Inexperienced Newbie Got Glutened @ Red Lobster

[Sissy]

I have been so, so sick since the end of my meal at the Red Lobster on Saturday. I should have taken a clue when I told the waitress that I had to have a gluten free diet, she replied OK, then I asked her if she knew what that meant and she said NO! So I explained that I could not have grains, she thought I said greens...sounds like a SNL sketch...I thought I was being safe ordering caesar salad, no croutons...grilled trout, no basting sauce or spices and steamed dry veggies a baked potato salad with sour cream...I think it was about 1 nanosecond after finishing eating when I knew I had problems...off to the bathroom...then home and more of the same for the past 2 days...I emailed Red Lobster to ask about the contents of the dressing and the sourcream....no answer so I called them and they were less than receptive... they did a little evasive action..."We are not an allergy free restaurant" We cannot control our suppliers factory conditions" and then finally after I asked 3 times very nicely if the dressing and the sourcream contained gluten, I told her that it was so in the future I would know if it was an option for me and was told that they could not give that information to me and would have to check with someone and would email me...I got the email tonight...the dressing sounds fine but the sourcream contains about a million ingredients one of which is modified food starch, along with more of the same defensive attitude and we cannot be responsible and we are not allergy free...I will never go to Red Lobster again. Right now I feel like food is not my friend, I am almost afraid to eat..Sissy

[Noel1965]

I have been so, so sick since the end of my meal at the Red Lobster on Saturday. I should have taken a clue when I told the waitress that I had to have a gluten free diet, she replied OK, then I asked her if she knew what that meant and she said NO! So I explained that I could not have grains, she thought I said greens...sounds like a SNL sketch...I thought I was being safe ordering caesar salad, no croutons...grilled trout, no basting sauce or spices and steamed dry veggies a baked potato salad with sour cream...I think it was about 1 nanosecond after finishing eating when I knew I had problems...off to the bathroom...then home and more of the same for the past 2 days...I emailed Red Lobster to ask about the contents of the dressing and the sourcream....no answer so I called them and they were less than receptive... they did a little evasive action..."We are not an allergy free restaurant" We cannot control our suppliers factory conditions" and then finally after I asked 3 times very nicely if the dressing and the sourcream contained gluten, I told her that it was so in the future I would know if it was an option for me and was told that they could not give that information to me and would have to check with someone and would email me...I got the email tonight...the dressing sounds fine but the sourcream contains about a million ingredients one of which is modified food starch, along with more of the same defensive attitude and we cannot be responsible and we are not allergy free...I will never go to Red Lobster again. Right now I feel like food is not my friend, I am almost afraid to eat..Sissy

Sorry you had this bad experience at Red Lobster. I can never tell if I got gluten in a restaurant or not as I am ALWAYS sick. So I just stopped eating out period. What a bummer! And I hear you Sissy (about being afraid to eat) - the voices in my head drive me crazy -' just don't eat today'- back to 'why bother with this glutenfree stuff -I am not feeling any better after 9 months of this' - and then back to "just don't eat today." I wonder if anorexia can be a problem with celiac disease. Well hang in there.....it will eventually get better right?

[LKelly8]

I'm so sorry you got glutened. It can happen to any of us, newbie or not. My last restaurant debacle was at Longhorn Steakhouse. I had salad, no croutons, oil and vinegar. Steak, no seasonings, please clean the grill. I got half way through the salad when something went "crunch", it was a crouton - someone had, instead of removing the little nasties, hid them under the salad.

What you ordered looked gluten-free. You're not lactose intolerant, are you? I couldn't handle any dairy when I first started. I don't know what the cc condition of their kitchens are, but with their signature cheese biscuits being made onsite, I'm guessing the cc possiblities are pretty high.

[loraleena]

Not all sour cream is gluten free.

[hez]

I am so sorry you got sick. Eating out is always risky so I limit how often I go out. When I do go out I try and keep to places that have a gluten-free menu. This does not mean I won't get sick, just gives me some level of comfort that they know what their doing.

