While in Lake Havasu, my second night, I decided to see how Chili’s fared in restrictive diet dining.  Again, I got there before the sun set so I could get a seat at the bar.  The bartender there never gave me his name but he was very friendly.  He was the highlight of my trip there.

Normally, I try to post positive info, but there comes a time when not everything goes rosy.  This is one of those visits.  As usual, I mentioned my restrictive diet, and the bartender turned the interactive menu towards me to show me the “Gluten Free” menu.  For those of you who are just Gluten-Free, the menu can be found here.  I explained I was “WAY beyond Gluten-Free”, and told him I’d check the regular menu to see what I could find.

The most inconspicuous item was the steak, so I picked that.  Of course it comes with two sides, and the only side I could have was steamed broccoli.  We discussed the salad option.  They DO have Romaine lettuce, BUT the oil they serve for oil & vinegar dressing is a vegetable oil.  Most probably canola, but the bartender (Let’s call him, George for easier reference), didn’t know.  So, salad was out for me.  The final order consisted of steamed broccoli and a plain steak, medium.  Upon asking if they had “real” Parmesan cheese, I was assured they did, and asked for some of that to flavor my broccoli.

Normally, I would insert a picture here, but it was really nothing to look at.  They could have dressed the plate a bit, but they didn’t.  The steak was fine, although it was cooked on a flat grill, and I forgot to ask them to “dry grill” it.  When the chefs “dry grill” something, they scrape the grill off before cooking so none of the other previous foods cross contaminate.  Mistake #1.

Mistake #2 – Assuming George knew what I meant by “real Parmesan”.  When I buy grated Parmesan, I get it directly from the deli, where no starches are added.  I’m pretty sure this particular Parmesan came from a popular green can.

About an hour or so after eating, the pain came.  I’m a pro at dealing with that, but knew I was in for a rough day the next day.  And so it was.  Most of the day in the restroom, and part of the next, as my body fought to get rid of everything “illegal” I consumed.

I write this not to get pity, or to slam Chili’s.  They are a fine restaurant, but just not for super restrictive diners like me.  Again, this was JUST the Chili’s in Lake Havasu, I haven’t reviewed other ones yet, but I think I’ll wait a while before trying them again.  This review was written so that I could let you know about my mistakes, and hopefully you can learn from them. 🙂

For those of you who are professional chefs/cooks, please take your diners’ food restrictions seriously.  We aren’t “just trying to lose weight” or “following the fad”.  We understand that it takes a little more effort to accommodate us, but when you do, we come back again and again.  For the Sensitive Eater, good places to eat are rare, and we are extremely loyal to those who actually care about the patrons that come to your establishment.  I’m a chef myself, and frequently have to modify my menus for those who are dining, but they are SO appreciative!  **Stepping off my soap box**