Tips for dining out safely when Gluten Free

Eating gluten-free doesn’t mean you can never eat at a restaurant again. It means that you may need to do some pre-planning and ask questions. Here are my tips for dining out as safely as possible.

Eat at a Dedicated gluten free restaurant

The easiest way to dine out is to eat at a restaurant that is 100% gluten-free. There is no worry about gluten-containing ingredients or cross-contact. Unfortunately, dedicated gluten-free restaurants are far and few between. With more and more people adopting a gluten-free lifestyle hopefully, we will see the trend of dedicated gluten free restaurants increasing in the future.

Use an app

There are apps for that! Two apps that I highly recommend to help identify a restaurant that has gluten-free offerings are Find Me Gluten Free and Gluten Dude. Both are great resources that I find especially handy if I am out and unable to pre-plan. Remember that with the Find Me Gluten Free app the recommendations are based on user reviews, so you want to double-check with the restaurant that nothing has changed before you eat there. The Gluten Dude app does have a vetting and rating system in place.

Google and Yelp are your friends

I always like to do internet research on a restaurant before eating there. I will do a Google search for the restaurant name + gluten free to see what information or reviews come up. I also like to check Yelp for the restaurant. You can use the “search reviews” feature to look for reviews that mention gluten free. It is great to see the feedback, but again because it is based on people’s experience you always want to confirm the information with the restaurant.

Call Ahead

Another tip is to call the restaurant ahead of time. If possible, call during an off time (avoid the lunch and dinner rush) and ask for the manager. Ask them what gluten-free options they have. You will also want to ask what precautions they take to avoid cross-contamination, how they clean their cooking surfaces, and if they have dedicated fryers. If they are serving gluten-free pasta you need to ask if they cook it in the same water as gluten pasta. Most restaurant managers should be able to answer these questions and if they can’t you probably will want to choose a different restaurant.

Ask all the questions

If you have already called ahead then most of your questions should already have been answered, but sometimes you can’t call before you are at a restaurant. In that case, you will want to ask the same questions you would have asked over the phone when you are at the restaurant. If the manager is available that is always best. Sometimes the Chef is able to come out to talk to you which always instills a high level of confidence. Just make sure that you speak to someone who seems to understand the restaurants protocols.

It’s okay to say it’s an allergy…even if it isn’t

If you have a wheat or other allergy, of course, you will use that terminology, but even if you don’t have an “allergy” it is okay to use that word to ensure safe dining. Many people don’t know exactly what celiac disease or EOE is, which is completely understandable. However, the word allergy is one that most people will take very seriously. It’s okay to use it even if you don’t have an allergy to make sure that all the precautions are taken with your meal.

Don’t let your dietary restrictions discourage you from living a full life. Overtime these things will become second nature. Happy Eating!