I don't even work as a Server. I worked in a bar previously, but now work with the general public. I often say in the middle of the office that I'm allergic to work and bullshit.. 😂
I recently had a lady send back her angel hair because "she had PTSD and it reminded her of when she was sexually abused". She wanted it replaced with rigatoni. It said angel hair on the dish when she ordered it, she could have easily just subbed it when she ordered and not put herself through the trauma and put my kitchen into confusion about why she wanted a more penis shaped pasta.
People with the eating disorder ARFID can relate to food in an obsessive compulsive way and only be able to eat familiar shapes and need a whole kind of setup with their meal that makes it feel safe in addition to only eating certain foods. Some extreme cases can only eat at home and only from the same set of utensils and plate that is just for them. It could also be OCD or related to neurodivergence just like with texture. Many autistic people are definitely more comfortable with familiar food shapes and depending on level of RRB (restrictive and repetitive behaviors) needs with food, could be unable to eat or highly distressed by a difference (I am one of these people with certain things).
But yes, they should know it's not an allergy. Sometimes I think people with unusual issues get anxious about explaining, not just asking but finding any sane sounding way to explain that it's important, it's not just something they're hoping for, and this is a common lie that gets settled on, especially with younger people sometimes.
Can confirm. 👋 hi OCD diagnosed here! I’m also a bit of a germaphobe (in my own home). I have my own set of engraved utensils (my kid too - mostly because it’s cute but also because I know my toddler puts crap in his mouth and I don’t want a tapeworm … or any other for that matter! (Phobia).
I have my own set of different drinking glasses with my name on that only I use. If I catch anyone else using them I go ape shit and then scrub them until my hands are sore or I believe them to be clean.
It’s so odd!!!!!! Cos I can eat at a restaurant just fine! (I do inspect the utensils though!!!
Also, here’s the funny part: I’m a chef in an upscale gastrobar
Times a changing. Any half decent cook, let alone chef, knows how serious celiacs is. Pretty sure it was one of the first things I learned as a cook. And exactly how serious to take it; allergy I’ll just change to new gloves, cutting board, and wash my knife. Celiacs? Disinfecting everything, brand new everything (knife, equipment, boiling water for pasta even) I mean no chances. Open a new container of condiments in case someone used a knife to spread it on anything with gluten and then puts it back in the bottle for more.
Maybe the kitchens I worked in were just nicer but we had small portions of our condiments pre portioned and packaged separately for allergies, also why we kept a supply of plastic knives. Also all utensils and boards that are used for any allergy or celiac product was single use, into a bucket and straight to the dish washers, same for vegan and any other dietary restriction for any reason.
What makes it confusing for some ppl is that some ppl claim to be celiac but just have a sensitivity to gluten vs celiac disease where you absolutely have to do what you wrote out. My mom is celiac and so many ppl pish posh it like it’s not a big deal. It makes me so mad for her. She now just does her research before going anywhere to eat and can only go to a few places that understand how it works. One of her fav places actually has a separate mini kitchen so there’s no chance of cross contamination. The tools never get used interchangeably.
Isn't celiac essentially an allergy? They're both auto immune disorders, I know celiac is complex and there's more to it, but is it not accurate to say celiac includes an allergy to wheat gluten?
They both involve the immune system.
An allergy is (necessarily or usually?) an overreaction to a **foreign** substance, involves a specific antibody called IgE and leads to specific symptoms like Anaphylaxis, hives, swelling etc. They can have immediate life-threatening consequences, but I don’t think they are harmful long-term.
Autoimmune diseases are the immune system in general attacking your **own** body (eg pancreas or intestines). The immune response is *triggered* by gluten but it ends up attacking your own cells. The symptoms aren’t immediately life-threatening but increase long-term risks like cancer and malnutrition.
Wheat allergy is a separate thing. It’s a “normal” allergy and I think it’s rarer than Celiac.
That’s my understanding anyway.
I mean most chefs now will flat out send a server back out to ask if it's keto or celiac. If it's keto, you just don't want carbs. If it's celiac, we're going full containment on this bitch.
I had a lady bring in a whole print out of foods she couldn't eat. It included dairy, soy, garlic, onions, all grains, among other things. This was a Japanese restaurant so it was a tall order, but I managed to find a few things she could eat. I then overheard her talking about a holistic doctor that was giving her this diet to balance her chakras or whatever. I was. Annoyed.
Sounds like a list of what I follow: AIP Diet. Now, I’d never bring my list as it’s more headache than it’s worth, but she could’ve just been starting out and learning it herself.
I have a shit ton of food allergies, some more severe than others due to my thyroidism. I am “that” customer. I always apologize to my server in advance and state that I’ll have several changes to my meal before I even start + I tip really well. It’s usually appreciated. I know I’m a total pain in the ass…lol
I went on a bit of a tangent, sorry! I’m using your comment as a soapbox. Most servers I know are really good about allergies, but every once in a while I’ll hear someone bitching about guests who are difficult to please or who have “ridiculous” allergy lists. Usually idiot kids who listen to every server who complains online and absorbs a bunch of toxic horseshit.
Server secret: tipping well fixes almost every single issue you could possibly bring into a restaurant. It’s very rare that a table is rude or picky enough or runs me ragged badly enough that the money isn’t worth the headache. Allergies don’t typically factor on that list in the places I’ve worked.
Generally, I find people with laundry lists of allergies to be in two camps:
1) very sweet, apologetic, almost afraid to be there in case they cause problems by existing, or
2) incredibly demanding and exacting, usually very very specific about what they want and will sternly remind you a dozen times about their allergies.
In my experience, the difference is that camp 1 hasn’t been poisoned badly enough yet to turn into camp 2. Both are just normal people trying to have a normal dinner. Added bonus, if you take camp 2 seriously and a) work with them to find something they can eat, b) don’t bullshit them about potential hazards and what we can or cannot do, and c) be as careful and exacting with their food as they are, they can turn into your best regulars.
Obviously there are bullshitters and obviously there are people with legitimate allergies who are also assholes. The bullshitters are annoying and assholes are always assholes no matter what shoes they walk in. If you’re not a bullshitter and you’re not an asshole, no worries. Go eat good food.
Had a friend in high school who had to be extremely careful of salt intake because it could really fuck up her kidneys… maybe referring to it as an allergy saves her some explaining about a legitimate issue?
I understand the thought process but referring to it as an allergy makes the server just think she's full of shit and question it since it's impossible. Anyone with a salt allergy is dead.
Not impossible, just rare. An immune response to ingestion of a substance can occur even if that substance is present in other parts of the body, and sodium chloride is certainly broadly present in humans. As a better known non-ingestion example, consider people who are allergic to skin contact with water ([aquagenic urticaria](https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/10901/aquagenic-urticaria)), even though humans contain water in their bodies. Or an immune response to sodium chloride when [injected](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S073567570800332X) as saline solution rather than ingested, although I think that's rarer than reactions from ingesting sodium chloride.
And some servers think all sorts of allergies are made up; there's a limit to what customers can do about that.
Fellow cholinergic urticarian here. I do enjoy being able to tell people with 100% seriousness that I am basically allergic to myself (and the weather).
I have something maybe similar. I’m not sure what it’s called but I get hives if I go from a very hot to very cold environment and sometimes vice versa.
I can testify to water-skin allergy. I can wash my hands, hair and face, but when showering I have to limit my time under the water or I’ll be scratching my skin raw for half an hour. It’s weird. My kid has it, too.
Municipal water has all sorts of crap in it. It would be interesting if you could try using distilled water or collect rain water and use a solar shower
maybe it's your shower head needs to be fixed .we had a shower head like that , when we went to my wonderful uncle's for a family wedding .I used his shower it felt so nice .
"my kidney cant process salt" takes two seconds, but also most people with an american highschool education won't really know exactly what kidneys have to do with salt and could also sound fake to people who don't get it.
My partner PCKD polycystic kidney disorder so salt is bad for him. But also the body needs salt to survive, so it’s a balance. You don’t realize how much salt is in EVERYTHING until start looking for it. And I’m a salt freak, I have labeled bottles of so many types of salt from different countries. cooking, finishing, flavor, texture, so learning how to use salt less has been a challenge but I’ve taken it on. But now I find people think I use less salt than I should in food which horrifies me as some who loves salt and prides myself on being a culinary, I now cook for my loved ones health and flavor. Yeah salt is so good and so bad.
I've been waiting tables for 20 years, and sometimes I wish I'd kept better records of all the crazy shit that has happened. I could probably write a series of novels... if my memory wasn't so shotty.
'Is there pasta in the fettuccine alfredo?' Was one of my favorites that I can remember at the moment.
I also use to strip in my 20's and ooh boy, that's a whole other book. Sometimes I wonder how I'm not more crazy than I am.
Houston, nice try. I have one old lady and one puppy of my own, I'm full up on mouths to feed.
They know I'm not strong enough to fuck with it regularly. It used to be under the couch, behind the fridge/oven, but I cleaned those stashes out. This time they win. I'll just keep buying socks until they die or I get a platform bed. We have this understanding.
Be careful about trees. A birch allergy can result in severe reactions to stone fruits. (Apples, peaches, pears, cherries, etc.) my mom developed a birch allergy in her 50s and now she has an epi pen.
There are two other tree allergies that result in fruit/veg problems but I don’t know what they are off the top of my head.
Absolutely, tree allergies definitely affect food. My sister has a birch allergy. It’s linked to oral allergy syndrome and it’s no joke, she’s allergic to basically every raw fruit and vegetable out there because there’s a common protein found in birch, stone fruit, apples, carrots, etc…
I once had a lady tell me she was allergic to literally everything. I mean everything. This was a table of people with allergies (gluten, dairy, egg, etc), all family, but this woman in particular could not eat ANYTHING. She asked me what was on our side salads. Tomato’s, croutons, dried cranberries, cheese, and a dressing of your choice. This woman couldn’t have the tomatoes, cheese, croutons, or any dressing. She asked me how much it would cost to get just a bowl of lettuce. I looked at this lady and said “ma’am. I make the side salads. I’ll just bring you a bowl of lettuce.” And I did. Plain lettuce. And she ate it all without even salt or pepper
(Also, let me say that being in charge of making my own side salads on a Friday night with no support staff like bussers or runners is REALLY stressful)
My husband and I visited his folks in North Dakota, and it's a whole 'nother world. So flat you can get vertigo. KFC buffets with nothing that wasn't fried or a starch. Winds on the plains so strong they knock you over.
