Could This Be?

[BethJ]

We went out for an early dinner on New Years Eve to an upscale local place we've been to a number of times. The place was packed and we had to wait in the bar until our table was ready. I ordered a club soda which came in a large glass. I ordered my usual fish, baked potato and salad without croutons. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Later that night, I was sick and spent most of the night running back and forth to the bathroom. All I kept seeing in my mind was that glass of club soda and the man next to me drinking some sort of beer in an identical bar glass.

I read where bars simply rinse their glasses in a basin with some sort of sanitizer instead of going into a commercial dishwasher.

Could the beer residue remain on a glass in a bar? This is the only thing I can think of that got me, although the restaurant was extremely busy and cross-contamination was entirely possible.

[T.H.]

I would think cross contamination of the food is the most likely, honestly. If you've eaten there before, I'm assuming you have drunk beverages there before, too, yes? So if the glassess get contaminated, I'd assume you'd have reacted before, as well.

However, short answer? Yes, you can react to residue left on glasses. And sanitizing solution - or at least sanitizers - have been shown to do a poorer job than soap and water at eliminated peanut allergens, so I'd assume gluten proteins would follow a similar pattern. Also, there's nothing to say that their soap is gluten free, unless you checked that.

That said, unless it's there a CC accident, the level of gluten sensitivity you would need to react to the ppm of gluten left on a glass would mean you'd react to all the food there, too.

I've reacted to water in restaurant glasses fairly regularly, and best we can tell, it's the non-gluten-free soap that they use on their glasses. But I can't eat any food in a restaurant safely, either.

So again...probably the food, not the drink.

[Lisa]

Was your baked potato served sliced or whole. Gluten could have transferred from a knife that was used to slice up fried chicken, in a hectic kitchen.

[ravenwoodglass]

I have been both a bartender and cook in quite a few states. Restaurants usually run the bar glasses through the dishwasher at least in most places I've worked. If they don't they use a 3 well system for washing. One well for soapy water with brushes, one for rinse water and one with the sanitizer tabs. I always ask that they rinse the glass with plain water before putting my drink in it to be on the safe side.

One issue I have seen in restaurants is that your water glasses and pitcher for filling them can be at the waitress station. That station will also often have the bread baskets and bread warmer. After drinking half a glass of water and then noticing bread crumbs in the glass I now only drink bottled water when I am out.

I am sorry that you got glutened but the source could have been the glass, the speed bar, the meal....well sometimes we just can't figure it out. I hope your feeling better soon.

[BethJ]

Thanks, everyone. I'm leaning toward cross-contamination. They were extremely busy that night.

I've reacted there before and it always was a mystery. I wish I could remember if I had anything from the bar on those occasions. Sometimes my husband orders a drink at the bar while I'm being seated. Before I had to give up alcohol, I use to enjoy a glass of wine. Unfortunately, I became sensitive to alcohol.

I don't know if this place uses a dishwasher or the three-basin system. I do know that the glasses used in the restaurant part aren't the same as those used in the bar.

My potato was served whole so that can be ruled out. I'm not sure how they handle salads so it's possible a crumb from a crouton could have gotten in there. It's amazing how one tiny crumb can cause so much distress!

[dilettantesteph]

I got glutened by ice water in a bar. I was sitting at the bar and should have known better. I saw the big open tub of ice right next to the beer tap and how the glasses go through this not very thorough cleaning system. There could easily have been traces of beer somewhere.

I didn't eat anything there, or anything different at home.

[ravenwoodglass]

I got glutened by ice water in a bar. I was sitting at the bar and should have known better. I saw the big open tub of ice right next to the beer tap and how the glasses go through this not very thorough cleaning system. There could easily have been traces of beer somewhere.

I didn't eat anything there, or anything different at home.

Some 'lazy' bartenders will also shove a used glass into the ice for a refill instead of giving the customer a fresh glass or using a scoop for the ice. CC could occur that way also. In addition some bars used to use a little 'billy club' to break up the ice. The bartender would hold the ice in their hand and whack it with the club. I don't know if this is still allowed anywhere today as most places require gloves to be worn when handling food.

[modiddly16]

I guess it depends on what bar you're hanging out in. I've known some dives to be pretty dirty and full of lazy bartenders (i may or may not have been one of them in college, i plead the fifth). I of course would never not wash a plate or a glass appropriately, the thought makes me gag, but it wouldn't surprise me if it happened at some joints.