Red Robin Review

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.

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.

Chipotle Review

Jason here. If you are gluten intolerant, you know it is hard to find a fast food restaurant to eat at. Perhaps you know a fast restaurant or special take out place near you, but that never helps when you travel. When it comes to finding national chains, you won’t find much. However one restaurant, Chipotle, has become our good to fast food place.

One makes me feel comfortable eating here is Chipotle’s official allergen menu, available right on their website. The only item on the menu which has gluten is the flour tortillas. This means I never have to second guess myself when remembering the allergen menu. As long as you stay away from a flour tortilla, you are good to go. In addition this really helps keep the menu diverse, so anyone can find something they will love.

I almost always order a bowl with a side of nachos. I’ve found I can pile items into the bowl, and it makes a great dip for the nacho chips. Personally, I usually go with steak, lettuce, the shredded cheese, rice, black beans, and the tomatillo-red chili salsa. I really enjoy the nachos. There is just something special about freshly fried chips. Occasionally, I will mix it up and order a hard-shell taco as well, with effectively the same ingredients. Ultimately, it’s not really about what specific item I ordered though, but the experience as a whole. The menu is fairly diverse, so as long as you like Mexican-style food you will find something at Chipotle.

While initially the price may seem high when it comes to check out, but I tend to get two meals out of a single order. It heats up fairly well, so I like to take my leftovers into work for lunches.

In addition to the good food, Chipotle always seems to have clean restaurants, with friendly staff. The one near our house can get a bit busy, but there is a quiet downstairs for when we want to sit and eat in. It helps a lot to have an upscale fast food restaurant to go wherever I might travel in the country.

Kayleigh here. I often opt for the salad myself, since the lettuce adds a nice freshness, and the extra toppings can be loaded off onto the tortilla chips. In the past, I would just throw any or all of the veggies offered onto it, but more recently they have added a delicious tofu sofrita option for vegetarians/vegans- it is amazing how much flavor that side has just on its own! And if you don't mind paying a bit extra, grabbing a cup of guacamole for any leftover chips is never a bad idea.