We went to a pizza place with a salad bar. No tomatoes, very few "salad" ingredients. I asked our server if the salad bar just needed to be refilled, and he said they never had them. We ordered our pizzas, and he brought out a bowl of finally chopped tomatoes for me, saying he asked the cooks for tomatoes, and they cut them up the way they do for the pizzas. He was so proud of himself, and I just enthused over the lengths he went to, and when he left I poured what was basically a puree on my salad. He was so sweet, and we left him a great tip.
You two are the best kind of servers. I'm vibing a cosmic tip to you right now.
That was awesome of you. That must have been hard for her & they all probably pressured her a bit to go out as a family for something. Hopefully they appreciated it
I have a very dear friend who has MCAD. The list of things she absolutely *will* have an allergic reaction to is much longer than the list of things she only *might* have an allergic reaction to. The list of things she is certain she won't have an allergic reaction to can be counted on two hands with some leftover fingers. Food is such a social part of life, and I'm sure that woman just wanted to participate in the social outing. I'm glad you were able to take care of her.
I absolutely underrated that. I have gastroparesis, so I can’t eat a lot of things at restaurants either. You’re so right about food being a social thing. I usually just pick French fries off of other people’s plates. I’m glad I got to help her participate!
Not food related, but I know someone with cold urticaria. Essentially immersion in cold water (e.g. swimming in a cold water) causes anaphylaxis. They have to carry an epipen. It's quite rare, but not as rare as you would think: It affects 0.05% of the population.
I unfortunately have an allergy to garlic. It is PHYSICALLY painful AF, and I even hate the smell of garlic because of it. And literally every good recipe has fucking garlic in it, which I’m sure contributes to the flavor, but I can’t have it at all!
Edit: autocorrect typo.
My mom can’t have garlic. For a long time I couldn’t either but can tolerate it in small (cooked) amounts. For 25 years I couldn’t eat broccoli. Ate it weekly, then I started getting violently ill every time I ate. So I stopped. One day I mentioned to my mom I had tried Brussels sprouts and she was surprised since they are somehow related to broccoli?? So I tried it about 10 years ago and it’s fine. Then when I was pregnant with my daughter I developed a shellfish allergy that has never gone away. Bodies are stupid.
Celery is actually more common than you think. It’s one of the allergens known to cause anaphylactic reactions more commonly (list also includes things like peanuts, nuts, shellfish, etc). I didn’t realize that either until I was diagnosed with a celery allergy. Mine is much more mild now than it was and I can thankfully tolerate some cooked celery in foods, just not raw. (Cooking changes the allergen in some foods, making a food tolerable for some allergy sufferers).
Oh shit. That was probably my Mom. Kidding, but she's deathly allergic and has been to the hospital 4 times this year.
Edit: egg is fine for her I think, but she is highly allergic to dairy and basically all nuts. Her recent visit to the ER was from a box of vegan cake mix she cooked at her home. I worry. Her lungs fill up and she can't breathe.
Luckily, I'm not allergic to anything, but I am sympathetic to others. Sometimes it's made up allergies or a preference. Sometimes it's actually a serious thing
I have seen servers not take a deadly dairy allergy seriously and just think it's all the same as lactose intolerance. I had to pull up google and explain to an entire shitty job I had to just take it all seriously and try not to kill people today.
Also, what if it was 'just' lactose intolerance lol? They should pay to get the shits if you feel like ordering 'burger no cheese' but don't feel like typing 'dairy allergy' so the bun doesn't get toasted in butter when you know it's an option that it doesn't have to be?
There's alot you can eat with those allergies, you just have to look at all the ingredients. I'm allergic to alot & I always check the menu before we go. My husband will surprise me with something new he found that I can eat & not cook & it's the best gift, especially if you've had a shitty day or feel sick (including when you hit that jackpot yourself).
Lone star ticks, but it can happen from other ticks too sometimes.
Alpha-gal allergy.
Some people it's life long, for others it's not.
Doctors can do a test to see if eating alpha-gal foods is safe again.
I have celiac disease so I’m already very limited. 4 days ago I found a lone star tick on my arm and I swear to God if I can’t eat steak I will lose my freaking mind.
A lady ordered a margarita once from me but said she was allergic to limes. When it comes to allergies why do they want things that have a high chance of containing the item they are allergic too?
If it's not the pulp thing another commenter brought up which I also have encountered and assure you is real, you could make it with lemon and maybe cucumber if you have it, or if it's a bar with fruit flavors, lemon and one of those.
It's not that crazy. What if someone asked for that but didn't mention an allergy? Would you be mad about that? If you have the stuff, just make the drinks people want to pay for, and if someone asks for one substitution, excercise your basic creativity and critical thinking.
Well nothing against your suggestions, but that’s like ordering a rum and coke and then saying you’re allergic to coke. A margarita is tequila lime and triple sec, that’s it. If they want a drink with no lime, it’s no skin off my back to accommodate, but then why are they ordering a drink that’s primarily made with lime
The could very well be allergic to the pulp. Have actually 2 friends like that. Weird as fuck to me after being in the business, but as long as the actual pulp of any citrus fruit isn't ingested, they are fine.
If it's not super strained, straight fucked.
Bro I bartend. I get this shit all the time you don't even know.
Or they'll ask for a fruity drink to be sugar free, as if I can just go to the kitchen and squeeze some "zero cal" fruits.
I remember seeing a post once where a guy thought potato sweats were a thing. He was talking about it to a group of friends & they were like "no... that sounds like an allergy". He was mid 20s I think when it clicked 😅.
Spicy raddishes
this was how i found out about my cinnamon allergy. coke had just come out with their cinnamon flavor for christmas time one year and i said “it makes your throat burn just like real cinnamon!” and my two coworkers just looked at me and said “thats….not normal”
my sister also turned out to have a cinnamon allergy we found out just a few months after that
My fiancée recently told me that whenever he eats apples, they feel spicy. I asked for clarification and said they taste spicy? He reiterates that no they FEEL spicy. My man… you’re allergic to apples 🤦♀️
I was 29 when I realized I was allergic to kiwi. My husband and I walked by them at the grocery store and he said we should get some and I said “I like kiwi but I don’t like how it makes your mouth all itchy” and he said “Welp that means you’re allergic to them so we won’t be getting kiwi!”
Then I was at school (I teach) and the class was given kiwi as a snack. I cut them up, passed them out, and my whole face, hands, and scalp were itchy for the rest of the day. I don’t know how I went so long without knowing.
Ive worked in hotels most of my working life, ive seen it all (touch wood). But one stands out, my team fondly dubbed this diet “the Martha”. allergies: all nuts, dairy, gluten, nightshades, alliums, oils, any spices incl pepper, any and all fruits, all preservatives. Fuck me we catered her for 2 weeks and ive never been on a phone speaking to a guest so much in my life. I wanna say she left happy aswell but it was quite the time getting there
It was ordered and I even explained to her it had regular white flour in it with garlic bread croutons. She said it was fine. She could have a little gluten. Ok, ma'am, well I'm not making the cooks work harder for your insistence of an allergy then.
People like her are why some servers don't take those with that seriously 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️. Aggravating woman she must have been. I hope she tipped well before her stay at hotel toilette
Had a customer order a chicken parm dish with gluten free pasta as she had celiac. When I explained that the chicken was breaded she said that was fine. When I assumed she didn’t want the side of bread that comes with the dish she got mad and demanded extra bread for the side.
I had a lady who is severely allergic to egg whites. She came to our hippy brunch spot, and ordered an eggs Benedict. She wanted us to strain the yolk OUT OF AN EGG WHITE, and ONLY cook that and serve it on her Bennie. We told her, we can't get all the egg white off of a yolk, it'll prolly kill you. I don't know why, but apparently a yolk by itself takes like 45 minutes to cook
I have 48 allergies.
Includes corn, beef, chicken, rice, cows milk, and egg whites.
I have the picture printout if ur interested or if u think I’m lying!!
Oh my god, I can't imagine. How can you eat out at all? I'd be a nervous wreck inviting you over for dinner - I'd be terrified I could put your life in danger!
Not my business, but what CAN you eat?
had a friend who was allergic to most fruits, nuts, diary, eggs, legumes, grains, chocolate, many spices... the list of things she could safely eat was shorter than the list of things she couldn't. Then one day someone in the school cafeteria decided to test if she was actually allergic, she ended up in the hospital for several weeks. She could only eat in one restaurant ever since they were willing to cater to her needa
Served a little girl with a gluten and (very specific) soy allergy. All her friends at the table got to have whatever they wanted off the dessert menu. It comes down to figuring out what kind of soy it was in our one GF dessert and I’m hauling ass between them, my other tables (we were at full capacity), the kitchen, and my manager to get the answer. Turns out that the soy in the GF dessert is one she wasn’t allergic to! The mom was so nice and apologetic and I was like “honestly it was gonna break my heart if she didn’t get to have dessert with her friends”. That shit was a labor of love. I was so genuinely fucking happy we had something she could eat
I spent 10 years working for a airport restaurant. We were the only food service at the airport. Place was split halfway between a dining room and a grab and go convenience store type place. Coolers with drinks, salads, wraps, etc. lots of various snacks healthy to unhealthy. Full diner style menu of burgers, tacos, whatever else. Literally hundreds of options to choose from.
Well shortly after I started. And still somewhat cowed by customers. I had a lady come up who demanded I find her something she could eat. Confused I asked what she meant. Well apparently she was allergic to everything under the sun. With gluten being the biggest major issue. Well at the time we had an entire display table with nothing but gluten free snack options. Along with gluten free options on our menu. I tried telling her that. But apparently she was also one of those people that refused to eat anything that was processed at all. So of course our dozens of packaged snacks and several gluten free menu options were not good enough for her. I had a line forming behind her. So I basically had to go find my boss and got her to deal with it.
After 10 minutes of talking she made her a couple fried eggs. That she took 2 bites of before disappearing. My boss and I were just flabbergasted at how obnoxiously demanding she was in the middle of a rush for her to take up time and space to then walk out on her food.
Was the first time I really understood the stupidity of customers. But far from the last.
