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

Warning, Outback Steakhouse!

snomnky

By snomnky
in Gluten-Free Restaurants

Recommended Posts

snomnky Apprentice
snomnky
Posted

FYI, my son and i both had a severe reaction to food at the Outback, my son ended up in the ER because of an allergic reaction (severe allergy to wheat and celiac) I have contacted the restaurant but have not heard back. We took all necessary precautions and have eaten there without problem in the past. Just wanted to give a heads up!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


NicoleAJ Enthusiast
NicoleAJ
Posted

I'm sorry to hear about your horrible reactions. Which location was this?

larry mac Enthusiast
larry mac
Posted
FYI, my son and i both had a severe reaction to food at the Outback, my son ended up in the ER because of an allergic reaction (severe allergy to wheat and celiac) I have contacted the restaurant but have not heard back. We took all necessary precautions and have eaten there without problem in the past. Just wanted to give a heads up!

s,

That's terrible. What do they do for a reaction in the ER? Did you both eat the exact same thing? What does a 20 month old with severe wheat and rice allergies eat at Outback? I've only been there once, not since being gluten-free. Hope he's OK.

best regards, lm

VegasCeliacBuckeye Collaborator
VegasCeliacBuckeye
Posted

What did you order?

Which location?

I have never had a problem there.

gfp Enthusiast
gfp
Posted
s,

That's terrible. What do they do for a reaction in the ER? Did you both eat the exact same thing? What does a 20 month old with severe wheat and rice allergies eat at Outback? I've only been there once, not since being gluten-free. Hope he's OK.

best regards, lm

Erm ... good question....

I'm really not sure what people expect? If you eat out (and I do) then regardless of the care a resto takes accidents are going to happen.

I have never had a problem there.
Yep and you can also put a paper bag over your head and cross the highway.... and nothing happens but it doesn't mean its 100% safe. Sorry being sarcastic but that is the problem with CC or resto's...

You are always taking a chance.... you can do everything you can to mitigate the risk and pull it in your favor but at the end of the day its a risk... just one which is probably better than walking across a highhway with a paper bag over your head.

Incidentally people do this all the time in Egypt as a way to test their faith.... who knows, perhaps they get a kick out of it too like I did bungie jumping... but resto's can never be risk free... unless they are 100% gluten-free...

mandasmom Rookie
mandasmom
Posted
Erm ... good question....

I'm really not sure what people expect? If you eat out (and I do) then regardless of the care a resto takes accidents are going to happen.

Yep and you can also put a paper bag over your head and cross the highway.... and nothing happens but it doesn't mean its 100% safe. Sorry being sarcastic but that is the problem with CC or resto's...

You are always taking a chance.... you can do everything you can to mitigate the risk and pull it in your favor but at the end of the day its a risk... just one which is probably better than walking across a highhway with a paper bag over your head.

Incidentally people do this all the time in Egypt as a way to test their faith.... who knows, perhaps they get a kick out of it too like I did bungie jumping... but resto's can never be risk free... unless they are 100% gluten-free...

I agree 100%--rest eating is a risk--no matter how careful you are!! Just like driving the car and breathing urban air and all the other risky things we do..so so sorry that y9ou and your child are ill--I hope you are better soon!!

gfp Enthusiast
gfp
Posted

Just to add.... you can't be 100% safe.... even in hospital he could get glutened because very few hospital kitchens really can guarantee gluten-free....

Its pretty sad but that's just the way it is....

Funny thing is they can keep someone in a sterile room, free of bacteria ... free of dust etc. etc. but not feeding them gluten seems too challenging?

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


luvs2eat Collaborator
luvs2eat
Posted

And as nice as the people are and as complete a gluten-free menu they offer... you're still at the mercy of what happens behind the closed doors of the kitchen by clueless cooks, etc... not that I'm blaming them... but we can explain to the waitperson till we're blue in the face about our needs... and how that translates to the people actually touching your food can be like whisper down the lane!

uclangel422 Apprentice
uclangel422
Posted

I just want to add that i recently have been experiencing that problem with this restaurant so i dont think that its an isolated incident.

