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You are here: Home / Archives for gluten free dining

Dining Out Gluten Free: Tougher Than You’d Think

June 15, 2015 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Chick-Fil-A Gluten Free Fries and Gluten Free Grilled Chicken

Chick-Fil-A Fries and Grilled Chicken: Gluten Free and Delicious!

As I’ve said here, before, for health reasons I’ve had to begin eating completely gluten free/wheat free – so a lot of places I once ate at religiously have become just that… places I once ate at religiously.  If a restaurant doesn’t have a “gluten free menu” or at least options I’m sure are “gluten free,” I don’t gamble with health. Not even my previously favorite food in the world (fried catfish!) is worth two weeks of pain and agony…. and that’s on top of damage it does on my insides that’ll last a lot longer than two weeks.

As someone who writes a lot of Kentucky restaurant reviews, I knew things were going to be rocky when I had to start eating like this. I knew there’d be certain restaurants I couldn’t enjoy any more (How have you been, Fazoli’s? How about you, KFC?) and knew that some of my favorite foods would now be as big a part of  “history” as Abraham Lincoln.

Hush pupppies, fried catfish, pizza, spaghetti, bread… doughnuts, pancakes, waffles… it wasn’t you, it’s me… well, actually it’s a little bit you, too…

Fortunately, a lot of restaurants make life easier for people like me who have to eat a gluten free diet. Some have even added special “gluten free” items to the menu, such as TGI Friday’s Gluten Free Hamburger buns, Olive Garden’s Gluten Free Pasta, and Pizza Hut’s Gluten Free crust.

Another Broken Egg has a Gluten Free Pancake on their menu that’s the size of a plate and as delicious as any pancake ever made.

{Continue reading below the Unwich!}

Jimmy John's Unwich

Jimmy John’s Delicious Unwich – Any Sandwich Wrapped in Lettuce

Others, like Jimmy John’s have simplified things for us with their wonderful “Unwich.” Their chips are also gluten free, meaning they’re one of the best lunch options imaginable.

Wendy’s and Chick-Fil-A are also darn good to us GF Peeps. Chick-Fil-A’s fries, coleslaw, and grilled chicken are all gluten free, meaning we can have an entire meal… and a delicious one, at that.

Restaurants like this allow us to eat out and feel normal again. The first time I ordered a “gluten free” pizza at Papa Murphy’s and carried my treasure home, I was on top of the world. Then when the pizza ended up tasting better than I remember any pizza tasting, I was on cloud nine.

The Coolest of the Cool

There are a lot of things we SO take for granted and, trust me, being able to eat ‘”normally” is one of them. Just imagine if you had to suddenly give up your favorite foods and had to stop going to restaurants that had become a huge part of your life.

At least this is allowing me to see the restaurants that are willing to take extra steps to welcome “everyone” instead of just the majority. When a restaurant goes the extra mile and creates a list of gluten free food available on their menu, they instantly rank as “cool” in my book.

When they THEN go even further and create special food or “modify” methods and ingredients, they rank as the absolute “coolest of the cool!”

Why This Matters to You

Whether you are a GF Peep (or have one or two of your own) or not, you should care how restaurants are handling this growing situation.

For one thing, you, yourself, may become a GF Peep yourself, one day! You also have to factor in your loved ones. The more people in your family, the greater your odds of “this” one day touching you. As research continues, more and more diseases are being connected to gluten as well as underlying wheat or gluten allergies.

Many people are finding that health issues (such as thyroid disease, infertility, migraines, allergies, asthma, hiatal hernias…) can be tied directly to their diet and that many symptoms can be alleviated by eliminating gluten/wheat.

Due to the fact that 5-10 years ago people who were sitting where I am now spoke out, things are a lot better today. They didn’t mind being pests if that’s what was needed and, because of their boldness, there are a lot of people today who have A LOT more options available. They’re why there are so many gluten free foods available at the supermarket. They’re why so many restaurants are “cool” and a growing number are entering “coolest of the cool” status.