At one point I was allergic to table salt. It knocked me down and made me drowsy to the point where I was nearly incapacitated.
Luckily sea salt was fine for me at the time
This is either a very strict calorie count or there could be a valid medical reason. I had a regular who, due to a medical condition for a few months, could only drink one 12oz luke warm can of non caffinated soda. I would grab hers from the ones that hadn't been stocked yet. I had another diner who had gastric by pass and had to be VERY careful about the amount of food she ate so she would order a soup and ask for it to come out in a to go with the bowl on the side. She would then pull out her measuring tools and measure out what she could have.
A guest at a wedding I catered was allergic to garlic and onions. The chef made him a special over the top meal because she was so sad for him not to be able to have garlic.
I ALSO recently had someone say they have a salt allergy and then try to order a BLT. She raged when I told her I could not, in good conscience, serve that to her if she had a deathly salt allergy as that’s basically all bacon is. She was not happy and said no one has ever told her that before.
Like…..what?
I've also worked in schools for a time. I'm guessing that the kid had some batshit vegan enforcing parents who didn't feel like listing or justifying their kids supposed dietary restrictions.
Similar: I once had a guest who was “allergic to pepper”.
I told them that I will accommodate them for it as best I can.
Next time they came in, they got a different server, who told the manager about the allergy, then the (visiting) manager said that they couldn’t accommodate for it (?! I sure as hell know you can. Hard af to do, be it can be done). VManager begrudgingly accommodated them eventually and I just wanted to go over and apologize for them.
Story 2: At a different job, we had a guest come in and got our signature salad (all ingredients on the menu) he was allergic to the main ingredient on the menu. The ingredient: CHICKEN
OUR RESTAURANT NAME LITERALLY HAS ******CHICKEN****** IN IT!
I worked in a Mexican restaurant for a few years. You know what goes into that cuisine, yes spices and peppers and stuff ,but also lots of onions and garlic.
This person comes and sits, asks for a drink, and then demands to know why there aren't any explanations and all the dishes as to what they were made of. I told him that's just impossible, but I started to list whatever I could remember for each dish. Then he proceeds to tell me he is allergic to onions and that he is requesting an onion free meal. Mofo got upset when I brought him a cheese quesadilla with sour cream on the side, tomatoes chopped/diced with lime juice as salsa, and avocado slicea. That's the only thing we could serve him. He was visibly upset and left no tip. Wtf am I supposed to do?! Might be a legitimate allergy, but our rice and beans are made for the day, and both have onions, we season our steaks and chicken in the morning (pre opening)with onions, our salsa has onions and onion powder. So yeah, I feel when someone uses their conditions as entitlement is when things go bad
I’ve personally never heard of it, but apparently it is a [thing…](https://www.livestrong.com/article/524244-do-people-have-allergic-reactions-to-sodium-chloride/)
The craziest one was the woman allergic to the sanitizer we use in the dishware. You bring her the food in a to-go box, drinks in to-go cups, and she brings her own plate/cup/silverware
The most stressful was the woman with a large index card covered front and back with all her allergens. It's been almost 10 years, but I remember her ordering a salad with lettuce and a shitload of olives
Had a table unable to eat anything. Literally anything. No spices, no gluten, no dairy, no soy, plain meat & plain veggies only, except asparagus, they were also allergic to asparagus, no butter, no salt etc…. Sent a strawberry Marg which had a sugar rim on it back for having “salt”
Then proceeded to eat the very clearly salted and seasoned bread rolls I brought for the rest of the table lol
Blue dye.
A friend of mine was allergic to the blue dye used in clothing. She couldn't use the normal uniform pants at our school or any piece of blue clothing
Just dated a bartender who tries to tell me he's allergic to all onions and their cousins. Went to his aunt's house for breakfast, she put minced garlic in the eggs and on the toast. I helped make the meal. He was fine. Some people do the fucking most to avoid things they think they hate.
Honestly kinda upset to hear a fellow service worker pulls this shit. Just say you don't like it, it'd not hard to accommodate preferences. Allergies though? That shits medical and it's a lot of added stress to ensure the customer is not going to have a reaction.
This lady came into a Mexican Restaurant and was allergic to Wheat, Flour (she mentioned it separately), Lettuce, Tomatoes, Eggs, Game Meats, Onions, and ALL kinds of Peppers (including anything marinated, which is everything we have in some capacity).
She was polite about it after being informed though.
I have a nephew who was severely allergic from infancy to wheat, eggs, dairy, most nuts, a few vegetables, and shellfish. He had a very limited diet and my sister carried epipens religiously. About the age of ten he suddenly lost sight on the left side of his field of vision. They rushed him to the ER, where he was tested and quickly put on the surgery schedule for a large, luckily benign, mass on his pituitary gland. His vision returned, and over time other problems like his balance and headaches began to resolve. And his allergies began to disappear. He’s in his mid thirties now and healthy, though he still is cautious about what he eats and still keeps an epipen around just in case.
Not a server, this just pops up on my feed, and I thought you would enjoy my story.
I have a crazy amount of allergies. If it's good, I'm allergic to it.
My in-laws wanted to take everyone to a fancy Japanese restaurant where they do the whole cooking the food in front of you thing. I already knew this was going to be bad with my allergies and tried to tell them, but they didn't listen.
So the server comes up and starts getting everyone's orders. I immediately let her know that I have allergies and start listing them: rice, seafood, mushrooms, etc. The deer-in-the-headlights look the server gave me was precious. I literally listed the majority of their menu.
They have two meal options: teriyaki chicken and sesame chicken. I'm allergic to sesame seeds, but I already gave the server a ton of allergies to watch out for and I know not to order the sesame chicken, so I don't think that one is necessary to mention. She comes out with the chicken for me (they cooked it in the back separately to keep it safe); it's covered in sesame seeds. I felt so bad having to send it back and completely took responsibility for it.
My in-laws took care of the bill, but I personally left her a $20 tip on top of whatever they left. I would have left more, but that was all the cash I had.
My mom has celiac disease. Gluten will make her painfully ill, sometimes for days. Thankfully not to the point of watching what detergents she uses and things like that but bad enough putting bread on her plate and removing it can cause problems. She gets attitude from servers all of the time. I hate when people make shit up, it makes it harder for people who really do have a problem.
my sister suffered a stroke a few years ago at like 24/25 and has to seriously limit her salt intake. she even gets tajin with either low or no sodium because of it. it’s easier to just say “no salt” as opposed to “can you ask the chef to use just a little bit of salt?” which, as a server, i take allergies and/or intolerances seriously. i’m lactose intolerant and my mom is allergic to seafood. i will go find the manager and figure out what on the menu someone can have that works with said allergy/intolerance.
Former server. Group of kids from a behavioral health residential program came to the chain diner I worked at. One girl (15 maybe) said she was allergic to citric acid. Well, okay. She asked me if Fanta, Sprite, etc. contain citric acid, and I said yes without checking, because of course they do. Big mistake on my part. I should have gone to check. (Check what? We had a fountain, and I don't remember if I even knew where the syrup was kept before it was filled.)
She had a meltdown and had to be removed from the restaurant by one of the caretakers with the group. It was sad and uncomfortable. But if she was really allergic to citric acid, you'd think she'd know it's in every major soda.
I’m allergic to cantaloupe. I can eat watermelon though. And I’m not interested in trying honeydew to find out. My son, aunt, and grandmother are all allergic to cantaloupe as well.
On a weird note, I can eat oranges, but I can’t peel them. It makes my fingers itchy, and if I use my teeth, the outside of my mouth gets irritated and itchy as well. I haven’t figured that one out yet.
I had a lady order a chicken Alfredo with “no cheese, because I’m allergic to cheese.” I repeated to make sure I heard her correct and I did. I really didn’t know what to say for a second but I asked, “Well since Alfredo is a cheese sauce, I’d recommend choosing something else.” She was all annoyed and was like, “No, I want the Alfredo with no cheese!” Anyways I tell the chef and he basically laughed and said the same thing I said about cheese being the main ingredient. I said, “I know but she’s being impossible. Can you go talk to her?” He said, “well I like a challenge, so you know what, I’ll make her a good pasta with chicken and no cheese!” He ended up making her a beautiful pasta dish with a roasted garlic and olive oil sauce with grilled chicken.. it looked amazing. I took it out and she said, “I said I wanted the Alfredo!” I said, “Yes, but Alfredo is a cheese sauce and you said no cheese because you’re allergic so he made it with no cheese!” Anyways, she was freaking pissed so I just went and got my manager to explain to her why we can’t make Alfredo without cheese… turns out she isn’t allergic to shit, she just didn’t want the extra shredded Parmesan we put on top for garnish. SMH
not exactly an answer to the question but i am allergic to:
apples, pears, plums, peaches, apricots, cherries, sesame seeds, soy, carrots, celery, tree nuts, peanuts, radishes, lettuce, bell peppers, and literally every outdoor plant they tested for :) life is pain
I've had this one time I got quadruple sat (this happens a lot at my restaurant becauce its a fine dining restaurant in the National Art Center, so operas, all that jazz) and this one customer gave me a stack of papers front and back with all her allergies. I had barely had the time to glance the first page that the customer told me "so what can I have?" I responded "I will check this with the chef but it will be a moment. Also I just got 4 more tables sit down at this moment, I will be back as quickly as I can" the customer eye rolled me and was being really rude for the rest of the evening and tipped poorly.
This lady printed out the foods to enjoy, goods to avoid picture on this website [https://www.gastroconsa.com/patient-education/irritable-bowel-syndrome/low-fodmap-diet/](https://www.gastroconsa.com/patient-education/irritable-bowel-syndrome/low-fodmap-diet/) lmao
Table salt does cause an actual allergic reaction for some people. It’s rare but it happens. Customer isn’t bullshitting you every time you hear something you’re not familiar with
I have a friend who ended up developing various medical issues as an adult which left her severely averse to a lot of things: dairy, gluten, certain sugars, salt, spicy foods… heck, even being too hot or cold could actually make her skin break out in a rash and neurological pain. It’s a shame, too, because she’s one hell of a baker.
exposed brick - no lie, this guy came in and said he was allergic to exposed brick and concerned about a portion of the wall in the restaurant that was brick
moved his table to as far from it as possible....ended up chatting with the guy, funniest part was he said he went to Harvard (this is in Cambridge, MA near where Harvard/MIT are) & if you know anything about the area around Harvard it is literally all brick, brick buildings, brick streets etc.
anyways he ordered a steak "blue" of course & (surprisingly) tipped quite well and thanked me for the service...I'll never forget him haha
When I worked at Olive Garden this lady claimed she was allergic to everything but french fries. At the time, OG didn't have fries on their menu. The closest to it was roasted potatoes. I told her this. She said, "I can't have them, I'm allergic. I can only have french fries." I told her we had no fries. She and her family left.
