Carrabba's Italian Grill :Review
Eating at Carrabba's Italian Grill with a food allergy.
Carrabba's gluten free menu and their commitment to accommodating other dietary needs are not the only reasons to go to this fine Italian restaurant!
The Gluten free menu and other allergies
Carrabba's gluten free menu is only one page long yet, they have everything from appetizers to dessert on the menu. I always ask the hostess for the gluten free menu when I am first seated. They are great about this and usually have a copy of it with their other menus.
Our server was very friendly and told us that because of her training (at Carrabba's) and the fact that her son has a milk allergy, that she understood the how important it is to carefully avoid an allergen. The manager also came by and told me that they do not have special menus for other allergens but are committed to help people with special dietary needs.
They have soup!
One of the biggest surprises on the gluten free menu is that they have soup! It is their Mama Mandolas Sicillian Chicken Soup (no noodles). It is a spicy, peppery soup with tons of veggies and chicken. So of course I started with the soup. For dinner I ordered the Polla Rosa Maria made with fontina cheese, prosciutto, and topped with mushrooms, basil and a lemon butter sauce, with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. If that just sounds good- it tastes even better! The portions are a little to big for me, especially if I want to save room for dessert. So, I took half home for lunch the next day. My twelve year old son, who also has a gluten intolerance, ordered the Steak Marsala. This is also an excellent choice. He loved it and ate the entire eleven ounces plus the garlic mashed potatoes!
Save room for dessert!
The John Cole is a Carrabba's signature specialty. It is made with two scoops of vanilla ice cream, caramel syrup and their special cinnamon pecans. This is the one place that everyone in my family refuses to share dessert and we all order the John Cole. I also enjoyed a nicely brewed cup of decaf with dessert.
Carrabba's Italian Grill has locations all over the United States. The nicest thing about Carrabba's is that they really do seem to have a plan to deal with the special dietary needs of their patrons.
Check out their website.