They weren’t speaking out (or being pests when that was called for!) for themselves as much as they were others. I’d wager that 9 times out of 10, they were thinking of their children… I can relate to that strongly. My oldest daughter (Emily) is also a GF Peop.. and a cute one, at that. Her reaction to wheat is, literally, life-threatening.   I also have no good reason to believe that my other two daughters won’t also have to eat this way one day. They very may well may be GF Peeps masquerading as normal peeps!

I want them (as well as everyone else) to be able to go out and enjoy a meal wherever they please and be perfectly safe doing so.

I want children and teenagers who already feel “different” enough to be able to sit right down beside their friends and eat something other than a salad, without croutons.

{Continue reading below the catfish!}

Catfish Kitchen's Gluten Free Fried Catfish and Baked Potato

Catfish Kitchen Gluten Free Fried Catfish

Smaller, Local and Non-Chain Restaurants

I understand that a lot of smaller “non-chain” restaurants can’t afford new menus or “gluten free flour,” but pretty much anyone can offer grilled chicken, right? Catfish Kitchen (one of the most popular restaurants at Kentucky Lake) now offers fried catfish – with gluten free flour! Talk about setting a whole new standard for cool… they went and nailed it.

Even restaurants operating on tight budgets (like all of us, huh?!) can educate themselves and their staff on what gluten is and which of their ingredients contain gluten. Very often, turning a menu item from gluten-y to gluten free is as simple as replacing a guilty ingredient with a safe one. Mayonnaise and soy sauce are two examples of ingredients that can be easily and inexpensively replaced with gluten free versions.

Also, any restaurant on any budget can offer an option of a hamburger dressed and wrapped in lettuce instead of on a bun.

And, yes, having this listed on a menu makes a difference. A 17 year old, for example, doesn’t want to stand at a restaurant counter with their friends and have to iron out the details of having their sandwich without bread or, worse yet, be the recipient of a funny face made by the person taking the order.  Heck, I don’t know that anyone, any age would consider that fun.

Problems Can Arise Even When You’d Least Expect It

So, how can an already tough situation get even tougher? When restaurants who offer “gluten free” options drop the ball and/or workers get lazy and you get cross-contaminated.  For those of us with serious reactions to gluten, even a crumb can make us sick for weeks. If the kitchen workers don’t handle and prepare gluten free food correctly, it can lead to pain and suffering for days.

You have to always be on your toes when you are, or love, a GF Peep. If a restaurant messes up, let them know! It may be too late for you to avoid a stomachache from the depths of hell, but think of the next diner and complain. Not just to the server (if you catch it in time), but also to the manager. If it’s a chain restaurant, also complain at the highest level.  This “mistake” can prove fatal for some people – report it!

Whether you have to eat gluten free, someone you love has to eat gluten free, or you simply want to help others, what are things you can do?

  1. Just about every restaurant on earth (except for the smaller ones) has a website with a contact form. Many ask for suggestions – offer them some helpful “gluten free” suggestions. If they’re doing a great job, commend them and thank them. If they have a “few” gluten free options, acknowledge those and ask if they could possibly add more. If they don’t have a gluten free list, ask if they could provide one.
  2. If you don’t see a contact form, e-mail them!
  3. For those who don’t have websites, they more than likely have a Facebook. Leave a polite message right on their Facebook, asking them if they have any plans to add more gluten free items.
  4. Use comment cards in restaurants.
  5. This is extreme… but in honor of those who went out on a limb years ago (when they must have been thought to be the oddest birds of all time… can you even imagine?!)…  I have to bring it up – simply stop going to restaurants and fast food places that aren’t even reaching “cool,” let alone “coolest of the cool.”  I hate to name names, but sometimes bold is called for.   Years ago, Subway announced they were working on gluten free bread. They still don’t have it available in their restaurants, so obviously it wasn’t very important to them. They have enough resources, they could have done this by now. I also have to call out Arby’s here. A few years back, I contacted them and VERY kindly asked if they had any plans to add gf options to the menu. I heard from a ridiculously friendly nutritionist with the company who said this was something that was “very” important to them.  Since all this time has passed and lots of new promotions and menu items have been added without a single step in the “gluten free” direction, all I can gather is that it wasn’t important enough.

