Jump to content

  • 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

Bj's Pizza Ok?

Kelly&Mom

By Kelly&Mom
in Gluten-Free Restaurants

Recommended Posts

Kelly&Mom Rookie
Kelly&Mom
Posted

Recently we ate at a BJ's restaurant, eager to try their gluten-free pizza. When I asked the manager about how it was baked, he said it goes in the same oven as the rest of the regular pizza. When I questioned that the pizza was truly gluten-free he said that the extreme heat in the oven burns off any gluten??? My daughter was so excited to get pizza so we tried it and it was quite good and I didn't experience any side effects. My daughter did but w/ her it's hard to tell if it's gluten or her IBF reacting to the dairy and fat......

Does anyone know if this is really true about the heat of the oven burning off the gluten?

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Dixiebell Contributor
Dixiebell
Posted

No the heat will not burn off the gluten, Sadly he is wrong.

GlutenFreeManna Rising Star
GlutenFreeManna
Posted

Do you mean they bake it right on the oven grate and not on it's own pan or stone? I don't think that would be safe at all! Unless they stop all pizzas from baking and heat the oven to 650 degrees for 30 minutes before putting your pizza through. Which, I'm sure they didn't do because they would have some upset people if they had to wait more than 30 minutes to get their pizza. :huh:

Cheryl-C Enthusiast
Cheryl-C
Posted

"Burn off all the gluten" - wow. Sounds like someone isn't training their staff properly at all.

Kelly&Mom Rookie
Kelly&Mom
Posted
  • Author

This is a big chain restaurant in California, wonder how they can get away with advertising a "gluten=free" menu?

scarlett77 Apprentice
scarlett77
Posted

As much as I have loved BJ's food their service has ALWAYS been crappy so I would NEVER trust them at all.

Aphreal Contributor
Aphreal
Posted

Our waitress said she tells the manager about allergies to *assure* gluten-free pizza baking.

I did not like it...at.... all. I would rather make my own using Bobs crust and my own stuff than go out to eat and eat that particular crust. I disliked it so much I just scrapped off the toppings and ate those.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Our local celiac support group talked to BJ's and they are using a dedicated station and separate pizza boards in the oven for the gluten-free pizza. I've had it twice. It's really, really good and I didn't react at all. I think that manager was just dumb.

celiac-mommy Collaborator
celiac-mommy
Posted

I was going to take my kids to ours tomorrow, I'll let you know how it goes...

celiac-mommy Collaborator
celiac-mommy
Posted

I was going to take my kids to ours tomorrow, I'll let you know how it goes...

It went great! I talked to the manager and he was really helpful and told me exactly how everything was prepared to prevent cross contamination. It cost 10.50 for a 10 inch hawaiian pizza. Both kids shared and we had pieces left over to bring home. I watched both kids like a hawk, and with dd being so extremely sensitive, there was no reaction! We'll go back for sure :)

Looking for answers Contributor
Looking for answers
Posted

I love the gluten-free pizza there. I don't eat out much for risk of CC, but haven't had any problems there. I find they differ by location. We tend to go to a particular one a little further from our house because the closer one put a "allergy" alert on my order and then brought a salad with croutons. They ended up fixing the order and apologizing, but that made me too nervous to ever return.

  • 2 weeks later...
G-FreeGirl Newbie
G-FreeGirl
Posted

I've had 3 great experiences at the BJ's in Valencia, CA. Before going gluten-free...I didn't care for BJ's at all. The first time I ordered the gluten-free pizza, the manager came over and talked to me, he was VERY interested in my situation and shared with me how his mother had been gluten-free for 5 months. He did not say whether they bake the pizza directly on the oven grate and I never thought to ask...but I did not get sick the 3 times that I went there. Each time they seemed to make a big deal over me...it was nice but almost embarrassing! I look forward to going back!

larry mac Enthusiast
larry mac
Posted

Our local celiac support group talked to BJ's and they are using a dedicated station and separate pizza boards in the oven for the gluten-free pizza. I've had it twice. It's really, really good and I didn't react at all. I think that manager was just dumb.

Our local Celiac group went there and described it the same as this post (except the dumb manager part lol). Appearently, the manager is notified and handles the process personally.

best regards, lm

  • 2 months later...
katerzz Newbie
katerzz
Posted

Hubby & son have had gluten-free pizza three times now from BJs and was great both times, no effects. It is amazing for moms like me who want to give their child a somewhat normal experience. Homemade pizza just isnt the same, and surely doesnt taste the same!

brendygirl Community Regular
brendygirl
Posted

I've tried a lot of gluten-free pizza in the 5 years I've had celiac, and BJ's is the BEST I've had. I only got to have it once in California when it just came out, days before I moved to the East Coast where I can't get it.

