Ben's Allergy & Restaurant Reviews

Here’s all my favorite fast food restaurants that I have on my list. If you made it on my top 10, congrats you’ve earned it. The list goes from 10 all the way down to 1.
10. McDonald’s
Rationale: I like McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets and they have a really good dairy-free apple pie.
9. Taco Bell
Rationale: I enjoy their nachos fries, nachos, tacos, & cinnamon twists. I do customize the nachos and tacos to be dairy-free, & I think they have really good food.
8. Burger King
Rationale: I do enjoy their breakfast. I love their dairy-free French Toast Sticks, hashbrowns, fries, chicken fries, & Whoppers.
7. Arby’s
Rationale: I love their premium chicken nuggets, fries (Curly & Crinkle), & apple & cherry turnovers. I also loved their potato cakes when they had them!!!
6. Wendy’s
Rationale: I enjoy their chicken nuggets, Dave’s Double, Single, & Triple. They have really good fries. I have had their breakfast a couple of times. Getting the breakfast baconator without egg & cheese is a game changer for me. They do have good hashbrown potatoes for breakfast as well! Wendy’s is a staple for me!
5. Del Taco
Rationale: I ate here once coming back from my Aunt’s Retirement party (she retired as a school teacher). They had good chicken tenders, fries, & I even got a taco. All my food was really good. I really don’t live near one, but I want to go back someday.
4. Chick-Fil-A
Rationale. I love their grilled chicken nuggets and their waffle fries. I haven’t had the new recipe yet, but I can’t imagine it would be bad. What’s your view on the new recipe?
3. Culver’s
Rationale: My family really enjoys this restaurant. I love their chicken tenders, fries, jumbo butterfly shrimp, & their beef pot roast sandwich. I have never had a bad meal there.
2. Sonic Drive-In
Rationale: I love their Jumbo Popcorn Chicken. I loved their onion rings, but they have dairy in them (please bring back the dairy-free versions!!), I do love their fries, & tater tots. I can navigate through it. The closest one is 30 minutes away from me so i don’t eat here very often, but when I do I’m very happy that I eat here.
1. Zaxby’s
Rationale: They have Dairy-Free Texas Toast!!!

Today I tried Sakura Asian Bistro in Marysville, Ohio. I have driven by this restaurant several times and I always wanted to eat it! Today I got the chance to eat here. Now here’s the food rating!
Food Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: the sweet and sour chicken was very crunchy and burnt. I was disappointed, but I hope that I came on a bad day. I’ll review it in the future to see if they make improvements. Though I really had no complaints about the fried rice. It did have egg in it and I mentioned that I had an egg allergy in the past, but I had no allergic reactions and I believe my egg allergy has pretty much disappeared!
Allergy Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: the allergy treatment was much better than the food tasted so that’s a good thing! I called and ordered my meal. This is one of three restaurants these owners own. China Wok, Asian Cafe, & Sakura Asian Bistro according to my parents. They are very busy and I give them credit for at least having a website, though an allergen menu would make the allergy rating a 5 out of 5 stars. If you’re curious about allergen menus and their importance let me know in the comments section, personally DM me, & email me at ben@bensallergyandrestaurantreviews.com
Have you tried Sakura Asian Bistro?

I always pass Fiesta Grande when I drive by downtown Marysville, Ohio. I never ate there until today. I thought everything went pretty well.

Food Rating 5 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: I enjoyed my chicken nachos and adding the Violife Foods Colby Jack cheese definitely helps make the nachos even more delicious! My meal was only $9.62 and I got a lot of food for a cheap price. I was pretty full after my meal!
Allergy Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: No allergic reaction to my food, that’s always a big blessing! They have a website with an online menu. They labeled stuff that was gluten-free and told you what was gluten-free (GF), but not dairy-free. It would be nice to have it labeled dairy-free (DF) like the gluten-free items are.
I called and communicated my allergy and we worked out everything and got a meal that was safe for me!
Overall, I would recommend eating here!

I have a friend who really loves this place and eats Marysville Sports Pub with his family all the time. It’s a sports bar/pub so I was pretty excited about trying this place and I had great results with no allergic reactions. Now let’s get into the food!
Food Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: The Wings Were really juicy and there was lots of meat on them. The fries 🍟 were salted and had a great seasoning on them as well! I highly recommend their food!
Allergy Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: The person taking my order noted my dairy allergy and was very nice about everything. She told the Kitchen about my dairy allergy and I really do appreciate that. The only thing is that they have a Facebook Website and can’t find an allergen menu. I would volunteer to write one because I want to help people with food allergies. If you’re a restaurant owner and don’t have an allergen menu in their website and in the restaurant, or have any additional questions about allergen menus & why I use them, send me a DM or email me at ben@bensallergyandrestaurantreviews.com
Overall, just call them and ask if what you want to eat is safe from your allergies and they’ll accommodate you and I have no complaints really. I highly recommend you eat at Marysville Sports Pub.

