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Bj's Pizza Ok?

Kelly&Mom

By Kelly&Mom
in Gluten-Free Restaurants

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Kelly&Mom Rookie
Kelly&Mom
Posted

Recently we ate at a BJ's restaurant, eager to try their gluten-free pizza. When I asked the manager about how it was baked, he said it goes in the same oven as the rest of the regular pizza. When I questioned that the pizza was truly gluten-free he said that the extreme heat in the oven burns off any gluten??? My daughter was so excited to get pizza so we tried it and it was quite good and I didn't experience any side effects. My daughter did but w/ her it's hard to tell if it's gluten or her IBF reacting to the dairy and fat......

Does anyone know if this is really true about the heat of the oven burning off the gluten?

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Dixiebell Contributor
Dixiebell
Posted

No the heat will not burn off the gluten, Sadly he is wrong.

GlutenFreeManna Rising Star
GlutenFreeManna
Posted

Do you mean they bake it right on the oven grate and not on it's own pan or stone? I don't think that would be safe at all! Unless they stop all pizzas from baking and heat the oven to 650 degrees for 30 minutes before putting your pizza through. Which, I'm sure they didn't do because they would have some upset people if they had to wait more than 30 minutes to get their pizza. :huh:

Cheryl-C Enthusiast
Cheryl-C
Posted

"Burn off all the gluten" - wow. Sounds like someone isn't training their staff properly at all.

Kelly&Mom Rookie
Kelly&Mom
Posted
  • Author

This is a big chain restaurant in California, wonder how they can get away with advertising a "gluten=free" menu?

scarlett77 Apprentice
scarlett77
Posted

As much as I have loved BJ's food their service has ALWAYS been crappy so I would NEVER trust them at all.

Aphreal Contributor
Aphreal
Posted

Our waitress said she tells the manager about allergies to *assure* gluten-free pizza baking.

I did not like it...at.... all. I would rather make my own using Bobs crust and my own stuff than go out to eat and eat that particular crust. I disliked it so much I just scrapped off the toppings and ate those.

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Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Our local celiac support group talked to BJ's and they are using a dedicated station and separate pizza boards in the oven for the gluten-free pizza. I've had it twice. It's really, really good and I didn't react at all. I think that manager was just dumb.

celiac-mommy Collaborator
celiac-mommy
Posted

I was going to take my kids to ours tomorrow, I'll let you know how it goes...

celiac-mommy Collaborator
celiac-mommy
Posted

I was going to take my kids to ours tomorrow, I'll let you know how it goes...

It went great! I talked to the manager and he was really helpful and told me exactly how everything was prepared to prevent cross contamination. It cost 10.50 for a 10 inch hawaiian pizza. Both kids shared and we had pieces left over to bring home. I watched both kids like a hawk, and with dd being so extremely sensitive, there was no reaction! We'll go back for sure :)

Looking for answers Contributor
Looking for answers
Posted

I love the gluten-free pizza there. I don't eat out much for risk of CC, but haven't had any problems there. I find they differ by location. We tend to go to a particular one a little further from our house because the closer one put a "allergy" alert on my order and then brought a salad with croutons. They ended up fixing the order and apologizing, but that made me too nervous to ever return.

  • 2 weeks later...
G-FreeGirl Newbie
G-FreeGirl
Posted

I've had 3 great experiences at the BJ's in Valencia, CA. Before going gluten-free...I didn't care for BJ's at all. The first time I ordered the gluten-free pizza, the manager came over and talked to me, he was VERY interested in my situation and shared with me how his mother had been gluten-free for 5 months. He did not say whether they bake the pizza directly on the oven grate and I never thought to ask...but I did not get sick the 3 times that I went there. Each time they seemed to make a big deal over me...it was nice but almost embarrassing! I look forward to going back!

larry mac Enthusiast
larry mac
Posted

Our local celiac support group talked to BJ's and they are using a dedicated station and separate pizza boards in the oven for the gluten-free pizza. I've had it twice. It's really, really good and I didn't react at all. I think that manager was just dumb.

