Copy of a post to the St. John's University Celiac E-mail List:

I just got back from a 2 week road trip and figured I'd tell folks about my successes, and failures.

First off I should note, I'm GF/CF, diagnosed almost exactly a year ago, CD and DH. I do okay on Fritos, so I'm not too sensitive for those, though I tend to be fairly sensitive.


Golden Corral: nation-wide chain. They were very busy when I went so I only asked about a few specific items I had just taken a few bites of and gotten worried about. I have never had problems with the corn, they use a casein free margarine last time I read the label -- a few months back, white rice, and meat, lettuce etc. from Taco Bar. I asked several months ago and the nacho chips on the taco bar were safe, so usually I do a nice big taco salad.

This time I decided to try the mash potatos (now made with MILK) the Bourbon Street Chicken (wheat is in the Teriyaki sauce they put a touch of on it at the last minute. It is not cooked with the meat though, and not a preseasoned part, so I don't know if you could try and get some brought out of the kitchen before Teriyakied) and the Steak. Steak seemed to be GF/CF.

The manager was kind enough to give me the list of ingredients off the boxes for each item... so I'll let people double check me here:

Mash Potatoes: Milk, Margarine (Liquid Soybean Oil, Whey, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Salt, Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Vegetable Monoglycerides and Soy Lecithin (Emulsifiers) Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate (to preserve freshness), Artificial Flavor, Phosphoric Acid (acidulant) Vitamin A Plamitate), Cream, Salt, Whey Protein Concentrate, White Pepper, and Zantham Gum.

Bourbon Street Chicken: Salt, Paprika, Spices, Dehydrated Onion, Dehydrated Garlic. Contains less than 2% of the following: Silicon Dioxide (anticaking) and Soybean Oil (antidusting) The Manager told me they add a dash of Teriyaki sauce before serving it.

Steak: Salt, Dehydrated Onion and Garlic, Natural Flavor, Worcestershire Sauce Powder (Worcestershire Sauce {molasses, Vinegar, Corn Syrup, Salt, Caramel Color, Garlic, Sucrose, Spices, Tamarind, Natural Flavor, Sulfiting Agents}, Maltodextrin), Dextrose, Chili Pepper, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Dehydrated Parsley, and not more than 2% Silicon Dioxide and Propylene Glycol added as processing aids.

Ruby Tuesday: I think this was my favorite success. (Went to 2 Ruby Tuesday's I was so happy!) I got BarBQ Beef and Shrimp Skewers. There are two places you can find BarBQ skewers on the menu, one comes with fried shrimp and fried chicken, the other with fried shrimp and something else. In either case you can substitute all Beef or Shrimp, or mix, and the BarBQ sauce was Gluten Free. Skip the rice Pilaf as it has Gluten, but they'll give you extra broc.



Steak n' Shake: Someone already posted that corporate is no help. I got even less help in the one I went to. They had no idea if the fritos in the chili were flavored or not -- and told me all items come in a clear plastic pouch and any cardboard box that they might have come in was long gone, so there was no hope of finding ingredients if they were ever listed, and the manager was sure they weren't. I tried the chili and seemed fine... but I had already been to GC and gotten some Gluten so I can't be sure.



Chilis: I've read here that corporate is less than helpful, but I have been to multiple Chilis in the past year and ALL said they post a detailed list of ingredients in the kitchen, and had no problem checking for me. The Mushroom Jack Fajitas, no jack, works for me. Some have corn tortillas to substitute for the flour ones, but not all of them. The spanish rice they make contains butter -- and the fajitas have soy sauce and oil put on them to make them sizzle, though the one I went to in Alabama had recently switched to La Choy because they had heard fewer people have problems with that brand. I don't know if that is chain wide though.



Taco Bell: I went there several times as I always do fine with a taco salad no cheese (they have a button for it) no sour cream (they have a button for it) no shell (they have to go tell the person making it to put it on a nachos supreme plate... but if you ask nice they will.) At least one of the hot sauces contains distilled Vinegar and I've had issues with it, so I now skip the sauces.

I have since contacted taco bell and discovered that they do not consider either their taco meat or their chicken gluten free because of flavorings they use.