Gluten Free Chapel Hill: Hardee's

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Restaurant Review: Hardee's

Hardee’s has two locations in Chapel Hill: 1800 Fordham Blvd and 6116 Farrington Rd. The Farrington Rd. location is off of Highway 54 at the light right before you merge onto I-40 East at Exit 273. I remembered I heard that Hardee’s had a 1/3 Low Carb Thickburger, so I thought it was time I tried it. The low carb burger is made from 100% Black Angus beef and has everything that a “regular” burger does minus the bun.

I had not tried fast-food except for a few times since I was diagnosed with celiac disease almost three years ago. I could not believe how good the Low Carb Thickburger was! One burger is around $3.50 which is more than most fast-food burgers but is definitely worth it.

You can view the PDF concerning allergen information here. It was updated January 26, 2009.

I did not think to see if the French fries were cooked in a dedicated fryer, but I will have to ask next time I go. After I got home I realized that the allergen menu indicates that the ice cream minus cookie dough and cookies and cream is gluten free. That’s another thing I will have to look into soon. If you happen to gain any insight into either of those things, let me know!

The 1/3 Low Carb Thickburger is a great alternative to the usually pricey gluten free food!

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.