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One of my most disappointing 'being glutened' experiences

Before my life-crushing Celiac disease diagnosis, one of my favorite restaurants to go to was Chili's. I loved going there to kick back, drink a few beers, and get the restaurant-made tortilla chips and salsa. I'd scarf those down while waiting for my meal to be made. I'd usually order a burger or steak or something along those lines.

Then I got that darn diagnosis. My first time at Chili's after my diagnosis, I was nervous. I decided to skip the beers, and get a margarita instead. I got my chips and salsa, because they are tortilla chips and I asked if they were GF and the staff said 'yes.' I told the staff that I had Celiac disease and needed to eat gluten free, so they gave me options that were GF. I ordered a meal that they recommended, and I felt safe with their recommendation. I talked with my friend and enjoyed stuffing my face with the chips and salsa.
The meal came, and we dined.
After the meal, I went home, and I was okay after a while. A few hours later, I was in the bathroom, and it seemed like I didn't leave for months. I was fatigued, I was moody, I was achy, and it was hard for me to work through it while doing my job every day.

I did try Chili's again last year, and I got 'glutened' again. I guess I'm like one of those kids who is told that the burner on the stove is hot, but I touch it anyway. I just wanted to see if Chili's was still a bad restaurant for me.

One of my "bad" restaurants is Olive Garden. Despite the fact that they do have a gluten free menu, and I ordered off of it, I still got sick.

I keep telling people that eating out is like playing Russian Roulette: Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you get the shaft. You never know how you take to a restaurant unless you try. Each Celiac sufferer is different. We all react differently to different restaurants. Some people are okay at Olive Garden and Chili's. Others, such as myself, aren't.

If you are recently diagnosed to Celiac disease, and you aren't sure which restaurants have gluten free options, you can search each state here
If you live outside the United States, you can use the World Map

Even though I've had bad experiences, I have had some fairly wonderful ones too. Outback Steakhouse has been absolutely amazing in handling my requests. So has Red Robin, Mario's Pizza in Connecticut, Nardelli's in Connecticut, Margaritaville and Cheeseburger In Paradise in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I may have forgotten one or two. Cheeseburger in Paradise was my favorite find. The manager of the restaurant had come out and talked to me and made sure I was taken care of.

Fellow Celiacs, some restaurants DO care about us. Not all of them are going to "roll their eyes" at us. Stay encouraged, everyone!
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