Is it extreme to stop going to particular restaurants? Sure. But usually when nothing else is working, that’s when it’s time to tell extreme to put his cleats on and get into the game!

If you’re one of those families who usually go through one drive thru for one member, then Wendy’s, Chick-Fil-A or Jimmy John’s for your gluten free peeps, start getting everything at the cool restaurant.

Support them for caring about your gf peep! As for the rest… well… Why support them at all if every member of your family isn’t welcome there?

[shareable]Why support any restaurant if every member of your family isn’t welcome there? #glutenfree[/shareable]

Another Broken Egg's Gluten Free Pancake with Berries

 

Another Broken Egg’s Gluten Free Pancake with Berries

Filed Under: Dining Out Gluten Free, Owensboro Gluten Free Dining, Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: gluten free dining, gluten free dining in Kentucky, gluten free restaurants

Eating Gluten Free in Kentucky: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

August 28, 2014 by Joi Sigers 2 Comments

TGI Friday's

The following information about Eating Gluten Free in Kentucky and Restaurants that fall under “good, bad, or ugly” is constantly being edited and updated. Always look for the “EDIT” for more information.

I’m sure I don’t have to give you a big run down about health issues that lead to someone having to eat “gluten free.”  If you’re reading an article about where to find gluten free meals in Kentucky, odds are you (or someone you know) has to eat gluten free!

As someone who now has to eat a strict gluten free diet (gluten decided, somewhere along the way, that it hates me), I suddenly realize that it is an incredibly difficult thing to do. When I cook meals, I know everything is completely safe and can pretty much rest assured that I won’t soon find myself both sick and in pain (not a lot of fun). However, trying to enjoy a meal out with your family can be a nightmare.

I’ve actually begun to erase restaurants off of my radar if they do not have a gluten free menu – preferably online and in person. My reasoning is this, if they don’t care enough to look out for their guests, I don’t care enough to be a guest.

Simple as that.

I’m normally a very positive person, but I have to say that sadly most restaurants are dropping the ball.

Fortunately several have not only kept from dropping the ball, they’re taking the ball and running with it!  I’d like to kind of shine the spotlight on these particular restaurants.

In an effort to try to convince others to try to step up their games, I’ll also point out a few that aren’t exactly earning a good name in the gluten free community.

Wendy’s: Very Gluten Free Friendly

Wendy’s is the bomb.  Their food’s fantastic and, quite honestly, it’s one of the only fast food restaurants someone who has to eat gluten free can do so and actually feel kind of normal. Heck, we can even go through the drive thru and get our goodies like the rest of you!

When you suddenly have to eat completely gluten free, you find yourself missing the little things in life and getting food in a drive thru may seem silly, but it’s one of the things you think nostalgically about. Thanks to Wendy’s, though, it isn’t completely a thing of the past.

Wendy’s has chili, baked potatoes, frosty’s, and salads. The GF crowd has to always avoid the croutons on salads, of course and (oddly enough), “roasted pecans” are not wheat (and thereby gluten) free.

Wendy’s has a special section on their website all about eating gluten free. It’s just COOL to know that a major restaurant chain cares about you and your needs.  Frankly, Wendy’s is ahead of the rest of the major fast food chains in this area.

While Wendy’s is better than a lot of similarly-priced fast food restaurants, they certainly do have room for improvement:

  • Wendy’s fries aren’ t gluten free, which is a complete bummer. I was always a huge fan of dipping fries in chili and, while I love their baked potatoes, they aren’t very “dunk friendly.”
  • I’d love for Wendy’s to come up with gluten free buns (TGI Friday’s has them, why not Wendy’s?) or – at the very least – make the burgers and grilled chicken available wrapped in Romaine Lettuce.