The manager came out, without request, and explained the big training all the staff underwent and the separate preparation area.

I react to EVERYTHING, so it was great that this didn't bother me.

Here in VA, there is much more gluten-free friendly food than in whole-grain crazy CA, but no pizza compares to BJ's.

I've had Z's, but it gets soggy in the middle and the fresh, organic toppings are good, but it's not anything close to real pizza.

I've had Rustico, with the chickpea crust, which is fair, but dry and dense. I have to request a bowl of sauce on the side to dip it in.

I've had Garlic Jim's in CA, but I didn't like the crust. I don't remember exactly what it was, but the texture was off.

I've had Uno's, which is fair, but on the dry side, too. Need sauce to dip it in, also.

I'm from Chicago originally, so I like pizza!

  • 2 months later...
Emily928 Newbie
Emily928
Posted

I've had good luck at the BJ's in Louisville, KY. A lot of other members in our group love their pizza and I haven't heard of anyone getting glutened. They seem very knowledgable also. I just wish their sauce wasn't so sweet, and I'd probably order it more often. It's great to be able to grab a pizza on the way home from work! I also heard that line about heat "burning off" gluten, not at BJ's, but from the Maitre'd at a very nice restaurant, who said it so condescendingly, like silly me, I should have known that! So frustrating!

Michelle1234 Contributor
Michelle1234
Posted

Thanks for posting this. I didn't even know they had a gluten free menu or that there was one near me. I tried it yesterday at the Westminster CO location. I thought the pizza was very good. I also got a gluten free Caesar salad. Unfortunately something glutened me. Since it was a new restaurant I took my glutenease digestive enzymes and still had a reaction. Normally for a little cross contamination they protect me. I have to conclude that there was a much larger amount of gluten contamination then a small accident.

I don't know if they put the croutons on the salad and picked them off or weren't careful with the pizza. I find that these big chains can really vary by location. Since I had left over pizza I will try that today. If I get a reaction I'm never going back. If not I'll be very careful next time I go to talk to a manager and really examine their gluten free preparation to see if it seems to be doing the right things. I didn't this time and that was a huge mistake.

MaryJones2 Enthusiast
MaryJones2
Posted

I've eating the pizza at BJ's several times and had no problems and have never even spoken to a manager during the process. The gluten-free pizza comes out on a triangular plate whereas the regular pizza comes out on rectangular plate. I haven't tried any of the other items on their gluten-free menu. I'd be more inclined to think you got CC from the salad unless you had the meatballs on your pizza - they aren't gluten-free.

Michelle1234 Contributor
Michelle1234
Posted

I'd be more inclined to think you got CC from the salad unless you had the meatballs on your pizza - they aren't gluten-free.

No meatballs on the pizza and unfortunately it was the pizza. I had leftover and gave it another try. I took the enzymes again, just in case, and still got glutened. I won't be going back. Luckily we have at least two other pizza restaurants in the area where I've never had a problem and I don't even need to take the digestive enzymes there.

MaryJones2 Enthusiast
MaryJones2
Posted

No meatballs on the pizza and unfortunately it was the pizza. I had leftover and gave it another try. I took the enzymes again, just in case, and still got glutened. I won't be going back. Luckily we have at least two other pizza restaurants in the area where I've never had a problem and I don't even need to take the digestive enzymes there.

That is such a shame. Hopefully this will turn out to be a rare occurance at their chain.

  • 4 weeks later...
Bella001 Explorer
Bella001
Posted

That is such a shame. Hopefully this will turn out to be a rare occurance at their chain.

Just had BJ's pizza for the first time last week. It was VERY good and I didn't get sick! The manager seemed very well informed and put my mind at ease. I'm in The Woodlands, TX area.

Salax Contributor
Salax
Posted

I agree though that the sauce on the pizza is too sweet. I asked if their original sauce was safe, but they were unsure. Maybe a "white sauce" pizza is available. I will have to check it out. B)

Archived

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

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


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,951
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    SY8
    Newest Member
    SY8
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Jacki Espo
      Covid caused reoccurrence of DH without eating gluten

      By Jacki Espo · Posted

      This happened to me as well. What’s weirder is that within a couple hours of taking paxlovid it subsided. I thought maybe I got glutened but after reading your post not so sure. 
    • Mari
      New Celiac Mama in My 30s

