Metro Diner

I used to there- they prided themselves on having “gluten free bread”- problem is, they put it in the same toaster as regular bread. Cross- contamination nightmare.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not very

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Below Average

The sever had no knowledge of allergies or what had gluten in it. She had to go get a manager only to find out that the salads are safe. Will not be going back.

Also my family said the food wasn’t that good anyways.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not at all

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much/None

The staff had no knowledge of celiac or cross contamination. This restaurant is not safe for people with celiac.

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Separate gluten-free menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Average

Do NOT go here if you are celiac! I don't care what they tell you about their gluten-free bread and their gluten-free menu. It is NOT safe! They cross-contaminate EVERYTHING, and the chefs do NOT know what they are doing. I have a friend who works there, and the chefs are not trained in allergy prep. Many of them are also out back smoking weed on their breaks. I went in 3 times, and they always contaminated me. I ordered a simple breakfast with hash browns. I spoke with the manager when I ordered and stressed to her the need to prepare my food in a separate skillet and NOT on the communal grill. She assured me that everything would be fine. While eating my hash browns, I bit into something chewy and sweet. I spit it out, and it was a cooked chunk of pancake batter. They had cooked my food on the same grill as everyone else's food, and they hadn't cleaned it at all. I caller the manager over, and she was EXTREMELY rude to me and all but accused me of lying. She said "That's impossible. I don't know how that could happen." I asked if my food was cooked on the griddle, and she lied and said it was done in a separate skillet. My server later verified out of the manager's earshot that is WAS in fact done on the same grill as everyone else's food and NOT in a separate clean skillet. The manager was so prideful and determined to not admit the mistake that, instead of apologizing and trying to rectify the situation, she flat-out LIED to me and said that it was impossible that anything happened. I showed her the pancake batter on my plate and said "do you think I brought this in with me?" She scoffed at me and walked away. No apologies, no offer to remake the meal, no discount, NOTHING.

I can't speak for other locations in the chain, but the Metro Diner in Venice, FL is completely and utterly incompetent when it comes to safe food preparation. They serve gluten-free buns and bread, but then cross-contaminate everything. Even their fryers are not isolated. They don't do potato products in a dedicated fryer, yet they list french fries on the gluten-free menu. They do chicken strips in the same fryer as fries, even though they have multiple fryers and COULD do it safely.

These people are rude, accusatory, inconsiderate, incompetent, and haughty. They absolutely refuse to admit when they are wrong. All of this happened to me when the place had been open less than 6 months.

If you are merely gluten sensitive, be VERY careful, because you WILL get cross-contamination. If you are Celiac, do not set foot in this place under any circumstances. They made me very ill, and I will NEVER return to this location or this company!

Celiac friendly?

No

Staff very knowledgeable about Gluten Free. Biggest gluten free menu I have seen! I had the BLT and it was fabulous. Will definitely go back again and again!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Great GF menu. Staff very aware of our needs. Food is fantastic! The omelets are huge & yummy!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I was surprised to not find this on the app as a gf option in our area. Took a chance and went in. It did not appear like they had separate prep area for gluten free, however this was ok for me as I only have a sensitivity not Celiacs. Minor cross contamination doesn’t bother me. Others be cautious. I was happy to see they had gluten free bread and buns for sandwiches or burgers. They also had a separate GF menu. Service was great

I got the grilled cheese and the gf bread was super good, (I had to double check it was gf!). I didn’t get sick so that’s good!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Separate gluten-free menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Good

Went to the Metro diner for breakfast. They can only offer gf toast. Not cooked separately. The waitress didn’t even know where a gf menu was. Stay away if your celiac

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not at all

I love Metro Diner. They are incredibly accommodating, have a large gluten free menu, and take careful precautions. Their gluten free substitutions are very high quality (the sandwich buns are some of the best gf buns I’ve had, you can’t even tell) and many of their items are already gluten free. I’ve never gotten sick here, or at any Metro location, and the waitress here even went above and beyond to make sure I was safe and comfortable. Delicious food, fun atmosphere, and I feel great!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions
• Staff will clean kitchen space or change gloves if asked

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Separate gluten-free menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for breakfast/brunch
• Good for dairy-free
• Good for dinner
• Good for keto
• Good for kids
• Good for lunch
• Good for takeout
• Good selection of healthy options
• Good vegan options
• Good vegetarian options
• Good with other allergies
• Offers outdoor seating

They have a gluten free menu upon request. Servers were very knowledgeable and were upfront about the fact that there was no fryer dedicated to GF food. They recommended substitutions for fries and tater tots because they couldn’t ensure that fries would be safe

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Separate gluten-free menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

I called and they said they had no gluten free options for some reason. Went anyway and they had a bunch of good tasting gluten free options

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Good