Can I Trust gluten-free Items On The Menu?

[lakegirl410]

Hi Everyone,

I was just recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease. My husband and I used to eat out a lot, but now, we don't know where to go. If a restaurant does have a gluten free menu, can I trust that it's really gluten free? I am worried about cross-contamination. I imagine salads without croutons will be okay! Please help! I really appreciate any input! Thanks so much!!!

[luvs2eat]

Whenever we go out, even to restaurants w/ gluten free menus and places we've been to before, we go out of our way to make friends w/ our server.... "Have a seat and let me tell you about my food needs." Ha ha. It helps that my husband is super friendly and we are always treated so well. I tell them about celiac disease and let them know just how important it is that saying "no croutons" is serious enough that if my salad comes out w/ croutons on it, I'll have no choice but to ask that the salad be tossed and made again... or the burger will have to be remade and not just lifted off the bun. Every single time, our servers go far out of their way to see that my food is done right. We tip well and thank them for their effort! I've spoken to managers several times about how well our servers have accommodated me.

I think you can trust the menu... but the handling of your food needs to be discussed w/ your server!

[c12]

Most of the restaurants that offer full gluten-free menus are pretty good about making sure that your meal is safe. They print out a menu claiming that a meal is gluten-free if it isn't - that would be recipe for legal problems!

I've personally had GREAT experiences at PF Changs, the staff is so knowledgeable, so that could be a good one to try first, if you're nervous.

[lovegrov]

If they have a gluten-free menu, I generally trust that because no place is going to claim gluten-free items and then poison you on purpose. But, wherever you go there's always the chance of CC, but you can cut down on that by trying to go at slower hours and, as mentioned before, by making friends with the server and/or the manager.

richard

[Juliebove]

Oddly, I've found salads to be one of the worst things to order. You can tell them no croutons but often they will still be there. Worse yet, they will put them on them pick them off.

[disgruntled]

this is in response to lovegrov, i am trying to remain as anonamous(sp) as i can about this. i work for a restaurant company that the flagship (possibly only) concept is called fresh city. i am conviced the owners do not know what gluten free really means...on our menu board it lists the teriyaki sauce as gluten free an as i am sure many of you know it needs to be specially made for that to be true. i started researching this because of the fact that i had a geust send in an email and complain about me not wanting to get her that sauce for this reason.

the SECOND ingredient of the "gluten free" teriyaki sauce, happens to be soy sauce made from the traditional recipe (second most ingredient being wheat)

the owners want me written up and none of the other managers beleive me on this...soo i have spent the last two hours researching gluten and hidden gluten sauces.

to summarize this. DO NOT TRUST THE POSTED "GLUTEN FREE" MENU'S WITH SAUCES OR ANYTHING EVEN SLIGHTLY QUESTIONABLE.

PLEASE FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY.....I EMPLORE YOU.....ASK FOR AN INGREDIENT LIST