Houston

[hez]

Okay, I have spent the last hour researching gluten-free restaurants in Houston. Know what I found? Nothing! Not one thing (besides the normal Outback, PF Changs).

In a city as large as Houston the only options are chains? If you know of anything please help me!

Thanks,

Hez

[happygirl]

I'm not a Texan, but your best bet would be to contact someone from the local support group: Open Original Shared Link and ask them for recommendations. That is often your best bet!

Laura

[hez]

Thanks Laura. I did go to that website and found no information on eating out. I think they have a booklet you can buy that will tell you places that are safe. I am not sure why but this rubs me the wrong way. The Denver group has on line places to go that are celiac friendly, they do not make me buy a book for this information. At this point I may have to buy the book

Hez

[hez]

Please excuse the rant and please do not be offended.

Why is it impossible to find any information on Houston?! This is not the only forum I have looked into. Do no celiacs live in this major metropolitan area?

Just very frustrated.

Hez

[Phyllis28]

Have you tried looking for restuarants in Dallas? I live 60 miles north of San Diego. The San Diego local Celiac site is great. Although they do not list addresses in my area, many of the same chains are in both places.

Just a thought.

[happygirl]

Hez,

That is frustrating! Feel free to vent away :)

I think it kind of varies depending on the group...some areas I have lived in had info, some did not. I don't know if we have any Houstonians on the board?

I really hope you find some answers!

[ShannonS]

I am newly diagnosed w/ celiac, but i do have some news to offer. My wife has been doing research to find out where wee can eat out. Carrabba's and Jason Deli have gluten free menus.

[celiacgirls]

I don't live in Houston but I researched some restaurants last summer for a family gathering. We had a group of 15 with 6 people on the gluten-free diet. 4 of us were also dairy free.

We went to the Rainbow Lodge and they were very accommodating. The person I talked to on the phone had a celiac sister. We had brunch there but I would go there again for dinner.

Chuy's also has a gluten-free menu. If there is a Z Tejas in Houston, they are also gluten-free friendly.

[hez]

Thank you so much for your help!

Hez

[Lisa]

hez:

A few:

Buca di Beppo

The Capital Grill

Carrababb's Italian

Flemming's Stteakhouse

Fogo De Chao

Hard Rock

Houston's (celiac friendly)

Maggiano's

Outback

Chang's

Pei Wei Asian Diner

Ruth Chris

Sullivan's

Taco Milagro

Texas Roadhouse ( opps, they pulled their menu)

They should all have gluten free menus. I also have a list of others that are celiac aware.

Hope this helps.

Lisa

[fighttobreathe]

I live in Houston as well and feel your same frustration.

I checked out the houston celiacs thing as well and I had the same reaction, it rubbed me the wrong way as well.

I'm going to jot down all the placed mentioned above, but just FYI...

I went to Niko Niko's today and they knew EXACTLY what I was talking about and could tell me on the menu what did and did not have gluten in it (although they don't have a gluten free menu). They also have a key on the register especially dedicated to Allergy customers so that the staff knows as well from your ticket.

Also, I've eated the chicken fajitas at El Rey for months now and never had a problem...

but stay away from any of their sauces, they are all thickened with flour... I realized that too late.

Houston is difficult for this issue and I think it's even harder bc the celiac group seems so "for-profit".

We should start a Houston chapter of Celiac Chicks!

[Karen B.]

If you go to the Houston Celiac group meetings or receive the regular newsletters, you will hear the restaurant reviews but the local restaurants that are not national chains are very changable. That's probably one of the main reasons they don't post the info on the website.

I've been going to this group for over 3 years and have not found any "For Profit" attitude, just a very cautious approach to eating out since most local restaurant are so changable. There has been an effort to teach people what questions to ask and what to watch for because that's safer than counting on a list that may be out of date.

The last meeting had over 100 people at it and we've had speakers like Dr. Michelle Pietzak, Beth Hillson and Jax Peters Lowell. You can't conduct meetings like that for free so yes, they do ask a membership fee. In exchange for that membership fee, you get so much information that it takes me awhile to read through the newsletters (the June newsletter was 19 pages).

The website doesn't ask you to buy books on eating out in Houston, it refers you to books on eating out gluten free. Have you tried calling Janet Rinehart, the head of the group, and asking her about restuarant recommendations? I've found her to be nothing but helpful.

I'm sorry if I sound strident but I hate to see a really good, supportive group slammed. You have to support organizations that support you or they can't continue.