Gluten Free Take Out?

[ksb43]

I just started a new job and every Monday they order take out for everyone. I know plenty of gluten free restaurants, but I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for gluten free take out. There are the usual places around here...Subway, Cosi's, pizza places, saladworks, local deli's, etc. there's actually a jule's thin crust nearby that makes gluten-free pizza, so I might suggest that. Anyone have ideas at what to order at these places or know of any chains that would be good to order from?

I'll always bring lunch in case. It just seems hard to be able to order gluten-free food over the phone and not really have any control over what they're preparing. Probably the safest bet if anything it to order salads and just keep my own dressing at work.

Kevin

[blueeyedmanda]

When we do take-out I usually do a salad.

[melmak5]

There is a catering company that my job orders from and they will do gluten-free meals.

I got one for a conference and the chicken atop the salad had blue mold.

All I can say is make sure if the place does gluten-free options, people actually use them on a regular basis, so they go through there stock.

Besides that, I keep some dressing in the fridge at work so I can do plain salad.

[blueeyedmanda]

There is a catering company that my job orders from and they will do gluten-free meals.

I got one for a conference and the chicken atop the salad had blue mold.

All I can say is make sure if the place does gluten-free options, people actually use them on a regular basis, so they go through there stock.

Besides that, I keep some dressing in the fridge at work so I can do plain salad.

you are sooo lucky! :)

[HAK1031]

Make friends with your local Chinese restaurant. I know, you probably think I'm nuts. But I went into mine in the late afternoon on a weekday when there was no one there and talked to the (manager? owner? something of that nature) and explained to him what I could and couldn't have, no soy sauce, clean wok, etc. He was sooo helpful, and totally understanding. He even offered to make me special fried rice without soy sauce the seasoned pork because he didn't know what was in it...and I was going to settle for white rice!! He even put my food in a separate bag, and knew not to put in a fortune cookies. Great guy, I feel so lucky to be able to eat chinese and it's never made me sick. Depending on the restaurant/staff, it may or may not work out, and if you don't feel like they're listening or understanding don't risk it. But it's worth a try!

[ksb43]

Make friends with your local Chinese restaurant. I know, you probably think I'm nuts. But I went into mine in the late afternoon on a weekday when there was no one there and talked to the (manager? owner? something of that nature) and explained to him what I could and couldn't have, no soy sauce, clean wok, etc. He was sooo helpful, and totally understanding. He even offered to make me special fried rice without soy sauce the seasoned pork because he didn't know what was in it...and I was going to settle for white rice!! He even put my food in a separate bag, and knew not to put in a fortune cookies. Great guy, I feel so lucky to be able to eat chinese and it's never made me sick. Depending on the restaurant/staff, it may or may not work out, and if you don't feel like they're listening or understanding don't risk it. But it's worth a try!

Really?! I've always been afraid to even attempt to go to a chinese restaurant because of all their sauces and because the language barrier makes it even more difficult. Chinese food is probably the thing I miss most. I go to P.F. Changs every now and then which is awesome, but that's the only time I can eat chinese. Maybe I'll try it one of these days. There are a couple of them around here. I just feel like even if they say they can accomodate you, you still don't really know if they've understood. But then again, I suppose you're chances arent any worse then trying to explain it to the teenagers working in most american restaurants.

[HAK1031]

Hey, I'm one of those teenagers

But you know how you can just instinctively tell when you're being understood? It's kind of a gut feeling, which is why it might help to walk in there without actually ordering anything at first, like just go in to explain your needs, so in case you don't feel comfortable, you can just walk out and not have to worry. And they also make restaurant cards in various languages if that would help

[Lisa]

Really?! I've always been afraid to even attempt to go to a chinese restaurant because of all their sauces and because the language barrier makes it even more difficult. Chinese food is probably the thing I miss most. I go to P.F. Changs every now and then which is awesome, but that's the only time I can eat chinese. Maybe I'll try it one of these days. There are a couple of them around here. I just feel like even if they say they can accomodate you, you still don't really know if they've understood. But then again, I suppose you're chances arent any worse then trying to explain it to the teenagers working in most american restaurants.

the Triumph Dining Cards are really helpful when dealing with ethnic restaurants. They come in several languages on laminate cards. I have used them several times. You can order them from this site, on the Gluten Free Mall.

[superbeansprout]

Ooh, I have some of those Triumph Dining Cards, but I always forget to have them with me...I got them so if I ever traveled outside the country, but that's a great idea to have them for ethnic restaurants too.

So, I read on a thread here that JP Seafood in Jamaica Plain, MA will cater to gluten free dining, however I had a snafu last night with a salad I ordered from Not Your Average Joe's--I didn't check it before I left with my takeout, and realized when I got to my destination that they had put bleu cheese on it! Anyway, i was too far away to go back, because I had to be at a theater rehearsal...and I was dinner-less. It would be one thing if it were the first time for this particular mistake...but it's the third. THIRD! same mistake.

