Sneaky Pete's

We ate at Sneaky Pete's in LeClaire, IA with a large group of friends on Saturday night. They have a limited menu. They offer plenty for a gluten free person. We got there a bit early and when we were seated I asked our server if they had a GF menu, she replied no, but one of our cooks has to follow a gluten free diet, so he is really good about cooking things so a gluten free person is safe. I felt better immediately.

I ordered Salmon with only salt/pepper seasoning and a baked potato. It comes with salad bar, I brought my own dressing so I wouldn't get sick from the MSG. I ate everything, it was fantastic. It was $13.95 for my meal, but I did not get sick and will definitely go back to Sneaky Pete's. If you are looking for a decent place on the Mississippi River with excellent food, give them a try.

Check out their website for directions and info to contact them with questions. They do not have a full listing of the menu online.

Famous Dave's

I went to Famous Dave's with my family. I have eaten there since going GF and have gotten sick every time. This time I was going to make an effort to eat gluten free. When we were seated I asked if they had gluten free options and was told yes, they'd get me the "book". I got a look on my face as I grinned at my husband who was a little surprised they had options.

 When the server returned with the "book" I was immediately disappointed, it wasn't a gluten free option it was literally a book of all the food ingredients in all the foods they offered. I thought I could work with it and I started to peruse it. I was quickly brought out of my gluten free illusion by the fact that everything had wheat and soy in it and many things had MSG in them. I was bummed. If I was going to eat and not get sick that would mean I couldn't have anything with MSG (because that effects me like gluten) or wheat, which left me with the option of a salad without meat or sauce and a baked potato not the "loaded" version.

I chose to order what I wanted and paid dearly for it. While I appreciate the attempt. I know the possibility of cross contamination is very high due to everything containing barbeque sauce, wheat or MSG. I hope the attempt will be put more into practice to offer a few items to those people who suffer, but at this time if I were wanting to make sure I did not get sick from my gluten intolerance I would not go to this restaurant the options are beyond limited and the temptation to eat whatever you want is off the charts. In Davenport you can walk next door to Carlos O'Kelly where they do offer a large selection of gluten free options and not get sick.

Exotic Thai 8/30/10

I was excited to go here since I knew a lot of Thai food was naturally gluten free. I was seated with my spouse and a friend and given a menu. I had eaten here one other time when I was still able to eat gluten.
I had eaten drunken noodles they day before, so I knew they were safe. I wanted to try the Yum Noa salad, so I asked our Server if it was made with Soy Sauce she replied yes. I then asked if it could be made without it, she replied No. That was it - no offer to talk to the chef, nothing. Needless to say I was irritated by her completely disregard for my food allergy. My husband spoke up and said gluten and msg make her really sick, so she can't have anything with that on it. She still said No. I proceeded to order the Drunken Noodles again because I knew they were safe. The meal was fine and tasty, but I was not happy all day that they were not more cooperative to my needs. This was the least allergy friendly restaurant I have eaten at since I have gone gluten free. It could have been a language barrier, but I didn't get that vibe either.

I did go again on 8/31 and decided to try the Yum Noa salad and if I got sick then so be it. My friend went with me and she had previously asked and they said no, it doesn't have soy sauce in it. I ate the salad and did not get sick. We had the same ignorant waitress today as yesterday and I was not thrilled about it.

I would have to say the chances of cross contamination are probably sky high as everything is made in the same kitchen and I'm sure if the staff isn't aware of food allergies to the point they could ask a chef to leave something out then things like cross contamination aren't thought about.

