Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • 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

"safe" Restaurant Picks

sallyterpsichore

Recommended Posts

sallyterpsichore Explorer
sallyterpsichore
Posted

Hi all,

I just wanted to start a thread for everyone to list items that they assume are safe in restaurants. I've been gluten-free for 11 months now (eek!) and am still really hesitant to eat out. When I have in the past, I usually don't mention the Celiac thing and just order stuff that should be safe. I've ordered nachos and made sure the chips are 100% corn, but mostly that's all I ask. I've realized by now that this isn't a good idea, but my guess is that many of you do the same thing.

I'll list off items I've considered "naturally safe--naturally gluten-free":

Baked Potato

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Nic Collaborator
Nic
Posted

Hi, I am not sure anything should be considered as safe without asking. My 6 year old is the one with Celiac and we learned early on you always have to check. For example, we went to the Rain Forest Cafe and asked for the mini hotdogs with no buns. Well, we found out that their hotdogs come frozen and already in the bun. Bascially the are just nuking them for us <_< . And I believe at another place we used to eat they baste the outside of their baked potatoes with a butter mixture that contains wheat, why, I have no idea. And sometimes the meat and or cheese in nachos are unsafe as well. Always ask unless it is specified on a gluten free menu and then still make sure they know you are ordering gluten free.

Nicole

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted

I never assume anything is safe. But my daughter has additional food issues to worry about. I would never order a hot dog without the bun because some of them are not gluten free to start with and some contain milk or soy and my daughter is allergic. A hamburger patty is usually safe, but again, not always. Fruit that is cut up and in a package, or a whole piece of fruit is something I would assume was safe. Salad is not necessarily safe. I've gotten it with croutons in the bottom even though I asked for no croutons.

The baked potato thing in the deep fryer sounds disgusting. I can't imagine anyone doing that.

sallyterpsichore Explorer
sallyterpsichore
Posted
  • Author

I now know not to consider anything safe, which is why I won't go out to eat unless there's an actual gluten-free menu. However, I hate "being a pain in the butt", so I have avoided trying to eat at other restaurants because everything could be contaminated. The point of the thread was to 1)emphasize the point which both of you have further demonstrated and 2) to explain the idea that even things that seem safe, aren't necessarily.

When I was brand new to this, I didn't really have anyone to tell me otherwise and I hadn't found resources like this online before attempting to eat out socially. I figure there may be other newbies out there who think they can slide through the "gluten-filled system"! ;) Thanks for the responses!

  • 2 weeks later...
1-out-of-133 Newbie
1-out-of-133
Posted

Hi-

And yet another problem with the Nacho's being safe (having to check everything can be a pain sometimes!). You need to check with the restaraunt to see if they make their own chips. If they use an undedicated fryer, you'll get issues with cross contamination. Sorry :(

lovegrov Collaborator
lovegrov
Posted

Salsa is almost always gluten-free, but the chips might be fried in a non-dedicated fryer.

richard

tiffjake Enthusiast
tiffjake
Posted
Salsa is almost always gluten-free, but the chips might be fried in a non-dedicated fryer.

richard

Yeah, but I still say ask for the list of ingredients. There is a salsa at Chipotle, just ONE, that has gluten in it (the spicest of them all I think...which I don't eat anyway) that has gluten in it. So I always ask....

I question anything fried, anything. And grilled foods can be brushed with "grill baste" that can contain gluten. Texas Roadhouse (I have read here) has a "grill baste" that is not gluten free, so you need to say "dry steak" or "only salt, pepper, butter, etc". (If this is no longer true, or is a rumor, I apologize. The point is that you might not think about something they brush on the steak, and they might not either.....)

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


emcmaster Collaborator
emcmaster
Posted

I can't imagine going out to eat and not letting my server know, but I get so sick and it lasts for so long that I probably am more cautious than most.

kali-mist Apprentice
kali-mist
Posted

I am probably one of the worst Celiacs when it comes to eating out. I keep saying I'm not going to eat out for awhile because it is so dangerous but I do anyway. I am way too nervous about being "a pain in the butt" to mention to the waiter/waitress that I have Celiac and therefore have special needs. Like others, I just try and order stuff that should be safe. Steak, salmon, roast chicken etc. I stay away from fries or other deep fried stuff and usually get a baked potato or rice as a side. But as I've tried to tell my husband many times, just because steak doesn't have gluten in it doesn't mean the spices they put on it doesn't, or that they aren't flipping the steak with a utensil that was used to flip a piece of breaded chicken or something. A lot of times I'll get a salad but have no idea what is in the dressing. It's a really bad habbit that I know I have to break. At the very least I have to start being a "high maintenence" customer and telling the servers about my condition.

tiffjake Enthusiast
tiffjake
Posted
I am probably one of the worst Celiacs when it comes to eating out. I keep saying I'm not going to eat out for awhile because it is so dangerous but I do anyway. I am way too nervous about being "a pain in the butt" to mention to the waiter/waitress that I have Celiac and therefore have special needs. Like others, I just try and order stuff that should be safe. Steak, salmon, roast chicken etc. I stay away from fries or other deep fried stuff and usually get a baked potato or rice as a side. But as I've tried to tell my husband many times, just because steak doesn't have gluten in it doesn't mean the spices they put on it doesn't, or that they aren't flipping the steak with a utensil that was used to flip a piece of breaded chicken or something. A lot of times I'll get a salad but have no idea what is in the dressing. It's a really bad habbit that I know I have to break. At the very least I have to start being a "high maintenence" customer and telling the servers about my condition.