TGI Friday’s: Gluten Free Friendly

 

TGIFridays Burger on a Gluten Free Bun

TGI Friday’s is another restaurant that’s doing right by the Gluten Free crowd.  They have a separate “gluten free” menu in their restaurants that plainly lists what’s safe and what isn’t. It’s totally ridiculous that all restaurants don’t have such a menu available.

Friday’s is also one of the only major chains to offer gluten sensitive buns. I have eaten hamburgers on these special buns and didn’t have a single problem. NOTE: I’m not 100 percent certain that the GF buns are available in each restaurant, so be VERY clear with your server and make sure before taking a bite. You don’t want to ingest a ticking “gluten bomb.”  As you can see in the picture above, the GF buns are a little darker than the regular buns, so make sure it’s a GF but that you see on your plate. The texture and taste are fantastic and it’s just kind of cool to get to eat a burger like everyone else at the table.

Having said that, Friday’s burgers (and grilled chicken) are SO DELICIOUS that you may as well just eat them like I do most of the time – simply on the plate with the lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and onions!

Like Wendy’s, however, TGI Friday’s fries aren’t “gluten free,” which is (again) a total bummer. They do have available sides, though, that are gluten free.

Personally, I don’t understand why it’s seemingly impossible for restaurants to give us gluten free fries.  They are potatoes, after all. Simply designate a fryer as “gluten free…” use only gluten free foods in said fryer and BOOM! Happy days are here again!

TGI Friday’s is also one of the rare restaurants with gluten free appetizers and desserts (great sundaes) on the menu. Click HERE for their nutritional information.

Bob Evans: Gluten Free Friendly

 

Bob Evans Salad

Another favorite chain restaurant to dine in is Bob Evans. From salads (be sure to say, “Without croutons, please” because their salads come with croutons all over the place if you don’t ask) to sundaes for dessert, there are plenty of options at Bob Evans.  Unlike some breakfast menus, Bob Evans has “safe” omelets and hash browns – A LOT of restaurant’s hash browns are, oddly enough, not gluten free. Burger King and iHops, for example, have hash browns that are most definitely not gluten free.  iHops’ omelets aren’t gluten free either. How unexpected is that? For some reason they put pancake batter in the egg mixture.

Bob Evans is actually a wonderful place to get a gluten free meal any time of day – breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I’ve never had a single issue.

Their website includes a great PDF that lists their many menu options that are gluten free.

Something I REALLY appreciate about Bob Evans is their willingness to allow you to substitute sides. If a meal has a side that someone cannot safely eat – why shouldn’t they be able to substitute it with something they can eat?  Bob Evans “gets” that their guests are the ones that really matter and it keeps me going back for more.

See: Bob Evans’ Gluten Free Menu

Applebee’s: Room for Improvement in the Gluten Free Approach

It’s Applebee’s refusal to substitute sides that really irks me the most.  If you have to eat gluten free, you can find a couple of good options on Applebee’s Gluten Free menu, but Heaven help you if you try to substitute a “set” side on one of their meal deals. Whereas servers at Bob Evans look at you like, “Of course you can” and tell you that you can choose whichever side you’d like – Applebee’s servers give you a “Are you out of your mind?” expression and tell you they can’t possibly do that.

I do want to give a shout out to the manager at the Owensboro Applebee’s, however. On a recent trip, I ordered one of the meal deals – and after being told (by our server) that I couldn’t substitute the side that came with my meal, I decided to just order the meal anyway. I knew the offending part of this side was the roasted pecans, so I decided I’d take my chances and just swipe them off of the top. The manager came by and asked how we were doing and I told him why I was tossing pecans to the side.

He was SO friendly and helpful. He said, “Oh, here! Don’t take any unnecessary chances, I’ll have them make you a fresh one without the pecans on top.” And he did just that.

