I Am So Mad!

[ACopsWife]

I am from the Quad Cities (IA/IL border) I was in Madison, WI yesterday for work and we ate at Clauddaugh Irish Pub. I ordered a Steak Sandwich, no bread and I told the waitress it was for dietary needs perscribed by the doctor. She comes back and says they can not do it because it is a new menu item and it has to be prepared the same way for 30 days. We asked if this came from the manager and she said YES. I was so upset I was almost in tears. So I got a burger plain (HOW BORING!) So after my meal I asked to speak with the manager to express my frustration. We explained we are in the restaurant business (Corporate Side) and understand the need for consistency but you need to be accomodating to guests needs. He was very non-apologetic and said they do make exceptions for special dietary needs but he didn't know that was why I couldn't have the bread! He made it seem like it was my fault. I cleary stated it was doctor perscribed.

UGH!! I just needed to vent. This has been hard for me as it is and then this...How frustrating. I think I need to get a dining card, do you know where I can get one!

Thanks

Heather

[KaitiUSA]

Here are some restaurant cards you can get:

Open Original Shared Link

I understand it is frustrating and there are encounters like that we will get.

Ordering something with no bread you have to make sure that the bread never touches what you eat because if they just take it off of the burger then it will be contaminated. It will always be a risk to eat out if the place serves gluten so just be prepared of that too.

[Guest nini]

Open Original Shared Link

has .pdf files of printable dining cards in both English and Spanish for free.

[elonwy]

I got my dining card from the celiac sprue association's intro packet.

Its more in depth than the other ones, and makes recommendations for what you CAN have too, which i like.

www.csaceliacs.org

hth

Elonwy

[macman]

I am from the Quad Cities (IA/IL border) I was in Madison, WI yesterday for work and we ate at Clauddaugh Irish Pub.  I ordered a Steak Sandwich, no bread and I told the waitress it was for dietary needs perscribed by the doctor.  She comes back and says they can not do it because it is a new menu item and it has to be prepared the same way for 30 days.  We asked if this came from the manager and she said YES.  I was so upset I was almost in tears.  So I got a burger plain (HOW BORING!)  So after my meal I asked to speak with the manager to express my frustration.  We explained we are in the restaurant business (Corporate Side) and understand the need for consistency but you need to be accomodating to guests needs.  He was very non-apologetic and said they do make exceptions for special dietary needs but he didn't know that was why I couldn't have the bread! He made it seem like it was my fault.  I cleary stated it was doctor perscribed.

UGH!! I just needed to vent.  This has been hard for me as it is and then this...How frustrating.  I think I need to get a dining card, do you know where I can get one!

Thanks

Heather

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am surprised you stayed there and gave them any of your money. I had a frustrating experience at a Tony Roma's in NV. Their website say they are gluten-free. The restaurant said no-so I said bye-bye and told them I was headed to Outback.

Sorry you had that experience....

[pixiegirl]

I've read about similar experiences on these boards, I'm very thankful they have never happened to me. But I do agree with the poster that said, why did you stay? Probably you had other people in your party that wanted to stay but even so... there had to be other places that you'd all like that would be more accomodating. I make it a point to never go to places that won't work with me and to frequently visit the places that do. I'd never pass my money out to a restaurant like that.

Lastly, I think when the server told you that you should have politely said, Could you ask the manager to come to our table for a minute? However I'd be afraid in a place like that, that they would make it in the normal way and then take the bun off.

Oh well, I'm sorry you had such a rotten experience.

Susan

[Canadian Karen]

I would have pointed out to the manager that they had better wake up and smell the gluten free coffee. I would have pointed out the high incidence of celiac disease in the Irish population and if they want to stay competitive in the restaurant business during the "celiac disease diagnosis revolution", they better be more accomodating......

Karen

[tarnalberry]

I would have just said "It doesn't matter if YOU don't know why I can't have it - my doctor knows. As you've just stated you have a policy allowing the chef to make dietary accomodations, why are you discriminating against me in particular in applying that policy?"

[Dittenheim]

Hi "Cop's Wife"

I had a very similiar situation last summer in Rhode Island (see the string I started "Discrimination").

I wrote a letter to the restaurant and never got a reply, so I wrote to the RI Commission of Human Rights who felt it was an important issue and instigated a suit on my behalf against the restaurant. Unfortunately, according to the ADA regulations no special accommodations or considerations need to be made for dietary restrictions, so the suit was denied.

A substitution of something else that is also on the menu and/or a willingness to leave something off the serving to protect our health is a very small concession for any restaurant to make. It's the difference between being dietary friendly and dietary hostile.

Anyway, give us the address of the restaurant you had your problem with and I will write a letter of complaint, as, I'm sure, many others will.

Restaurants that are so unaccommodating need to be publicized. There are enough of us (especially when you add in our non gluten-free family members who eat out with us) to make an impact on a restaurant's bottom line.

We need to share the replies (or lack thereof) we get back from the restaurants to see what effect our correspondence has on them. Not too many will be as dietary friendly as Outback, but some, I'm sure, will realize they need to be less dietary hostile and will change their policies - if only to allow substitutions when necessary.

Those which refuse to allow any concessions should be placed in a "Hostile Restaurants" list and we should boycott them.

- Dittenheim

[PreOptMegs]

It is situations like these that scare me away from eating out... I ate at Outback for the first time since my diagnosis. I was so scared of cross-contamination, I almost forgot to enjoy the food, but today I feel great and the waitress was so nice and considerate. I am not going to make it a habit, but it was nice to have a gluten-free meal outside of home....