Applebees, Fast Food Restaurants

[deener]

Has anyone heard if Applebees has any "safe" foods on their menu? How about any other fast food restaurants.

Anything will be greatly appreciated!!

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

Hello deener,

I just went to their website and couldn't find any information about something gluten-free. And in that case, I wouldn't eat there, because of cross contamination. It seems to me, they don't know about it at all.

But the Chick-fil-A has a Gluten Info on their web page:

Open Original Shared Link

Don Pablo's has a Nutritional Information also with gluten stuff:

Open Original Shared Link

McDonald's has gluten free items on their list at:

Open Original Shared Link (it's probably only french fries, but better than nothing )

There's Outback Steakhouse:

Open Original Shared Link

And Wendy's:

Open Original Shared Link

They all have something on their website. Sometimes you have to search a little bit, until you find it. With most of these restaurants I was satisfied. Outback's is my personal favorite. But with for example McDonalds I would be careful with the burger without the bun. There's still a lot cross contamination.

Hugs, Stef

[KaitiUSA]

I was searching the Internet and found a fast food and restaurant gluten free list and this is what it said about Applebee's:

Steamed Vegetable Platter

Beef Patty

Marinated Chicken Breast ; Request that the Italian Chicken or Fajita

Chicken be used, NOT Teriyaki

Smothered Chicken Breast ; Request that the Italian Chicken or Fajita Chicken be used, NOT Teriyaki

Blackened Chicken- WITHOUT Boboli Bread, Croutons, or Hot Bacon Mustard Dressing - Breast ; Request that the Italian Chicken or Fajita Chicken be used, NOT Teriyaki

Buffalo Chicken Wings ; WITHOUT Bleu Cheese Dressing

Dressings ; Ranch, Honey Mustard, Caesar

House Salad- WITHOUT Croutons or Boboli Bread

Not sure when this was last updated I would definately check since they don't have it on their website though. I know I personally would not go there when I tried to verify it I didn't get much help.

There is a risk for cross contamination pretty much at every fast food place or restaurant that serves gluten containing things.

[lovegrov]

Applebee's is one of the places that bascially tells us to somewhere else. I wouldn't spend my money there.

richard

[mwical]

I just printed a gluten-free menu from outback from the link and it looks pretty good. Thanks Stef. I have written to LoneStar Steakhouse twice now about a gluten-free menu and thus far have been ignored. My wife and I used to go there quite a bit before I found out I had celiac disease. I guess they don't care. It has been a month since my first e-mail and 2 wks since my last. Oh well, guess I'll try Outback.

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

Mwical, I thought, everybody on this message board already knows this. Sorry, if I would have known, that NOT everybody knows it, I would have posted it. I already ate there like 5 times since going glutenfree and haven't had any problems. At some Outbeaks you can actually bring your own bread, but you have to ask. In fact, they ask you to ask them on the menu. Isn't that great? You HAVE TO try the 'Chocolate Thunder from down Under'. I could die for joy each time I eat that. I ALWAYS order it, and if I can't eat it anymore I tell them to put it in a box for me, so I can take it home. It's so good, I can't get enough .

Hugs, Stef

[lovegrov]

If I remember correctly, Lonestar is another place that is not cooperative. Texas Roadhouse is, though.

[Guest Leidenschaft]

I LOVE the Texas Roadhouse!!! Really wish they had them up here in Canada! They'd probably have to come up with another name though! I've also had great meals at Ruby Tuesday's at the Bangor Mall in Maine, and the Cracker Barrel in Decatur, Illinois!

Don't I get around??!!

Gotta go where the dogs are at!

[terri]

I received a very nice reply from Lonestar when I wrote them. Unfortunately it is at home and I am at work, but I remember they said to ask for the meat to not be jacarded or something like that. But they gave quite a few options for eating and said they hoped to see me soon.

[carriekate]

A Lonestar restaurant recently opened in my neighborhood (Philadelphia). I contacted them last month and they replied saying that they could not guarantee any gluten-free items on their menu.

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

Take it from a waiter,

NO restaurant can 100% GUARANTEE there is no gluten in your meal....They can take precautions and do their best to eliminate the problem, but there is no way top be 100% sure. Besides, it would be a grave error in a legal sense to put that gurantee out there (they could be sued if you got sick and they advertised a guarantee).