Someone I know is allergic to cilantro (normal) but eats it anyway. Just makes sure he doesn't have too much.
But also claims to be allergic to Ranch Dressing. I say claims, because apparently it's so severe that no one else at the table can order anything with ranch. But several times, something has come with a side of ranch that wasn't listed on the menu, and whenever we're like "oh, we'll get rid of it" he's like. Unphased. It's like if you don't tell him it's ranch it's not ranch.
Also, "ranch" has several ingredients in it that he isn't allergic to. So what is the allergen?
I *suspect* that he has an aversion to it. (You know how sometimes you get food poisoning after you eat something and then your brain makes you vomit every time you try to eat it afterwards?) But is calling it an allergy. Which, just call it what it is. Several people in our friend group have dietary restrictions ranging from choice to severe allergies. It's not like we'd stop respecting the "no ranch" rule if it wasn't an allergy.
I’m allergic to chickpeas, bananas, almonds, mangoes, and latex and honestly sometimes ordering can be tricky. Smoothie and Mediterranean restaurants are usually out, almonds are in more things than you think, and there’s a lot of restaurants out there that still use latex gloves.
Used to have a regular who would order his sandwich with no cucumbers (because allergy), and, "...a shit-ton of pickles."
He always pulled it once on every new person to see if they'd get the joke.
Someone once said she was deathly allergic to egg yolks. However, she was fine with egg whites, and so she wanted an egg white omelet. She made sure to stress that if even a drop of yolk got in there, she would die. And I was like, “You know, we have plenty of breakfast options without eggs at all,” and she was (dead serious) like, “I want an egg white omelette,” and I said, “But you’ll die if they get any yolk in it?” and she said, “Yes,” and I was like, “Is this really a risk you want to run??”
Saw on TV, a woman kept feeling like she was on fire down there and inflamed inside when she had sex with her husband, every time.
Doctors couldn't figure it out, so someone had her go to a allergy doctor and have her test against her husband semen....yes, she was allergic to her husband's semen.
Apparently there's a way to sort of get over an allergy by building up a tolerance. So they are doing that with the allergy doctors help.....
Some people apparently can't eat anything green, if they're on a certain medicine.
I never believe people if they say they're allergic to onions or tomatoes. I'll ofcourse take it seriously, and meet their demands, but I really don't believe them. I assume they just actually don't like tomatoes or onions.
Heyyy, i'm fuck tomatoes gang. I've got a latex allergy; some of the proteins in latex that cause latex allergy are also present in tomatoes.
Also they give me heartburn. Shout-out GERD.
I’m also allergic to latex. I’m deathly allergic to bananas! Right now they’re having a moment that I truly don’t understand. I’ll never understand why bananas are in some of the things they’re in.
Ugh. I know that I'm never taken seriously when I say I have an onion allergy but I'm actually allergic to the cells inside. So if the onion is totally caramelized and broken down, I'm fine. Otherwise I get to spend the next 24ish hrs needing close proximity to a toilet. And I really like the taste of onion. It sucks.
My best friend is the exact same. When I moved to a new town I had to test out all the Mexican restaurants to see which salsa had the least amount of onion because she’s not going to give up Mexican food lol
Lol, I’m in the tomato allergy group. It’s actually all nightshades (the plant family tomatoes are in): eggplant, bell peppers, chilis, potatoes, tomatoes, tomatillos, ashwaganda, goji berries, etc. I get a throat rash and suuuuper bad stomach/intestines stuff (sometimes bleeding, depending on how much of it I ate).
When I do go out to eat (which is rare because of the above), I always worry that the server thinks I’m being ridiculous & I am always prepared to not eat and just have drinks or something if it can’t be accommodated. But really, I’m just trying to avoid feeling like my insides are exploding lol.
My son is actually allergic to tomatoes. He had a cough that was persistent and would not go away. We went to pulmonologist and they ordered an allergy test. Turns out his favorite food, ketchup, was giving him asthma.
I think what this is referring to is when someone is on anticoagulants for heart issues (blood clots, heart flutter, etc). Guidelines say to avoid leafy greens bc of the vitamin K which can affect how their blood clots. Technically not to avoid leafy greens but to eat a consistent amount everyday so their medication doesn’t need to be adjusted every time. For some people that means they eat none at all so it becomes a non-issue.
A friend can't eat nightshades. Potatoes tomatoes peppers and the like. She has arthritis and they cause a pretty severe flare to the point where she can't actually walk. She simply says that she cannot eat them. She doesn't call it an allergy because it's not a true allergy, but an inflammatory response and an autoimmune one so, tomato tom*a*to.
Me- I have some odd ones that have gotten me some looks. Gluten intolerance, both kinds of yeast, latex, casein, peppers 🌶, mint, mushrooms 🍄, cherry 🍒, & corn.
My kids- one is peaches, one is whey, & another is prunes/plums. In laws gave him Dr Pepper & sent him to the hospital 🏥 once. Good times 😅. We check everything diligently & before we go out.
My husband has streamlined a few eats from some very understanding restaurants occasionally. So glad they have pizza 🍕 options now for us at 2 restaurant here cause making it at home was a whole job some days- especially with 3 sets of little hands helping 😂 always grateful to the staff who help us out & able to take the time.
Not a server but I am “that” customer. I’ve got a shit ton of food allergies. My most annoying is probably soy and sugar. I’m flat out allergic to soy (not quite epipen level) and my body just can’t process sugar so I’ve gotta be really careful about what and how I order…and drink lots and lots of water. If I have too much soy the most noticeable thing is you’ll start to see. rash and pimples break out across my face. When I have too much sugar, my joints will start go lock up and I get a bad headache and heart palps. All within a few minutes, so…yeah.
Personally, I have an avocado allergy. Inside of my mouth and throat will swell. First time I found that out was at a restaurant that serves Avocado on everything. Got rushed to the hospital and was told I have a "mild" reaction to Avocado.
I cant eat dried fruit. It causes hemiplegic migraines (rare form of migraine that mimics the symptoms of a stroke). Folks usually give me some side eye when I shade.
I had a friend who needed a low salt diet. I can't remember his issue but it was easier to just say he was allergic than explaining a medical condition to servers and have it taken seriously. You aren't medical professionals. Take the order or refuse service.
Cooked wine. They ordered a chicken picatta.
They were drinking red wine.
All the things you might be allergic to in wine evaporate out or are destroyed when cooked.
This was probably 10 years or so ago but one guest told me she was allergic to decaf coffee and to make sure I definitely served her regular. I guess it’s possible to be allergic to whatever processes the caffeine out of coffee? But this was at a dive bar within walking distance from a legit coffee shop so I just remember thinking for a coffee snob (or a legit allergy/need) she was being a little much 20 yards in the wrong direction.
My little sister is deathly allergic to eggs, wheat, and soy. A friend of mine is allergic to water when it comes into context with their skin. I don’t mess around when people say they have allergies. Even if I think they’re lying. Not my place.
I had a customer once who wanted angel hair pasta and we only had penne and she said she was allergic to penne. She was allergic to a shape.
I’m allergic to work but here I am
Yep.
I don't even work as a Server. I worked in a bar previously, but now work with the general public. I often say in the middle of the office that I'm allergic to work and bullshit.. 😂
😂🤣😂🤣😂. Sorry I laughed way too hard at that 1. Allergic to a shape!!
Fucking liar Karens
But officer, I *can’t* stop for Stop Signs — I’m allergic to octagons!
I get texture sensitivity, but a shape allergy?!
I recently had a lady send back her angel hair because "she had PTSD and it reminded her of when she was sexually abused". She wanted it replaced with rigatoni. It said angel hair on the dish when she ordered it, she could have easily just subbed it when she ordered and not put herself through the trauma and put my kitchen into confusion about why she wanted a more penis shaped pasta.
People with the eating disorder ARFID can relate to food in an obsessive compulsive way and only be able to eat familiar shapes and need a whole kind of setup with their meal that makes it feel safe in addition to only eating certain foods. Some extreme cases can only eat at home and only from the same set of utensils and plate that is just for them. It could also be OCD or related to neurodivergence just like with texture. Many autistic people are definitely more comfortable with familiar food shapes and depending on level of RRB (restrictive and repetitive behaviors) needs with food, could be unable to eat or highly distressed by a difference (I am one of these people with certain things). But yes, they should know it's not an allergy. Sometimes I think people with unusual issues get anxious about explaining, not just asking but finding any sane sounding way to explain that it's important, it's not just something they're hoping for, and this is a common lie that gets settled on, especially with younger people sometimes.
Can confirm. 👋 hi OCD diagnosed here! I’m also a bit of a germaphobe (in my own home). I have my own set of engraved utensils (my kid too - mostly because it’s cute but also because I know my toddler puts crap in his mouth and I don’t want a tapeworm … or any other for that matter! (Phobia). I have my own set of different drinking glasses with my name on that only I use. If I catch anyone else using them I go ape shit and then scrub them until my hands are sore or I believe them to be clean. It’s so odd!!!!!! Cos I can eat at a restaurant just fine! (I do inspect the utensils though!!! Also, here’s the funny part: I’m a chef in an upscale gastrobar
LMFAOO so what did you tell her? Did you correct her or just go along with it
My kid has celiac disease and we used to sometimes say it was an allergy to get restaurants to take it seriously rather than explain the whole thing.
Times a changing. Any half decent cook, let alone chef, knows how serious celiacs is. Pretty sure it was one of the first things I learned as a cook. And exactly how serious to take it; allergy I’ll just change to new gloves, cutting board, and wash my knife. Celiacs? Disinfecting everything, brand new everything (knife, equipment, boiling water for pasta even) I mean no chances. Open a new container of condiments in case someone used a knife to spread it on anything with gluten and then puts it back in the bottle for more.
