Bob Evans - Upper Arlington

When I was a kid, Bob Evans was one of my favorite restaurants (my sister and I had a hard time with the name though and usually called it "Bev Obbins").  Breakfast foods like scrambled eggs, omelets, biscuits, pancakes, waffles and bacon are some of my favorite foods and they're all delicious at Bob's!  We used to eat there a lot growing up, and since Bob's serves breakfast foods all day, I'm positive that I have never had anything off of their lunch or dinner menu (breakfast food for dinner is my second favorite meal, after pizza, of course!).

When I discovered that wheat and soy where the cause of my nearly constant stomach discomfort and fatigue during my senior year at college, I was pretty upset that I wouldn't be able to eat at a lot of my favorite restaurants anymore, or that I would have a lot fewer options at those restaurants.  Bob Evans was at the top of that list, I  still get cravings for their amazing buttermilk biscuits! 

Kenneth and I tried eating at a Bob Evans on our way home from our honeymoon in August 2010.  At the time, Bob Evans did not have an allergy menu available for customers.  Every menu item I tried to order had to be checked on a computer in the back of the restaurant.  This process was painfully long, though I did eventually find an omelet on the menu that could be modified to be soy and wheat free (I almost had to order off the dinner menu, but just almost).  My omelet was good but the ordering process was so convoluted that we weren't planning on returning...

Until we heard that Bob Evans has a gluten-free menu!  Kenneth and I visited the Upper Arlington Bob Evans a week ago, I printed their gluten-free menu and their allergen guide.  In the three years since we last ate at Bob Evans the stores have been remodeled (I like the new decor!) and I have discovered that my soy sensitivity is much more nuanced than my wheat sensitivity.  I can handle some soybean oil and soy lecithin (which are found in a ton of packaged foods!), but soy milk is too much for me.  I used to love tofu, but I haven't been brave enough to try it because of how soy milk makes me feel.  That being said, I did order food from Bob's that was gluten-free, but not soy free.

Caramel Mocha

The gluten-free menu includes a statement on "Celiac Food Items" from Bob Evans: We have prepared this suggested list of beverage and menu options based on the most current ingredient information from our food suppliers and their stated absence of wheat/gluten within these items. Although we take precautions against cross-contamination, Bob Evans cannot guarantee a non-gluten item will not come into contact with a gluten containing item during the manufacturing process or during normal handling procedures.

Because I am sensitive/intolerant to gluten/wheat, I feel comfortable eating here, though I do realize that there is a risk of cross contamination.  I always tell our waiter that I am ordering from the gluten-free menu and haven't had any problems so far.

Farm Favorite Omelet with Home Fries

The gluten-free menu is great!  I ordered an omelet with home fries, I got a little extra home fries in place of ordering a bread item.  Everything tasted just as I remembered it tasting, which I find to be very comforting!  I also enjoyed a delicious caramel mocha, which is made with hot chocolate and coffee, drowned in whipped cream and caramel syrup - delicious!  In addition to loving all of the breakfast foods at Bob's, I've also always enjoyed their hot chocolate and coffee drinks.  I'm sure the lunch and dinner portion of the gluten-free menu is delicious, but you'll have to check it out yourself - I will be sticking with the incredible, edible eggs!

I will, however, be first in line if Bob Evans ever comes out with gluten-free buttermilk biscuits!