Restaurant Red Flags
Restaurant Red Flags
How can you watch out for gluten contamination in restaurants?
There's nothing worse than deciding to go out to eat because you think a restaurant will accommodate a gluten-free meal, but you end up glutened. Here, we'll go over the questions you should be asking and the red flags you should be watching for that indicate that you're headed for a gluten-filled night.
Many restaurants these days, have a "GF" notation on the menu to help those with gluten sensitivities figure out what to eat. While it would be easiest to just avoid restaurants without the notation and trust the ones with it, it's not always that simple.
The first thing to watch for is what the crossed-out wheat symbol actually means for the particular restaurant you're ordering from. While the assumption may be that it means "gluten-free", there are some restaurants that use this symbol to represent "gluten-free available". Always clarify while you order, "Does this dish need any modifications to be gluten-free?"
After you've asked this question, there are a couple of things to be wary of: does the waiter/waitress recognize what gluten-free means and do they take the time to look into the ingredients and preparation methods of the food to be able to answer your questions? While it's okay to not know about Celiac Disease or what gluten-free means if the server doesn't have a grasp of it and then proceeds to tell you a dish will be safe, that's a red flag.
While ingredients may inherently be safe, such as potatoes for french fries, if they’re cooked in the same fryers as the other not gluten-free foods, the breading from those could make its way into your fry basket and contaminate you. An easy way to avoid this is to ask if there’s a dedicated frier for gluten-free options. It’s not only friers that could lead to contamination but other surfaces in the kitchen as well.
When restaurants list a gluten-free bun for burgers, always ask if the buns are cooked in the same place as the patties. If the restaurant uses the grill rather than a toaster, it could lead to contamination of the burger patty even though it itself is gluten-free. If they’re using a toaster, verify that there is a dedicated gluten-free toaster.
Pizzas are another common offender in restaurants. Again, many restaurants offer gluten-free pizza crust but don’t take precautions to prevent contamination in pizza ovens. Often, if you receive your pizza with little black pieces of corn meal on the bottom, it’s likely that the pizza was slid into the oven with the same pizza peel onto the same surface (the bottom of the pizza oven) as the other gluten-full pizzas. To avoid this, simply ask if your pizza can be cooked on a gluten-free dedicated pan or on foil to prevent cross-contamination.
If you aren’t comfortable asking your server these questions at the restaurant, which can be particularly difficult if they are busy, call ahead if you have the time. This creates a lower-stress opportunity for you to get your questions answered and for the restaurant to verify the information.
While eating out is more risky in terms of gluten contamination than preparing your own meals, it’s nice to be able to go to a restaurant with confidence that you won’t be glutened. It is always worth advocating for yourself, and if you see any of these red flags, skip that restaurant and try somewhere new. We have found many top-notch restaurants dedicated to creating delicious food that’s safe for gluten-sensitive individuals, don’t settle for being glutened when you go out to eat.