Who doesn't love Chuck E. Cheese's?- The King's Taster

Kitchen Oil: Vegetable Oil (may contain canola oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil, corn oil, and soybean oil)

Spoon Rating: 2

Recommended for: None

The King's taster visited Chuck E. Cheese's to see if their slogan "Where a kid can be a kid" applied for children and their families with food allergies and we have to say that this restaurant chain definitely scores big bonus points with us in one respect the food allergy information is readily available to their patrons. Their website was easy to navigate with food allergy information being given that was specific to each individual establishment. This means that they are actually accounting for regional differences in their food, which we have yet to find another restaurant chain acknowledge. Their food allergy information is detailed with the major allergens highlighted and a full ingredient list for each menu item. Of particular note we were impressed that they chose to call out the individual spices used in their recipes, and we hope that other eating establishments will follow suit in this respect because there are so many different food allergies out there and full disclosure means a healthier, safer meal for everybody. Besides finding this information out on their website you can also request it in person and they will print a full list of this information for you to review, which is helpful when you have hungry kids that don't care that they have food allergies because they just want to eat.
 That said once you receive this list of ingredients your jaw might drop to the ground as you take in how much of the food contains the eight common food allergens. If you have a soy allergy this is absolutely not the place for you unless you are in the mood for macaroni and cheese because almost every single other menu item contains soybeans. Even their salads contain soybeans! Also if you have a gluten allergy, or a milk allergy then you might want to just bring your kids here after they have eaten lunch and head straight to the games because your menu items would be very limited as well. As for peanut/nut allergies although they do not serve products that contain these ingredients they do serve some products that are manufactured in plants that process peanuts/ tree nuts so cross contamination is a possibility. That said if your child is still begging for a Chuck E. Cheese's birthday party do not despair they will allow you to bring your own food into their establishment for parties.
  Overall we felt that this restaurant showed a marked awareness that many of their young patrons have food allergies and they have made a strong effort to reach out to families living with food allergies by providing information via their website and at their individual locations, but lets be honest if at the end of the day there is still nothing to eat then what's the point. When it comes to providing an accessible menu for children with food allergies their menu items are so processed that they fall way short of the mark.

The King's Taster Visits Terrain Garden Cafe in Westport, CT

 
Kitchen Oil: Soybean Oil
Spoon rating: 3
Recommended for: Gluten allergy, celiac disease, milk and egg allergies

With its chic ambiance and Farm to Table fare we had high hopes for this sunlit little cafe but like a plant without water it did not grow to meet our standards. After an initial review of Terrain's website it was obvious that the menus were not up to date, a potential tripping hazard in the road to eating safely for families with food allergies. In a cafe such as this one that uses seasonal ingredients, which change frequently, a three month lag in a menu posting is simply unacceptable. That said our call to the cafe to confirm the days menu was met by a courteous hostess who assured us that our allergies could be accommodated as she took the time to review the menu choices available for our brunch reservations.  
    Upon arriving at the cafe we were disappointed to find that one of the eight top allergens, soybean oil was being used in the kitchen. Even more disheartening the waitstaff and manager were completely oblivious as to what kind of oil was used in the kitchen. In a truly allergy friendly eating establishment the waitstaff, in particular the manager should know immediately and without consultation with the kitchen what kind of cooking oil is being used.
  Of special note peanut allergies beware this is not a peanut free environment! Some of the menu items at the time of our visit did contain peanut butter. They were willing to accommodate food allergy patrons by preparing the food in a separate pan and in the end they did customize our food to fit with our allergy needs but this would have all been for nought had we had either a soy allergy or a peanut allergy at the time of our visit. If you have a gluten allergy, celiac disease (ask them to hold on the free bread in a pot), milk or egg allergy their menu does offer some unique appetizing options that might fit your needs but do call ahead to confirm the days food selection. In the end we felt that this cafe has some of the building blocks to become a safe, delicious environment for families with food allergies but it is lacking a keen awareness of food allergies, which is evident in its oil choice, its usage of peanut products without providing warnings to its patrons, its out-of-date web-site, and its staffs lack of familiarity with menu ingredients and cooking oils.