Okay, so here’s what went down yesterday with my Macaroni Grill gluten-free adventure. Woke up craving Italian food but kinda nervous ’cause my stomach hates gluten lately. Did some quick phone research while sipping coffee – scrolled through their online menu first thing. Saw they marked gluten-free options right there with “GF” symbols. Huge relief already.
Getting The Staff On Board
Walked into the restaurant around 1 PM, told the host straight up: “Hey, I need gluten-free, for real.” No messing around. Server came over, and I repeated it like three times – “Gluten allergy, cannot have any cross-contact, please.” Felt kinda annoying doing that, but better safe than sorry. Guy actually nodded seriously and said “Gotcha, chef’s careful with allergens.” That felt solid.
Playing Menu Detective
Grabbed the physical menu and flipped straight to the special diet section. Lifesavers:
- Simple grilled chicken with olive oil
- Gluten-free pasta (surprise! Didn’t expect this)
- House salad without croutons, balsamic on side
Stuck to basic stuff – skipped anything fried or saucy since contamination risk. Told the server: “Pasta dish, gluten-free noodles, chicken grilled plain, salad no croutons.” Wanted to kiss him when he repeated it back perfectly.
Wait Time & Food Check
Watched the open kitchen like a hawk while waiting. Saw them use separate colanders for GF pasta – legit! Plate arrives, first thing I do:
- Poked naked chicken breast
- Inspected noodles – looked corn-based, not wheat
- Double-checked salad – zero crunchy intruders
Dove into the pasta with basic olive oil and veggies. Taste? Honestly… pretty bland. But zero stomach fireworks later? Worth every boring bite.
Wrap-Up Thoughts
Here’s the real deal: Staff gets it right if you drill it into their heads. Must-do moves:
- Scream “gluten allergy” when booking and ordering
- Stick to stupid-simple dishes no matter what
- Physically inspect the food. Every. Single. Time.
Got full without poisoning myself. Call it a win. Next time? Bringing my own damn hot sauce.