I remember reading a thread somewhere about Red Lobster not being overly friendly towards celiacs or allergies. I have never tried it.

I do hope you feel better soon.

Hez

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

I have been so, so sick since the end of my meal at the Red Lobster on Saturday. I should have taken a clue when I told the waitress that I had to have a gluten free diet, she replied OK, then I asked her if she knew what that meant and she said NO! So I explained that I could not have grains, she thought I said greens...sounds like a SNL sketch...I thought I was being safe ordering caesar salad, no croutons...grilled trout, no basting sauce or spices and steamed dry veggies a baked potato salad with sour cream...I think it was about 1 nanosecond after finishing eating when I knew I had problems...off to the bathroom...then home and more of the same for the past 2 days...I emailed Red Lobster to ask about the contents of the dressing and the sourcream....no answer so I called them and they were less than receptive... they did a little evasive action..."We are not an allergy free restaurant" We cannot control our suppliers factory conditions" and then finally after I asked 3 times very nicely if the dressing and the sourcream contained gluten, I told her that it was so in the future I would know if it was an option for me and was told that they could not give that information to me and would have to check with someone and would email me...I got the email tonight...the dressing sounds fine but the sourcream contains about a million ingredients one of which is modified food starch, along with more of the same defensive attitude and we cannot be responsible and we are not allergy free...I will never go to Red Lobster again. Right now I feel like food is not my friend, I am almost afraid to eat..Sissy

FYI,

It could be another food intolerance as well.

I'm sorry this happened, but in the future, remember"

1. Red Lobster is not recommended by most posters here (too much chance for CC)

2. Always include a manager (Don't trust your health to a waitress)

3. Unless you are in a "nice" place or a place where you can ascertain the ingredients easily, stick with butter on your baker.

4. Salads need to be ordered "Dressing on the side and no croutons" -- then, you need to look throughout the salad for "hidden" croutons. (Most places use bowls that have crumbs in them to toss your salad).

5. Make sure the manager tells the kitchen staff to use clean tongs, spatulas and plate-towels when handling youir food.

Hope this helps and I hope you feel better,

Bronco

[lovegrov]

At a busy place like Red Lobster, I'd suspect cross contamination rather than dressing or sour cream.

richard

[Sissy]

Thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions, I will certainly be more careful and informed the next time I eat in a restaurant..I would do anything to avoid any more days like the days since I was glutened. It just happened so fast and it was a gluten monster of a reaction. Sissy

[NicoleAJ]

I've not eaten at Red Lobster since diagnosis, and I don't plan to either, but another suggestion: I've brought a small disposable container of sour cream to a restaurant where I want a baked potato. It's just easier for me to feel that I'm getting the potato I want without playing Russian roulette with my health. In addition, as broncobux says, salad are often mixed in big metal bowls that have dressing bits and croutons all over them--I try to avoid salads or specifically ask that they be mixed in a clean bowl. I've also brought packets of gluten free dressing with me to the restaurant--of course you've got to plan ahead, but, unfortunately, we have to plan our meals often long before our non-celiac friends do.

[cat24]

I ate at Red Lobster the other day and I had mild problems the next morning. (I did take the glutenease because I was afraid of their caesar dressing) Usually I get a bloated stomach right away, then an uncomfortable feeling and some pain but it is the next morning that I really suffer, spending four or five hours in the bathroom in pain. I bought these vitamin type pills (like an enzyme that helps digest the gluten) called glutenease which is almost a miracle - I still get the uncomfortable feeling and some bloating but usually I don't spend any time in the bathroom the next morning if I take them whle I am eating the gluten product. I even ate two slices of pizza the other day without a problem. I only take them if I want something with gluten and try not to make it too often. I tested negative for celiac so I guess I just have gluten intolerance which was getting severe until I figured out that it was the gluten that was making me sick.

