Red Robin Restaurant

[horsegirl]

I went to Red Robin yesterday, & had a BAD experience with CLUELESS staff who clearly don't "get" what "food allergies/intolerances" mean, & how seriously they need to take them. My family & friends I was with urged me to write the company a letter, so I did today. I wanted to post a copy of my letter on this forum, & will post the company's response, should I get one (I hope I do!) And, FYI - I've noticed quite a few people on here writing that Red Robin's fries are gluten-free, but they are NOT on the gluten-free menu that Red Robin has inside their menu, so bewared. In addition, their "Red Robin seasoning" contains soy, which I know quite a few of you are intolerant/allergic to.

So, here's my letter to them:

I dined at the Citrus Heights, CA Red Robin yesterday with a group of 7 other people. The server we had (I don't know his name) was VERY loud in volume, & didn't take time to listen to us. I told him specifically that I have SEVERAL FOOD ALLERGIES, & I gave him the exact thing I wanted to eat (the "Salmon Burger", but NO seasonings, NO sauce, NO bun, cooked on a clean grill to avoid cross-contamination, & wrapped in lettuce since I can't have bread. Also, NO dressing on the salad, (but then was told it doesn't come with a salad anyway). He seemed to "Get it", but when my meal arrived, the salmon clearly had seasoning all over it, & the meal came wiht a salad with tortilla strips all over.

He also "goofed up" a couple of other orders, including not bringing extra sauce for 2 people who asked him for it several times. I got his attention, & told him the salmon had seasoning on it, which I couldn't have (your "Red Robin seasoning" has soy in it, one of my allergies). He got argumentative about it, saying he brought out exactly what I ordered, but I told him "No seasonings either" when I ordered. He took the plate & offered to cook it again, but by then I was so frustrated I told him to never mind, that I wouldn't eat anything & just wait for my party to finish eating. Awhile later a manager came by (a man, don't know his name) & asked what happened. I told him, & he looked blankly at me, then said "We don't put seasoning on the salmon anyway". I told him that mine clearly had it, because there was something sprinkled all over it. He eventually brought out some new salmon, & said "you said no tomatoes, right??", which I'd never even said to anyone. By then everyone else was done eating, so I took it "to go".

I don't normally write letters to restaurants, but this frustrated me & everyone in my party enough that I needed to let your company know what happened. Your servers & managers NEED to understand more about food allergies & what can happen when they don't pay attention. I don't know that I (or my friends) will be returning to Red Robin in the future.

Thank you for your time & attention to this.

I'll let everyone know what, if anything, they say in response!

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

As far as I know, some Red Robin's restaurants have separate fryers for their fries and some do not.

If memory serves, the "corporate" red robins have dedicated fryers.

The "franchisees" are not required to have dedicated fryers.

You have to ask when you go to that respective Red Robin.

[wolfie]

Sorry that you had a bad experience! I have had good luck at the 2 different locations that I have eaten at in Ohio, but have heard of others not being as good.

I hope that you get a response and if you go back that everything is okay.

[blueeyedmanda]

Sorry to hear about your experience, I have had great luck at my location (Hershey) and another board member on here, Guhlia has had good luck at the Lancaster location.

[ryebaby0]

We had a similar miserable experience at a Red Robin near Harrisburg; we barely had time to start the usual "we need ...." talk when the server excused himself, and brought back the manager. Who said there's nothing here you can eat. Not the fries. We can't cook the burger special for you. I won't guarantee the food isn't contaminated by something else . It isn't safe. Would you like a soda? Or are you leaving? Mind you, we had researched on the web, and made a special effort to stop in Colonial Park while doing some other travel after calling ahead.

[horsegirl]

I received a phone call 2 days ago from the general manager at the Red Robin where I had this bad experience. He apologized for his staff's seeming lack of understanding of allergen issues & said he's been trying to increase the availability of food choices to people with allergies in his restaurant.

He asked me several questions, & seemed interested in my answers. I told him that I am very leery of returning to his restaurant, & he said he understood, but "hope you'll come back again, to my restaurant (franchise) & ask for me, because I want to make you exactly what you want to eat"...

blah blah blah. Anyway, after nearly bending over backwards (on the phone), he said he was sending me a letter with a gift card in hopes that I would reconsider returning again. I got the letter & gift card today ($25!) but don't know when/if I'll return. I like their food, but with my multiple food intolerances, it makes it hard to eat there anyway (can't even eat their fries because they're cooked in soybean oil!)

At least I got a prompt response, which was nice.

[NorthernElf]

I got glutened at a Red Robin in Edmonton. I had rice with a veggie stir fry and chicken - asked for gluten free, clean out the pots, etc. My bad becauase I KNEW the veggies had something on them and ate them anyway, probably because I was with about 8 other people. That was lunch and my day of shopping was totally ruined. Grrrrr.... I wouldn't trust them again - now you have a gift cert, but would you ?

I had a great meal at a Moxie's - the waiter got a woman well trained in PR who came out and told me 3 different meal options that would work (and they weren't salads !!!). I had a maple glazed salmon...yummmm.

[wolfie]

I received a phone call 2 days ago from the general manager at the Red Robin where I had this bad experience. He apologized for his staff's seeming lack of understanding of allergen issues & said he's been trying to increase the availability of food choices to people with allergies in his restaurant.

He asked me several questions, & seemed interested in my answers. I told him that I am very leery of returning to his restaurant, & he said he understood, but "hope you'll come back again, to my restaurant (franchise) & ask for me, because I want to make you exactly what you want to eat"...

blah blah blah. Anyway, after nearly bending over backwards (on the phone), he said he was sending me a letter with a gift card in hopes that I would reconsider returning again. I got the letter & gift card today ($25!) but don't know when/if I'll return. I like their food, but with my multiple food intolerances, it makes it hard to eat there anyway (can't even eat their fries because they're cooked in soybean oil!)

At least I got a prompt response, which was nice.

Great response! He does sound genuinely concerned. Let us know if you try it again and how it goes.

[grantschoep]

I got sick yesterday at Red Robin, they did have dedicated fryers. I just found out what it was, apparently their seasoning salt they put on the fries is not gluten free. I read the label on the container of them, and didn't see anything that looked suspicious, but I was just reading in two other threads that it does have gluten.

Edit...

Oops I got two threads mixed up. It was Outback that has gluten in their french fry seasoning.

[bcroswell]

I had good luck at the Red Robin at Polaris in Columbus Ohio.

I ordered a burger protein-style, wrapped in lettuce, and as I ordered I mentioned I needed it to be gluten-free. The server knew what I was talking about right off.

He put my order in with no seasoning on the burger and the fries.

Also while waiting for the food the manager came out without me asking, talked to me for a bit, and gave me their current version of the gluten-free menu.