Gluten Free Chapel Hill: Chipotle

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Restaurant Review: Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chipotle Mexican Grill located at 301 W. Franklin St. has a variety of gluten free options. They also provide a list that indicates how to avoid any of the top eight allergens. You can view the menu here:

http://www.chipotle.com/Chipotle_Allergen_Card.pdf

Everything is gluten free except for the obvious wheat burrito tortillas and soft wheat taco tortillas.

In addition, under the FAQ section there is information on how Chipotle can help accommodate a vegan or vegetarian diet.

From their website (www.chipotle.com):

I am a vegan. What can I eat?
You should avoid our pinto beans (they are cooked with a small amount of bacon), meats (duh, I know), cheese, sour cream, and chipotle-honey vinaigrette.

I am a vegetarian. What can I eat?
You should avoid our pinto beans (they are cooked with a small amount of bacon) and our meats. Our cheese is made with a vegetable-based rennet, and our sour cream is 100% cultured cream. If your own personal vegetarian guidelines therefore allow you to eat these dairy items, then that's terrific. If not, then you should avoid them. Please note this information is different for those who choose a vegan diet.

The gluten free options include crispy tacos, salads, and bowls. To go with those three options you can pick from chicken, steak, barbacoa, rice, pinto beans, fajita veggies, black beans, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, guacamole, four types of salsa, etc. The plain tortilla chips are also gluten free.

A couple of weeks ago I went to Chipotle and ordered the crispy chicken tacos with pinto beans, rice, lettuce, cheese, and sour cream along with chips and fresh tomato salsa. I didn’t have any problems. Chipotle advises that you ask the employees to change gloves when preparing your meal to be sure that you avoid any cross-contamination.

I decided to use Chipotle’s online ordering system the first time I went so I would have all the time I needed to look at the gluten free options. Just make sure that you call the restaurant after placing your order online as indicated on the website.

I will definitely be going back to Chipotle again soon!

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Celiac Disease by the Numbers

1 out of every 133 Americans (about 3 million people) has CD.
97% of Americans estimated to have CD are not diagnosed.
CD has over 300 known symptoms although some people experience none.
Age of diagnosis is key: If you are diagnosed between age 2-4, your chance of getting an additional autoimmune disorder is 10.5%. Over the age of 20, that rockets up to 34%.
30% of the US population is estimated to have the genes necessary for CD.
2.5 babies are born every minute in the USA with the genetic makeup to have CD.
There are 15 states in the US with populations less than the total number of Celiacs in the US.
CD affects more people in the US than Crohn’s Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease combined.
People with CD dine out 80% less than they used to before diagnosis and believe less than 10% of eating establishments have a 'very good' or 'good' understanding of GF diets.
It takes an average of 11 years for patients to be properly diagnosed with CD even though a simple blood test exists.
The US Department of Agriculture projects that the GF industries revenues will reach $1.7 Billion by 2010.
GF foods are, on average, 242% more expensive then their non-GF counterparts.
The Food Allergen Labeling & Consumer Protection Act became law in 2006 allowing for easier reading of food labels for those with CD. What took so long?
12% of people in the US who have Down Syndrome also have CD.
6% of people in the US who have Type 1 Diabetes also have CD.
Among people who have a first-degree relative diagnosed with celiac, as many as 1 in 22 people may have the disease.
There are currently 0 drugs available to treat CD.