choolaah.com
27100 Chagrin Blvd,
Orange Village,
Ohio 44122
CALL: (800) 459-8860
Our site guest Rob E. writes (5/10/16)
As a celiac, I am on the fence about this place. The foreign cashier at the register was friendly, but he clearly did not understand that my food needed to be prepared separately. I had to speak with one of the other servers who was extremely understanding and had them re-prep the “gluten free” dish with new gloves. Nonetheless, I became good friends with the bathroom 60 minutes later.
The food was very good, but I am skeptical that the prep area is safe enough for true celiacs, especially given all the fresh Naan being handled by the staff. I may give this place another try and will post an update; in the meantime, celiacs should use extreme caution here.
Diane writes:
Stopped by the new Choolaah Indian BBQ. The greeter at the door was knowledgeable and explained that while they do have gluten free items indicated on the menu, they are not appropriate for those of us with celiac disease. “Too much flour around”.
It’s a shame. It really smelled great and I was disappointed I could not eat there.
My husband was just diagnosed with celiac disease and this is one of our favorite restaurants. We eat a very low oil vegetarian/vegan diet because he also had 3 stents placed at age 35. We spoke with the staff when we received his diagnosis and they said that they have a protocol when someone says “celiac” where one person makes your meal from start to finish, changing gloves and using a dedicated area. I don’t know if this is new, and frankly we don’t know yet if he’s having problems because we are still waiting to figure out if he’s going to feel better after de-glutening our home. We were really hoping that eating there would continue to be an option for our family because we are already very limited due to the heart stuff. After hearing what they do to prevent cross-contamination my husband decided to still eat there but after reading this I feel confused again. :/
Have tried 3 times and each time I get sick. After a complaint, the manager called me to discuss but I haven’t been able to connect with him. If someone would call maybe they could be educated? I’m just not up to it.
Bazia,
We are so sorry to hear that you tried Choolaah and had a difficult outcome. Clearly you are not alone as the comments on this restaurant indicate that they have no interest in offering a safe dining experience to the gluten-free diner. Thank you for sharing so that others will be aware too.
For what it’s worth, I went there soon after they first opened sometime last year. I also have celiac and was excited when I saw their menu was full of marked gluten free options. However, when I asked the staff about what would actually be safe for me to eat from a celiac perspective, they clearly told me that they advise that people with celiac disease should not eat there given the high risk for potential cross contamination. I didn’t eat anything there.
Therefore, I would rethink giving the place another try!
As a celiac, I am on the fence about this place. The foreign cashier at the register was friendly, but he clearly did not understand that my food needed to be prepared separately. I had to speak with one of the other servers who was extremely understanding and had them re-prep the “gluten free” dish with new gloves. Nonetheless, I became good friends with the bathroom 60 minutes later.
The food was very good, but I am skeptical that the prep area is safe enough for true celiacs, especially given all the fresh Naan being handled by the staff. I may give this place another try and will post an update; in the meantime, celiacs should use extreme caution here.
I have been here and have celiac disease and have not had any adverse reactions sticking to items that are labeled GF.