Dietary restrictions are an issue that keeps rising daily among individuals, even though not too many restaurants pay attention to them. Most special diet meals are often given as an afterthought or created only when customization takes place.
Red Robin, however, fills the gap and makes that menu for the individuals in that space so they never have to struggle joining the fun, or just barely enjoying a meal that suits them. This will help you get to know what meals are readily available to you and how best you can maximize this.
Check So Foody for the gluten-free menus of other top restaurants.
Gluten-free Meal Options
There are a handful of gluten-free meals you can have at Red Robin Gluten-free Menu for those who have celiac disease. These meals include:
- Gluten-free Buns and Patties: At Red Robin, you can order gluten-free buns and veggie patties, too, for a perfect gluten-free meal. This is so simple because with most burger orders, the main ingredient containing gluten is the bun. Once taken out and replaced with one that’s gluten-free, you have a gluten-free meal served.
- Lettuce Wraps: Lettuce wraps are a completely gluten-free option. So most times, instead of getting a gluten-free bun, which could still be at risk of cross-contamination, go for a lettuce wrap. That is a fail-proof way to go gluten-free for your burgers.
- Salads and Sides: Not only are most of the sides and salads great for vegetarian options, but they also make an excellent pick for customers who want to go completely gluten-free—salads like the Fresh Red Robin Salad, Guacamole, Sweet potato fries, etc.
- Toppings: For a gluten-free meal, go for Customizable toppings and ensure to read through the ingredients of every sauce or dipping too. This helps you rule out any form of gluten that they must have contained. For example, for a gluten-free meal, sauces like the Whiskey River BBQ Sauce should be avoided.
- Sandwiches and Beverages: You can opt for Sandwiches like the Red Robin Arctic Cod Fish Sandwich or the Red Robin California Chicken Sandwich when going gluten-free. Go further to pair them up with gluten-free drinks like Lemonade, Sprite, Iced Tea, etc.
Risk of Cross Contamination at Red Robin
If you don’t precisely know what cross-contamination is, it’s simply the passage of gluten from a gluten-packed meal to a gluten-free meal. This, in turn, makes it a gluten-free meal because people with gluten dietary restrictions react to the smallest amount of gluten in their meals.
Cross-contamination does occur when specific protocols are not put in place to oversee the adequate preparation of these gluten-free meals. This lack of or breach of rules can lead to having a gluten-packed meal when a gluten-free one was intended. Thereby causing harm to the client with dietary restrictions.
Causes of Cross Contamination
These are some of the things that, when overlooked, lead to cross-contamination of meals.
Shared Work Area
One of the easiest ways for cross-contamination to occur is within a shared work or preparation space. Now this happens as a result of preparing a gluten-free meal on the same table or area where a gluten-packed meal was prepared. At this point, all the gluten properties transfer to the other meal, and now, when consumed, it causes a lot of issues for the customer with gluten restrictions.
Shared Ingredients or Utensils
Now, a shared workspace isn’t the only problem; shared Utensils, ingredients, or even appliances also follow. If the oil used in frying a gluten-packed meal becomes the one you use for the gluten-free meal, cross-contamination occurs. This still risks the health of the customer with gluten restrictions.
Improper Staff Training
When staff are not adequately trained and educated on their roles and risks of contamination like this, they tend to do things without caution. A staff member who does not know about celiac disease, dietary restrictions, cross-contamination, and its implications would never work with caution.
How to Minimize the Risks of Cross Contamination
Continuous Staff Training
Staff should not be trained just once and for all, but once in a while. Direct training should be done on cross-contamination and its risks, alongside all other ways to handle a situation if a reaction occurs in the restaurant. This will help keep the customers safe and gluten-free.
Change Workspace
A different workspace, utensils, or equipment should be provided for gluten-free meals altogether. This might not eradicate cross-contamination, but at least reduce it to the barest minimum and avoid health complications.
Go through the Menu
Always ensure to go through the Menu and look through the list of ingredients to make sure that your meal is gluten-free. In cases where you do not fully understand, ensure to ask questions for clarity so you don’t put yourself at risk. This will help keep you safe.
Conclusion
At Red Robin, gluten-free meals and options are made available for individuals with celiac disease and gluten restrictions as a result. You must always go through the menu to ensure the meals picked out have absolutely no gluten in them.
While majors may be taken out to ensure cross-contamination doesn’t occur, there’s still a risk of them occurring through error. So both you and the servers should work together to reduce them to the barest minimum.
