Legal Sea Food

[macman]

For those in the boston area-Legal Sea Food has a gluten-free menu!!!! (there is also one at the airport for you travelers.

They even have a gluten-free calamari which is coated in corn meal and pan fried instead of deep fried, they also have gluten-free breadcrumbs for fish dishes!

[Jen H]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing the news. Do they have any chicken dishes? I know it's a seafood restaurant and all...

Jen

[macman]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing the news.  Do they have any chicken dishes?  I know it's a seafood restaurant and all...

Jen

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yep-they have chicken too-just went there tonight-excellent place

[mookie03]

I went to Legal Seafoods last night for dinner (the one in White Plains, NY). I called ahead to ask if they had a gluten-free menu, just to be sure, and when i arrived, they had already noted that i needed the menu and gave it to me instead of the regular menu.

The waiter greeted us and saw my menu and explained how the food was cooked separately and assured me that everything was good. I had a salad for an appetizer and a seafood casserole (w/ 2 sides) for my entree- absolutely incredible! and what a relief it was to able to eat everything on my menu!

I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone (gluten-free or not!) The waitstaff is incredibly good and professional and the food is fresh and delicious. Cant wait to go back!

Stefi

[megzmc3611]

I guess it all depends on the particular restaurant that you go to! I went to a Legal Sea Foods in Massachusetts. After asking the waiter for the "gluten-free menu" he looked right at me and asked "do you want me to bring you a basket of bread with that?". Mind you, I was eating with another girl who is not a celiac, but the fact that he asked me directly made me feel VERY uncomfortable about eating there. The menu suggested ordering the seasonal veggie side dish without seasonings, which I did...and they came covered in seasonings. I sent them back, and the waiter was very nice about everything. But I did not feel he knew anything about a gluten-free meal. I guess it just takes time and patience. But in the meantime, I am so nervous eating out!

Megan

[pixiegirl]

Hi Megan,

Wow I eat at the Legal Seafoods in Copley Place and the one in Park Square all the time and I've never ever had a problem (oh, I've also been to the one at South Shore Mall too and no problems there either).

They take allergies and food intolerances so seriously there, I often eat with my daughter who has a life threatening allergy to peanuts and tree nuts and they are so careful with both of us.

Our waiter always asks me too if I want the bread brought to the table, I'm assuming he means do I want it anywhere near me since I can't have it. I always say yes because my daughter loves bread.

I'd say I've tried almost every dish on their gluten-free menu and I've never been glutened. I'm sure any place can make a mistake but I've never been served the veggies with seasoning, they have never goofed with me and I'd say I eat there at least once a month.

I do however make a fairly big deal about the gluten thing because I am very sensitive to gluten-free. Even at legal Seafoods I tell the hostess when I come in that I'd like the gluten-free free menu and I also tell the hostess that I'd like the manager to stop by my table (I now know him so well that he stopped by last time and said, "Hi Susan!". When the waiter comes to take our order, I tell them I'm ordering from the gluten-free menu and as they write down my order I say, "please mark it clearly as gluten-free food". They do and again, I've never had a problem.

They are this careful with my daughters allergies as well. I hope with the error that happened with you that you called the manager over to discuss this, because on their menu's and on their web sites they make a point of how seriously they take allergies/food intolerances and they should have been informed that an error happened. My feeling is that when mistakes happen at places that bill themselves to being very careful with this sort of thing, the management needs to know so they can correct it, teach the particular server, etc.

I'm sorry this happened to you, I love Legal and its my one fall back restaurant.

Susan

[happygirl]

I ate at the one in DC and LOVED it...had fried calamari....first time I've eaten something "breaded" at a restaurant in over a year. Can't wait to go back.

[sspitzer5]

Legal Sea Foods is great! Go there if you can. I'm in Boston on business this week and have eaten there twice already and will again tonight. I'm writing them a nice thank you letter. I just wish there was one in California.

Susan

[megzmc3611]

Susan,

Have you ever been to a PF Changs? There is one in Boston and they have a great gluten-free menu. I eat there all the time and have always had a wonderful experience. The food is great and the waiters are all very well trained about celiac (at least the ones I have had)...

Megan

[sspitzer5]

Susan,

Have you ever been to a PF Changs?  There is one in Boston and they have a great gluten-free menu.  I eat there all the time and have always had a wonderful experience.  The food is great and the waiters are all very well trained about celiac (at least the ones I have had)...

Megan

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, thanks Megan. I definitely know PF Chang's. I eat there often since there's one near my office, one near my friend's house, and one near my house.

Susan

[pixiegirl]

Hey there are 2 Susan's in this thread!!! But just to let you know Megan, this Susan also eats at PF Changs in Boston, I've had great experiences there too (except for parking!).

Have you tried Elephant Walk in Cambridge, they are supposed to have a gluten-free menu and also if you like Indian, the Bombay Club offers gluten-free food as well, let me say I've not been to Elephant Walk but am dying to try it and I've actually eaten at Bombay Club prior to being gluten-free and the food was wonderful (great Sunday brunch).

Susan!

[macman]

I had a worrisome experince at Legal's after my OP, went there for dinner and they served me rice pilaf in stead of the jasmine rice. The manager was very embarassed and said it was the first time it ever happened. This reinforced that no matter where you go-the only way to not get glutened for SURE is to cook it yourself. on the whole though I eat so much healthier now thats I regard the whole gluten-free thing as a blessing...

[pixiegirl]

Well I agree the only way to be 100% sure is to cook at home. I certainly believe when you eat out there is some risk involved but at places like Legal Seafoods the risk is less then at places where they don't even know about gluten.

Some people are willing to give up eating out, I'm not one of those people. I travel at least 2 times a month and am expected to eat out, so it would be very difficult for me to give up restaurant eating.

As I've posted here many times... I never let the server handle this... every time I eat out, in a new place or at places like Legal Seafood I ask for the manager to come to my table. I speak to them and ask them to please talk to not only my server but to the chef. Then when I order I ask the server to please write gluten-free on my ticket. And often when the food is served I ask again just to be sure... I'll say are we sure these veggies have no seasoning on them?

I probably go overboard but I'm very gluten sensitive and my daughter has a life threatening peanut and tree nut allergy so we are just very use to doing this.

Best, Susan