Review of HuHot

5-7 years ago, my husband and I used to eat here all the time, and back then I would've recommended HuHot highly - it was my go-to GF restaurant. The staff was knowledgeable (and very friendly) and took great pains to avoid cross-contamination, GF items were clearly marked, and the quality of the food was good.

Due to Covid, we stopped eating out for a long while, and recently went back to HuHot for the first time in a couple years. When going through the line, I noticed that the icons on the sauces had changed - rather than being marked "GF," they just said "G." Since I have celiac disease and really cannot have gluten, I asked the staff (two of them standing together) if "G" indicated the item was gluten-free, or if it indicated that the item contained gluten. Their response: "Uhhhhh......I think it means gluten-free?" Not at all reassured, I moved on, and my husband, who was behind me, heard one of them say to the other, "Or, wait, maybe it DOES mean that it has gluten? Who knows." SERIOUSLY?!? He warned me about what he'd overheard, so to be safe I just didn't get any of the sauces at all, leaving me with a plate of plain veggies.

To top it off, a few bites into my already underwhelming meal, I found that several udon noodles had wound up in my food, even though they had prepared it following their allergy protocol (isolating it from the other food on the cooking block with spatulas, and using a different set of cooking utensils), so I was unable to even eat my meal. By that point, I had zero confidence left about any of their food, so I didn't bother going back to try again with a new plate.

All in all, this restaurant has changed from one I would recommend highly to one that I would avoid at all costs, and would warn all other people with celiac to do the same.

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

— Not at all

Safety Feature Ratings

• Staff will clean kitchen space or change gloves if asked

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main 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?

— Average