Has anyone recently eaten at Chili's? Their website seems accomodating to peanut allergy, but how have people experienced Chili's sensitivity to peanut allergy? Thank you.

By ParentofPAChildMI on Oct 27, 2015

Our son as a very severe allergy to peanuts and tree nuts he is also olfactory sensitive. A trip into the restaurant before he was allowed revealed a menu the manager brings to the table with specific allergens listed for all the food and deserts. We required proof of awareness to cross contamination and the kitchen was very much on top of this. We never order food even when we are positive of the awareness without reiterating the severity of his allergies and precautions needed.

By PeanutAllergy.com on Jan 2, 2016

Question of the Week: Answered!

Every week, PeanutAllergy.com answers one of the questions posted in our community.Our Answer:

Thank you for your question. Eating out can definitely be a stressful situation for someone that has a food allergy. A lot of the times some menus can be confusing or not include enough information on dishes and possible allergens. It’s always good to double-check ingredients with your server to be safe — and bring an epinephrine auto-injector with you.

Using community boards is a great way to learn about others’ experiences. You can learn important first-hand information from other sources, too. Allergy Eats recently retooled its website and offers visitors a ratings systems for restaurants. You can search based on a geographic area. Users rate the restaurants based on elements like menu choices, staff communication and more. You can learn more about Allergy Eats here.

For your specific question, there is definitely some information online. It seems that Chili’s offers lists of the items that do not contain specific allergens for easier browsing. You can see these menus here. It’s always a good idea to double-check with your server, as usual, since menu items might change.

In the event that you need to use an auto-injector at a restaurant or at home, it’s important to keep some tips in mind. Contact emergency services after administering the auto-injector. Do your best to stay calm, especially if you are helping a child. If the person having an allergic reaction is throwing up, make sure to keep him/her laying on their side (not face up) so they do not choke on their vomit. For more tips on staying safe while waiting for paramedics, click here.

We also reached out to our Facebook community with your question, and you can see their responses here.

We hope this information helps. Take care!

By cantufamily on Jan 3, 2016

Yes, my son have peanut and tree nut allergies and we have eaten at Chili's very often. He always starts with chips and salsa and typically eats the mac and chesse with french fries and or chicken strips. We always inform our server that he has allgeries and double check on oil used. Thank God we have not experience any problems. Our son is a very picky eater because of his allergies and we are patience with him and allow him to choose food he is comfortable eating.

By lhall77 on Jan 3, 2016

My son has peanut and tree nut allergies. Chili's is one of very few restaurants he and I both feel comfortable going to. Their allergy menu is amazing and simple to understand. And the staff is understanding and helpful.

By MicheleB on Jan 5, 2016

My son has a severe peanut allergy. We have eaten at Chili's with him twice. There is a kiosk type thing on each table. It allows you to look through the menu according to your allergies and see what is safe. Obviously you have to decide if you are comfortable but I think it is worth you looking into!

By jinib67 on Jul 27, 2016

My son is severe Peanut. We stopped going to Chili's, as anything that goes into the fryer has cc because of other items that may contain peanut/treenut. As my son put it, if I can't have french fries or chips and salsa, then I don't want to eat there.

By jinib67 on Jul 27, 2016

My son is severe Peanut. We stopped going to Chili's, as anything that goes into the fryer has cc because of other items that may contain peanut/treenut. As my son put it, if I can't have french fries or chips and salsa, then I don't want to eat there.