Okay, let me say this as some of you may be thinking it. "Why in the world would a person with a Gluten Allergy go to a The International House of Pancakes?" So here it is plain and simple. I love to eat! Eating is a very social event. In America it is what we do! We get together and what do we do, go out to eat or order out or grill. When I was diagnosed with Celiac I was not about to let that change my whole life. Why should it? There are plenty of Gluten-Free options. I'm not asking for every place to carry special items to accommodate me, but what I do expect is to be treated kindly and respectfully as every other customer.
I arrived at IHOP just following the lunch rush. The waitress was nice and came quickly to the table, all ready to take our orders. I guess they thought we were regulars that didn't know we were from out of town. In my usual fashion, I asked the waitress for the Gluten-Free menu and she looked at me like I had multiple heads. Sparing her an explanation, I said or could I have the Allergen List or Menu. She proceeded to tell me they didn't have anything Gluten-Free and they had no Gluten-Free menu. Followed by asking us for our drink orders. I placed my drink request and then asked again if they had an Allergy Info sheet of some sort. She left in a bit of a fluster, complaining to her co-workers along her trip. While she was gone I browsed the menu for items I could order and adapt to be Gluten-Free. No matter how long I have been eating Gluten-Free it still surprises me the things I missed during my pre-Gluten-Free days. I never would have imagined that their omlets would be made with pancake batter. I mean don't get me wrong, I understand the logic, it keeps them fluffier. I just realized how much more of a detective you become when eating Gluten-Free. So back comes the waitress with our drinks and a co-worker handed her the Allergen List which looked like it might have been lost for years. She's again ready to take our orders. I asked that she give us a minute to look everything over. There were some Gluten-Free options available that included: Simple & Fit Spinach, Mushroom, & Tomato Omelet (with fresh fruit), Fresh Fruit, Hash Browns, Huevos Rancheros (minus flour tortillas or pancakes), Machaca (minus flour tortillas), Migas (minus flour tortillas), Blue Cheese Dressing, Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, Creamy Ceasar Dressing, Honey Mustard, Reduced-Fat Italian Dressing, Seasoned Fries, & Ice Cream Sundae (with hot fudge or strawberry). I ended up ordering scrambled eggs, hash browns, and turkey bacon. I asked for two plates and that the eggs not be cooked separately due to my Gluten allergy. My plan was to only have some scrambled eggs and then the rest was for my daughter. Sometimes sharing a meal with her is cheaper than ordering off the kids menu and the items for me. She asked if I wanted toast. I told her no. We waited quite sometime for the order to come and when it did, it had 1 plate and included toast that was sitting over the eggs... I asked for a second plate and was able to scrap a small amount off the side of the eggs that didn't have toast specks on it. I don't know if the issue laid back with the line cook staff or with the waitress but I fully believe my food was not "Gluten-Free" and suffered from cross-contamination. I want to pause and assure you all that back in the very beginning I explained to the waitress that I had a Gluten allergy. From the standpoint of a business owner, if a customer says they have an allergy, I'm not going to knowingly give them what they are allergic too and I will do whatever I can to accommodate them. I think from this point on I became a point of frustration for her. Clearly I left a lot of food on the table and the waitress never asked if we needed a to-go container. I feel like I am for the most part a laid back diner. I don't complain unless there is a major issue (and I am a good tipper), but I feel as if this waitress could have been more accommodating. If I plan ahead to go to a restaurant I usually pull the menu/allergy info online and decide before getting there what I am getting. Makes it easier for everyone involved, including me and my anxiety over ordering. Even a small amount of Gluten will break me out! So when I got home I did check the IHOP site and at the very bottom of the screen in a light grey color there is a link to their Allergen Information. There site indicates that they can't guarantee that any item is Allergen free due to cross-contamination. Long of the short, IHOP in Morgantown, WV, probably not the best Gluten-Free food option.
I arrived at IHOP just following the lunch rush. The waitress was nice and came quickly to the table, all ready to take our orders. I guess they thought we were regulars that didn't know we were from out of town. In my usual fashion, I asked the waitress for the Gluten-Free menu and she looked at me like I had multiple heads. Sparing her an explanation, I said or could I have the Allergen List or Menu. She proceeded to tell me they didn't have anything Gluten-Free and they had no Gluten-Free menu. Followed by asking us for our drink orders. I placed my drink request and then asked again if they had an Allergy Info sheet of some sort. She left in a bit of a fluster, complaining to her co-workers along her trip. While she was gone I browsed the menu for items I could order and adapt to be Gluten-Free. No matter how long I have been eating Gluten-Free it still surprises me the things I missed during my pre-Gluten-Free days. I never would have imagined that their omlets would be made with pancake batter. I mean don't get me wrong, I understand the logic, it keeps them fluffier. I just realized how much more of a detective you become when eating Gluten-Free. So back comes the waitress with our drinks and a co-worker handed her the Allergen List which looked like it might have been lost for years. She's again ready to take our orders. I asked that she give us a minute to look everything over. There were some Gluten-Free options available that included: Simple & Fit Spinach, Mushroom, & Tomato Omelet (with fresh fruit), Fresh Fruit, Hash Browns, Huevos Rancheros (minus flour tortillas or pancakes), Machaca (minus flour tortillas), Migas (minus flour tortillas), Blue Cheese Dressing, Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, Creamy Ceasar Dressing, Honey Mustard, Reduced-Fat Italian Dressing, Seasoned Fries, & Ice Cream Sundae (with hot fudge or strawberry). I ended up ordering scrambled eggs, hash browns, and turkey bacon. I asked for two plates and that the eggs not be cooked separately due to my Gluten allergy. My plan was to only have some scrambled eggs and then the rest was for my daughter. Sometimes sharing a meal with her is cheaper than ordering off the kids menu and the items for me. She asked if I wanted toast. I told her no. We waited quite sometime for the order to come and when it did, it had 1 plate and included toast that was sitting over the eggs... I asked for a second plate and was able to scrap a small amount off the side of the eggs that didn't have toast specks on it. I don't know if the issue laid back with the line cook staff or with the waitress but I fully believe my food was not "Gluten-Free" and suffered from cross-contamination. I want to pause and assure you all that back in the very beginning I explained to the waitress that I had a Gluten allergy. From the standpoint of a business owner, if a customer says they have an allergy, I'm not going to knowingly give them what they are allergic too and I will do whatever I can to accommodate them. I think from this point on I became a point of frustration for her. Clearly I left a lot of food on the table and the waitress never asked if we needed a to-go container. I feel like I am for the most part a laid back diner. I don't complain unless there is a major issue (and I am a good tipper), but I feel as if this waitress could have been more accommodating. If I plan ahead to go to a restaurant I usually pull the menu/allergy info online and decide before getting there what I am getting. Makes it easier for everyone involved, including me and my anxiety over ordering. Even a small amount of Gluten will break me out! So when I got home I did check the IHOP site and at the very bottom of the screen in a light grey color there is a link to their Allergen Information. There site indicates that they can't guarantee that any item is Allergen free due to cross-contamination. Long of the short, IHOP in Morgantown, WV, probably not the best Gluten-Free food option.
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