Review of Salt Island Fish and Beer

Beware…they are apathetic at best if you have a gluten allergy. I was handed a menu with hand written markings and when I saw that fried dishes were labeled GF, I got up and sought out the manager (the waitress and hostess were very young girls). When I asked about a shared fryer, the manager said yes, they fry everything in it, regardless if it’s GF or not. I told her that they should not list it as GF then but she said it was marked on the menu as a shared fryer. When I looked, it was a tiny handwritten note in the corner. Again, I said that doesn’t work for people with an allergy and she argued that yes, it was GF. I gave up and went back to the table. When the waitress came, I explained the situation and same thing! She treated me with a type of bored indifference and just kept shrugging her shoulders saying that even if it’s fried, in a contaminated fryer, it’s gluten free. I tried explaining it to her and finally gave up and we walked out. They actually had the nerve to do that darn Southern “bless your heart” thing behind my back. Wow. I am an extremely friendly and polite person and do everything in my power to be discreet and kind with regards to my special needs but this place was not busy and there was no need for the “tacit politeness” that I was treated with and the disregard to the importance of cross contamination. If you are a severe intolerant or celiac, you are risking getting sick by eating here.

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

— Not at all

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much/None

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

— Poor