Dining Out

No Wheat...Meaning Bread Please!

Last year I went to a restaurant where I told the waitress up front that I was allergic to wheat. She said that there are many safe options on the menu that could accommodate my wheat allergy and left for the kitchen. When she came back she gave me a white bun and my friend a whole wheat bun saying that mine would be okay for me because it was not whole wheat! I was really disappointed that she did not know anything about food allergies and kept quiet, since I didn’t want to embarrass her. I ordered a basic salad for dinner but was still a bit anxious, worrying about cross-contamination in the restaurant's kitchen.

What can others learn from this?

I wish I had spoken up and used her mistake as an opportunity to educate her about my particular food allergy and the severity. I acted shy and as a result, I had to endure an anxiety-filled meal. Now I always talk to servers about the specifics of my allergy and cross-contamination. I have found that they are usually more than happy to accommodate me.

"Would you mind checking one more thing?"

Since I have numerous food allergies, I have to ask quite a few questions when dining out at a restaurant. I try to ask all of my questions up front regarding one particular dish, since I don’t want to be a hassle and make the wait staff go back and forth to the kitchen 20 times! One time I asked about a hamburger and if it had egg in the bun. The waitress seemed annoyed but went and checked. She came back and said that it “probably did,” because the kitchen staff said it has a yellow tint. I then asked if the chicken fingers were fried in peanut oil, to which the waitress responded “you sure are picky!” I was so upset by this I stormed out of the restaurant.

What can others learn from this?

In retrospect, I should have talked to the manager. This waitress might have been having a bad day or just did not understand the severity of anaphylaxis. My mom mentioned that the more managers hear about complaints/issues regarding their allergy-safe (or unsafe!) practices, the more likely they will change them for the better.

Have you experienced risky situation while dining out with allergies? How did you manage it? Share your experience!