ARrghghg...I don't usually allow these things to get to me, I've always said, 'mistakes happen, it's ok, take it with a grain of salt because most likely the people making your food don't have these issues and don't know the severity of their mistake.' and it was also my mistake for not checking first. But the chef actually came out and talked to me to ask me which dressing I wanted, to which I told him that the manager told me only one dressing was guaranteed gluten free, and he said whoever said that was lying to me...it's a lot of back and forth, and is frustrating. anyway, I just assumed that since he was the one to go get my dressing for the salad, he checked the salad before it came to me...and I was wrong. So, I had read about JP Seafood, and thought I'd give it a try because it's RIGHT across the street from the theater I have rehearsals at...and they said there was NOTHING they could give me that was gluten free. So I had potato chips, a gluten free muffin and a banana for dinner. Needless to say, I was cranky. Yesterday was a bad day...

[melmak5]

blueeyedmanda - hypothetically lucky... getting sick from moldy chicken, not as bad as glutened, but not really awesome either

I am really torn on whether to give them another shot or not.

[Daryl]

When my office does that, I get two grilled chicken fillet's from Chick-Fil-A. If I had the option of Gluten Free pizza (downtown Atlanta), I'd be eating that everytime. There's one place in Rochester NY that I can order pizza from, that I eat everytime we travel back there for holidays etc. I always carry my lunch to work, so for most meetings, lunches etc, i just sit there and eat my brown bag lunch while everyone else eats their take-out.

[ksb43]

I was a teenager myself only a couple years ago. I'm just saying unless they have experience with allergies, they have no idea what you're even talking about.

I always bring my lunch just in case.

Soeaking of horror stories, I went to UNO on vacation in FL, and they brought out my meal with a breadstick on it. Then the manager came over and told me he had a gluten allergy and he would make sure it was prepared right...then he himself brought out another dish with a breadstick on it. Finally the third time they made it right, but I just have to trust that they didn't just spit on it or just take the breadstick off and give me the same food.

I hated UNO before I had to avoid gluten...

Kevin

[elg1716]

I am from Rochester, NY--which pizza place were you talking about? Thanks!

When my office does that, I get two grilled chicken fillet's from Chick-Fil-A. If I had the option of Gluten Free pizza (downtown Atlanta), I'd be eating that everytime. There's one place in Rochester NY that I can order pizza from, that I eat everytime we travel back there for holidays etc. I always carry my lunch to work, so for most meetings, lunches etc, i just sit there and eat my brown bag lunch while everyone else eats their take-out.

[Gemini]

Ooh, I have some of those Triumph Dining Cards, but I always forget to have them with me...I got them so if I ever traveled outside the country, but that's a great idea to have them for ethnic restaurants too.

So, I read on a thread here that JP Seafood in Jamaica Plain, MA will cater to gluten free dining, however I had a snafu last night with a salad I ordered from Not Your Average Joe's--I didn't check it before I left with my takeout, and realized when I got to my destination that they had put bleu cheese on it! Anyway, i was too far away to go back, because I had to be at a theater rehearsal...and I was dinner-less. It would be one thing if it were the first time for this particular mistake...but it's the third. THIRD! same mistake.

ARrghghg...I don't usually allow these things to get to me, I've always said, 'mistakes happen, it's ok, take it with a grain of salt because most likely the people making your food don't have these issues and don't know the severity of their mistake.' and it was also my mistake for not checking first. But the chef actually came out and talked to me to ask me which dressing I wanted, to which I told him that the manager told me only one dressing was guaranteed gluten free, and he said whoever said that was lying to me...it's a lot of back and forth, and is frustrating. anyway, I just assumed that since he was the one to go get my dressing for the salad, he checked the salad before it came to me...and I was wrong. So, I had read about JP Seafood, and thought I'd give it a try because it's RIGHT across the street from the theater I have rehearsals at...and they said there was NOTHING they could give me that was gluten free. So I had potato chips, a gluten free muffin and a banana for dinner. Needless to say, I was cranky. Yesterday was a bad day...

Not all bleu cheeses contain gluten and that's probably why Joe's uses it and offers it on their menu. They do an excellent job with their gluten-free menu's so you may want to inquire whether they are definitely using gluten-free bleu cheese. Many restaurants with gluten-free menu's offer bleu cheese now so don't automatically assume they have made a mistake.

[Laura]

Chipotle is a good bet in a lot of places -- just get the burrito bowl.

Edited to add: Remember that the Canadian Celiac Association did a study finding that even blue cheeses started with gluten-containing media don't have detectable levels of gluten. Open Original Shared Link