I have struggled with whether to write this review because this has become one of our favorite…read morelocal restaurants over the last year. In fact, one of the reasons we kept coming back was because this was one of the very few local restaurants that I believed truly understood celiac disease and took gluten-free dining seriously.
However, as someone with celiac disease, I feel a responsibility to share my experience because what I have encountered goes far beyond a one-time mistake.
Several months ago, we ordered takeout and I tested three separate items that were represented as gluten-free: tacos, a wedge salad, and a pop tart dessert. Most was already naturally gluten free. All three tested positive for gluten. These tests are not cheap, costing approximately $12 each, so this was not something I did lightly.
I contacted the restaurant and spoke directly with the head chef. She was professional, understanding, and seemed genuinely concerned. She thanked me for bringing it to her attention and even mentioned that she planned to order a test herself because she could not understand how those items would contain gluten.
Because of that conversation, I chose not to leave a review. I genuinely believed the issue would be investigated and corrected, and I wanted to give the restaurant the opportunity to make things right.
Unfortunately, a later visit resulted in a positive gluten test on the smoked fish appetizer. Most recently, I returned again and tested several items. The calamari tested negative, but my gluten-free tacos once again tested positive for gluten.
At this point, I have simply been glutened one too many times by a restaurant that I genuinely wanted to trust.
What makes this especially difficult is that this restaurant presents itself as understanding celiac disease. I was told that members of the restaurant's family, including a daughter, have celiac disease. Hearing that gave me confidence that gluten-free orders would be taken seriously and that proper precautions would be in place.
That is what makes these repeated positive gluten tests so confusing and disappointing.
When a restaurant claims to understand celiac disease, I expect more than simply offering gluten-free menu items. I expect systems that actually prevent gluten contamination. After multiple positive gluten tests across multiple visits and after bringing my concerns directly to management months ago, it is difficult for me to reconcile those claims with my actual experiences.
During my most recent visit, the waitress was kind and helpful, and I appreciate the way she handled the situation. However, I was told that a manager would come speak with me, and no manager ever did. My tacos were removed because they tested positive for gluten, yet I was still charged for them after deciding to take them home (for my non celiac hubby) rather than have them thrown away. In the end, I received a discount, but only after spending nearly $50 on gluten tests during that visit alone.
As I write this, I am sitting here sad, frustrated, and in pain, knowing exactly what the next couple of weeks are likely going to look like for me. People often do not see what happens after someone with celiac disease is exposed to gluten. We do not go into anaphylaxis in the restaurant. We go home and suffer through the consequences alone. The symptoms may not be immediately visible to others, but the physical toll is very real.
Every restaurant can make a mistake. My concern is not a single mistake. My concern is a repeated pattern over multiple visits, over several months, after the issue was brought directly to the restaurant's attention.
I truly wanted to continue supporting this restaurant. I truly wanted to be able to recommend it to others in the celiac community. Unfortunately, after repeated positive gluten tests, repeated gluten exposures, and no evidence that the underlying problem has been corrected, I cannot in good conscience recommend this restaurant to anyone with celiac disease or anyone who requires a truly gluten-free meal for medical reasons.