I know you feel like you are being a pain, but it would be eaiser on you if you just go to places with gluten free menus. That way you can have *some* assurance that they have researched the ingredients. Cross-contact is always a concern, but when you know the dressing is gluten free, then you ask for FRESH dressing, from the WALK-IN COOLER and then you are being the safest that you can be. Some great places with gluten/wheat free menues are Outback, PF Changs, Chilis, Legal Seafoods, Bone Fish Grills, Carabas, and there are more that I just can't remember right now :)

Archived

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

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


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      126,595
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Laurie Kin
    Newest Member
    Laurie Kin
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.9k
    • Total Posts
      69.5k
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Mantooth
      Anyone Else Experiencing These Symptoms?

      By Mantooth · Posted

      Thanks for the responce Scott! When I was tested I figured out that I was on a diet and wasnt eating lots of gluten, Im using the LoseIt App to track my food intake so I went back and checked. My doctor only tested me for TTG-AB-IGA and nothing else. My results were <0.5 out of <12u/mL. Im now believing that I wasnt eating enough gluten to have a response, no gluten challenge or anything. Does anyone know what tests I should ask my doctor to do? I want to be armed with information before I go in there again.
    • trents
      Gluten Free Soy Flour - Where to buy?

      By trents · Posted

      Take a look at this: https://www.amazon.ca/Soy-Flour-32-oz-OliveNation/dp/B075SY4GZD/ref=sr_1_6?crid=13CCYAI1E8VN1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8terxdZwLmrcfl823uHd3bN5U4diF6FPBZ5Y_f-eJiwMETCaUIXq_8rZgFVXn7-ITmgEIruEu3rNPQyyTUUrudSyYKxr8hDjKrPCJzLbichM92NvYrJ0DwqJf8haq9cQ3TSRRAdM4l-AT2pHmy5BDeYKTpLG8lkyYEz0BmCyI3j6bnCSbwbWlABFWHPSwdAzYb5Es1_4X22SzgsOwp7wV7JfzBpxZjRofP-ox1ZordzC-n8bDCTfAgdm82RgIf7bm3kB42SbT1uaobKXDuMzV0JvazmeQJqKGk9fYx0ZUJHVx1mhvPy5Y4DrGKQZeFc_lIkjFMfQLxcdeetrwD1pR7Rf118-sKpdUE0-o5XOTAtXeIZzKw09NVXXDAJ6BltxNhqoDONQrr-eK7_U8cs1tGfqvmEdB46LW60PYio8H7Rb6Q_vYfN_9_7PVBcFBbRY.puKTSG7PZA4A7LaV1Ko8bCcXm8ioyAkaLpc3qDafv24&dib_tag=se&keywords=gluten+free+soy+flour&qid=1734400695&sprefix=gluten+free+soy+flour%2Caps%2C173&sr=8-6 The description says it is processed in a facility that also processes nuts and soy. But it does not mention processing wheat.
    • Jules87
      Gluten Free Soy Flour - Where to buy?

      By Jules87 · Posted

      Hello!  I like to use soy flour for baking and recently discovered that Bob's Red Mill has discontinued its soy flour product. I've been able to find it at a few local international grocery stores but I have some concerns about cross contamination. Wondering if anyone knows a company / brand that specifically calls out their soy flour is gluten free? Or at least cleans the line before producing it? Thank you for any suggestions in advance! 
    • Scott Adams
      Can food allergies like milk and soy flatten villi?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Did you get a blood screening done for celiac disease? If so, feel free to share your results here. Normally this is done before a biopsy, and after a positive blood test. For people with celiac disease hidden gluten in their diets is the main cause of elevated Tissue Transglutaminase IgA Antibodies (tTG-IgA), but there are other conditions, including cow's milk/casein intolerance, that can also cause this, and here is an article about the other possible causes:    
    • knitty kitty
      Can food allergies like milk and soy flatten villi?

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hi, @Matt13, About half of people with Celiac Disease react to Casein, the protein in dairy, in the same way as to the protein Gluten.  They have similar segments of polypeptides which trigger the autoimmune response of Celiac Disease. Damage to the Villa lining the intestines can be patchy or beyond the reach of the endoscopy equipment.   Hope this helps!
×
×
  • Create New...