If you have celiac disease, ingesting the protein gluten produces an autoimmune response that causes damage to the surface of your small intestine. Although celiac disease is incurable, complete removal of wheat, rye, barley and other gluten-containing foods from the diet can effectively manage the disease. Due to the dietary restrictions associated with a gluten-free diet, eating out can often be a challenge. However, as the prevalence of celiac disease rises, an increasing number of restaurants are altering their menus to provide gluten-free options.
Sit-Down Chain Restaurants
Many chain restaurants located throughout the country provide several gluten-free food options. A listing of gluten-free menu items can be found on a restaurant's website either as part of their allergen list or in a separate gluten-free menu. Among these restaurants are Bertucci's; Bonefish Grill; Boston Market; Carrabbas; Charlie Brown's Steakhouse; Cheeseburger in Paradise; Chili's; Fleiming's Steakhouse; Legal Sea Foods; Olive Garden; Outback Steakhouse; On the Border; P.F. Chang's; Pizza Fusion; Romano's Macaroni Grill; Ruby Tuesday; and Uno Chicago Grill. Although these restaurants offer gluten-free menu items, not all of them have equipment designated solely to the preparation of gluten-free food. Therefore, there is some risk of cross-contamination with gluten. Always be sure to inform your server of your gluten-free diet, so they can do their best to accommodate.
Fast Food Restaurants
Although many fast food restaurants still have very limited choices for the gluten-free diner, a handful of fast food chains have a selection of gluten-free menu items. Among these fast food restaurants are Arby's, Burger King, Carl's Jr., Sonic, Subway, Chick-fil-A, Dairy Queen and Wendy's. Just as with sit-down chain restaurants, gluten-free menu items at fast food restaurants potentially run the risk of cross-contamination with gluten containing foods. Many of these restaurants do not use separate fryers or cooking utensils to prepare gluten-free items.
Local Restaurants
In addition to gluten-free options at both fast food and sit-down chain restaurants, many local restaurants throughout the country provide gluten-free menu choices. Sit-down restaurants that prepare their food from scratch tend to be more able to cater to individual dietary needs, so keep this in mind when choosing where to eat. The Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program allows you to search by state or cuisine for a list of restaurants that accommodate a gluten-free diet. Once at a restaurant, make sure to take the time to carefully explain your gluten-free diet needs to your server. Both CeliacTravel.com and Triumph Dining have created gluten-free restaurant cards in a variety of languages that you can bring with you to explain your gluten-free diet needs to your server and the kitchen staff.
Completely Gluten-Free Restaurants
Around the country there are 100 percent gluten-free restaurants appearing, including bakeries, cafes and Italian restaurants. These restaurants have a kitchen that prepares only gluten-free foods, so there should be little chance of cross-contamination during cooking. A chance that a food was contaminated during its processing or packaging always exists, however, these restaurants are careful to avoid contamination at their facilities. Therefore, you should be able to safely enjoy any food or beverage on the menu. Among these restaurants are Risotteria in New York, N.Y.; Pure Tacos in Ocean City, N.J.; and Sweet Sin Cupcakes in Baltimore, Md.
References
- The Mayo Clinic: Celiac Disease
- GlutenFreeTravelSite.com: Gluten-Free Restaurant Menus
- Celiac Restaurant Guide: Which Restaurants have gluten-free menus online?
- Celiac.com: Gluten-Free Fast Food
- Gluten Intolerance Group of North America: Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program
- Celiac Restaurant Guide: List of Completely Gluten-Free Restaurants and Bakeries