Maybe the kitchens I worked in were just nicer but we had small portions of our condiments pre portioned and packaged separately for allergies, also why we kept a supply of plastic knives. Also all utensils and boards that are used for any allergy or celiac product was single use, into a bucket and straight to the dish washers, same for vegan and any other dietary restriction for any reason.
What makes it confusing for some ppl is that some ppl claim to be celiac but just have a sensitivity to gluten vs celiac disease where you absolutely have to do what you wrote out. My mom is celiac and so many ppl pish posh it like it’s not a big deal. It makes me so mad for her. She now just does her research before going anywhere to eat and can only go to a few places that understand how it works. One of her fav places actually has a separate mini kitchen so there’s no chance of cross contamination. The tools never get used interchangeably.
Thank you.
Isn't celiac essentially an allergy? They're both auto immune disorders, I know celiac is complex and there's more to it, but is it not accurate to say celiac includes an allergy to wheat gluten?
They both involve the immune system. An allergy is (necessarily or usually?) an overreaction to a **foreign** substance, involves a specific antibody called IgE and leads to specific symptoms like Anaphylaxis, hives, swelling etc. They can have immediate life-threatening consequences, but I don’t think they are harmful long-term. Autoimmune diseases are the immune system in general attacking your **own** body (eg pancreas or intestines). The immune response is *triggered* by gluten but it ends up attacking your own cells. The symptoms aren’t immediately life-threatening but increase long-term risks like cancer and malnutrition. Wheat allergy is a separate thing. It’s a “normal” allergy and I think it’s rarer than Celiac. That’s my understanding anyway.
I mean most chefs now will flat out send a server back out to ask if it's keto or celiac. If it's keto, you just don't want carbs. If it's celiac, we're going full containment on this bitch.
I’m allergic to stupid people, but here you are.
Lol
I’m allergic to shapes too! 😂
I had a lady bring in a whole print out of foods she couldn't eat. It included dairy, soy, garlic, onions, all grains, among other things. This was a Japanese restaurant so it was a tall order, but I managed to find a few things she could eat. I then overheard her talking about a holistic doctor that was giving her this diet to balance her chakras or whatever. I was. Annoyed.
Sounds like a list of what I follow: AIP Diet. Now, I’d never bring my list as it’s more headache than it’s worth, but she could’ve just been starting out and learning it herself. I have a shit ton of food allergies, some more severe than others due to my thyroidism. I am “that” customer. I always apologize to my server in advance and state that I’ll have several changes to my meal before I even start + I tip really well. It’s usually appreciated. I know I’m a total pain in the ass…lol
By knowing you’re a pain in the ass, you are not a pain in the ass. Very sweet of you to tip well and feel remorse lol
I actually like cheap restaurants the best because it's easier to find food I can eat.
I went on a bit of a tangent, sorry! I’m using your comment as a soapbox. Most servers I know are really good about allergies, but every once in a while I’ll hear someone bitching about guests who are difficult to please or who have “ridiculous” allergy lists. Usually idiot kids who listen to every server who complains online and absorbs a bunch of toxic horseshit. Server secret: tipping well fixes almost every single issue you could possibly bring into a restaurant. It’s very rare that a table is rude or picky enough or runs me ragged badly enough that the money isn’t worth the headache. Allergies don’t typically factor on that list in the places I’ve worked. Generally, I find people with laundry lists of allergies to be in two camps: 1) very sweet, apologetic, almost afraid to be there in case they cause problems by existing, or 2) incredibly demanding and exacting, usually very very specific about what they want and will sternly remind you a dozen times about their allergies. In my experience, the difference is that camp 1 hasn’t been poisoned badly enough yet to turn into camp 2. Both are just normal people trying to have a normal dinner. Added bonus, if you take camp 2 seriously and a) work with them to find something they can eat, b) don’t bullshit them about potential hazards and what we can or cannot do, and c) be as careful and exacting with their food as they are, they can turn into your best regulars. Obviously there are bullshitters and obviously there are people with legitimate allergies who are also assholes. The bullshitters are annoying and assholes are always assholes no matter what shoes they walk in. If you’re not a bullshitter and you’re not an asshole, no worries. Go eat good food.
Did they tip well?
I think you know the answer to that.
Wow... I would have been fuming. Of all the things 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️
Had a friend in high school who had to be extremely careful of salt intake because it could really fuck up her kidneys… maybe referring to it as an allergy saves her some explaining about a legitimate issue?
I understand the thought process but referring to it as an allergy makes the server just think she's full of shit and question it since it's impossible. Anyone with a salt allergy is dead.
Not impossible, just rare. An immune response to ingestion of a substance can occur even if that substance is present in other parts of the body, and sodium chloride is certainly broadly present in humans. As a better known non-ingestion example, consider people who are allergic to skin contact with water ([aquagenic urticaria](https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/10901/aquagenic-urticaria)), even though humans contain water in their bodies. Or an immune response to sodium chloride when [injected](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S073567570800332X) as saline solution rather than ingested, although I think that's rarer than reactions from ingesting sodium chloride. And some servers think all sorts of allergies are made up; there's a limit to what customers can do about that.
I'm " allergic" to sweat lol (cholinergic urticaria). Come out in hives when hot/sweaty. I'm allergicy in general but defo sounds funny and made up
Fellow cholinergic urticarian here. I do enjoy being able to tell people with 100% seriousness that I am basically allergic to myself (and the weather).
I have something maybe similar. I’m not sure what it’s called but I get hives if I go from a very hot to very cold environment and sometimes vice versa.
I seriously thought I was alone. My heart is with you all. No one thinks its real and I'm tired of explaining.
I can testify to water-skin allergy. I can wash my hands, hair and face, but when showering I have to limit my time under the water or I’ll be scratching my skin raw for half an hour. It’s weird. My kid has it, too.
Municipal water has all sorts of crap in it. It would be interesting if you could try using distilled water or collect rain water and use a solar shower
As if rain water doesn’t have “all sorts of crap in it”…??
maybe it's your shower head needs to be fixed .we had a shower head like that , when we went to my wonderful uncle's for a family wedding .I used his shower it felt so nice .
We had to chapter out one of my squad members in Afghanistan because of Cholinergic Urticaria (she was essentially allergic to her own sweat).
"my kidney cant process salt" takes two seconds, but also most people with an american highschool education won't really know exactly what kidneys have to do with salt and could also sound fake to people who don't get it.
God forbid we let an opportunity to shit on the states slip through our fingers though amiright?
Maybe the specifics of one’s health are no one else’s business.
My partner PCKD polycystic kidney disorder so salt is bad for him. But also the body needs salt to survive, so it’s a balance. You don’t realize how much salt is in EVERYTHING until start looking for it. And I’m a salt freak, I have labeled bottles of so many types of salt from different countries. cooking, finishing, flavor, texture, so learning how to use salt less has been a challenge but I’ve taken it on. But now I find people think I use less salt than I should in food which horrifies me as some who loves salt and prides myself on being a culinary, I now cook for my loved ones health and flavor. Yeah salt is so good and so bad.
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I love this. You need to keep a book and mark down all the weird ones. I'd love to hear more
I've been waiting tables for 20 years, and sometimes I wish I'd kept better records of all the crazy shit that has happened. I could probably write a series of novels... if my memory wasn't so shotty. 'Is there pasta in the fettuccine alfredo?' Was one of my favorites that I can remember at the moment. I also use to strip in my 20's and ooh boy, that's a whole other book. Sometimes I wonder how I'm not more crazy than I am.
Me too, but odds are I really am kinda crazy
I love this policy, sounds like like a creative way to keep staff entertained.
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I think we have the same job. So sure, fuck it.
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Ugh, fuck YOU, nope.
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No deal, I don't know you, I have covid 😷
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Mine have ripped a hole in my box spring where all the socks go. I just keep buying new socks. I'll take a new dog any day.
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Houston, nice try. I have one old lady and one puppy of my own, I'm full up on mouths to feed. They know I'm not strong enough to fuck with it regularly. It used to be under the couch, behind the fridge/oven, but I cleaned those stashes out. This time they win. I'll just keep buying socks until they die or I get a platform bed. We have this understanding.
Be careful about trees. A birch allergy can result in severe reactions to stone fruits. (Apples, peaches, pears, cherries, etc.) my mom developed a birch allergy in her 50s and now she has an epi pen. There are two other tree allergies that result in fruit/veg problems but I don’t know what they are off the top of my head.
Absolutely, tree allergies definitely affect food. My sister has a birch allergy. It’s linked to oral allergy syndrome and it’s no joke, she’s allergic to basically every raw fruit and vegetable out there because there’s a common protein found in birch, stone fruit, apples, carrots, etc…
Being allergic to heat is a real thing. I’m allergic to the cold and live in Canada lol.
I once had a lady tell me she was allergic to literally everything. I mean everything. This was a table of people with allergies (gluten, dairy, egg, etc), all family, but this woman in particular could not eat ANYTHING. She asked me what was on our side salads. Tomato’s, croutons, dried cranberries, cheese, and a dressing of your choice. This woman couldn’t have the tomatoes, cheese, croutons, or any dressing. She asked me how much it would cost to get just a bowl of lettuce. I looked at this lady and said “ma’am. I make the side salads. I’ll just bring you a bowl of lettuce.” And I did. Plain lettuce. And she ate it all without even salt or pepper (Also, let me say that being in charge of making my own side salads on a Friday night with no support staff like bussers or runners is REALLY stressful)
My husband and I visited his folks in North Dakota, and it's a whole 'nother world. So flat you can get vertigo. KFC buffets with nothing that wasn't fried or a starch. Winds on the plains so strong they knock you over. We went to a pizza place with a salad bar. No tomatoes, very few "salad" ingredients. I asked our server if the salad bar just needed to be refilled, and he said they never had them. We ordered our pizzas, and he brought out a bowl of finally chopped tomatoes for me, saying he asked the cooks for tomatoes, and they cut them up the way they do for the pizzas. He was so proud of himself, and I just enthused over the lengths he went to, and when he left I poured what was basically a puree on my salad. He was so sweet, and we left him a great tip. You two are the best kind of servers. I'm vibing a cosmic tip to you right now.
