Holiday Inn Nashville-Vanderbilt

Our waiter was friendly but unfamiliar with gluten allergies (or Celiac Disease). He did not know which menu items were gluten free. We asked him to ask the chef about which menu items were gluten free and if they had a dedicated frier. He came back with the report that maybe we could get a salad, the French fries are "breaded" with flour and everything goes in the same frier so don't get anything fried. We asked if the brisket nachos, marked gluten free on their online menu, were gluten free. He told us the chips are fried in the same frier as the flour coated fries. We could have asked to speak with the chef but felt unsafe enough with our server's lack of knowledge so we left without eating (for the first time ever). The Holiday Inn still validated our parking and the person at the front desk looked up some other GF restaurant options which was very kind.

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

— Not at all

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much/None

I have been eating about once a month for the last +2 years with mainly no problems. I usually eat either the MagnoliaChicken or the Southwest Chicken Salad. Two weeks ago, I pointed out to them that they had nothing marked as gluten free on the new menu, they said that they will be printing up a new menu. I forgot to let my waitress that I have to be gluten free and not to include the bread. 99% of the time the service has been excellant.

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

— Somewhat

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

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

— Excellent

Lodged here all week for my visit to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). I am the husband of the Celiac and I share doing these reviews to help out.

Note: This is actually called "The Commodore Grille", located AT the Holiday Inn Nashville-Vanderbilt. There is a bar located in the dining room. The restaurant is open for breakfast and dinner, not lunch.

Kim Van is Food and Beverage Manager and Yetta is the assistant. We stayed at this hotel primarily because they have a restaurant with a chef and are quite familiar with GF.

Kim was aware of arrival and had Chef Don order in some Pita Bread and Burrito wraps (GF flour-based, which is rare), in addition to their normal GF offerings. They all, including the wait staff were knowledgeable and helpful.

The grill is new as is their chef (Don) to the Holiday Inn due to a very recent makeover that took several weeks. There is no GF menu. The new menu mentions a GF symbol, but that symbol does not exist next to any items on the one page (2-sided) breakfast menu nor the one page 2-sided dinner menu. But, they DO have and can create GF offerings and my very sensitive Celiac wife was not sick once this week.

Breakfast:

is served buffet style ($17 plus tax including all drinks/food) or 2 sided menu. Most items are around $10-12 plus $2.50 to $4 sides, and $2.50 drink. The buffet is the better deal, but you cannot eat all the buffet items.

GF breakfast buffet items are (good) GF bread that can come from the back and prepared separately, breakfast potatoes, also prepared separately in the back, bacon (can safely be pulled from the line), Quaker overnight rolled oats (forget if this was from the back or could be pulled from the line), several yogurts, large pieces of cut fresh fruit (varied daily buy usually large chunks of very good pineapple, melon, grapes). Better than the standard buffets or "hot breakfast offerings from the Choice Hotels where we normally stay, but these are $17 versus free. Good juices (apple, OJ and cranberry), poured and not from a machine. Today she had her breakfast burritos and they were great along with salsa.

Dinner:

Same type 2-sided type menu for dinner.

All the staff is very friendly and GF knowledgeable, but make them go to the chef to ensure the items you want are GF.

Burgers (No GF buns, sorry) are about $15, they can make the Cowboy Club using GF break ($14) includes one side. GF Entrees include several salads (Steak, and chicken) $16 and $14 respectively. Entrees include Magnolia grilled chicken (hold the BBQ sauce) ($13), glazed Salmon ($18) and Sirloin Steak ($29, ouch and we passed as it was "Cajun", although they said they could pull the spices) and Ribeye (double ouch at $35). We did share a Ribeeye. It was mine and I forgot to ask for the second plate at first and the bread was touching the steak. I am 100% sure they would have totally replaced it but we were hungry and my wife only wanted a small part that we could cut away. No bad reaction. They do have a separate frier for the French fries.

Also, they have nightly songwriters (or singer/songwriters) perform in teams of 3-4 every hour or half hour depending upon nights and that was very nice.

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

— Very

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

Good hearty breakfast…knowledgeable of gluten free options …made a special order for me with gluten free toast, eggs and special made hash browns…nice people in restaurant…not sure if things are segregated in kitchen but they made the effort

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

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the 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