Will I be back? Probably, the food was good, the experience if it weren't for the company would have soured me on the restaurant for life! If you want to check out the menu they have it on their site. Exotic Thai

Happy Joe's

Happy Joe's has come around, they now have gluten free pizza crusts! Yeah! I have tried all the Happy Joe's Restaurants in Davenport and they all have the crusts. I have also had it delivered. You can get several different kinds of pizza on the gluten free crust. The staff is well versed in which pizzas can be ordered on the gluten free crusts. It's become a popular item, so I suggest calling before you go to get a gluten free pizza because they have been out of stock more than once when I have had a pizza craving. The Taco Pizza and Combo pizzas are my favorite and both are AWESOME on the gluten free crust.
The pizza crusts only come in smalls, so if you are feeding more than one gluten free person, you might need more than one pizza. They are about $12 each. So -- stop by Happy Joe's soon and have a gluten free pizza, you won't be disappointed! Check out their menu online Happy Joe's

Incredible Pizza 8/20

We went to Incredible Pizza to celebrate my son's first day of Kindergarten. I was a little apprehensive due to the high probability of cross contamination. Incredible Pizza has no items they specify as gluten free, but I was able to eat and felt fine after. I had tacos from their Mexican bar. I used taco shells, meat, cheese, jalapenos and tomatoes. I also got a salad from their salad bar and used lite Italian dressing without issues.

We went and played more games after eating and I felt fine. At the end we got ice cream and had I listened to my brain when I hesitated to put the M&M's on my ice cream I would have been fine. I momentarily noted in my head that the M&M's were probably cross contaminated being surrounded by all the cookie bits and stuff to top the ice cream with, but no I dumped some on and ate it anyway. I got sick. Not horribly sick, but sick nonetheless. I know it was from that.

So - while I did find some lunch options that were tolerated well, I would eat there again with extreme caution. It's a buffet so cross contamination can occur without even realizing it. The staff is not really over seeing the buffet much, so its really a test of faith to eat here for the gluten free followers.

Will we go back? Yes, it was lots of fun and my family had a ball. They also offer options to play without paying for the buffet, so you could eat before going to play the games. Overall a fun place to play, but Celiacs and GI sufferers should be very cautious. Here is a link to their site : http://www.incrediblepizza.com/

Red Robin 8/18/10

I love Red Robin! They have a great family atmosphere and offer a decent gluten free menu for both adults and kids. The prices are a little on the "higher" side of the spectrum for a burger and fries, but if you leave there hungry its your own fault.

The staff is very well versed in gluten free. When you are greeted at the door let the Hostess know you need a gluten free menu, they print you out one, which you may keep if you like (I never do). They offer a variety of burgers, sandwiches, salads and entrees all without gluten. They even give you unlimited french fries from a designated fryer without their special "salt". Just tell the server you would like "no salt" fries. The burgers and sandwiches can be made into lettuce wraps if you want or they can be brought out just on a plate without the bun. They specifically tell you on the gf menu what you cannot have as far as specifics on certain dishes and salad dressings. Check out this link for thier gluten free menu http://www.redrobin.com/pdfs/Wheat_Gluten_Allergen_Menu.pdf

Red Robin was my first choice to eat out at after I became gluten free over a year ago, and we have been there many times because they seem to always get it right for me! The servers do a great job and are very attentive. We have had management stop by several times just to be sure we were well taken care of, that means a lot when you have a food allergy. The server always puts at least 3 *Allergy ALERT* notations on my order and it shows up on the bill, which makes me feel better about the kitchen staff knowing they have to be mindful of the food order.

Red Robin is definitely family and gluten free friendly, try it soon!

Biaggi's - dinner 8/17/10

Yes, I ate out twice yesterday. I had overall good experiences at both with the food I ordered. I love Biaggi's. Their staff is well informed on their gluten free menu, which has lots of delicious options. I have eaten there several times

Last night I ordered an appetizer of Tomato Caprese, Chicken Picante Pizza from the gluten free menu and an ice cream sundae from the regular menu without the crepe portion of the dish. I have ordered all these things previously so I knew I would not have any ill effects.

The Tomato Caprese is fantastic! It's several fresh tomato slices arranged on a plate with sliced red onions and fresh Buffalo Mozzarella cheese on top then all of that is topped with balsamic vinegar/olive oil. There are some yummy olives plated with the leaves of basil too. It's about $8, but you get a large portion.