Our local Celiac group went there and described it the same as this post (except the dumb manager part lol). Appearently, the manager is notified and handles the process personally.

best regards, lm

  • 2 months later...
katerzz Newbie
katerzz
Posted

Hubby & son have had gluten-free pizza three times now from BJs and was great both times, no effects. It is amazing for moms like me who want to give their child a somewhat normal experience. Homemade pizza just isnt the same, and surely doesnt taste the same!

brendygirl Community Regular
brendygirl
Posted

I've tried a lot of gluten-free pizza in the 5 years I've had celiac, and BJ's is the BEST I've had. I only got to have it once in California when it just came out, days before I moved to the East Coast where I can't get it.

The manager came out, without request, and explained the big training all the staff underwent and the separate preparation area.

I react to EVERYTHING, so it was great that this didn't bother me.

Here in VA, there is much more gluten-free friendly food than in whole-grain crazy CA, but no pizza compares to BJ's.

I've had Z's, but it gets soggy in the middle and the fresh, organic toppings are good, but it's not anything close to real pizza.

I've had Rustico, with the chickpea crust, which is fair, but dry and dense. I have to request a bowl of sauce on the side to dip it in.

I've had Garlic Jim's in CA, but I didn't like the crust. I don't remember exactly what it was, but the texture was off.

I've had Uno's, which is fair, but on the dry side, too. Need sauce to dip it in, also.

I'm from Chicago originally, so I like pizza!

  • 2 months later...
Emily928 Newbie
Emily928
Posted

I've had good luck at the BJ's in Louisville, KY. A lot of other members in our group love their pizza and I haven't heard of anyone getting glutened. They seem very knowledgable also. I just wish their sauce wasn't so sweet, and I'd probably order it more often. It's great to be able to grab a pizza on the way home from work! I also heard that line about heat "burning off" gluten, not at BJ's, but from the Maitre'd at a very nice restaurant, who said it so condescendingly, like silly me, I should have known that! So frustrating!

Michelle1234 Contributor
Michelle1234
Posted

Thanks for posting this. I didn't even know they had a gluten free menu or that there was one near me. I tried it yesterday at the Westminster CO location. I thought the pizza was very good. I also got a gluten free Caesar salad. Unfortunately something glutened me. Since it was a new restaurant I took my glutenease digestive enzymes and still had a reaction. Normally for a little cross contamination they protect me. I have to conclude that there was a much larger amount of gluten contamination then a small accident.

I don't know if they put the croutons on the salad and picked them off or weren't careful with the pizza. I find that these big chains can really vary by location. Since I had left over pizza I will try that today. If I get a reaction I'm never going back. If not I'll be very careful next time I go to talk to a manager and really examine their gluten free preparation to see if it seems to be doing the right things. I didn't this time and that was a huge mistake.

MaryJones2 Enthusiast
MaryJones2
Posted

I've eating the pizza at BJ's several times and had no problems and have never even spoken to a manager during the process. The gluten-free pizza comes out on a triangular plate whereas the regular pizza comes out on rectangular plate. I haven't tried any of the other items on their gluten-free menu. I'd be more inclined to think you got CC from the salad unless you had the meatballs on your pizza - they aren't gluten-free.

Michelle1234 Contributor
Michelle1234
Posted

I'd be more inclined to think you got CC from the salad unless you had the meatballs on your pizza - they aren't gluten-free.

No meatballs on the pizza and unfortunately it was the pizza. I had leftover and gave it another try. I took the enzymes again, just in case, and still got glutened. I won't be going back. Luckily we have at least two other pizza restaurants in the area where I've never had a problem and I don't even need to take the digestive enzymes there.

MaryJones2 Enthusiast
MaryJones2
Posted

No meatballs on the pizza and unfortunately it was the pizza. I had leftover and gave it another try. I took the enzymes again, just in case, and still got glutened. I won't be going back. Luckily we have at least two other pizza restaurants in the area where I've never had a problem and I don't even need to take the digestive enzymes there.

That is such a shame. Hopefully this will turn out to be a rare occurance at their chain.

  • 4 weeks later...
Bella001 Explorer
Bella001
Posted

That is such a shame. Hopefully this will turn out to be a rare occurance at their chain.

Just had BJ's pizza for the first time last week. It was VERY good and I didn't get sick! The manager seemed very well informed and put my mind at ease. I'm in The Woodlands, TX area.

Salax Contributor
Salax
Posted

I agree though that the sauce on the pizza is too sweet. I asked if their original sauce was safe, but they were unsure. Maybe a "white sauce" pizza is available. I will have to check it out. B)

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