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

How Do You Handle A Bad Restaurant Experience?


hapi2bgf

Recommended Posts

hapi2bgf Contributor

I usually call any questionable restaurant (i.e., does not have a gluten-free menu on the web site) before I go during slow hours and speak with a manager to figure out what I can eat. That used to work great for me. Now its not working. This is the third time in as many months that I have had a gluten ingestion reaction.

The most recent was while I was on vacation. I called the restaurant and spoke to the manager. I was assured that the chicken, which was not marinaded, and the steamed veggies would be safe. Sauteed would be the best bet. This place is a great local shop where I used to live and ate at often before Celiacs. They have fantastic fish.

I got the sauteed chicken plain with steamed veggies plain. Explained the whole routine to the server. Brought my own BBQ. And not an hour later I was seriously sick.

The questions:

1. What questions do you ask of managers to assure that the food is safe?

2. Do you call back and speak to management after they assured you a meal was safe and you got sick anyway?

To add to the fun I am pregnant. So now I know this baby once again is not getting nutrients.

HELP!


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



jaimek Enthusiast

I am so sorry to hear that you got so sick. Did you specify to the manager that the chicken and veggies had to be prepared in a cleaned pot/pan? I hand the waiter/waitress a gluten free restaurant card which states the food allergies, but then I also hand write on there that everything must be made in a thoroughly cleaned pot/pan/grill. That nothing can even touch my food or else I will get sick. Maybe your chicken came in contact with breaded chicken that was cooked before they sauteed yours? Just a thought. Hope this helps and hope you feel better!

kabowman Explorer

I created my own restauraunt cards that specify what I cannot eat and what that means in plain language since I don't think most of the "wait staff" understands what gluten or lactose (etc.) are... I even had one cook come out to talk to me to see what was safe and he then said, well, what about butter - we "soak" our pans in butter. I said NO - that was before the cards though...

There are some restaurants that actually refuse to cook for me. However, my known safe restaurants, in combination with giving my server my "card" now bring our food out immediately. I think they are afraid that I will have a reaction if it sits too long in the back.

Of course, this all came about because of a bad reaction to ignorance on their end and trusting on my end...

-Kate

dbuhl79 Contributor

Kate,

Can I be nosey and ask what exactly your resturant cards say? I'm new to being gluten-free and have avoided resturants (except a horrid trip to Applebees). I'd love to make some up of my own, so I dont feel the need to avoid eating out completely!

Thanks!

pixiegirl Enthusiast

Yes I'd like the text of the restaurant cards too, I'm new to this and really need the help eating out!

Thanks!

Susan

hapi2bgf Contributor

I may have to get some of those cards too. I have had two servers at two different restaurans tell me that I could not have the potatoes. Their reason: Adkins or thought potatoes were a gluten containing item. And these are from restaurants with gluten-free menus that have the potatoes listed as gluten-free!!!

The pans should have been clean, but anything can happen in a kitchen. So tired of being afraid to eat for the ramifications of getting sick!

Does anyone call back the restaurant and read them the riot act? Or maybe after you have calmed down from being sick, explain to them that they made you sick even after they specified what would be safe.

Archived

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


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      128,210
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Sharon Camden
    Newest Member
    Sharon Camden
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.1k
    • Total Posts
      70.7k

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
    • trents
      Jason, I have a bone to pick with your terminology. There is "gluten intolerance" which I believe is synonymous with celiac disease and then there is "gluten sensitivity" which comes from Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity or NCGS for short. It is true, however, that there is still a lot of inconsistency in the use of these terms.
    • Liquid lunch
      I can’t say this will work for everyone but for me the difference is incredible so might be worth trying. I’ve never been diagnosed celiac but via an elimination diet I realised I can’t eat any lectins, gluten soy and oats are particularly problematic. If I eat them I’m in bed for a week, then heavy bleeding and extreme pain for another, followed by a third week of bleeding on and off. My skin was a mess and it snowed when I brushed my hair. Since taking reishi and cordyceps mushroom tincture I can’t believe the difference, I’ve had a lot of help from this site so I want to return the favour. I took the tincture for my guts but the most apparent effect is that I feel like my brain works again, I can’t begin to describe how wonderful it is to be able to achieve basic things, I’ve barely been able to organise getting out of bed for so long, it feels like I haven’t been hit over the head with a mallet for the first time in years. Then I glutened myself, not necessarily gluten as so many things wipe me out but definitely ate something I shouldn’t have, I took a treble dose of the tincture and almost immediately felt much better so continued with the increased dose and three days (not weeks) later was back to feeling great, no bleeding involved. My skin is better than I can remember it ever being, I feel great 😊. I spend £1.50 a day on these but it’s worth every penny, I hope this helps someone else out there reading this. I wish I’d known about them 20 years ago. best wishes everyone 🍄 
    • Scott Adams
      Given your history of a high TTG (167) that decreased to 16 on a gluten-free diet, along with genetic confirmation of celiac disease, it’s likely the negative biopsy is a false negative due to not eating gluten before the endoscopy. Gluten is necessary to trigger the intestinal damage seen in celiac disease, and avoiding it can lead to healing and a normal biopsy despite ongoing immune activity (reflected in your still-elevated TTG). The inflammation observed during the endoscopy (“diffuse moderately erythematous mucosa”) could be residual damage, mild ongoing inflammation, or another condition like peptic duodenitis, but it’s consistent with celiac disease in context. Continued positive blood markers suggest ongoing gluten exposure, possibly from cross-contamination or hidden sources. Strict adherence to a gluten-free diet and follow-up testing are key to managing symptoms and reducing inflammation. Discuss these findings with your doctor to confirm the diagnosis and refine your dietary approach. This article has some detailed information on how to be 100% gluten-free, so it may be helpful (be sure to also read the comments section.):    
    • Scott Adams
      Yes, it sounds like great progress, but what was the time frame between the two endoscopies? 
×
×
  • Create New...