      By Mari · Posted

      Hi Tiffany. Thank you for writing your dituation and  circumstancesin such detail and so well writte, too. I particularly noticed what you wrote about brain for and feeling like your brain is swelling and I know from my own experiences that's how it feel and your brain really does swell and you get migraines.    Way back when I was in my 20s I read a book by 2 MD allergist and they described their patient who came in complaining that her brain, inside her cranium, was swelling  and it happened when she smelled a certain chemical she used in her home. She kept coming back and insisting her brain actually swelled in her head. The Drs couldn't explain this problem so they, with her permission, performed an operation where they made a small opening through her cranium, exposed her to the chemical then watched as she brain did swell into the opening. The DRs were amazed but then were able to advise her to avoid chemicals that made her brain swell. I remember that because I occasionally had brain fog then but it was not a serious problem. I also realized that I was becoming more sensitive to chemicals I used in my work in medical laboratories. By my mid forties the brain fog and chemicals forced me to leave my  profession and move to a rural area with little pollution. I did not have migraines. I was told a little later that I had a more porous blood brain barrier than other people. Chemicals in the air would go up into my sinused and leak through the blood brain barrier into my brain. We have 2 arteries  in our neck that carry blood with the nutrients and oxygen into the brain. To remove the fluids and used blood from the brain there are only capillaries and no large veins to carry it away so all those fluids ooze out much more slowly than they came in and since the small capillaries can't take care of extra fluid it results in swelling in the face, especially around the eyes. My blood flow into my brain is different from most other people as I have an arterial ischema, adefectiveartery on one side.   I have to go forward about 20 or more years when I learned that I had glaucoma, an eye problem that causes blindness and more years until I learned I had celiac disease.  The eye Dr described my glaucoma as a very slow loss of vision that I wouldn't  notice until had noticeable loss of sight.  I could have my eye pressure checked regularly or it would be best to have the cataracts removed from both eyes. I kept putting off the surgery then just overnight lost most of the vision in my left eye. I thought at the I had been exposed to some chemical and found out a little later the person who livedbehind me was using some chemicals to build kayaks in a shed behind my house. I did not realize the signifance  of this until I started having appointments with a Dr. in a new building. New buildings give me brain fog, loss of balance and other problems I know about this time I experienced visual disturbances very similar to those experienced by people with migraines. I looked further online and read that people with glaucoma can suffer rapid loss of sight if they have silent migraines (no headache). The remedy for migraines is to identify and avoid the triggers. I already know most of my triggers - aromatic chemicals, some cleaning materials, gasoline and exhaust and mold toxins. I am very careful about using cleaning agents using mostly borax and baking powder. Anything that has any fragrance or smell I avoid. There is one brand of dishwashing detergent that I can use and several brands of  scouring powder. I hope you find some of this helpful and useful. I have not seen any evidence that Celiac Disease is involved with migraines or glaucoma. Please come back if you have questions or if what I wrote doesn't make senseto you. We sometimes haveto learn by experience and finding out why we have some problems. Take care.       The report did not mention migraines. 
    • Mari
      My only proof

      By Mari · Posted

      Hi Jmartes71 That is so much like my story! You probably know where Laytonville is and that's where I was living just before my 60th birthday when the new Dr. suggested I could have Celiacs. I didn't go on a gluten challange diet before having the Celiac panel blood test drawn. The results came back as equivical as one antibody level was very high but another, tissue transaminasewas normal. Itdid show I was  allergic to cows milk and I think hot peppers. I immediately went gluten free but did not go in for an endoscopy. I found an online lab online that would do the test to show if I had a main celiac gene (enterolab.com). The report came back that I had inherited a main celiac gene, DQ8, from one parent and a D!6 from the other parent. That combination is knows to sym[tons of celiac worse than just inheriting one main celiac gene. With my version of celiac disease I was mostly constipated but after going gluten-free I would have diarrhea the few times I was glutened either by cross contamination or eating some food containing gluten. I have stayed gluten-free for almost 20 years now and knew within a few days that it was right for me although my recovery has been slow.   When I go to see a  medical provide and tell them I have celiacs they don't believe me. The same when I tell them that I carry a main celiac gene, the DQ8. It is only when I tell them that I get diarrhea after eating gluten that they realize that I might have celiac disease. Then they will order th Vitamin B12 and D3 that I need to monitor as my B12 levels can go down very fast if I'm not taking enough of it. Medical providers haven't been much help in my recovery. They are not well trained in this problem. I really hope this helps ypu. Take care.      
    • knitty kitty
      Does anyone here also have Afib

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Fascinating.
    • DebJ14
      Does anyone here also have Afib

      By DebJ14 · Posted

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.