The chicken picante pizza is great. Its spicy and cheesy and oh so yummy! The pizza has grilled chicken, picante sauce, green onions, goat cheese and regular cheese with a few crumbles of bacon. The crust is even tasty. It is a bit thin and can crumble if you don't have your hand under it, if you eat it with your hands. It only comes in one size which is small for $10.

The ice cream sundae I ordered was from the regular dessert menu. It was a scoop of ice cream in a dish with chocolate, white chocolate and raspberry sauce and a few fresh berries. It normally comes with a crepe dish, but I requested it be left off due to my gluten issues. The sundae was one scoop of ice cream - not a large scoop either and it cost $7, no I'm not kidding. It was tasty, but not $7 good!

I will continue to eat at Biaggi's because I love that I can go in and order from their gf menu and choose from a variety of things: appetizers, salad, pizza, entrees including PASTA! They also offer different kinds of fish and steak. It's a bit pricier than I like to pay for a normal meal, but its so good its worth the extra few bucks to be able to order with ease. They do have smaller portions and cheaper prices at lunch time, so if cost is a concern try them at lunch, you won't be disappointed!

Carlos O'Kellys 8/17/10

We ate at Carlos O'Kelly's for lunch. I was very excited when we walked in the front doors to see a sticker advertising a Gluten Free menu. The fact that they have one makes my anxiety of eating out go down a notch. We were greeted promptly, I asked for a gluten free menu, which they had ready to go. We were their first customers of the day. We were looking over the menus, my husband the glutenous version (3 pages) and me and my gluten free version (1 page). My excitement was quickly turned to pure apprehension when the first items on the lists were Salads w/o shells and all seemed OK, but then I got to the Salad Dressing options and found they had listed Hidden Valley Ranch as gluten free.

I asked my waiter if the menu was correct and pointed out that I didn't think HVR was gluten free and he told me he didn't either and went to speak to the manager. The manager came out as we were eating and Thanked me for pointing it out and they were going to do more research. I told him the MSG is always what makes things suspect for me.

The company has made claims they will label anything containing gluten, however you cannot find a list of ingredients on their website anywhere. I have seen on other web blogs emails from HVR saying what is gluten free, but they do not label any of it, and on those same blogs are comments from people who got sick from eating it (gf blog). I have seen different posts all over the internet as to whether or not HVR is gluten free, some going each way, so I tried it and I got sick. The ingredients change from time to time with companies, but until I see it on the package as declared gluten free I will not be eating it. Chances are if it still contains MSG I will not be eating it anyway, since I know I get sick from that too.

Amazon kindly lists the ingredients in their posts the ingredients list has several "trigger" words for anyone who is gluten free: modified food starch, monosodium glutamate (msg) and artificial flavors. Not all people with Celiacs or GI have issues with MSG. I personally do, the modified food starch in the country usually comes from corn, but not always, and one should always be suspect in what is in "natural" and "artificial flavorings. Why if its natural do you not just add the actual source in dried form? Here is a link to the amazon listing of Hidden Valley Ranch


Back to the meal - I ordered the Special Sancho "torte" which was basically corn tortillas layered with beef (or chicken), lettuce, tomatoes and smothered in several cheese topped with sour cream and a few more tomatoes. It came with a side of beans. It was fantastic. Our waiter was also awesome, he was attentive and made sure we were well taken care of during our visit. The management was also wonderful. If they can get a definite answer from HVR and decide its safe to put on their menu, so be it. I know as a gluten intolerant person I cannot eat MSG, so I won't chance it, but what I ordered on the menu was good, fully cooked and I did not have any ill effects. I would definitely go back to Carlos O'Kellys again.

Celiac board has different views on it too. One person says YAY the rest are suspect or got sick from it. As you know, its your body and you know what you can tolerate and unfortunately the only way to know is to try it. When that's my only option and I can't verify it with a resounding YES from the company, I avoid it.

Happy Eating!