Kayleigh here. It is about time we reviewed another national
chain with gluten free policies. And Red
Robin was one we had been hesitant about, because it sounded like their
safety measures varied from restaurant to restaurant. As a matter of fact, out
of the three locations within driving distance of us, only one of them had any
mention of offering gluten free hamburger buns- the other two suggest that you
make it a lettuce wrap. So it led to the question- is cross contamination a
concern in these lesser prepared ones?
Given that one slip up leaves Jason in great discomfort for several weeks, we chose to go to the safest sounding one of the three, and would recommend that you also call ahead and ask about your particular location's offerings and practices. The more gluten-free friendly ones can readily answer questions about ingredients and using separate fryers on top of offering actual buns for the burgers. Our waitress herself knew the answers without having to consult the kitchen, so we felt surprisingly safe for going to a chain restaurant.
The draw of Red Robin lies squarely on the large variety of toppings and combinations for your burger- there are pages of them. Most of them seemed safe to us, although it does not hurt to ask, and all current varieties of fries, we were told, are gluten free. We were told not to use their 'signature seasoning' found on the table, though.
Going to a Red Robin is a great opportunity to bring younger children and people you don't feel the need to impress, order the biggest and messiest burger that catches your eye, and go to town. It is not exactly a date spot- a little too noisy for that-, but sometimes it is more important just to go to somewhere normal and mass-marketed and be able to enjoy yourself without being worried.
Given that one slip up leaves Jason in great discomfort for several weeks, we chose to go to the safest sounding one of the three, and would recommend that you also call ahead and ask about your particular location's offerings and practices. The more gluten-free friendly ones can readily answer questions about ingredients and using separate fryers on top of offering actual buns for the burgers. Our waitress herself knew the answers without having to consult the kitchen, so we felt surprisingly safe for going to a chain restaurant.
The draw of Red Robin lies squarely on the large variety of toppings and combinations for your burger- there are pages of them. Most of them seemed safe to us, although it does not hurt to ask, and all current varieties of fries, we were told, are gluten free. We were told not to use their 'signature seasoning' found on the table, though.
Going to a Red Robin is a great opportunity to bring younger children and people you don't feel the need to impress, order the biggest and messiest burger that catches your eye, and go to town. It is not exactly a date spot- a little too noisy for that-, but sometimes it is more important just to go to somewhere normal and mass-marketed and be able to enjoy yourself without being worried.
Jason here. My feelings on Red Robin mirror Kayleigh's. I
thought my burger was alright, but definitely would go back to more local
joints like Wibbley’s or Blue Moon given the choice. However, when traveling
you can’t be too picky, and it helps to have a handful of places in your pocket
that you know are likely to be in any given area. As Kayleigh mentioned, Red
Robin was loud with plenty of kids milling about, so if you have kids of your
own this place can be a great atmosphere. If going out for a romantic dinner,
not so much.
Of course, I only got to try a single bacon burger at Red
Robin and their menu options are
expansive. This makes it is a good restaurant if you’re out with a group of
friends, and they all seems to want different types of food. You can even check
out allergy listings their
latest menu before you leave, to see which burger will be your best bet.
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