If you’ve been keeping up with the last several blogs, you know that there was some frustration finding food for Nikki to eat. Luckily, we found a few places that met her dietary needs. One of the other places we found was LongHorn Steakhouse. There was a location right across the street from the Hyatt Regency (where we were for Starrcast). This was the perfect location as it was in walking distance and wouldn’t put us out of the way for ALL IN.
LongHorn Steakhouse has over 450 restaurants across the East, Midwest, and Southwest along with Puerto Rico. If you’re traveling across the US, chances are you’ll come across one of these establishments. BTW, if you have a minute check out the story of how Longhorn got its start.
[bctt tweet=”What to order at Longhorn Steakhouse if you have food sensitivities ” username=”gfspirit”]
While we were waiting in line for a meet and greet, one of our friends called the LongHorn across the street. They said they did have a menu for dietary restrictions, but Nikki would have to ask the hostess for the menu when we arrived. Upon arrival, Nikki was given the menu. It was leather bound and had the entire menu along with what it contained (gluten, soy, dairy, etc). The allergen menu is also available online and it’s mobile site (though it was little harder to find). Note: If you have allergens & food sensitivities, I know you already know this, but be sure to inform your server. All restaurants vary.
A majority of the menu items are cooked in soy, which is pretty disappointing. We’ve found that many restaurants cook their food in a soy-based oil. Nikki mentioned this issue to our waiter and he quickly offered her another alternative. He said that they could use olive oil instead. The waiter was super nice and joked around with Nikki. He also said his daughter couldn’t have gluten and he mentioned that he wouldn’t want to give up dairy; he’d just deal with the consequences. Nikki told him that if the consequences were bad enough, he’d cut it out.
After studying the menu, Nikki chose the 6 oz. Renegade Sirloin. She decided to get a side salad as well. This was the first time she had steak cooked in olive oil. When our waiter returned to check on us, he asked Nikki how she liked it. After she said she liked it, he jokingly replied, “don’t lie to me.” Nikki really did like it.
***UPDATE***
On Veteran’s Day we went to a location in Charlotte since they had a free app or dessert plus 10% off the entire bill. Nikki inquired with the waitress about the oil they cook their food in. This location cooked their food in canola oil. This includes their seasoned french fries. Since their seasoning is a dusting, she was able to order them unseasoned. Nikki considered ordering something different, but assumed she’d only be able to eat the Renegade steak and went with that again.
Update 09/21
A couple years ago, Nikki had to give up red meat because it caused stomach discomfort. She now orders the Cowboy Pork Chops with fries.
***FOOD PORN***
You didn’t think I’d leave you hanging, did you? Of course, I have some food porn that contains gluten, dairy, & soy.
I decided to go with the Parmesan Crusted Chicken and fries. This was a wise decision.
*11/11/18 Food Porn
Since my dad could get a free appetizer that Nikki could actually eat (except the dip), we opted for the kettle chips with White Cheddar & Bacon Dip. Y-U-M!
I really wanted to get the Parmesan Crusted Chicken again, but I went with the Steakhouse Burger. It was very good!
Our dad ordered the Renegade steak as well with the Parmesan Cheese crust.
They even brought Caine his own plate of fries!
We really appreciated how accommodating the staff was. Our waiter was super nice and made sure that Nikki could find something to fit her dietary needs. It was really nice, especially since we were in a new city and weren’t sure what to expect.
11/11/18 update: We really enjoyed our visit to this location. Our waitress was helpful at getting the answers Nikki needed. Since two different locations cooked their foods in different oils, we cannot stress enough that you ask your server what they prepare their food in. Ask any other questions needed to make sure food is prepared to fit your dietary needs.
If you liked this review of LongHorn Steakhouse, you might also like Chili’s, Texas Roadhouse, Red Robin, and Golden Coral.
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Isn’t that so lovely. Waiters like that are rare treasures, so I really hope Longhorn keeps him around for a long time. I wonder why most restaurants cook with soy, is it because it’s cheaper?
I hope they do too, Michelle. I think it was intended to be a cheaper option. And a lot of vegan food use it as well. Soy may also not be as good for you as originally thought.
Mm looks tasty! Sounds like you had a good experience there! I’m lucky to not have any dietary restrictions.
We had a great experience! I don’t have them either, but dining out with my sister has opened my eyes to what it’s like. It can be frustrating!
Oh wow! I would eat my weight in that chicken and fries! I love Longhorn. Their food is delicious!
Stacie, it’s hard not too! That dish was SO yummy! 😀
Oh, I love it when staff are helpful! It is a shame that there are not more options these days – so many people cannot eat gluten!! I work on my food blog with providing alternatives for people who cannot eat gluten. Not all of my recipes are GF, but they’re all adaptable 🙂 I think that is important these days!
I do too, Alexandra. 🙂 Gluten sensitivities are hard enough as it is and then there are people like my sister who also can’t have soy or dairy. That can making dining out a hassle. GF recipes and ones that are adaptable are SO helpful! We like trying out recipes and sometimes have to modify them. It doesn’t go unnoticed when people make the effort, so thank you for working to make recipes that are adaptable. 😀
We’re always thinking of stopping by our local Longhorn Steakhouse, but we have family memories with food sensitivities. We didn’t know there were options for them as well. Thanks for throwing this post together. It really helps.
You’re welcome! We had no idea either, so I wanted to get the info out there for others that might benefit from it. 🙂
Dietary restrictions are no fun when you are eating out or visiting another country. I am allergic to fish so I have to ask a lot of questions and carefully review the menu to make sure I am eating safely. Thanks for sharing!
Allergies and food sensitivities can be a struggle, so I share the info we find to make it a little bit easier for others when they’re looking for places to eat.
Parmesan Crusted Chicken and fries look mouth watering. I always love fries whenever I go for western.
The picture doesn’t even do it justice! lol I love fries too. 😀
Oh my gosh THANK YOU for this post. It’s so hard to eat out when you have dietary restrictions. You ask whats in things but I don’t think you always get the full story!
You’re welcome, Christie! We know that struggle well, so I share info about restaurants when we find it. 😀
That food all looks absolutely delicious! That waiter sounds lovely and like he really cares about his customers – exactly what you want from a server!
It’s so great when the server is understanding and doesn’t make you feel like your dietary needs are a hassle. 🙂
We have gone to Longhorn Steak house a few times and quite honestly we are not fans. Maybe we ordered the wrong food because your chicken does look delicious.
We used to eat there years ago, but prefer another steak establishment. We ended up there recently since it had an allergen menu & were pleasantly surprised about how good it was.
I would love to tear into one of those steaks. They use some really great seasonings.
Yes, they do! I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. lol
This looks like a great place to dine in while you have dietary restrictions. This is something that I really need to go 😉
We definitely recommend it!
Wow, that sounds like a nice place to go and to eat good food and I am glad that your friend was able to eat the food that perfectly fits on her diet.
It’s always good to find new places that have options for patron with dietary restrictions. 🙂
I’m always grateful for real life advice. So many have these type of dietary restrictions and need tips to order.
I’m so glad you find this information helpful, Daphne!