Having said that, If you ask for your steak to be grilled on a clean portion of the grill with no seasonings and no marinade (you can add salt and pepper later), you can enjoy a nice meal.

I have worked at LoneStar in the past. You can eat a non-seasoned steak and a baked potato there. I have done it before many times.

Hope this helps,

Bronco

[griffithkat]

I eat at Applebee's and Tumbleweed all the time. We talked to the Manager at both places, Applebee's cooks my burger on foil and Tumbleweed prepares my steak on clean place with no seasonings at all with Baked Patoto and Plain Salad they put the bread on a separate plate and someone else eats it. They are great. I have been eating out 2 times a week for about a month now and have not been sick. If you do not speak to management I have found they don't care and just say that they will do what you ask. Each time I go I make sure that they remember me so that there is not a problem.

[Guest Leidenschaft]

I posted this on an earlier topic in Gluten Free in Canada... looks like it could be better appreciated here!

I know one thing that has made a huge difference for me when travelling is my gluten-free Survival Kit! I also made one for my Mom and she has since sent the idea on to everyone she knows who is Celiac. She was amazed at the simplicity of the idea and surprised that nobody she knew had thought of it previously!  I guess maybe it just took some fresh perspective AND a LOVE of food! 

Anyway the survival kit quite simply consists of a roomy lunch box/bag/kit, whatever you prefer, and a wide variety of McCormicks seasonings!

Most of the seasonings in my kit I have purchased in the US, I'm close to Maine and travel there a few times per year. I also have a great friend in Mass. who comes up almost monthly! Anyway, the main reason I get mine in the US, is that I cannot find many of the seasoning combinations in Canada, also the US packaging is small plastic shake bottles, which are less likely to break during travel. I do have a couple of the new glass bottle grinders for fresh ground pepper, sea salt and my new favorite for ANY type of potatoe is the Garlic Pepper blend. So far I haven't been able to find that one in Canada, however I am going to take the empty bottle to my grocer to see if they can order it.

My kit includes Chicken Seasoning, Steak Seasoning, "It's a Dilly" which is a garlic, lemon and dill combo, awesome on fish!!!  I have cajun seasoning, and various other flavours for grilled or BBQ meats, Mesquite, and so on. After I put my kit together I got many of these same seasonings for my kitchen at home. I know they are gluten-free and they make my menu choices SOOOO much easier!

I found that when ordering at many restaurants, I had to specify that since I can not have the bread, could I please have extra veggies or a salad? I have gone home hungry on a few occasions, due to kitchens not thinking about the lack of food on my plate.  I have also found that many "chain" restaurants don't necessarily have a complete list of ingredients since many of the foods they offer are mass produced for that chain. Much of their meats are preseasoned and not safe for us. I prefer to find establishements that are local and get their meats from local sources. A few "chain" restaurants that I've had great experience with while travelling in the US are The Cracker Barrel and The Texas Roadhouse! The Roadhouse in particular has so many options, and after a week of eating Baked Potato I was thrilled to find Baked SWEET Potato as an option (actually it was a Yam!)  It was a wonderful change! I find my safest meat choices are a steak, chicken breast or fish. Desert is extremely limited!  I did enjoy a wonderful homemade Chocolate Mousse at a homestyle place in Mass.! Usually I just treat myself to Bailey's in my after dinner coffee! 

Another menu choice you may not think of, is Nachos! We have a Keystone Kelly's in town that serves up a mean Chicken Nachos! When they brought out the seasoning bottle for the chicken, I recognized it immediatlely as what I use at home! Montreal Chicken Seasoning!

When I order my meal, I send my seasoning bottle back with the server and ask them to use it only! I've enjoyed many meals full of flavour that otherwise would have been bland or risky!

I also made a small laminated name card for my kit that reads:

This Celiac Survival Kit contains gluten free seasonings. If found please contact: (your name and number) I have my cell phone number on mine, since the kit would likely be noticed before I even get home!

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

Use caution when ordering Nachos.

Most restaurants fry their chips (they come frozen or need to be fried) in contaminated oil (other breaded things have been in the fryer prior to the chips).

Always DOUBLE CHECK to make sure the chips are safe!!!!