If the chain, as a whole, was as accommodating and eager to help as this manager was, they’d be setting the bar for everyone else.

I will say this, Applebee’s at least has fries that are gluten free – so if you CAN’T eat gluten but get a mad craving for fries, you have a place to consider anyway.

Not allowing guests to substitute items that are unsafe for them for items that are safe is like someone coming to my house and me telling them they have to eat what I put on their plate. I’d, of course, never treat a guest that way, and Applebee’s shouldn’t either. It makes you appreciate restaurants that realize that their guests are more important than their policies are.

Great food. Great service. Beautiful restaurants. Rude policy.

Subway: Room for Improvement on the Gluten Free Menu

From what I read, Subway has been “working”  on a gluten free bread for years. YEARS. That’s kind of mind-boggling when you consider that there are lots of gluten free breads on the market. There’s also gluten free all purpose flour that works just like regular flour – easy peasy.  Subway is a smart chain and I have faith that they’ll get it all sorted out soon and we’ll see Gluten Free buns or bread in all of their restaurants.

In the meantime, their chopped salads make an excellent meal. Have them add the meat of your choice for a little extra protein and you’re good to go. Subway’s salads are actually so big that it’s more like two meals in one – especially when you order the “chopped” salad.

When I was able to eat at Subway (pre GF), my favorite sandwich topping was the “Sweet Onion” sauce. So when I get a salad, I have them add some of this deliciousness to it – I get basically the same taste I was always obsessed with – and when you consider that bread is just an extra-calorie vehicle for the veggies and meat to ride in on, it’s obvious that this is the healthier way to eat anyway.

Subway also has uncommonly great iced tea. I’m not sure what they do to it, but their sweet tea is some of the best you can find anywhere!

Arby’s: A LOT of Room for Improvement in the Gluten Free Zone.. A LOT

Arby’s used to be one of my favorite fast food restaurants. I would practically dream about their roast beef sandwiches, jalapeno poppers, fries (SUCH GOOD FRIES!), and other sandwiches.

As it is, I can’t remember the last time I went to an Arby’s.

They have absolutely next to nothing for gluten free diners.  The only reason I wanted to mention them here at all is this: Like a lot of people who – for health reasons – have to eat gluten free, I contacted Arby’s, along with a lot of other restaurants. Each time, I’m always VERY courteous – with all of my Southern charm on full display. After all, none of this is their fault – it’s my body that decided to freak out over something it’d been okay with for years!

I heard back from Arby’s the next day.  The. Very. Next. Day.  My uncommonly friendly and understanding correspondent was actually an Arby’s nutritionist.  He said that they were dropping the ball when it came to a gluten free menu and that they were actually actively working on improving. I had mentioned the possibility of serving their meat on Romaine Lettuce or, at the very least, in small bowls and he said he’d take my suggestions into consideration.

His lengthy, thoughtful reply meant the world to me, especially since most of the time you never hear back from anyone.  THEN, if you do… it’s a trite little message that’s mass-produced.

Arby’s approach shows a lot of class and as soon as they add more to their menu, I’ll be a frequent guest once again.

Even if they brought back their baked potatoes it’d be great.

It simply meant a lot to me that they took the time to respond.  Most simply don’t. In fact, I recently (on Twitter) asked a local restaurant what kind of yummy gluten free things were on their menu… no reply.

I guess that either means “None” or “I have no idea and cannot be bothered to try to find out for you.”

Sadly, it’s a pretty common response.  It sucks, but it’s commonplace.

EDIT 4/6/2015: When it comes to Subway and Arby’s, I’m afraid that you have to sum it all up like this: Their concern for those of us who have to eat gluten/wheat free isn’t very strong. IF it were, they’d have made great strides instead of no strides. You can say something is important to you, but if your actions don’t match your words, the words aren’t worth much.