I had Yamato Japanese Steakhouse for the first time. I live in Marysville and this is the first time I have ever had it! The person taking my order through the phone was very nice and made sure my food was safe. The fact that they labeled everything on the receipt tells me all you need to know about this place. Let’s talk about the food 😀
Food Rating 5 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: It was healthy and delicious at the same time, and that’s good enough for 5 stars. The chicken was juicy and really good. The rice and the sauce were very good (I’m not the biggest sauce guy and that says a lot). The salad was really good as well. I can’t complain about their food at all.
Allergy Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: they labeled my allergy on the receipt. It’s rare for people to label the allergy on the receipt, plus they were so nice and had great customer service. They explained that everything was safe and that’s all I could ask for!

Urban Meyer’s Pint House has been a restaurant I have wanted to try for a while since I’m a big Ohio State Buckeyes fan (My Dad went to Ohio State). Everything is Buckeyes themed and the place was huge. My waitress did a wonderful job answering my questions. She went and checked my order for the kitchen staff and went above and beyond to make sure my food was safe.
They use a kiosk for billing and ordering food so she labeled my order with a dairy allergy and she communicated no dairy in the bun & no cheese in the burger.
Food Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: The Fries were amazing!!!! Perfect amount of salt and they were fried just like a fair fry!!! The burger was good as well. No complaints about the food at all.
Allergy Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: They do take food allergies seriously and they have a great labeling system when it comes to vegetarians, vegans, & gluten-free. One suggestion to give this a 5 star rating is to label items that are dairy-free.
Overall, I felt safe eating here and would highly recommend this place to anyone with food allergies.
* Disclaimer please reach out to your allergist and do your due diligence before you eat your food. Please take every precaution you can. For example, please notify your server of any allergies you have, speak to a chef, etc. I just share my experiences and I can’t guarantee that you won’t have an allergic reaction. So please don’t sue me, thanks!

Chili’s Allergen Menu: https://cdn.builder.io/o/assets%2F4967176e01a141828a5fad701f6faa79%2Fa73b932743ee480fbe0aeed39e88f34b?alt=media&token=33259a1c-edfe-471a-a696-9bd2f6f32ed2&apiKey=4967176e01a141828a5fad701f6faa79

I’ll be honest I have never ate at a Chili’s before and I have seen ads on TV while Watching Sporting Events like Football! They do have an allergen menu! You can find the allergen menu by googling “Chili’s Allergen Menu” and you can also find it on their website if you order online. I clicked a link and it took me to their allergen menu! I ordered my food at the Chili’s of Dublin Sawmill in Ohio!
Food Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: it is harder and harder to find places that sell dairy-free Chicken Tenders. Thanks Chilis for not putting dairy in your chicken tenders. A lot of restaurants use buttermilk and that eliminates me since I’m anaphylactic to all dairy products! I am also happy with the fries and the Mexican Rice. I got the Crispy Crunchers, Fries, and Mexican Rice for $16 and I was full! Chili’s is incredibly affordable for the food you get, while tasting amazing! Awesome Job Chili’s.
Allergy Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: I’m really happy about how easy the allergen menus were to read! I’m very happy that I was able to enjoy some dairy-free Chicken Tenders and have no allergic reactions! That was the highlight of my experience at Chili’s. There are so many options to eat. There’s a dairy-free OldTimer burger with a bun or without a bun that’s safe, Wings (boneless & bone-in), & Ribs. So many great options to try and I can’t wait till I come back here again!
Have you ever tried Chili’s?

5. Ginger Snaps

Rationale: It’s very hard to think of Christmas without thinking about Ginger Snaps. I love it when I can eat dairy-free ginger snaps!

4. Christmas Gummies (Christmas Tree & Snowmen)

Rationale: My Grandma always gets me these gummies and I look forward to getting these gummies every year. They are so soft and really delicious, plus they’re dairy-free!

3. Pillsbury Snowmen and Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies

Rationale: I love it when I get these cookies. I already had some this year at Friendsgiving! I always love Pillsbury Cookies.

2. Pumpkin Cookies

Rationale: I know this will surprise a lot of you, but it isn’t too late to eat Pumpkin products. My Mom is making me some dairy-free pumpkin cookies for Christmas.

1. Stocking Candy

Rationale: I always enjoy getting my stocking filled with candy as I will get plenty of opportunities to eat the candy after Christmas. I’ll definitely post on what I got in my stocking for you! But normally I get Skittles, Swedish Fish, Mike & Ike’s, Gummi Bears, and more.

Do you agree with my list? What are your top 5 Christmas Foods?