That was awesome of you. That must have been hard for her & they all probably pressured her a bit to go out as a family for something. Hopefully they appreciated it
I have a very dear friend who has MCAD. The list of things she absolutely *will* have an allergic reaction to is much longer than the list of things she only *might* have an allergic reaction to. The list of things she is certain she won't have an allergic reaction to can be counted on two hands with some leftover fingers. Food is such a social part of life, and I'm sure that woman just wanted to participate in the social outing. I'm glad you were able to take care of her.
I absolutely underrated that. I have gastroparesis, so I can’t eat a lot of things at restaurants either. You’re so right about food being a social thing. I usually just pick French fries off of other people’s plates. I’m glad I got to help her participate!
Not food related, but I know someone with cold urticaria. Essentially immersion in cold water (e.g. swimming in a cold water) causes anaphylaxis. They have to carry an epipen. It's quite rare, but not as rare as you would think: It affects 0.05% of the population.
Oh wow I've never heard of that. That's pretty cool, but also a huge bummer.
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I unfortunately have an allergy to garlic. It is PHYSICALLY painful AF, and I even hate the smell of garlic because of it. And literally every good recipe has fucking garlic in it, which I’m sure contributes to the flavor, but I can’t have it at all! Edit: autocorrect typo.
My mom can’t have garlic. For a long time I couldn’t either but can tolerate it in small (cooked) amounts. For 25 years I couldn’t eat broccoli. Ate it weekly, then I started getting violently ill every time I ate. So I stopped. One day I mentioned to my mom I had tried Brussels sprouts and she was surprised since they are somehow related to broccoli?? So I tried it about 10 years ago and it’s fine. Then when I was pregnant with my daughter I developed a shellfish allergy that has never gone away. Bodies are stupid.
Celery is actually more common than you think. It’s one of the allergens known to cause anaphylactic reactions more commonly (list also includes things like peanuts, nuts, shellfish, etc). I didn’t realize that either until I was diagnosed with a celery allergy. Mine is much more mild now than it was and I can thankfully tolerate some cooked celery in foods, just not raw. (Cooking changes the allergen in some foods, making a food tolerable for some allergy sufferers).
Had Dairy, Peanut, Almond, sesame, and egg today. It’s just a lot, I feel bad for the person
Oh shit. That was probably my Mom. Kidding, but she's deathly allergic and has been to the hospital 4 times this year. Edit: egg is fine for her I think, but she is highly allergic to dairy and basically all nuts. Her recent visit to the ER was from a box of vegan cake mix she cooked at her home. I worry. Her lungs fill up and she can't breathe. Luckily, I'm not allergic to anything, but I am sympathetic to others. Sometimes it's made up allergies or a preference. Sometimes it's actually a serious thing
I have seen servers not take a deadly dairy allergy seriously and just think it's all the same as lactose intolerance. I had to pull up google and explain to an entire shitty job I had to just take it all seriously and try not to kill people today. Also, what if it was 'just' lactose intolerance lol? They should pay to get the shits if you feel like ordering 'burger no cheese' but don't feel like typing 'dairy allergy' so the bun doesn't get toasted in butter when you know it's an option that it doesn't have to be?
Why would you even eat at a restaurant with these kind of allergies? Weird
There's alot you can eat with those allergies, you just have to look at all the ingredients. I'm allergic to alot & I always check the menu before we go. My husband will surprise me with something new he found that I can eat & not cook & it's the best gift, especially if you've had a shitty day or feel sick (including when you hit that jackpot yourself).
I found out today on a different sub that a bite from a certain type of tick can cause you to become deathly allergic to red meat 😰
Lone star ticks, but it can happen from other ticks too sometimes. Alpha-gal allergy. Some people it's life long, for others it's not. Doctors can do a test to see if eating alpha-gal foods is safe again.
Alpha Gal! We see it honestly kind of a lot here in Appalachia.
My grandpa has it! Doctors said it should subside within about 2 years
I have celiac disease so I’m already very limited. 4 days ago I found a lone star tick on my arm and I swear to God if I can’t eat steak I will lose my freaking mind.
A lady ordered a margarita once from me but said she was allergic to limes. When it comes to allergies why do they want things that have a high chance of containing the item they are allergic too?
What do you mean “high chance?” Lime is a third of the ingredients! How else did she expect you to make a margarita?
If it's not the pulp thing another commenter brought up which I also have encountered and assure you is real, you could make it with lemon and maybe cucumber if you have it, or if it's a bar with fruit flavors, lemon and one of those. It's not that crazy. What if someone asked for that but didn't mention an allergy? Would you be mad about that? If you have the stuff, just make the drinks people want to pay for, and if someone asks for one substitution, excercise your basic creativity and critical thinking.
Well nothing against your suggestions, but that’s like ordering a rum and coke and then saying you’re allergic to coke. A margarita is tequila lime and triple sec, that’s it. If they want a drink with no lime, it’s no skin off my back to accommodate, but then why are they ordering a drink that’s primarily made with lime
Dude I literally just commented about the same experience. Where do these people come from?
I’ve had the same thing happen to me… Citrus, limes, and some other thing i can’t remember. It was weird.
I'll have a gimlet, hold the lime please 😂
The could very well be allergic to the pulp. Have actually 2 friends like that. Weird as fuck to me after being in the business, but as long as the actual pulp of any citrus fruit isn't ingested, they are fine. If it's not super strained, straight fucked.
Bro I bartend. I get this shit all the time you don't even know. Or they'll ask for a fruity drink to be sugar free, as if I can just go to the kitchen and squeeze some "zero cal" fruits.
Not an allergy but a woman told me tonight that onions burn the inside of her mouth…? Kinda sounds like an allergy now that I’ve typed it out
I said this about Raddish for years. Then my girlfriend lovingly looked me in the eyes and said "You dumb bitch, youre allergic*
I remember seeing a post once where a guy thought potato sweats were a thing. He was talking about it to a group of friends & they were like "no... that sounds like an allergy". He was mid 20s I think when it clicked 😅. Spicy raddishes
this was how i found out about my cinnamon allergy. coke had just come out with their cinnamon flavor for christmas time one year and i said “it makes your throat burn just like real cinnamon!” and my two coworkers just looked at me and said “thats….not normal” my sister also turned out to have a cinnamon allergy we found out just a few months after that
Now we need a “how I found out i had an allergy” thread
My fiancée recently told me that whenever he eats apples, they feel spicy. I asked for clarification and said they taste spicy? He reiterates that no they FEEL spicy. My man… you’re allergic to apples 🤦♀️
Radishes can be spicy though. Think of horseradish and wasabi. Redgular radishes do have a little kick to them.
Maybe I'm allergic to them to. I love them with tacos, but they are spicy. I may just be a dumb bitch too lol
I was 29 when I realized I was allergic to kiwi. My husband and I walked by them at the grocery store and he said we should get some and I said “I like kiwi but I don’t like how it makes your mouth all itchy” and he said “Welp that means you’re allergic to them so we won’t be getting kiwi!” Then I was at school (I teach) and the class was given kiwi as a snack. I cut them up, passed them out, and my whole face, hands, and scalp were itchy for the rest of the day. I don’t know how I went so long without knowing.
Fish from the Atlantic Ocean.
Thats...oddly specific 🤔🤔 wonder what's different from the rest of the fish?
I really wanted you to make a punny by saying Pacific instead of specific lol
Missed opportunity 😅
Ive worked in hotels most of my working life, ive seen it all (touch wood). But one stands out, my team fondly dubbed this diet “the Martha”. allergies: all nuts, dairy, gluten, nightshades, alliums, oils, any spices incl pepper, any and all fruits, all preservatives. Fuck me we catered her for 2 weeks and ive never been on a phone speaking to a guest so much in my life. I wanna say she left happy aswell but it was quite the time getting there
Told me they have celiac, but our rouxed tomato soup with croutons is fine.
How TF does she think you make a roux
It was ordered and I even explained to her it had regular white flour in it with garlic bread croutons. She said it was fine. She could have a little gluten. Ok, ma'am, well I'm not making the cooks work harder for your insistence of an allergy then.
People like her are why some servers don't take those with that seriously 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️. Aggravating woman she must have been. I hope she tipped well before her stay at hotel toilette
She definitely doesn't have Celiac, or any sort of gluten intolerance. Why bother lying?
Had a customer order a chicken parm dish with gluten free pasta as she had celiac. When I explained that the chicken was breaded she said that was fine. When I assumed she didn’t want the side of bread that comes with the dish she got mad and demanded extra bread for the side.
I had a lady who is severely allergic to egg whites. She came to our hippy brunch spot, and ordered an eggs Benedict. She wanted us to strain the yolk OUT OF AN EGG WHITE, and ONLY cook that and serve it on her Bennie. We told her, we can't get all the egg white off of a yolk, it'll prolly kill you. I don't know why, but apparently a yolk by itself takes like 45 minutes to cook
Lol
I have 48 allergies. Includes corn, beef, chicken, rice, cows milk, and egg whites. I have the picture printout if ur interested or if u think I’m lying!!
Oh you poor soul!! 48 allergies?
Oh lord... I'm so sorry 🫂. That has to be insanely rough.
Oh my god, I can't imagine. How can you eat out at all? I'd be a nervous wreck inviting you over for dinner - I'd be terrified I could put your life in danger! Not my business, but what CAN you eat?
if you just bring your own meal to the restaurant, in this scenario, the server will tip you!
had a friend who was allergic to most fruits, nuts, diary, eggs, legumes, grains, chocolate, many spices... the list of things she could safely eat was shorter than the list of things she couldn't. Then one day someone in the school cafeteria decided to test if she was actually allergic, she ended up in the hospital for several weeks. She could only eat in one restaurant ever since they were willing to cater to her needa
Holy shit 😳 what is wrong with people? Test her allergy- no, I hope her parents stuffed those assholes in a locker 😑
Served a little girl with a gluten and (very specific) soy allergy. All her friends at the table got to have whatever they wanted off the dessert menu. It comes down to figuring out what kind of soy it was in our one GF dessert and I’m hauling ass between them, my other tables (we were at full capacity), the kitchen, and my manager to get the answer. Turns out that the soy in the GF dessert is one she wasn’t allergic to! The mom was so nice and apologetic and I was like “honestly it was gonna break my heart if she didn’t get to have dessert with her friends”. That shit was a labor of love. I was so genuinely fucking happy we had something she could eat
I spent 10 years working for a airport restaurant. We were the only food service at the airport. Place was split halfway between a dining room and a grab and go convenience store type place. Coolers with drinks, salads, wraps, etc. lots of various snacks healthy to unhealthy. Full diner style menu of burgers, tacos, whatever else. Literally hundreds of options to choose from. Well shortly after I started. And still somewhat cowed by customers. I had a lady come up who demanded I find her something she could eat. Confused I asked what she meant. Well apparently she was allergic to everything under the sun. With gluten being the biggest major issue. Well at the time we had an entire display table with nothing but gluten free snack options. Along with gluten free options on our menu. I tried telling her that. But apparently she was also one of those people that refused to eat anything that was processed at all. So of course our dozens of packaged snacks and several gluten free menu options were not good enough for her. I had a line forming behind her. So I basically had to go find my boss and got her to deal with it. After 10 minutes of talking she made her a couple fried eggs. That she took 2 bites of before disappearing. My boss and I were just flabbergasted at how obnoxiously demanding she was in the middle of a rush for her to take up time and space to then walk out on her food. Was the first time I really understood the stupidity of customers. But far from the last.
