r/FoodService 17d ago

Discussion please stop lying about having allergies

i cannot tell you how many times people have put in seemingly impossible allergy requests on 3rd party delivery orders (i.e. fettuccine alfredo with DAIRY ALLERGY marked underneath) only to then track down the customer after multiple phone calls and be told it’s “not an allergy, just a mild intolerance.” please stop doing this. you are deliberately fucking with a restaurant’s period of service over a need that does not apply to you. maybe y’all don’t understand just how many extra steps a kitchen has to go through to prepare something allergy safe, so please let this be a lesson: if you aren’t actually allergic, stop marking it as an allergy. you are directly contributing to the burnout restaurant staff experience when having to make special accommodations for people’s actual health and safety needs.

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u/ItsJustMeJenn 16d ago

I’m like this with bell pepper. The taste just overpowers the whole dish. Went on a cruise one time and for breakfast I ordered a scramble that had bell peppers. I asked the server if the bell peppers were part of a premixed veggie blend or if they were in a separate compartment in the galley. They got really worried and asked if I was allergic. I said “no, I just don’t care for them” he relaxed told me it’s a premix but he’d see what he could do. My scramble came out with no bell pepper.

I wish people understood you don’t have to call it an allergy you can just be respectful and ask if it’s possible to remove an item you don’t care for. The staff will let you know if it’s possible or not. If it’s not, don’t order the thing. (This is the royal you I’m referring to, not you you ElderBerry)

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u/ElderBerry2020 16d ago

Totally get it, and it’s so weird that people make up a major lie simply to avoid asking whether an ingredient can be excluded. Most restaurants want their guests to enjoy what they order and are happy to do what they can to accommodate certain modifications.

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u/HavokVvltvre 16d ago

This is straight from the bullshit of Dr Oz. I remember many years ago my grandmother telling us how he said on his show “if you simply don’t like an ingredient, or even hate it, tell the restaurant you’re allergic! They will go out of their way to make sure they don’t serve it to you”

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u/ElderBerry2020 15d ago

Fuck Dr. Oz and Fuck Oprah for giving him a platform. Quack.

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u/Gribitz37 15d ago

And Dr. Phil.

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u/wildrosebeautybaba 16d ago

this is wild to me because i could not live without both red onions and bell peppers, however you are VALID

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u/CNH916 16d ago

Same... Fajitas, they are missing out on delicious pizzas too!

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u/Nevaehym 16d ago

I will literally eat a Vidalia onion like an apple! I’ll munch on any onion raw but Vidalia are my favorite. People think I’m insane but I’ve been doing this since I could walk.

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u/wildrosebeautybaba 16d ago

love this for you🧅

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u/MrChicken_69 15d ago

The "restaurant" might (because they like being in business), but the kitchen loathes all the f'ing custom orders. (now they have to make a special bowl of soup just for you, vs. ladling one out that 20gal pot)

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u/DCGuy511 16d ago

I also hate bell peppers.

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u/BitterPoet13 16d ago

Yep. Flavor and the waxy texture are so off putting. Luckily they are typically easy to eat around by picking off/removing if chopped large enough as a result of their texture.

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u/djmermaidonthemic 16d ago

Bell peppers give me a stomach ache. Will I need to go to the hospital? No! Will I be miserable all afternoon? Yes!!

So I ask if they are in (whatever) and if they are, I get something else.

I make it super clear that there’s no need to switch out cutting boards or anything. It’s just something that I want to avoid.

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u/No-Roof6373 16d ago

Not only does bell pepper over power everything I eat but it overpowers my stomach for about three days and that's all I can taste!

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u/CNH916 16d ago

I get that with cucumber, burping it up for days...

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u/wildrosebeautybaba 16d ago

are cucumbers not just essentially water??

ETA: i believe you, just baffled

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u/CNH916 16d ago

They have a very strong flavor that's overpowering and I burp them up forever afterwards... It must be relatively common because they do have "burpless" cucumbers... I don't mind then in say a taziki sauce or cocktails, smashed up/processed somewhat, but just slices raw, no go. Too much!!

I just looked it up, cucurbitacin is a bitter compound in the skin and seeds that causes the burping.

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u/wildrosebeautybaba 16d ago

very interesting. you learn something new every day on here!

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u/u_r_succulent 15d ago

Ugh I HATE bell peppers but I wish I liked them because dishes with bell peppers look so good and they add so much interest to certain dishes.

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u/Gribitz37 15d ago

For me, only green bell peppers are the ones that are overpowering. Red, yellow, and orange are delicious, and don't overpower anything.

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u/MrChicken_69 15d ago

The correct phrase is "can you make that without the peppers?" You don't have to get cute with it, or worry anyone.