properly cared for.
    • Scott Adams
      Looking for a gluten-free roomie in Denver CO

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I had no idea there is a "Louisville" in Colorado!😉 I thought it was a typo because I always think of the Kentucky city--but good luck!
    • Scott Adams
      Allergy medication: cetirizine by the HealthA2Z is it gluten free?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Navigating medication safety with Celiac disease can be incredibly stressful, especially when dealing with asthma and severe allergies on top of it. While I don't have personal experience with the HealthA2Z brand of cetirizine, your caution is absolutely warranted. The inactive ingredients in pills, known as excipients, are often where gluten can be hidden, and since the FDA does not require gluten-free labeling for prescription or over-the-counter drugs, the manufacturer's word is essential. The fact that you cannot get a clear answer from Allegiant Health is a significant red flag; a company that is confident its product is gluten-free will typically have a customer service protocol to answer that exact question. In situations like this, the safest course of action is to consider this product "guilty until proven innocent" and avoid it. A better alternative would be to ask your pharmacist or doctor to help you identify a major national brand of cetirizine (like Zyrtec) whose manufacturer has a verified, publicly stated gluten-free policy for that specific medication. It's not worth the risk to your health when reliable, verifiable options are almost certainly available to you. You can search this site for USA prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
    • Scott Adams
      Protein or fat?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      What you're describing is indeed familiar to many in the Celiac community, especially in the early stages of healing. When the intestinal villi are damaged from Celiac disease, they struggle to properly digest and absorb fats, a condition known as bile acid malabsorption. This can cause exactly the kind of cramping and spasms you're seeing, as undigested fats can irritate the sensitive gut lining. It is highly plausible that her reactions to dairy and eggs are linked to their higher fat content rather than the proteins, especially since she tolerates lean chicken breast. The great news is that for many, this does improve with time. As her gut continues to heal on a strict gluten-free diet, her ability to produce the necessary enzymes and bile to break down fats should gradually return, allowing her to slowly tolerate a wider variety of foods. It's a slow process of healing, but your careful approach of focusing on low-fat, nutrient-dense foods like seeds and avocado is providing her system the best possible environment to recover. Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months. Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal. This article may be helpful: Thank you for sharing your story—it's a valuable insight for other parents navigating similar challenges.
    • Beverage
      Diagnosed celiac for 1-2 months ago and everything makes me bloated.

      By Beverage · Posted

      I had a very rough month after diagnosis. No exaggeration, lost so much inflammatory weight, I looked like a bag of bones, underneath i had been literally starving to death. I did start feeling noticeably better after a month of very strict control of my kitchen and home. What are you eating for breakfast and lunch? I ignored my doc and ate oats, yes they were gluten free, but some brands are at the higher end of gluten free. Lots of celics can eat Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats, but not me. I can now eat them, but they have to be grown and processed according to the "purity protocol" methods. I mail order them, Montana Gluten-Free brand. A food and symptoms and activities log can be helpful in tracking down issues. You might be totally aware, but I have to mention about the risk of airborne gluten. As the doc that diagnosed me warned . . Remember eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all lead to your stomach and intestines.  Are you getting any cross contamination? Airborne gluten? Any pets eating gluten (they eat it, lick themselves, you pet them...)? Any house remodeling? We live in an older home, always fixing something. I've gotten glutened from the dust from cutting into plaster walls, possibly also plywood (glues). The suggestions by many here on vitamin supplements also really helped me. I had some lingering allergies and asthma, which are now 99% gone. I was taking Albuterol inhaler every hour just to breathe, but thiamine in form of benfotiamine kicked that down to 1-2 times a day within a few days of starting it. Also, since cutting out inflammatory seed oils (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, etc) and cooking with real olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil, I have noticed even greater improvement overall and haven't used the inhaler in months! It takes time to weed out everything in your life that contains gluten, and it takes awhile to heal and rebuild your health. At first it's mentally exhausting, overwhelming, even obsessive, but it gets better and second nature.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.