Five Guys Allergen Menu: https://www.fiveguys.com/-/media/public-site/files/allergen-ingredients-and-nutrition-info/allergen-guide/nutrition-allergen-march-2018-us.ashx

Lots of people love this restaurant & I went to the one closest to me in Dublin, Ohio. It is a pretty pricey restaurant, though. My meal was $19.44 for a lettuce wrap & fries. I went to another location in Cincy before & I sat in this restaurant when I was coming back from a trip to Nashville. The group wanted Five Guys & I would’ve eaten Five Guys, but I was very sick. All I could eat was Apple Sauce. It was awful, but today I wouldn’t be denied of Five Guys & today was the first time I ever ate Five Guys.

Food Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Rationale:  The Fries were 5 out of 5 stars, but the lettuce wrap, which was a hamburger patty, bacon, & lettuce made it 4 out of 5 stars. The buns have dairy in them & unfortunately that means that I can’t eat it. If they had either a dairy-free gluten-free bun & kept the dairy-filled bun or change their bun recipe to make it dairy-free I would be able to eat the bun. 

Personally, I would suggest the gluten-free dairy-free bun because it allows Celiacs and people like me with severe dairy allergies to enjoy eating buns while allowing the customer to enjoy the dairy-filled bun. It’s a win-win scenario for everyone.

 A burger (though the patty was really good) without a bun isn’t as good with the bun. The bun makes a difference in my opinion. I was very impressed with the fries (be careful the fries are fried in Peanut Oil). 

I don’t have as a severe food allergy to peanuts as dairy, though I’m still allergic to peanuts and I talked with my allergist me the green light to eat fried items fried in peanut oil, & I’ll be honest I thought their fries tasted like a fair fry and you can tell that it is fresh never frozen potatoes.

Allergy Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Rationale: This might be a controversial rating, but here’s why I gave them five stars. They clearly communicate what has dairy and what doesn’t. They have the ingredients listed on their allergen menu, & is a really good example of what an allergen menu should be! They have signs communicating their seriousness of food allergies. They do have peanuts in the restaurant and said to not carry peanuts out of the restaurant due to the severity of others with food allergies. I can tell that they take food allergies seriously. It is hard to find restaurants that take food allergies seriously. They communicate clearly what allergens they serve and that is all I could ever ask from a restaurant. If they don’t want to make a dish allergy-friendly they don’t have to, it’s their restaurant, but they do have a responsibility of honesty. 

I got to the counter to order and the person cooking my meal asked if I wanted a burger and I personally told the cook & the cashier about my dairy allergy, and he recommended the lettuce wrap. The cook was amazing & I’m very happy that Five Guys has it to where I can see my food being made and you can communicate to the chef, which makes this place really good. It is nice to have a restaurant that has a set up to where you can communicate to the person making your order. 

I’ll be honest, if you have a severe peanut allergy I would be very careful to eat here & ask your allergist/doctor before eating here. If you are looking for a restaurant that does take food allergies seriously, have good food, and communicates their ingredients & allergens then Five Guys is your place. Personally I would definitely give Five Guys a try & I’m definitely returning to Five Guys! 

Olive Garden Allergen Menu: *If you eat in the restaurant they have a tablet that you can view an allergen menu!

If you’re ordering on the go here’s a couple of allergen menus that I have found: 

https://media.olivegarden.com/en_us/pdf/allergen_guide.pdf

https://godairyfree.org/dining-out/olive-garden-dairy-free

This was my first time ever going to an Olive Garden & there is cheese and lots of dairy there. Understandably my family was nervous about me eating here. I remember one time my family was going to go in Kentucky but my Mom was nervous about me eating there so we decided to eat Buffalo Wild Wings instead. Funny story, when I was in high school our car broke down in Richmond, Kentucky and we needed to find lunch somewhere, & we stayed there for a couple of hours, we were picking up my sister from college in Tennessee. I’m glad that I gave this place a try because I have nothing bad to say about Olive Garden & there are dairy-free options here. 

Food Rating 5 out of 5 Stars

Rationale: I went with a salad to eat healthy, but I also got breadsticks and spaghetti with Italian Sausage. I created my own pasta with unlimited breadsticks and salad. I thought the breadsticks were amazing (the waiter said they used margarine instead of butter, making them dairy-free). I enjoyed the spaghetti, & I took it home for leftovers since they gave me so much food. The salad was salad, it’s a healthy choice!

Allergy Rating: 5 out 5 Stars

Rationale: I was so impressed with how seriously the waiter took my allergies. It does help that it wasn’t during a busy time, but he told me that the kitchen staff was going to change their gloves and make sure my food was safe. It’s rare to see a waiter go above and beyond to make sure I didn’t get sick. It was really amazing to see that! 

Another Awesome feature that Olive Garden has is they have a tablet at your table (this is eat in only of course), but on that tablet there is an allergen menu downloaded on the tablet for you to read and this is the first time I have ever seen that in my entire life. 

I couldn’t recommend this place enough! Lots of food, safe from food allergies, & a Clean and friendly staff. I can’t wait to go back! I even told my family and they were impressed!