"We're pleased to announce the most highly rated and recommended allergy-friendly restaurant chains in America.  These chains have demonstrated their willingness and ability to accommodate guests' food allergies and prepare meals in accordance with diners' special dietary restrictions," says Paul Antico, founder and CEO of AllergyEats, father of three food-allergic children, and passionate food allergy advocate. 

 

Restaurant chains were grouped into three categories – Large (more than 200 units), Medium (50-200 units), and Small (less than 50 units). The following lists the most allergy-friendly chains through January 2013, as a result of diner feedback on the AllergyEats website and app:

 

Large (more than 200 units):

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers (4.47 rating)

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro (4.45 rating)

Chipotle Mexican Grill (4.38 rating)

Outback Steakhouse (4.34 rating)

Longhorn Steakhouse (4.30 rating)

 

Medium (50-200 units):

Bonefish Grill (4.50 rating)

Ninety Nine Restaurant (4.22 rating)

Zpizza (4.22 rating)

Uno Chicago Grill (4.22 rating)

Bertucci’s Brick Oven Restaurant (4.13 rating)

 

Small (less than 50 units):

Burton’s Grill (4.88 rating)

Maggiano’s Little Italy (4.76 rating)

Not Your Average Joe’s (4.73 rating)

Legal Sea Foods (4.65 rating)

Papa Razzi (4.64 rating)

 

The following restaurant chains (of all sizes) were recommended more often than any other, with the highest number of positive ratings and reviews:

 

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers

Outback Steakhouse

Chipotle Mexican Grill

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro

Not Your Average Joe’s

 

AllergyEats, a free, peer-based website and smartphone app, is dramatically improving the way food-allergic and gluten intolerant individuals find – and rate – allergy-friendly restaurants. The easy-to-use ratings and comment system allows food-allergic diners to instantly share their feedback about their restaurant experiences. This helps others within the food allergy community quickly and easily find restaurants that can cater to their special dietary requirements – and avoid the ones that won’t.

 

AllergyEats lists more than 575,000 restaurants nationwide, which food allergic diners can rate. The site also offers information on over 425,000 menus (including gluten-free menus), allergen lists, nutrition information, certifications, web links, directions, and more.  The site, app, and related social media sites help families with food allergies reduce the guesswork – and the anxiety – surrounding dining out with food allergies. 

 

"The AllergyEats peer-based ratings, reviews, and recommendations come from food-allergic diners, and help others within the food allergy community make more informed decisions about where to dine – and which restaurants to avoid," Antico explains. "The innovative, interactive AllergyEats website, app, and online community provide a tremendous value to the millions of people with food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities."

 

Most restaurant review sites include information about establishments’ food, ambiance or service, but AllergyEats is singularly focused on food allergies, with peer reviews spotlighting where people with food allergies or intolerances have more comfortably eaten. 

 

This peer-based ratings and review site lets people see at-a-glance which restaurants have been more willing and better able to accommodate special dietary requirements, allowing food-allergic diners to make more informed choices about where to dine.

 

AllergyEats has been endorsed by highly-respected food, health, and allergy organizations and individuals, including the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Gluten Intolerance Group, Massachusetts Restaurant Association, Chef Ming Tsai, Chef Joel Schaefer, and more. AllergyEats was recently selected as the About.com 2012 Readers' Choice Award winner for best Food Allergy App. The AllergyEats smartphone app also won a Web Health Award and was honored as one of Healthline’s Top Ten Food Allergy Apps.