Allergens: How to Order Safely
Ingredient lists tell you what is in a recipe. They do not tell you what is on the grill next to it, in the fryer oil, or on the preparation surface.
For a serious allergy, that second category matters more than the first, and no website — this one included — can answer it for your specific restaurant.
The one thing that changes how your order is handled
Say the word allergy, and say it is medical. Kitchens have a separate protocol for allergy orders — fresh gloves, clean surfaces, separate pans — and it is triggered by how the request is phrased when it reaches the kitchen.
Ask to speak to the manager on duty for anything severe. Servers are not the people who know what shares a fryer.
Do this at the start of the order rather than at the end, so the plate is built correctly the first time.
By allergen
Shellfish: grilled shrimp appears as a starter, an entrée and in six of the twelve combos. Shared grill space is the risk rather than the ingredient.
Dairy: extensive. Cheese, butter, cream gravy, sour cream and ranch run throughout the menu, and the free rolls arrive with cinnamon butter. Steaks are basted in some kitchens, which is worth asking about.
Gluten and wheat: everything battered or fried, all bread, croutons, and thickened gravies.
Eggs: in the salads, the batters and several dressings.
Soy: common in marinades and frying oils, and among the harder ones to avoid in any restaurant.
Tree nuts and peanuts: comparatively limited on the savoury menu, but desserts and seasonal items are the place to check.
- State it as a medical allergy, not a preference
- Ask at the start of the order, not the end
- Ask for the manager for anything severe
- Fried items share oil — treat the whole fryer as one item
- Ingredient suppliers change; published lists go stale
Why not to trust any published list too far
Suppliers change and recipes are reformulated without announcement. An allergen list published online — by the restaurant or by a guide like this one — reflects a moment in time.
The restaurant maintains its own current allergen information, and that is the source worth using on the day. Treat everything here as orientation for what to ask about rather than as an answer.
Frequently asked
Is there a printed allergen menu in the restaurant?
Allergen information is maintained by the company and available on request. Ask the manager rather than relying on a third-party list.
Can they cook on a clean surface?
For a stated medical allergy, most kitchens will use fresh gloves, clean surfaces and separate pans. It has to be flagged as an allergy for that to happen.
Which section carries the most allergen risk?
Anything fried, because a shared fryer transfers whatever else has been cooked in it regardless of the item's own ingredients.
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