We all know that cross contamination is an issue everywhere, i think the poster just wanted to give a heads up that things might have changed.

I had trouble at the Burbank one in Southern California.

whitball Explorer
whitball
Posted

I went to the Outback in Saginaw, MI and ate the Alice Springs Chicken for my 46th birthday in Feb. 2007. The menu indicated that this was gluten free. I vomited and had the D simultaneously for almost 9 hours. I also needed to stay home from work for three days. I was so sick that I considered going to the ER. I now understand that the risk is not worth it. No restaurant can guarantee that they are gluten free and you can be certain that I will not take this risk again.

es2443 Contributor
es2443
Posted

I also had the Alice Springs Chicken and got very sick from it. I went to the Westbury, NY location. I also went there one night and I had just gotten the brownie sundae which was supposed to be gluten free. I'm not sure whether it was the brownie or the ice cream that bothered me, but I was a bit irritated then as well.

kbabe1968 Enthusiast
kbabe1968
Posted

ME TOO!!! The last time I got sick it was from having the Alice Springs Chicken!!!!! I'm wondering if they've changed it's preparation but the menu hasn't caught up?

CarlaB Enthusiast
CarlaB
Posted

I appreciate that there are restaurants that try. Anytime we eat in a kitchen that has gluten in it, too, we take a risk, even at our own homes. If I had a wheat allergy, I would never eat out ... gluten intolerance may make me uncomfortable, but an unfortunate glutening isn't going to kill me.

I've eaten at different Outbacks and have never been sick from it, but it's my least favorite gluten-free place to eat. Our local Maggiano's does a great job with their gluten-free food, the chef's mother has celiac, so he knows all about it. He even reads our local celiac group's message board! I've been glutened there before, only once. It was a risk I was willing to take, for a meal that most likely would have been safe.

It's unfortunate that this happens, but it can happen anywhere. We have to understand that ... or else maybe places will be too scared of lawsuits to continue having a gluten-free menu.

Lauren M Explorer
Lauren M
Posted

Disclaimer: I am not making light of, nor am I saying that any of you did NOT have a gluten reaction at Outback.

That said, I work at Outback. I started there a little over a year ago, when I was a full-time grad student, and now that I've finished grad school and have a full-time "grown-up" job, I still work as a server 2 days a week at Outback. It is a very nice place to work, and I find that I meet quite a few other Celiacs there, too!

The Alice Springs chicken is a VERY rich dish. In addition to the chicken breast being grilled with oil, it is then smothered in honey mustard (the salad dressing, it's mayo based), loads of cheese, and bacon. It would do a number on many a sensitive digestive system, Celiac or not. And it's not just the Alice Springs. Just like many other restaurants, Outback's food is good because it is so rich!

Outback is a chain. Of course not every location is going to be great, although that would be ideal. However, I have worked at 2 locations, and while not ALL of the servers are super knowledeable (they all come to me with the questions!), both Outbacks where I've been employed have truly gone out of their ways to do the best they possibly could to ensure a safe meal for the gluten free patrons. Servers, cooks, and managers alike have always bent over backwards to accomodate diners' dietary needs.

I hesitated to respond to this at first, because I am very sorry to hear that people have gotten sick and I did not want to appear callous or uncaring. I certainly hope that my response did not give that impression. I decided to post because I would just hate to see anyone totally write off Outback because of a few reported bad incidents. I think gfp made excellent points. Life is full of risks. When you have Celiac, eating out is one of them.

Best of luck, and hope that everyone is feeling well soon.

- Lauren

VegasCeliacBuckeye Collaborator
VegasCeliacBuckeye
Posted
Erm ... good question....

I'm really not sure what people expect? If you eat out (and I do) then regardless of the care a resto takes accidents are going to happen.

Yep and you can also put a paper bag over your head and cross the highway.... and nothing happens but it doesn't mean its 100% safe. Sorry being sarcastic but that is the problem with CC or resto's...