Final Thoughts

I could, unfortunately, fill a book with crazy experiences I’ve had in restaurants since having to eat gluten free. If I added my daughter’s experiences, it’d be two books.

THICK books, at that.

Most restaurants are simply dropping the ball when it comes to educating their servers about gluten intolerance. It’s not that tough to tell your servers what gluten is and to keep them educated about the foods on the menu that either are or are not gluten free. Restaurants aren’t doing this… or, if they are, most of them are doing a pretty rotten job.

I recently had an experience online with a local restaurant here in Owensboro. I’ve written some great things about them on Genuine Kentucky and was always a very loyal guest. However, since having to eat this way, I haven’t been able to go back.

There’s nothing on their website AT ALL about gluten or gluten sensitivity – what products contain gluten, what ones do not, so a short while back, when this restaurant sent out a tweet (asking which lunch menu item was everyone’s favorite), I answered and then asked them what sort of delicious gluten free choices they had on their menu.

Since I never got a reply to the tweet, I’m guessing the answer is either “None” or “What’s gluten free?”

Either way, it looks like I won’t be going back there anytime soon.

I can’t say this often enough, if you have to eat gluten free for health reasons, always do your homework. Check a restaurant’s website before going and check their menu when you get there. Hopefully they’ll have a special gluten free menu like Friday’s. If you’re ever uncertain about something, err on the side of caution.

A few other thoughts….

  • Cracker Barrel. along with Wendy’s, TGIFriday’s, and Bob Evans, Cracker Barrel is one of my favorites.  So many choices! Like Bob Evans, you can get a great gluten free meal at Cracker Barrel any time of the day.
  • Chick-fil-A – Excellent! Their fries are both Heavenly AND gluten free and they’ve added grilled chicken strips to the menu, so eating gluten free at Chick-fil-A is as easy as it is delicious.
  • Olive Garden – the gluten free pasta is delicious! When you order your salad, be sure to say “no croutons” and simply ask them not to bring bread to the table. Who wants that kind of temptation?!
  • Taco Bell, McDonald’s, and Burger King – Sigh…. Just consider them along the lines of ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends. I’m not sure they’ll ever win your heart again if you have to eat gluten free. Same can be said for Arby’s, I’m afraid.

 

TGI Friday's Burger off a Bun

 

TGI Friday’s Burger “off the bun” – Amazing!

TGIFriday's Gluten Free Dessert: Sundae!

 TGI Friday’s: One of the few restaurants where you can enjoy a gluten free dessert – a delicious sundae!

Also See: 

  • Eating Gluten Free in Kentucky
  • Where to Eat Lunch in Owensboro
  • Eating Gluten Free in Owensboro
  • Best Owensboro Restaurants

Filed Under: Dining Out Gluten Free, Owensboro Gluten Free Dining, Restaurant Reviews, Where to Eat Lunch Tagged With: dining out gluten free in Kentucky, dining out gluten free in Owensboro, gluten free dining

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Kentucky Events

The pandemic has crushed many activities, events, and normalcy – not just in Kentucky, but all around the world. As we creep back toward normal, I want desperately to highlight any and all events going on around Kentucky. Please E-mail me any information you’d like shared about your Kentucky event! ~ Joi (“Joy”)

Kentucky Pictures

Kentucky Pictures
Check out the beautiful Pictures of Kentucky in our photo albums!

Advertising & Reviews

If you are interested in advertising on Genuine Kentucky, please contact us: e-mail Joi Sigers.

Also, if you have a resort, condo, golf course, restaurant, or even a cup of coffee (LOVE coffee!) you'd like for us to review, please contact us at joi@genuinekentucky.com.

Genuine Kentucky Disclaimer

We do not work for any Kentucky service or organization. We are simply proud to have been born and raised in the greatest state in the country and are thrilled to call it home. This site serves as our tribute to Kentucky and its warm and wonderful people. Our mission is to bring more travelers to Kentucky and keep more Kentuckians home! See our Privacy Policy.
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