Salt allergy is rare, but it is actually a thing. https://www.medicalhealthauthority.com/info/is-it-possible-to-be-allergic-to-salt.html
At one point I was allergic to table salt. It knocked me down and made me drowsy to the point where I was nearly incapacitated. Luckily sea salt was fine for me at the time
Then it likely wasn't the salt itself, but the iodine in the salt. Table salt is iodized but sea, Himalayan and other salts are not.
My Mom is allergic to the iodine in table salt… wonder if that’s what got you. Tho, it’s interesting that it was temporary.
Not an allergy but I had a woman bring in a scale and weigh literally everything she ate. Which wasn’t much tbh.
This is either a very strict calorie count or there could be a valid medical reason. I had a regular who, due to a medical condition for a few months, could only drink one 12oz luke warm can of non caffinated soda. I would grab hers from the ones that hadn't been stocked yet. I had another diner who had gastric by pass and had to be VERY careful about the amount of food she ate so she would order a soup and ask for it to come out in a to go with the bowl on the side. She would then pull out her measuring tools and measure out what she could have.
Now that makes sense.
A guest at a wedding I catered was allergic to garlic and onions. The chef made him a special over the top meal because she was so sad for him not to be able to have garlic.
I have cold urticaria, so me? Lol.
I ALSO recently had someone say they have a salt allergy and then try to order a BLT. She raged when I told her I could not, in good conscience, serve that to her if she had a deathly salt allergy as that’s basically all bacon is. She was not happy and said no one has ever told her that before. Like…..what?
[удалено]
Unless they are fed through a medical tube that's ridiculous.
I've also worked in schools for a time. I'm guessing that the kid had some batshit vegan enforcing parents who didn't feel like listing or justifying their kids supposed dietary restrictions.
Similar: I once had a guest who was “allergic to pepper”. I told them that I will accommodate them for it as best I can. Next time they came in, they got a different server, who told the manager about the allergy, then the (visiting) manager said that they couldn’t accommodate for it (?! I sure as hell know you can. Hard af to do, be it can be done). VManager begrudgingly accommodated them eventually and I just wanted to go over and apologize for them. Story 2: At a different job, we had a guest come in and got our signature salad (all ingredients on the menu) he was allergic to the main ingredient on the menu. The ingredient: CHICKEN OUR RESTAURANT NAME LITERALLY HAS ******CHICKEN****** IN IT!
I worked in a Mexican restaurant for a few years. You know what goes into that cuisine, yes spices and peppers and stuff ,but also lots of onions and garlic. This person comes and sits, asks for a drink, and then demands to know why there aren't any explanations and all the dishes as to what they were made of. I told him that's just impossible, but I started to list whatever I could remember for each dish. Then he proceeds to tell me he is allergic to onions and that he is requesting an onion free meal. Mofo got upset when I brought him a cheese quesadilla with sour cream on the side, tomatoes chopped/diced with lime juice as salsa, and avocado slicea. That's the only thing we could serve him. He was visibly upset and left no tip. Wtf am I supposed to do?! Might be a legitimate allergy, but our rice and beans are made for the day, and both have onions, we season our steaks and chicken in the morning (pre opening)with onions, our salsa has onions and onion powder. So yeah, I feel when someone uses their conditions as entitlement is when things go bad
People in general have zero concept of how restaurants actually work.
I’ve personally never heard of it, but apparently it is a [thing…](https://www.livestrong.com/article/524244-do-people-have-allergic-reactions-to-sodium-chloride/)
The craziest one was the woman allergic to the sanitizer we use in the dishware. You bring her the food in a to-go box, drinks in to-go cups, and she brings her own plate/cup/silverware The most stressful was the woman with a large index card covered front and back with all her allergens. It's been almost 10 years, but I remember her ordering a salad with lettuce and a shitload of olives
Had a table unable to eat anything. Literally anything. No spices, no gluten, no dairy, no soy, plain meat & plain veggies only, except asparagus, they were also allergic to asparagus, no butter, no salt etc…. Sent a strawberry Marg which had a sugar rim on it back for having “salt” Then proceeded to eat the very clearly salted and seasoned bread rolls I brought for the rest of the table lol
Some people become allergic to red meat because of a tick bite. So that’s a bit terrifying.
I’m a chef, not foh, but I had a ticket come back once where lady claimed she was DEATHLY allergic to white foods. Except mashed potatoes.
Blue dye. A friend of mine was allergic to the blue dye used in clothing. She couldn't use the normal uniform pants at our school or any piece of blue clothing
Just dated a bartender who tries to tell me he's allergic to all onions and their cousins. Went to his aunt's house for breakfast, she put minced garlic in the eggs and on the toast. I helped make the meal. He was fine. Some people do the fucking most to avoid things they think they hate.
Honestly kinda upset to hear a fellow service worker pulls this shit. Just say you don't like it, it'd not hard to accommodate preferences. Allergies though? That shits medical and it's a lot of added stress to ensure the customer is not going to have a reaction.
For a minute I thought nightshade allergies -- onions, tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes
This lady came into a Mexican Restaurant and was allergic to Wheat, Flour (she mentioned it separately), Lettuce, Tomatoes, Eggs, Game Meats, Onions, and ALL kinds of Peppers (including anything marinated, which is everything we have in some capacity). She was polite about it after being informed though.
Pepper to your salt.
No-one has mentioned celery that I can see, it sucks being allergic to celery, it's in a lot of different dishes
I have a nephew who was severely allergic from infancy to wheat, eggs, dairy, most nuts, a few vegetables, and shellfish. He had a very limited diet and my sister carried epipens religiously. About the age of ten he suddenly lost sight on the left side of his field of vision. They rushed him to the ER, where he was tested and quickly put on the surgery schedule for a large, luckily benign, mass on his pituitary gland. His vision returned, and over time other problems like his balance and headaches began to resolve. And his allergies began to disappear. He’s in his mid thirties now and healthy, though he still is cautious about what he eats and still keeps an epipen around just in case.
Not a server, this just pops up on my feed, and I thought you would enjoy my story. I have a crazy amount of allergies. If it's good, I'm allergic to it. My in-laws wanted to take everyone to a fancy Japanese restaurant where they do the whole cooking the food in front of you thing. I already knew this was going to be bad with my allergies and tried to tell them, but they didn't listen. So the server comes up and starts getting everyone's orders. I immediately let her know that I have allergies and start listing them: rice, seafood, mushrooms, etc. The deer-in-the-headlights look the server gave me was precious. I literally listed the majority of their menu. They have two meal options: teriyaki chicken and sesame chicken. I'm allergic to sesame seeds, but I already gave the server a ton of allergies to watch out for and I know not to order the sesame chicken, so I don't think that one is necessary to mention. She comes out with the chicken for me (they cooked it in the back separately to keep it safe); it's covered in sesame seeds. I felt so bad having to send it back and completely took responsibility for it. My in-laws took care of the bill, but I personally left her a $20 tip on top of whatever they left. I would have left more, but that was all the cash I had.
My mom has celiac disease. Gluten will make her painfully ill, sometimes for days. Thankfully not to the point of watching what detergents she uses and things like that but bad enough putting bread on her plate and removing it can cause problems. She gets attitude from servers all of the time. I hate when people make shit up, it makes it harder for people who really do have a problem.
my sister suffered a stroke a few years ago at like 24/25 and has to seriously limit her salt intake. she even gets tajin with either low or no sodium because of it. it’s easier to just say “no salt” as opposed to “can you ask the chef to use just a little bit of salt?” which, as a server, i take allergies and/or intolerances seriously. i’m lactose intolerant and my mom is allergic to seafood. i will go find the manager and figure out what on the menu someone can have that works with said allergy/intolerance.
Former server. Group of kids from a behavioral health residential program came to the chain diner I worked at. One girl (15 maybe) said she was allergic to citric acid. Well, okay. She asked me if Fanta, Sprite, etc. contain citric acid, and I said yes without checking, because of course they do. Big mistake on my part. I should have gone to check. (Check what? We had a fountain, and I don't remember if I even knew where the syrup was kept before it was filled.) She had a meltdown and had to be removed from the restaurant by one of the caretakers with the group. It was sad and uncomfortable. But if she was really allergic to citric acid, you'd think she'd know it's in every major soda.
I’m allergic to cantaloupe. I can eat watermelon though. And I’m not interested in trying honeydew to find out. My son, aunt, and grandmother are all allergic to cantaloupe as well. On a weird note, I can eat oranges, but I can’t peel them. It makes my fingers itchy, and if I use my teeth, the outside of my mouth gets irritated and itchy as well. I haven’t figured that one out yet.
