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Wegmans Burger Bar

Good place, just make sure to check the plate for gluten crackers

One of the nice things about the Natick Mall's Wegmans is that they have a few places to eat. Last Sunday we made a stopover at the Burger Bar since we visited it a few times in the past and had good experiences.

Things were a bit differently on this trip - partly because of the CDC national mandate to not use Romaine Lettuce.

"Consumers who have any type of romaine lettuce in their home should not eat it and should throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one has gotten sick," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a warning.

Meanwhile Back at the Burger Bar

When we placed our order for Gluten Free Burger, we told them it was for an allergy. We asked if she could have a salad with her order - since she can't have french fries due to cross-contamination issues. The server told us they couldn't do that, and that the only option available would be a fruit cup. We thought that it was weird that they still served salads using other types of lettuce, but they couldn't make a side salad from the same lettuce?

My daughter was happy with the fruit cup option so we were fine with that.

Burger Arrived with a Bonus Side

When my daughter's dish arrived, she got the fruit cup, burger and animal crackers. Which was very strange seeing that this was an allergy order. I double checked the animal crackers packaging and they weren't gluten-free.

We have eaten at the Burger Bar enough times that we knew that the burger bun was gluten free.

Burger Bar

Communication Breakdown

Clearly the server at Wegmans didn't know about the Gluten Free order - or not aware of what foods could be included as a side dish.

We didn't say anything at the time, as we didn't ask for cookies and she doesn't like animal crackers. It was a "bonus" side that was anything but a bonus.

My daughter loved her burger. She took her usual time of eating it. She didn't end up eating the fruit cup. All she wanted was a burger for lunch and she likes using the Coke Soda machine to make her orange soda.

It was a busy post-Thanksgiving Sunday at the Mall, but that's no excuse for serving regular crackers on a gluten-free order.

 

About

This series of posts will cover some tips and tricks that I have learned about my twelve-year-old daughter's gluten-free lifestyle in the Boston area. Gluten-free eating can be challenging in any big city, but especially in Boston due to the high number of restaurants and availability of options. I've been learning what I can to make sure my daughter can still enjoy eating out, and I want to share what I've learned so that other families in the same situation can benefit.

Schedule

WednesdayAffinity
ThursdayBBEdit
FridayMacintosh
SaturdayInternet Tools
SundayOpen Topic
MondayMedia Monday
TuesdayQA