Guide to Dining Out at Restaurants Gluten Free
How to Select and Research a Restaurant in Advance
Oct 2, 2009
Most people who eat gluten-free find eating healthy meals is easiest when cooked from scratch at home. Increasing numbers of convenience foods are available to the gluten-free market, and this makes those evenings when no one particularly wants to cook an easier prospect.
However, there are birthdays, anniversaries, guests from out of town, and myriad other reasons why gluten-free foodies want to eat out at a restaurant. All it takes is a little homework to make that happen!
Before it’s Time to Go Out to Eat – Go Online
The key to a successful dining experience is to research a restaurant before going out. Search for reviews, read the menu, ask on local Gluten-free forums, and check registry and review sites for more information.
Some national restaurant chains in the US offer gluten-free menus, these include Romano’s Macaroni Grill, Outback Steakhouse and PF Chiang’s, Z Pizza and Pizza Fusion. All of these restaurants include their gluten-free menu options online. Some of them establish trust and inspire gluten-free loyalty better than others.
"From Scratch" and "Whole Foods" are Good Signs
But even if restaurants don't advertise a gluten-free menu, there are certain things you can be alert for:
- Foods made from fresh ingredients in the kitchen and meals that are made from scratch - because this means you can ask the staff to control what goes into the food before it gets to your table.
- Whole Ingredients - while watch-words like "organic" and "no-GMO" don't rule out gluten ingredients, they do indicate an awareness of the food being served, which means the restaurant is likely to be at least a little more aware of what's going into each menu item.
An excellent example of this is Seasons 52 - where the caloric count of the meal is part of the selling point, and the whole foods are seasoned with spices rather than fat and sauce. This restaurant does have a specific gluten-free menu prepared, and managers are able to assist patrons with any special requests.
A restaurant like this is particularly useful if one or more diners has food allergies, or if someone in the group has multiple allergies. Jay Clarke, General Manager of the Atlanta Perimeter location writes: "As we are a 'from scratch' environment, we are very adept at cooking to specific requests."
Avoid National Chains Without Gluten-Free Menus
Locations that cook food from frozen dishes prepared offsite (such as most fast food restaurants, Denny's, IHOP, or Olive Garden) do this for consistency of taste and flavor across the chain. These restaurants want a dish to taste the same every time, whether it is being sampled in Albuquerque or Atlanta. Steer clear of these places entirely.
Regardless of the restaurant selected, look for menu items that are flame-grilled, steamed or broiled. The fewer ingredients (and fewer pans!) the better. Make a list of these, as well as side items of interest.
Selecting a Restaurant - Call Ahead
After selecting a location, and identifying the desired menu items, call the restaurant at an off-peak time and ask to speak with a manager. For standard lunch-and-dinner restaurants 2:00 - 3:00 PM is a good time frame to call.
Ask the manager about marinades on meats (to avoid soy sauce or malt vinegar), spices added to meats and sides, as well as dressings, sauces and spices added to the other portions of the meal. Explain a little about eating gluten-free, and ask them what the best options might be.
Be sure to ask whether it is appropriate for you to request a manager's assistance upon arrival at the restaurant. If the manager feels that the wait staff has been properly prepared and trained, he or she will not feel like it is necessary to step in.
Take Notes for Ordering at the Restaurant
During the conversation, try to write down what to order and how to order it. Cross-contamination is often a problem in kitchens where the staff hasn’t been highly trained on allergies and food intolerance. Ordering menu items with specific instructions to avoid cross-contaminating the food is often very helpful.
For example, requesting that the salad is tossed in a clean bowl. Often, restaurants use the same aluminum bowl to toss every salad for a table. This means that someone else’s crouton crumbs could end up in a carefully ordered gluten-free side salad. It is often necessary to make it very clear to the server that they must use a separate, clean bowl for the salad, they will do so, but they probably won’t think of it otherwise. (The Outback Steakhouse and the Macaroni Grill menus will provide these special ordering instructions for you.)
When the moment arrives to order, don’t be afraid to seem a little “high maintenance.” Ordering precisely what is necessary and instructing the restaurant staff as to how they can make it safe is one way to simplify the server and kitchen’s jobs.
Worst Case Scenario - Salad or Steak for Dinner
If there is no time to research, call ahead and peruse the menu, or if a group of friends made plans without consulting the gluten-free person first, never fear. There are a few fall-back plans.
Most gluten-free eaters will attest to the fact that often, the only thing safe on a new restaurant is the salad menu. Salads must be ordered without croutons, and tossed in a separate bowl. The safest dressing is vinegar and oil (provided that it is not malt vinegar), and the diner should be sure to try to find out about the spices used on the grilled chicken, fish or steak that may be added to the greens.
For those who cannot stomach "rabbit food", grilled fish, chicken breasts or steaks without additional spices or marinades are also relatively safe, especially with a plain baked potato and small side salad.
Related Articles
- How to make your Kitchen Gluten-Free - this article is for beginners to learn what items in the kitchen will need to be discarded and replaced as they learn to follow a gluten-free diet
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