If you are going to eat at Pollo Tropical, you better beware that the staff has no knowledge of items that are gluten-free.
Continue readingPollo Tropical
Category Kissimmee
Sickie’s Garage
If you decide to eat at Sickie’s Garage and have to eat gluten-free, you better be careful!
Continue readingBig John’s Rockin’ BBQ
In Kissimmee at the lakefront is a local BBQ place called Big John’s Rockin’ BBQ. Several local people had shared that it was a good place for a meal and after a quick review on some online reviews, I decided to give it a try.
The location has two entrances, one from the lakefront street and then parking in the back. You can enter into either side. When you enter, you quickly smell the smoked meats and see the smokehouse and bar decor. We were quickly seated and the staff provided menus. We arrived just as they started serving lunch. After a few minutes of looking at the menu, I asked the staff the all important question. What do you have that is gluten free.
After speaking with the staff, they were quick to share the different options. They do not have dedicated fryers. They also shared that their fries are not gluten free. I started looking at sides, which they shared the baked beans, collards, green beans, Cole slaw, and several other items were gluten free.
I also asked about the smoked wings appetizer. I was told that these wings were gluten free. The staff quickly researched anything else that I asked about. They involved the chef and were able to talk about what is included in each item and if it contained gluten or not. They were completely transparent and understanding.
The smoked wings were delicious. I also got the sampler, which had pulled chicken, pulled pork, brisket, and a rib. The sweet potato fries and baked beans were chosen as sides. You can see in the photo the spread they gave us.
The wings were delicious, some of the best smoked wings that I have had. The pulled pork and chicken were good. The brisket was also good, but was a little dry compared to what I prefer. The best thing on the plate was the rib. There were several barbecue sauce options. I usually prefer something spicy, but the hottest they had was more of a sweet and spicy. Certainly a Midwest type barbecue sauce.
Overall, it was a great experience at Big John’s. I wouldn’t hesitate to go back at all. I absolutely recommend the wings. Next time, I will order the ribs. It was absolutely delicious.
Lizzie’s Memphis Style BBQ
Lizzie’s Memphis Style BBQ is located in Kissimmee at 3270 Margaritaville Boulevard. I had spent some time researching the restaurant online and saw that they offered some gluten friendly options. So we decided to take a trip to Kissimmee and give it a try.
As we walked up, we were quickly greeted and sat at a table. The service team was extremely nice. After looking at the menu for a few minutes, I noticed that there was a couple of issues. Many of the items that appeared on their online menu as being gluten friendly were not marked as gluten friendly on the menu I was given.
The server returned and I asked the question about gluten friendly items and shared that I eat gluten free and needed guidance on what I could have. I shared that I was looking at the brisket and was unsure on the sides and about the sauce. She went back to the kitchen and returned sharing that the brisket was fine and I would have no issues.
She went on to share that the majority of the side dishes could be gluten friendly, but that they were not celiac friendly. She shared that many items are used in the preparation and cooking that would cross contaminate. I asked what specifically I could have which would have no issues, and I was told a salad.
If you look at the online menu linked here, you will see cole slaw, collard greens, green beans, and potato salad as options to eat gluten friendly. If you look at the menu from the restaurant, you will see that only BBQ beans and collard greens are listed as options for gluten friendly.
After some more questions, it became clear that the inconsistency between the menu and the lack of knowledge of the staff was not worth the risk. If you are trying to eat gluten free or have celiac, beware of eating at Lizzie’s! It just isn’t worth the risk.
Cowboy Chicken
Not long ago, we came across some information about Cowboy Chicken. It’s a chain restaurant, with several locations across the Midwest. After looking at the website and reading about some of the gluten-free options, we decided to give it a try.
They do not have a gluten-free menu in the store to look at. The staff referenced some things written by the register that told them what was gluten-free. So I highly recommend that you look at the menu yourself. Initially, they shared that only one side was gluten-free. I knew from the website that there were several options. After they searched, they found the information and shared the items that confirmed what I had saw on the website.
The inside of the store is a typical fast casual restaurant. You order and are given a number to take to your table. There were several people inside the restaurant eating, with several orders being prepared for takeout. That said, we still received our food very quickly. I ordered white meat chicken, with green beans and twice baked potatoes.
The chicken was absolutely delicious. It was extremely juicy and had a lot of flavor. The twice baked potatoes were delicious as well. They had a wonderful cheesy flavor and were my favorite of the two sides. The green beans were cooked well, with a slight crunch to them. Not a lot of flavor, but they were not the worst side either.
This is an excellent option in the Kissimmee area for a nice gluten-free meal, but be extremely careful. You will want to clearly communicate with them any allergy and make sure they understand the sides well to prevent any issues. That said, it is still some of the best rotisserie chicken I’ve ever had!