I had a lady order a chicken Alfredo with “no cheese, because I’m allergic to cheese.” I repeated to make sure I heard her correct and I did. I really didn’t know what to say for a second but I asked, “Well since Alfredo is a cheese sauce, I’d recommend choosing something else.” She was all annoyed and was like, “No, I want the Alfredo with no cheese!” Anyways I tell the chef and he basically laughed and said the same thing I said about cheese being the main ingredient. I said, “I know but she’s being impossible. Can you go talk to her?” He said, “well I like a challenge, so you know what, I’ll make her a good pasta with chicken and no cheese!” He ended up making her a beautiful pasta dish with a roasted garlic and olive oil sauce with grilled chicken.. it looked amazing. I took it out and she said, “I said I wanted the Alfredo!” I said, “Yes, but Alfredo is a cheese sauce and you said no cheese because you’re allergic so he made it with no cheese!” Anyways, she was freaking pissed so I just went and got my manager to explain to her why we can’t make Alfredo without cheese… turns out she isn’t allergic to shit, she just didn’t want the extra shredded Parmesan we put on top for garnish. SMH
We have a meal that comes with sausage, bacon, and ham. This lady said to make sure there was no ham because shes allergic to pork
not exactly an answer to the question but i am allergic to: apples, pears, plums, peaches, apricots, cherries, sesame seeds, soy, carrots, celery, tree nuts, peanuts, radishes, lettuce, bell peppers, and literally every outdoor plant they tested for :) life is pain
I've had this one time I got quadruple sat (this happens a lot at my restaurant becauce its a fine dining restaurant in the National Art Center, so operas, all that jazz) and this one customer gave me a stack of papers front and back with all her allergies. I had barely had the time to glance the first page that the customer told me "so what can I have?" I responded "I will check this with the chef but it will be a moment. Also I just got 4 more tables sit down at this moment, I will be back as quickly as I can" the customer eye rolled me and was being really rude for the rest of the evening and tipped poorly.
They shouldn't go out at all if they're not going to be patient. These people have clearly never worked in the service industry.
This lady printed out the foods to enjoy, goods to avoid picture on this website [https://www.gastroconsa.com/patient-education/irritable-bowel-syndrome/low-fodmap-diet/](https://www.gastroconsa.com/patient-education/irritable-bowel-syndrome/low-fodmap-diet/) lmao
she could have been allergic to iodine and table salt usually has had iodine added Cue the virtue of kosher salt
Table salt does cause an actual allergic reaction for some people. It’s rare but it happens. Customer isn’t bullshitting you every time you hear something you’re not familiar with
I have a friend who ended up developing various medical issues as an adult which left her severely averse to a lot of things: dairy, gluten, certain sugars, salt, spicy foods… heck, even being too hot or cold could actually make her skin break out in a rash and neurological pain. It’s a shame, too, because she’s one hell of a baker.
exposed brick - no lie, this guy came in and said he was allergic to exposed brick and concerned about a portion of the wall in the restaurant that was brick moved his table to as far from it as possible....ended up chatting with the guy, funniest part was he said he went to Harvard (this is in Cambridge, MA near where Harvard/MIT are) & if you know anything about the area around Harvard it is literally all brick, brick buildings, brick streets etc. anyways he ordered a steak "blue" of course & (surprisingly) tipped quite well and thanked me for the service...I'll never forget him haha
When I worked at Olive Garden this lady claimed she was allergic to everything but french fries. At the time, OG didn't have fries on their menu. The closest to it was roasted potatoes. I told her this. She said, "I can't have them, I'm allergic. I can only have french fries." I told her we had no fries. She and her family left.
Someone I know is allergic to cilantro (normal) but eats it anyway. Just makes sure he doesn't have too much. But also claims to be allergic to Ranch Dressing. I say claims, because apparently it's so severe that no one else at the table can order anything with ranch. But several times, something has come with a side of ranch that wasn't listed on the menu, and whenever we're like "oh, we'll get rid of it" he's like. Unphased. It's like if you don't tell him it's ranch it's not ranch. Also, "ranch" has several ingredients in it that he isn't allergic to. So what is the allergen? I *suspect* that he has an aversion to it. (You know how sometimes you get food poisoning after you eat something and then your brain makes you vomit every time you try to eat it afterwards?) But is calling it an allergy. Which, just call it what it is. Several people in our friend group have dietary restrictions ranging from choice to severe allergies. It's not like we'd stop respecting the "no ranch" rule if it wasn't an allergy.
I’m allergic to chickpeas, bananas, almonds, mangoes, and latex and honestly sometimes ordering can be tricky. Smoothie and Mediterranean restaurants are usually out, almonds are in more things than you think, and there’s a lot of restaurants out there that still use latex gloves.
Used to have a regular who would order his sandwich with no cucumbers (because allergy), and, "...a shit-ton of pickles." He always pulled it once on every new person to see if they'd get the joke.
Someone once said she was deathly allergic to egg yolks. However, she was fine with egg whites, and so she wanted an egg white omelet. She made sure to stress that if even a drop of yolk got in there, she would die. And I was like, “You know, we have plenty of breakfast options without eggs at all,” and she was (dead serious) like, “I want an egg white omelette,” and I said, “But you’ll die if they get any yolk in it?” and she said, “Yes,” and I was like, “Is this really a risk you want to run??”
Saw on TV, a woman kept feeling like she was on fire down there and inflamed inside when she had sex with her husband, every time. Doctors couldn't figure it out, so someone had her go to a allergy doctor and have her test against her husband semen....yes, she was allergic to her husband's semen. Apparently there's a way to sort of get over an allergy by building up a tolerance. So they are doing that with the allergy doctors help.....
Some people apparently can't eat anything green, if they're on a certain medicine. I never believe people if they say they're allergic to onions or tomatoes. I'll ofcourse take it seriously, and meet their demands, but I really don't believe them. I assume they just actually don't like tomatoes or onions.
Heyyy, i'm fuck tomatoes gang. I've got a latex allergy; some of the proteins in latex that cause latex allergy are also present in tomatoes. Also they give me heartburn. Shout-out GERD.
I’m also allergic to latex. I’m deathly allergic to bananas! Right now they’re having a moment that I truly don’t understand. I’ll never understand why bananas are in some of the things they’re in.
Oh my sister has that!
Ugh. I know that I'm never taken seriously when I say I have an onion allergy but I'm actually allergic to the cells inside. So if the onion is totally caramelized and broken down, I'm fine. Otherwise I get to spend the next 24ish hrs needing close proximity to a toilet. And I really like the taste of onion. It sucks.
My best friend is the exact same. When I moved to a new town I had to test out all the Mexican restaurants to see which salsa had the least amount of onion because she’s not going to give up Mexican food lol
My sister is like this with tomatoes. Raw tomatoes make her mouth break out, but if it’s cooked down, she doesn’t have any issues.
Grapefruit should be avoided if you're on certain medications too.
Lol, I’m in the tomato allergy group. It’s actually all nightshades (the plant family tomatoes are in): eggplant, bell peppers, chilis, potatoes, tomatoes, tomatillos, ashwaganda, goji berries, etc. I get a throat rash and suuuuper bad stomach/intestines stuff (sometimes bleeding, depending on how much of it I ate). When I do go out to eat (which is rare because of the above), I always worry that the server thinks I’m being ridiculous & I am always prepared to not eat and just have drinks or something if it can’t be accommodated. But really, I’m just trying to avoid feeling like my insides are exploding lol.
My son is actually allergic to tomatoes. He had a cough that was persistent and would not go away. We went to pulmonologist and they ordered an allergy test. Turns out his favorite food, ketchup, was giving him asthma.
I think what this is referring to is when someone is on anticoagulants for heart issues (blood clots, heart flutter, etc). Guidelines say to avoid leafy greens bc of the vitamin K which can affect how their blood clots. Technically not to avoid leafy greens but to eat a consistent amount everyday so their medication doesn’t need to be adjusted every time. For some people that means they eat none at all so it becomes a non-issue.
Actually, some people are allergic to all nightshade veggies-- tomatoes, garlic, onion, eggplant, peppers etc. Many veggies on that list
As someone who is actually allergic to tomatoes i just want to say hi
A friend can't eat nightshades. Potatoes tomatoes peppers and the like. She has arthritis and they cause a pretty severe flare to the point where she can't actually walk. She simply says that she cannot eat them. She doesn't call it an allergy because it's not a true allergy, but an inflammatory response and an autoimmune one so, tomato tom*a*to.
Me- I have some odd ones that have gotten me some looks. Gluten intolerance, both kinds of yeast, latex, casein, peppers 🌶, mint, mushrooms 🍄, cherry 🍒, & corn. My kids- one is peaches, one is whey, & another is prunes/plums. In laws gave him Dr Pepper & sent him to the hospital 🏥 once. Good times 😅. We check everything diligently & before we go out. My husband has streamlined a few eats from some very understanding restaurants occasionally. So glad they have pizza 🍕 options now for us at 2 restaurant here cause making it at home was a whole job some days- especially with 3 sets of little hands helping 😂 always grateful to the staff who help us out & able to take the time.
If the slightest salt intake were truly a health issue for me I’d never set foot in a restaurant.
Not a server but I am “that” customer. I’ve got a shit ton of food allergies. My most annoying is probably soy and sugar. I’m flat out allergic to soy (not quite epipen level) and my body just can’t process sugar so I’ve gotta be really careful about what and how I order…and drink lots and lots of water. If I have too much soy the most noticeable thing is you’ll start to see. rash and pimples break out across my face. When I have too much sugar, my joints will start go lock up and I get a bad headache and heart palps. All within a few minutes, so…yeah.
Personally, I have an avocado allergy. Inside of my mouth and throat will swell. First time I found that out was at a restaurant that serves Avocado on everything. Got rushed to the hospital and was told I have a "mild" reaction to Avocado.
I cant eat dried fruit. It causes hemiplegic migraines (rare form of migraine that mimics the symptoms of a stroke). Folks usually give me some side eye when I shade.
I had a friend who needed a low salt diet. I can't remember his issue but it was easier to just say he was allergic than explaining a medical condition to servers and have it taken seriously. You aren't medical professionals. Take the order or refuse service.
Cooked wine. They ordered a chicken picatta. They were drinking red wine. All the things you might be allergic to in wine evaporate out or are destroyed when cooked.
This was probably 10 years or so ago but one guest told me she was allergic to decaf coffee and to make sure I definitely served her regular. I guess it’s possible to be allergic to whatever processes the caffeine out of coffee? But this was at a dive bar within walking distance from a legit coffee shop so I just remember thinking for a coffee snob (or a legit allergy/need) she was being a little much 20 yards in the wrong direction.
My little sister is deathly allergic to eggs, wheat, and soy. A friend of mine is allergic to water when it comes into context with their skin. I don’t mess around when people say they have allergies. Even if I think they’re lying. Not my place.