The Works is almost a legend in this city. They are known for their incredible burgers, as well as the crazy toppings that complete them. Peanut butter on a burger? Yes indeed, dear friends. Yes indeed. My best friends happen to be in town this week, and it has been a long-standing tradition to make a special stop at The Works whenever they visit. But this time around, things were a little different for me. I must say, I was rather intimidated to eat there knowing that everything generally comes served between buns or battered and deep fried. Gah! What was a girl to do?! Well there was no way I was going to skip dinner with my pals, so I emailed the restaurant beforehand and got some answers.
First off, I was surprised at how fast they answered me. In my opinion, this shows a restaurant is serious about meeting their customers' needs. So, 1 point for that! They also gave me some good news, which gives them another point.
It turns out The Works has quite a few things to offer the gluten-haters of this world. Yey! All of their burger patties are gluten-free, except for the chicken breast, so stay away from that one. They can also serve any of their burgers naked (a.k.a. bunless) over a bed of lettuce, which I think is very kind. :) They also said that many, MANY of their burger toppings are gluten-free, so there is lots of selection there. They said there are too many GF toppings to name, so it would be best to ask the server when ordering to ensure you're given the right options. They did mention the Smokey Mountain Burger (Monterrey Jack Cheese, Smokey BBQ and Bacon) was safe though.
When it comes to side dishes, the onion rings are out of the question since they are breaded. BUT, their fries are good to go! Yey! Though, I suppose if they are cooked in the same fryer as the o-rings, it might pose some problems for those who are especially sensitive.
In the end, I chose to go for a salad called the Senorita Saladino -hold the croutons. It was really tasty, and filled with loads of salsa and avocados, but I was somewhat dismayed to discover it came served on a flour tortilla that wasn't mentioned on the menu. Mea culpa! Totally my fault for not mentioning the gluten aversion once I got there. So, a little word of warning on the salad.
Still, I was impressed at how seriously my email inquiry was taken, and how many options they offered. Their poutine looked delicious, so I might try that next time! Or, maybe I'll go for a bunless veggie burger.
Great post! You should really try a bun-less burger next. I eat burgers like that all the time, and I don't miss a thing!
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed with them too! They definitely seem to care about their customers, and I'm so glad that it seems like you have lots of options there!
ReplyDeleteBe careful if you try the poutine. A lot of gravy has flour in it used as a thickening agent. The gravy sauce from Swiss Chalet is GF, and you can buy the seasoning packet from the groceries store to have poutine at home! One of my favourite treats to have.
ReplyDeleteHappy GF Eating!
-Lauren =)
Thank you for this (and for the whole site - we're visiting Ottawa from Florida, and I was pretty apprehensive about what I'd find that was GF when I arrived. This has been awesome!
ReplyDeleteOne thing I wanted to note from today's trip to The Works - their amazing binder of food sensitivity issues told us that the veggie burger has gluten. Unsurprising, but still sad, as my sweetie *raved* about his. Will check out the salads next time, but the fries were great (even the sweet potato ones, which are in their 'gluten free, but might be a problem for some' section b/c they have rice flour. How fricking cool is it that they list things out to that level of detail?!)
Its ridiculous that the works will charge you full price without the bun. They should be creative and have gluten free options for burgers. I also totally disagree that the works really has any options. They should have a separate fryer for breaded items like onion rings. They should also offer a chicken dish without the worry of gluten.
ReplyDeleteI just found out by contacting The Works that they'll soon have a gluten-free bun!! Yippie! Also, their ice cream is all gluten free :) most ice cream is, but not all, so thought I'd let ya know.
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