Chilis (calgary) Sucked

[skoki-mom]

A good friend of mine is moving back to Newfoundland next week, and I wanted to take her out for lunch before she left. I know Chilis is a favourite place of hers, so I called them 2 days ago to ask if they had any gluten free items on thier menu. The woman on the phone assured me they did. So we go there today. The server tells me to go for anything on the "Guiltless Grill". 2 of which are sandwiches. Right. So I order a Guiltless Grilled Chicken platter. She comes back after a few minutes to tell me there is gluten in the rice. Apparently it is in some kind of sauce. So she says she will add extra vegetables. But then she says I can't have the corn on the cob because there is butter on it. So I ask what on earth is wrong with the butter and she says "it is touching other things". So I ask her if they have a baked potato, they don't. I ask her if they have a tossed salad and she says no "because there is cheese on it" (again, WTF??), and that "everything is touching other things". So I tell her nevermind, I will not eat anything. So she comes back a minute later and tells me the fries are gluten free. And I ask her if they are cooked in the same oil as other breaded stuff. She goes to check. Comes back to tell me the fries are cooked in canola oil. I'd have walked out at this point if I didn't have 3 friends already sitting there. I reinterate the "breaded food" question and establish that no, they do not have dedicated fryers for fries. So I tell her forget it, I won't eat anything. A minute later the manager comes around and tells me I can have the grilled chicken and vegetables and corn on the cob. I ask about the butter. He says its margarine. Whatever. I tell him that I can eat corn on the cob but not to put margarine on it from a tub that was used for buttering bread etc. He assures me he will see to it himself. Fine. I'm now getting plain grilled chicken, steamed vegetables and corn. All my friends are served their meals. Manager comes back and says to me "do you like salmon?". I'm like, uh, no. Then he says they don't have any chicken that's not marinaded and someone cooked me salmon. I don't like salmon, I'm not eating it. I go back to my "forget it, I won't have anything". Then the server comes over and tells me my lunch will be right there. Huh?? Then the manager comes back and says "there was a miscommunication, your chicken is coming". At this point my friends are half done their meals and I think they are getting the idea why I don't eat out much. One of my friends actually said "she called ahead and you told her you had things here she could eat". And the manager says "well, we do, but it's just the plain chicken and vegetables". Had we known my choice was limited to one thing (and by now I'm not even sure about that, because it sounds like they don't know what the hell I'm talking about, and I told the manager that), we'd have gone somewhere else. So, by the time my food arrives, my friends are done eating. The food was edible but very bland. I see some of the other things some of you mentioned in other posts about Chilis (like mashed potatoes) and at no point did they offer me any of those items. I don't think they even know what gluten is at that restaraunt. So, after that run around, I still got charged the full price for the meal but I left a crappy tip.

Honestly, I don't have a problem when a place can't serve me. I *do* have a problem when I make an effort to find out in advance and they give me false information. I know it was quite uncomfortable for my friends, and I know they felt bad for me about it. No wonder I just stay home. BTW, that was the Chilis at Northill Mall in Calgary.

[Phyllis28]

I haven't tried Chili's because my husband and son do not like the food. We do eat at Outback. Each time we go I print off the latest Gluten Free Menu from the website. This way if I encounter ignorance I have at least know what is supposed to be gluten free and can work from there.

[lovemyboy]

HI,

I went to Chili's in Calgary and it was horrible my son has celiacs and the manager was so rude if it hadn't been for the other people I would have left as well. Its because Chilli's in Canada isn't the same as the ones in the states they dont' have all that carb aware stuff. I have to say it was one of the worst experiences dealing with people about my son and he was about two at the time unbelievable how rude they were.

[TinkerbellSwt]

I am so sorry to hear about your lousy experiences with the Chilis there in Calgary. I hope they become more educated, they have quite a bit on their menu that is gluten free, at least in the States they do. You can go to their website and print it out yourself. I always let the hostess know I need a gluten free menu, when they look at me like I am a space cadet, I tell them go get the manager, he has to print it off his computer. The manager always knows.

I again am sorry you had such a bad experience. I hope you find better places to take you and your friends out to.