Belly Up Smokehouse & Saloon

worst place ever hardly rates 1 star and NO dedicated fryer!!

Celiac friendly?

No

Emailed the company and received a very quick and polite reply (5 stars for customer service!) However, was told that all but one sauce contained soy sauce and that they had a shared fryer. Better to head up north to Chicago Q or Pork Shoppe

Celiac friendly?

No

Before I begin, I will get the few positives out of the way as they are largely outweighed by the negatives.The food tastes good, the portions are ample, the restaurant ambiance is cozy and spacious, the service is fast, the staff is engaging, and the prices are reasonable. The place is by no means perfect -- aside from potatoes, kale and salad there are no real wholesome vegetable sides to balance out your meals (breads and grains are not vegetables), the meat/fish used is conventionally-raised, and canola oil is used for all their fried products (so good luck attracting Paleo dieters). Even so, compared to other barbecue restaurants and chains in the area, it offered a very compelling and affordable alternative despite how new it was. And their interest in making the majority of their menu items "gluten-free", as well as training their staff to address such issues, was supposed to have been the icing on the [gluten-free] cake. This could have been the one differentiating factor that would have truly made this upstart shine compared to other barbecue options around the Loop. Unfortunately, this ended up failing our expectations considerably. I had invited a group of people to this restaurant -- all of us gluten-free out of necessity -- in the hopes of perhaps giving this restaurant some favorable press. We asked many questions both before and during our visit, especially since they did not have a dedicated gluten-free menu. We relied on the knowledge of the waiters, kitchen staff and manager, all of whom were very clear and confident over the safety of their food. They had a dedicated fryer for their waffles fries, the sauces and rubs were intentionally gluten-free, and none of the appetizers and entrees we ordered were meant to use any flour, breadcrumbs or other gluten-containing ingredients. Given all of the above, and the fact that we all ordered naturally gluten-free dishes (nothing requiring substitutions, such as the burgers or artichoke dip), by all accounts we were set to have a perfectly safe and enjoyable barbecue dinner.What happened instead was that half of our group ended up sick later that evening, suffering common ailments indicative of gluten-exposure. This was definitely a shock to us all since it was not expected after so many knowledgeable assurances by the staff, or given the "naturally gluten-free" dishes we consumed. Assuming that the staff was being truthful with their assurances, our only explanation was that the staff was probably not AS knowledgeable over cross-contamination issues, and likely didn't take all the precautions necessary to prepare our dishes separately from their gluten-containing counterparts. Simply having a dedicated fryer (assuming it was operated correctly) is meaningless if the rest of the meats, chili, and the like, including the kitchen equipment used to prepare them, can still be exposed to moderate or even trace-amounts of gluten-containing ingredients. It may also be possible that the staff is confusing "gluten-free" with something along the lines of "gluten-sensitive" as used by some restaurants that offer token-removal of gluten-containing ingredients, but can't promise full protection from gluten exposure. Considering that they do not make mention of "gluten-free" in any of their printed or online material, this unfortunately has to be factored in as a possibility.So despite their promising potential, this upstart has significantly under-delivered for us interested in a safe gluten-free dining experience, and I'm forced to make my recommendations based on this shortcoming. People who avoid gluten for dietary reasons may get some value from this place due to its accessibility and affordability -- but you are best served finding a comparable restaurant that uses higher-quality ingredients, even if it might cost a little more. People who suffer from a gluten intolerance may or may not be able to eat here safely since tolerance levels differ greatly between individuals, so your mileage will vary. But as with the dietary group, there is little benefit to outweigh the risks of getting sick [sometimes even for days], so gluten intolerant diners are best served finding a better place to eat. And finally, those of you suffering from gluten allergies or Celiac Disease are best served STAYING AWAY from this restaurant since their claims cannot be trusted at this time. I hope that those of you who come across this restaurant by chance, or due to a social gathering, will be able to come across this review as a helpful warning.Thank you.

Celiac friendly?

No