Today, I'm starting a new article series that I've been wanting to create for a few weeks now. The series is called "My Gluten-Free Horror Stories", and each article in the series will contain a short (true) story describing a terrible gluten-free related event/situation that has happened to me in the past. I hope that this series provides information on restaurants to AVOID for gluten-sensitivity. This first story will be about the movie-theater chain "Moviehouse and Eatery"; please note that this happened at the "Trails at 620" location around a year ago.
When I first heard of the Moviehouse and Eatery near Four Points, northwest of Austin, I was ecstatic to try it out. I have loved the Alamo Drafthouse for its consideration of food allergies and sensitivities, and I thought the Moviehouse could match up to its mighty competitor. When I saw the menu, I was impressed with the gluten-free options available; from gluten-free pizzas to many other entries, the selection was impressive. One menu item caught my eye: the "Supremas", which was basically nachos with the option of chips, tater tots, or fries. I ordered it with the tater tots, after checking it was gluten-free (not fried with anything with Gluten), and I waited. I took a bite: it was really good!
I'm going to admit that I was a bit of a movie addict before the coronavirus hit the United States in February (2020). I went to the theaters as often as possible to see the big screen, the comfy recliners, and the often good food. The "Supremas" dish was so good that I got it every time I went, which happened three times in one week once, making sure that it was not cross-contaminated with gluten every time I went. While sometimes the quality was slightly lower, I always loved the dish. Until I found out it was all a lie, that is.
It turns out that it was NEVER fried in a separate fryer than the gluten; when I found out, I was furious. I had been going to the theater, eating gluten, constantly for at least a year and a half! The craziest part? I checked after; it was marked gluten-free. Multiple times after when I went to the theater, avoiding the dish, I asked if it was gluten-free. They said no. "It is fried in the same fryer as the other food", most of the other waiters said whenever I went back to the theater. I tried asking if they changed anything... "Maybe they moved fryer positions so that the tater tots are now cooked with the gluten", I thought, even if I felt like I was lying to myself. However, this wasn't the case. As of June 2020, they still haven't changed the listing on the menu; it still says that it is gluten-free. My main takeaway from this is that you can't fully trust a menu on what is gluten-free; after finding out that I had pretty much been poisoning myself for one and a half years, I didn't feel comfortable ordering anything else on the menu. While I eventually tried the same dish with the chips option (which I hope to god was actually gluten-free), it wasn't the same. While it may seem exaggerated, I actually felt betrayed.
I hope that this story informs anyone who was considering eating at the Moviehouse and Eatery to either stay away or become extremely careful when ordering. If anything similar has happened to anyone at the Moviehouse, I feel for you. While the title "My Gluten-Free Horror Story" may be slightly overblown, it was truly unnerving to realize that the gluten-free markings didn't mean anything to the restaurant's owners and/or staff at the time, although I am not going to point fingers at who caused/is creating a lack of care of a very serious issue for many people. Allergies and Celiac Disease can be a big issue for many people, and while I cannot tell when I eat gluten (as I have no physical pain after eating gluten, although my intestines are still attacked), many people have severe symptoms. As eating gluten can be deadly for many people, I was disgusted and enraged at the Moviehouse's actions regarding customer care. Unless I can make sure that the food I order is gluten-free at the Moviehouse, I will not be eating there again, and I urge others to do the same.
I felt that article was very informative. Thank you for letting me know what to expect.