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Hi,

After a few days I can find the humour in this story, but at the time I was
very frustrated.  My husband and I went to Chili's Texas Grill in
Wollongong, Australia for lunch on 25/3/00. I have been diagnosed with
Coeliac Disease since Nov 15, 99, so I am still learning how to "eat out".
  I explained to our waitress that I was gluten intolerant and asked if
there was anything on the menu which would be a problem. I explained to her
what gluten was but I don't think she had a clue as to what I was talking
about.  She went back to the kitchen and asked the cook what had gluten in
it.  She came back and said everything had gluten and I could only have the
non marinated chicken wings or a garden salad.  Mind you this whole ordeal
took almost 30 minutes. Finally I told her I would have the salad.  She
brings it out heaped with croutons.  At this point I didn't know whether to
cry or laugh.  I told her I couldn't have the salad with the croutons
because the croutons had gluten in them.  She said they would scrape them
off.  I told her the salad was contaminated and they would have to bring me
a new one.  When the 2nd salad finally arrived, another waitress brought it
because I am sure it was all too trying for the other waitress.  I don't
blame the waitress or cooks, my feelings are the management is failing it's
customers with eating disorders.  It is their responsibility to ensure
their staff are knowledgeable about their business.  I have never had as
much trouble trying to eat out at a restaurant as I did with this one.  I
wrote a letter to the manager of the restaurant and hopefully he will take
it to heart.  As I told him "bad news travels twice around the world while
good news is getting it's boots on."

Leila Buik
Nowra, N.S.W. Australia