Finding Gluten Free Menu Options Takes Some Work

If you are looking for gluten free menu items at edmonton restaurants and fast food chains, it takes some work.  But it is worth it, knowing that you have options outside of your own gluten free safe kitchen.

The process started for us by scoping out the restaurants we typically ate at.  What we found is that not every place is a gluten free friendly restaurant.  The start was very frustrating, and we had to find the right questions to ask and start to build a list of 'red flags'.

Here are some gluten free tips when searching for a place to eat:

Pre-scout the restaurant
I have found the most success rate using a restaurants web-site to contact them about gluten free menu items.  Typically my email or feedback form has been forwarded to the executive chef or owner that knows more about what gluten.  I have a saved emails from edmonton restaurants such as Joey's,  Wok Box and Subway Subs to share.  I am also finding more restaurant chains posting allergen lists on their web-sites so people with wheat and gluten allergies can determine what is acceptable or not.

First Visit
If it is your first visit, you will probably have a lot of questions to ask just to confirm your previous findings when doing yoru research.  We suggest that your first visit not being during a busy time of day.  Be sure to take your time to ensure the server or order taker understands what you are asking about.

Restaurant Chains
Restaurant wait staff may not always be knowledgable about gluten free products, but they do typically have resources.  We have found that the larger chains like Kelcey's, Joey's, Cactus Club, The Keg all have allergen lists in the kitchen that the wait staff can consult.  Encourage the wait staff to consult then kitchen staff, rather than guessing.

Let us know any success you have had when researching restaurants!  I will be sharing my research in future blogs entries.

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