Review of Malabar Restaurant

I didn’t get sick here, but not good for celiacs/sensitive NCGS. Online their menu looks mostly gf, but when I went for dinner and asked my normal questions about cross-contamination/meal prep the server told me that everything on the menu except one salad and a vegetable curry is NOT celiac safe. They use a shared fryer and shared grill for basically everything.

Service was terrible also — I ordered the salad I could eat but when it was placed on the table the server said “oh wait, the nuts on top are fried you shouldn’t eat them” so I asked to have it remade and he literally said “no. Pick them off.” I was so frustrated and angry and had to calmly explain how it’s an “allergy” and risks like that can make me very ill. Finally he agreed to remake it but we didn’t get the new dish until my friends were nearly done with their meals.

I was very excited when I saw such a promising menu, but I would not recommend this to other celiac people. It’s hard enough to only have a couple of things to choose from on a menu but then to have service that is not respectful of an illness just ruins a dinner.

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/None

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

— Good

Other Characteristics

• Good for dairy-free
• Good vegan options