Being gluten-free when dining out can be a hit-and-miss affair. But there is a right way to handle it without feeling embarrassed or causing unnecessary work for restaurant employees.
Handling Gluten-Free when Dining Out
Always Ask for a Gluten-Free Menu
It's pretty hard to find a restaurant that is dedicated to gluten-free. However, more and more dining establishments are taking it seriously. As a result, many quality restaurants have an alternative menu strictly for people who are gluten-free or have celiac disease. So, before you have been seated, politely ask for a gluten-free menu so you can choose an alternative to something like an Italian orzo salad made with corn flour rather than wheat, for example.
Enquire About Gluten-Free Drinks
A lot of drinks have gluten in them. Beer is the clear winner. A lot of people drink beer at dinner. But it is full of gluten because it is made from wheat, barley, and rye. Gluten could also be in seltzers and wines with added flavors. Today, there are a lot of drink companies that make alternatives that don't have gluten. A great example is Peroni Nastro Azzurro. But keep in mind that drinks that say "gluten removed" may still have gluten in them.
Inform Servers You are Gluten-Free when Dining Out
When you walk into a modern restaurant or are being served, many servers will ask about food allergies and intolerances. But some might not. So, if you can't eat gluten or have celiac disease, it's a good idea to tell your server. So, they can tell the kitchen to take anything with gluten off your plate or give you a different menu that doesn't have gluten. It wouldn't be fair to complain about a restaurant's mistake if you didn't tell them about it first.
It's pretty hard to find a restaurant that is dedicated to gluten-free. However, more and more dining establishments are taking it seriously. As a result, many quality restaurants have an alternative menu strictly for people who are gluten-free or have celiac disease. So, before you have been seated, politely ask for a gluten-free menu so you can choose an alternative to something like an Italian orzo salad made with corn flour rather than wheat, for example.
Enquire About Gluten-Free Drinks
A lot of drinks have gluten in them. Beer is the clear winner. A lot of people drink beer at dinner. But it is full of gluten because it is made from wheat, barley, and rye. Gluten could also be in seltzers and wines with added flavors. Today, there are a lot of drink companies that make alternatives that don't have gluten. A great example is Peroni Nastro Azzurro. But keep in mind that drinks that say "gluten removed" may still have gluten in them.
Inform Servers You are Gluten-Free when Dining Out
When you walk into a modern restaurant or are being served, many servers will ask about food allergies and intolerances. But some might not. So, if you can't eat gluten or have celiac disease, it's a good idea to tell your server. So, they can tell the kitchen to take anything with gluten off your plate or give you a different menu that doesn't have gluten. It wouldn't be fair to complain about a restaurant's mistake if you didn't tell them about it first.
Request Substitutions in a Meal
The restaurant you go to probably has a gluten-free menu. But they might not. In this case, you can ask your server nicely to let the kitchen know what's going on. Most of the time, they can ask the chef to take out ingredients that have gluten and replace them with something else. But you should also be ready to be turned down. Some chefs are set in their ways and won't change anything. In this case, tell the server in a nice way that you will leave.
Be Prepared to be Charged More
Some people choose to avoid gluten, while others have to because of their health. Because of this, having celiac disease can lead to unfair charges. It is not unusual for gluten-free options to cost more. But sometimes, it has to be done. Gluten-free bread, for example, has more than 20 ingredients to make up for the fact that it doesn't have wheat. And the customer has to pay for it. And sometimes a meal without gluten isn't made as well as a standard one.
The restaurant you go to probably has a gluten-free menu. But they might not. In this case, you can ask your server nicely to let the kitchen know what's going on. Most of the time, they can ask the chef to take out ingredients that have gluten and replace them with something else. But you should also be ready to be turned down. Some chefs are set in their ways and won't change anything. In this case, tell the server in a nice way that you will leave.
Be Prepared to be Charged More
Some people choose to avoid gluten, while others have to because of their health. Because of this, having celiac disease can lead to unfair charges. It is not unusual for gluten-free options to cost more. But sometimes, it has to be done. Gluten-free bread, for example, has more than 20 ingredients to make up for the fact that it doesn't have wheat. And the customer has to pay for it. And sometimes a meal without gluten isn't made as well as a standard one.
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