Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • 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

Red Robin Restaurant

horsegirl

By horsegirl
in Gluten-Free Restaurants

Recommended Posts

horsegirl Enthusiast
horsegirl
Posted

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!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


VegasCeliacBuckeye Collaborator
VegasCeliacBuckeye
Posted

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 Enthusiast
wolfie
Posted

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 Community Regular
blueeyedmanda
Posted

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 Enthusiast
ryebaby0
Posted

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 Enthusiast
horsegirl
Posted
  • Author

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 Enthusiast
NorthernElf
Posted

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.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


wolfie Enthusiast
wolfie
Posted
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 Contributor
grantschoep
Posted

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 Newbie
bcroswell
Posted

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.

Archived

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

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


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,188
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Leeila
    Newest Member
    Leeila
    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

    • Ginger38
      Food Allergies

      By Ginger38 · Posted

      So I recently had allergy testing for IGE antibodies in response to foods. My test results came back positive to corn, white potatoes, egg whites. Tomatoes, almonds and peanuts to name a few.  I have had obvious reactions to a few of these - particularly tomatoes and corn- both GI issues. I don’t really understand all this allergy versus celiac stuff. If the food allergies are mild do I have to avoid these foods entirely? I don’t know what I will eat if I can’t  have corn based gluten free products 
    • Kris2093u4
      Bread choice for a newbie

      By Kris2093u4 · Posted

      Geography makes a difference.  I'm in the West and Trader Joe's gluten-free bread tastes great and is a better price than most gluten-free breads sold elsewhere in my area.  
    • JForman
      7yo struggling!

      By JForman · Posted

      We have four children (7-14 yo), and our 7 year old was diagnosed with NCGS (though all Celiac labs were positive, her scope at 4 years old was negative so docs in the US won't call it celiac). We have started her on a Gluten Free diet after 3 years of major digestive issues and ruling out just about everything under the sun. Our home and kitchen and myself are all gluten-free. But I have not asked my husband/her dad or her other siblings to go completely gluten-free with us. They are at home, but not out of the home. This has led to situations when we are eating out where she has to consistently see others eating things she can't have and she has begun to say "Well, I can't have <fill in the blank>...stupid gluten."  How have you supported your gluten-free kiddos in the mental health space of this journey, especially young ones like her. I know it's hard for me as an adult sometimes to miss out, so I can't imagine being 7 and dealing with it! Any tips or ideas to help with this? 
    • Jane878
      My mo,ther married a bread making when I was 4

      By Jane878 · Posted

      By the time I was 5 I had my first auto0immune disorder, Migraine headaches, with auras to blind me, and vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound. I was 5 years old, and my stepfather would have pizza night, milling his own flour, making thick cheesy gluten pizza, that I would eat and the next day, I would have serious migraines, and my mother & stepfather did nothing about my medical problems. When I was 17 in my first year at college, I was diagnosed with my 2nd known auto-immune disorder, Meniere's disease. I was a elite athlete, a swimmer, and soccer player. And once again my parents didn't think anything of understanding why I had a disorder only older people get. Now after my mother passed from Alzheimer's disease she also suffered with living with gluten. She had a rash for 30 years that nobody could diagnose. She was itchy for 45 years total. My brother had a encapsulated virus explodes in his spleen and when this happened his entire intestines were covered with adhesions, scar tissue and he almost lost his life. He has 5 daughters, and when I finally was diagnosed after being pregnant and my body went into a cytokine storm, I lost my chance to have children, I ended up having Hashimoto's disease, Degenerative Disc disease, and my body started to shut down during my first trimester. I am 6ft tall and got down to 119lbs. My husband and I went to a special immunologist in Terrace, California. They took 17 vials of blood as we flew there for a day and returned home that evening. In 3 weeks, we had the answer, I have Celiac disease. Once this was known, only my father and husband made efforts to change their way of feeding me. At the family cabin, my stepfather & mother were more worried that I would ruin Thanksgiving Dinner. It wasn't until one of my cousins was diagnosed with Celiac disease. They finally looked into getting Gluten Free flour and taking measures to limit "gluten" in meals. He did nothing but ask for me to pay for my own food and wi-fi when I came to the cabin to stay after our house burned down. When he informed my mother, they proceeding to get into a physical fight and she ended up with a black eye. The is just more trauma for me. Sam had no interest in telling the truth about what he wanted. He lied to my mother that he had asked my husband if I could pay for "food" when he asked Geoffrey if I had money to pay for my wi-fi. My mother hates when he spends so much time on the computer so he lied and said I could pay for my own food. I will remind you I weighed 119lbs at this time. (At 6ft) that is a very sick looking person. Neither parent was worried about my weight, they just fought about how cheap my stepfather was. As my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2014. He had her sign over the will to a trust and added his children. He had no testimonial capacity at the time, so she signed without proper papers. Making this Trust null and void. When I gave my brother my childhood home, my mother stated I would be getting an equal part of inheritance to the house on Race. It currently worth 2.0 million $. I got nothing, and my stepfather has since disowned me b/c of my claim and he knows that my mother would never have left it uneven between my biological brother and myself. She sat me and my husband down, as we lived at the Race Street house and treated and took care of it as our own. My brother took over b/c he was going through a horrific divorce and needed a home so he could get a better custody deal with his soon to be ex-wife who was a Assist DA for Denver. She used the girls against him, and he & I were the primary caregivers. We, Judd and I spent the most time with them pre the divorce. Once Judd moved into the house, he threw all of my mother, grandmother and my family heirlooms out to the Goodwill. Nobody told my mother about this as she was going through cancer treatment and had Alzheimer's disease in her mother and her sister. My stepfather and biological brother took advantage of this matter, as I called a "family council" that my brother just never could make it to at the last moment. All of the furnishing, kitchen ware, everything was in the house my brother just moved into. He had had 2 weddings, I chose to elope b/c my stepfather ruined my brother's first wedding by talking about his relationship with my brother in front of my dad and his entire family, insulting him and having my grandfather leave the ceremony. It was a disaster. My stepfather just plays dumb and blames my father for the slight. I was the only child not to have a wedding. So, my mother and stepfather never had to pay for a thing. My mother had had an agreement with my father he'd pay for college and all medical issues with their kids, myself and Judd. So truly my mother never had to pay for anything big for me in her entire life. I am looking for anyone that has had a similar story, where they grew up in a household that had a baker that regularly milled flour and ate gluten. What happened to you? DId you suffer from different auto-immune diseases b/c of living with a baker using "gluten" Please let me know. I have been looking into legal ways to get my stepfather to give me what my mother had promised, and he erased. Thank you for listening to my story. Jane Donnelly  
    • trents
      Blood results

      By trents · Posted

      Possibly gluten withdrawal. Lot's of info on the internet about it. Somewhat controversial but apparently gluten plugs into the same neuro sensors as opiates do and some people get a similar type withdrawal as they do when quitting opiates. Another issue is that gluten-free facsimile flours are not fortified with vitamins and minerals as is wheat flour (in the U.S. at least) so when the switch is made to gluten-free facsimile foods, especially if a lot of processed gluten-free foods are being used as substitutes, vitamin and mineral deficiencies can result. There is also the possibility that she has picked up a virus or some but that is totally unrelated to going gluten-free.
×
×
  • Create New...