[Phyllis28]

I bring my own salad dressing for salads and only ask of butter on my baked potato. I also, try to stay with restaurants that have a gluten free menu. I am a very loyal customer.

Longhorn has a gluten free menu on their website. I printed it out and brought it with me and did not have any problems. I find this process works well with restaurants that have gluten free menus on line. This way the directions are in writing and dictated from the corporate office.

[Nancym]

I probably would suspect the salad. There's a lot of chances for crouton crumbs to fall into your salad, or the dressing, etc.

[Joni63]

Chili's has sour cream that is NOT gluten free. A lot of restaurants do. For salads I was told to ask for the dressing on the side, that will minimize a chance for CC.

Hope you feel better soon.

[tom]

. . .. I bought these vitamin type pills (like an enzyme that helps digest the gluten) called glutenease which is almost a miracle - I still get the uncomfortable feeling and some bloating but usually I don't spend any time in the bathroom the next morning if I take them whle I am eating the gluten product. I even ate two slices of pizza the other day without a problem. I only take them if I want something with gluten and try not to make it too often. I tested negative for celiac so I guess I just have gluten intolerance which was getting severe until I figured out that it was the gluten that was making me sick.

I can't help but add that pills like these are NOT recommended for celiacs and may in fact be dangerous, since an uninformed celiac could be led to believe the pill negates or prevents the damage caused by ingesting gluten.

No offense cat, but PLEASE refrain from calling glutenease a "miracle" around here.

[brittanny]

my stepmom works at red lobster and this past weekend she told me that all of their chicken steak and fish come already marinated. the marinade has gluten in it, and if someone with celiac orders it, or someone who is allergic to something in the marinade, they just wash it off. i couldnt believe this, that is terrible. talk about not caring for customers.

[MaryJones2]

Red Lobster has been discussed several times here and I think the general consensus is that they do not accomodate a gluten-free diet (or any other allergy for that matter). I think the best rule of thumb is to avoid restaurants that do not publish a gluten-free menu and be extremely careful at the ones that do because most don't train their staff.

This thread has a recent response from Red Lobster: Open Original Shared Link

[gymnastjlf]

When I had gone to Red Lobster (over a year ago), their butter "mixture" had gluten in it. The location I went to actually coats the OUTSIDE of their taters in the butter at the beginning of the shift. The very alert manager realized this and told me, so I stayed away from the potato. Her words were, "I don't know how sensitive you are. If you want the potato and just eat the inside, that's fine. But I'll leave that decision up to you, as you know your health!"

I really appreciated her honesty-- she did not pretend to know it all, but she presented me with the facts and allowed me to make my own decision!

I have been so, so sick since the end of my meal at the Red Lobster on Saturday. I should have taken a clue when I told the waitress that I had to have a gluten free diet, she replied OK, then I asked her if she knew what that meant and she said NO! So I explained that I could not have grains, she thought I said greens...sounds like a SNL sketch...I thought I was being safe ordering caesar salad, no croutons...grilled trout, no basting sauce or spices and steamed dry veggies a baked potato salad with sour cream...I think it was about 1 nanosecond after finishing eating when I knew I had problems...off to the bathroom...then home and more of the same for the past 2 days...I emailed Red Lobster to ask about the contents of the dressing and the sourcream....no answer so I called them and they were less than receptive... they did a little evasive action..."We are not an allergy free restaurant" We cannot control our suppliers factory conditions" and then finally after I asked 3 times very nicely if the dressing and the sourcream contained gluten, I told her that it was so in the future I would know if it was an option for me and was told that they could not give that information to me and would have to check with someone and would email me...I got the email tonight...the dressing sounds fine but the sourcream contains about a million ingredients one of which is modified food starch, along with more of the same defensive attitude and we cannot be responsible and we are not allergy free...I will never go to Red Lobster again. Right now I feel like food is not my friend, I am almost afraid to eat..Sissy