You are always taking a chance.... you can do everything you can to mitigate the risk and pull it in your favor but at the end of the day its a risk... just one which is probably better than walking across a highhway with a paper bag over your head.

Incidentally people do this all the time in Egypt as a way to test their faith.... who knows, perhaps they get a kick out of it too like I did bungie jumping... but resto's can never be risk free... unless they are 100% gluten-free...

I am well aware of the risk. I am also well aware of how well I handle myself at a restaurant. Because of my assertiveness, I rarely get sick. The reason I asked her the questions I did was to help her figure out what she may have done wrong.

No offense, but all too often Celiacs go to restaurants without calling ahead, without talking to a manager and simply relying on a gluten free menu. That type of action is not akin to walking across the freeway with a paper bag, its more like purposely falling down the stairs - you will definitely get hurt!

1. You should call ahead

2. If not, you need to talk to a manager/chef and remind them about clean utensils, clean grill tongs and clean hands.

3. Any dish that has a lot of ingredients (i.e. the Alice Springs Chicken) is doubling and even tripling your chance to get sick (more ingredients, more hands, more opportunity)

4. I go so far as to ask them to bring me my baked potato uncut and the butter and sour cream on the side - cross contamination with the knife that cuts the potato...

You do always take a chance, but through trial and error, asking questions, education and being assertive, you can minimize that risk.

BB

whitball Explorer
whitball
Posted

No offense taken by me by your post. I have had two good experiences at the same OutBack. I had steak, potatoe and salad. No reaction to this, by the way. I do agree that the Alice Springs chicken is very rich, but my body's reaction was severe and don't think that it was because of richness. I've been at this one year and have lots to learn. I have learned that pain teaches a good lesson and continue to be reluctant to eat out.

Disclaimer: I am not making light of, nor am I saying that any of you did NOT have a gluten reaction at Outback.

That said, I work at Outback. I started there a little over a year ago, when I was a full-time grad student, and now that I've finished grad school and have a full-time "grown-up" job, I still work as a server 2 days a week at Outback. It is a very nice place to work, and I find that I meet quite a few other Celiacs there, too!

The Alice Springs chicken is a VERY rich dish. In addition to the chicken breast being grilled with oil, it is then smothered in honey mustard (the salad dressing, it's mayo based), loads of cheese, and bacon. It would do a number on many a sensitive digestive system, Celiac or not. And it's not just the Alice Springs. Just like many other restaurants, Outback's food is good because it is so rich!

Outback is a chain. Of course not every location is going to be great, although that would be ideal. However, I have worked at 2 locations, and while not ALL of the servers are super knowledeable (they all come to me with the questions!), both Outbacks where I've been employed have truly gone out of their ways to do the best they possibly could to ensure a safe meal for the gluten free patrons. Servers, cooks, and managers alike have always bent over backwards to accomodate diners' dietary needs.

I hesitated to respond to this at first, because I am very sorry to hear that people have gotten sick and I did not want to appear callous or uncaring. I certainly hope that my response did not give that impression. I decided to post because I would just hate to see anyone totally write off Outback because of a few reported bad incidents. I think gfp made excellent points. Life is full of risks. When you have Celiac, eating out is one of them.

Best of luck, and hope that everyone is feeling well soon.

- Lauren

Archived

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

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


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,901
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    tessycork47
    Newest Member
    tessycork47
    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

