I have been a regular customer at P.F. Chang's for many years, often using them for business lunches and meals with the family. A key feature for me has always been their excellent gluten free menu as I am gluten sensitive. I was shocked this past week when I was there on a business meeting for lunch and was told that the fried rice at lunch is NOT gluten free. I asked lots of questions of the waitress since I had been told many times in the past that it was gluten free by previous wait staff. The waitress informed me that 2-3 months ago they changed this in the kitchen and that I should not order the fried rice there again. I was in shock and felt very disappointed since I had asked about this numerous times in the past and was assured that this was safe. On the following weekend, I was nearby with my family and we stopped in to this same P.F. Chang's for dinner. We were greeted by a waitress who was about to go off shift, but did agree to take our order since we had been waiting and our new waiter had not arrived yet. Before ordering, she had placed the sauces and I had asked a question about whether the sauces were gluten free. Typically they bring the gluten soy sauce out first and have to replace the sauces, mustard, chili sauce after a gluten free order is made. She proceeded to explain to me that these were in red ramekins so I shouldn't worry; that they were gluten free. I proceeded to explain to her very politely how I wanted to make sure since I was very surprised to learn earlier in the week about the fried rice not being gluten free. What a mistake. She proceeded to patronize me and explain how their fried rice is never gluten free and that I should have never ordered it. Not even an apology for my previous experiences. Rather a 15 minute lecture on how nothing has changed in the kitchen there and that I must be all wrong and the waitress could not have told me this earlier in the week. When I explained to her that the crab fried rice is supposed to be gluten free and is fried and is on the gluten free menu, she again proceeded to talk down to me. It made for miserable dinner experience, which was only slightly improved by her going off-shift.
While P.F. Chang's makes a solid effort to put out a gluten free menu, after my experience I have to say the wait staff are not properly educated on food allergies or how to talk to customers. My advice to food allergy sufferers is to be very cautious on dining at this restaurant chain. I know I have misgivings about going back...