    • trents
      New (possible) celiac diagnosis

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the forum, @Judy M! Yes, he definitely needs to continue eating gluten until the day of the endoscopy. Not sure why the GI doc advised otherwise but it was a bum steer.  Celiac disease has a genetic component but also an "epigenetic" component. Let me explain. There are two main genes that have been identified as providing the "potential" to develop "active" celiac disease. We know them as HLA-DQ 2.5 (aka, HLA-DQ 2) and HLA-DQ8. Without one or both of these genes it is highly unlikely that a person will develop celiac disease at some point in their life. About 40% of the general population carry one or both of these two genes but only about 1% of the population develops active celiac disease. Thus, possessing the genetic potential for celiac disease is far less than deterministic. Most who have the potential never develop the disease. In order for the potential to develop celiac disease to turn into active celiac disease, some triggering stress event or events must "turn on" the latent genes. This triggering stress event can be a viral infection, some other medical event, or even prolonged psychological/emotional trauma. This part of the equation is difficult to quantify but this is the epigenetic dimension of the disease. Epigenetics has to do with the influence that environmental factors and things not coded into the DNA itself have to do in "turning on" susceptible genes. And this is why celiac disease can develop at any stage of life. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition (not a food allergy) that causes inflammation in the lining of the small bowel. The ingestion of gluten causes the body to attack the cells of this lining which, over time, damages and destroys them, impairing the body's ability to absorb nutrients since this is the part of the intestinal track responsible for nutrient absorption and also causing numerous other food sensitivities such as dairy/lactose intolerance. There is another gluten-related disorder known as NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity or just, "gluten sensitivity") that is not autoimmune in nature and which does not damage the small bowel lining. However, NCGS shares many of the same symptoms with celiac disease such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea. It is also much more common than celiac disease. There is no test for NCGS so, because they share common symptoms, celiac disease must first be ruled out through formal testing for celiac disease. This is where your husband is right now. It should also be said that some experts believe NCGS can transition into celiac disease. I hope this helps.
    • Judy M
      New (possible) celiac diagnosis

      By Judy M · Posted

      My husband has had lactose intolerance for his entire life (he's 68 yo).  So, he's used to gastro issues. But for the past year he's been experiencing bouts of diarrhea that last for hours.  He finally went to his gastroenterologist ... several blood tests ruled out other maladies, but his celiac results are suspect.  He is scheduled for an endoscopy and colonoscopy in 2 weeks.  He was told to eat "gluten free" until the tests!!!  I, and he know nothing about this "diet" much less how to navigate his in daily life!! The more I read, the more my head is spinning.  So I guess I have 2 questions.  First, I read on this website that prior to testing, eat gluten so as not to compromise the testing!  Is that true? His primary care doctor told him to eat gluten free prior to testing!  I'm so confused.  Second, I read that celiac disease is genetic or caused by other ways such as surgery.  No family history but Gall bladder removal 7 years ago, maybe?  But how in God's name does something like this crop up and now is so awful he can't go a day without worrying.  He still works in Manhattan and considers himself lucky if he gets there without incident!  Advice from those who know would be appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!
    • Scott Adams
      Patiently Waiting to See Results

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      You've done an excellent job of meticulously tracking the rash's unpredictable behavior, from its symmetrical spread and stubborn scabbing to the potential triggers you've identified, like the asthma medication and dietary changes. It's particularly telling that the rash seems to flare with wheat consumption, even though your initial blood test was negative—as you've noted, being off wheat before a test can sometimes lead to a false negative, and your description of the other symptoms—joint pain, brain fog, stomach issues—is very compelling. The symmetry of the rash is a crucial detail that often points toward an internal cause, such as an autoimmune response or a systemic reaction, rather than just an external irritant like a plant or mites. I hope your doctor tomorrow takes the time to listen carefully to all of this evidence you've gathered and works with you to find some real answers and effective relief. Don't be discouraged if the rash fluctuates; your detailed history is the most valuable tool you have for getting an accurate diagnosis.
    • Scott Adams
      Gluten free beer ?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      In this case the beer is excellent, but for those who are super sensitive it is likely better to go the full gluten-free beer route. Lakefront Brewery (another sponsor!) has good gluten-free beer made without any gluten ingredients.
    • trents
      Patiently Waiting to See Results

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the forum, @catsrlife! Celiac disease can be diagnosed without committing to a full-blown "gluten challenge" if you get a skin biopsy done during an active outbreak of dermatitis herpetiformis, assuming that is what is causing the rash. There is no other known cause for dermatitis herpetiformis so it is definitive for celiac disease. You would need to find a dermatologist who is familiar with doing the biopsy correctly, however. The samples need to be taken next to the pustules, not on them . . . a mistake many dermatologists make when biopsying for dermatitis herpetiformis. 
×
×
  • 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.