So im planning on trying pf changs for the first time since my DX. Im a little nervous cause of all the other gluten food there. But Im willing to try at least.
Just curious what everyone else got when they ordered there....and any advice or anything I should remember when eating there.

I've, by now, had everything off their menu. I recommend the lettuce wraps, of course, as well as the chang's chicken, and the garlic snap peas. The fish is also quite tasty, as is the lemon chicken or the ginger chicken with broccoli. The singapore noodles are good, but you get a lot! Oh, and they have a chocolate dome for dessert that's gluten-free (though not on all the menus yet) that's also quite good.

Everything is good there! I have eaten there several times successfully but have gotten sick a few times. What time are you going? The place is very very busy for dinner and I might suggest going at an off time to avoid confusion in the kitchen! Whenever I go, there is a different server that brings out the food (as in not the waiter who I placed the order with). This always makes me nervous, because I repeat to the server "this is gluten free right" and they usually nod their heads but I am not 100% convinced they are sure! I might ask your waiter to bring out your dish..that it would make you feel more comfortable? Just a thought...
Also, the less gluten-meals served at the table the less chance for confusion. Perhaps whomever you go w/ could order gluten-free as well? I use to eat there pre-diagnosis and the gluten-free items are very comparable in taste to the gluten-filled items (especially the lettuce wraps)!
Good luck...

hmm thats good advice about the server/waiter....i will look into that.
so i take it you have been to the one in boston. Thats where i go to all the time, well used. And i loved their food. the lettuce wraps themselves used to fill me up! i think the chocolate cake something desert is on the menu now. Do they have the menu in the restaurants as well?

My favorite is the Ginger Chicken and the Gluten Free Lettuce Wraps. Everytime I go I tell myself I should try something else but those are just so darn good

1. Gluten Free Lettuce Wraps --- be careful with this dish because it is easily mixes up with the regular lettuce wraps. Whenever I order it, I have them put the rice noodles on the side (that way they know which one is mine)

2. Chang's chicken -- its great, but inconsistently spicy -- I wish it was spicy all the time, but sometimes the spice sorta falls on its face

3. Sauteed Spinace, String-peas or Cucumbers are all excellent (make sure they use gluten free soy sauce)

4. The Singapore noodles are also a nice change of pace (I usually make them add shrimp to it)


I think I just mirrored Tarnalberry's reply...

I've had the Ginger Chicken with Brocolli. Sauce-wise, it wasn't as good as the regular one (I should have asked them to thicken it with cornstarch.) I've also had their Szechuan Chicken Chow Fun made with Rice Noodles (not on the gluten-free menu, but you can ask for it). And their Chang's Spicy Chicken is fantastic (that's my new favorite).

Side note - they're really good it seems at the gluten-free service. My first weekend of going gluten-free, my partner and I were having a "farewell to gluten" night. We had planned takeout Chinese (my favorite) and then were going to finsh off the last of our wedding cupcakes (my farewell!). The hostess at PF Changs was great. When I told her the sauce in the Ginger Chicken seemed weak, and I will miss the Chicken Chow Fun, she said, "Oh we can make that gluten-free". She took the Ginger Chicken back and had them make up the other dish for me ASAP. I practically cried on her as she was so nice. I explained my whole situation (being diagnosed, giving up gluten, this is my first time out to dinner, etc.) and she was so helpful. When I went in a week later, she remembered me too just by looking at me. I guess a 37 year old guy practically crying over Chinese food will make that memory. :-) If only others in the restaurant industry where as helpful to Celiacs as she was.

I loooooooove the lettuce wraps. They are amazing.

Me too, and there is a chicken dish, can't remember what it is called, that is "dusted" with corn starch, so it looks like fried chicken, and it is a little spicy, and served with rice. I have had nearly everything on the menu, and I like this the best, because it is close to "regular" food, with the fried-looking-chicken!

I've been there once and had those two, and liked them.

Lettuce wraps, definitely, and the Singapore Street Noodles--yum.

I was just there two nights ago. I had the gluten-free lettuce wraps and the Cantonese shrimp w/ snow peas. It was delish.

Hey Guys!
Is there any PF CHANGS in New York city?? Or only state

http://www.pfchangs.com/location/loc_code.jsp?state=ny

Sorry I am totally clueless when it comes to this

If its ony state - would it be easy to get there by public transport?
Thanx for ur help

I love the salmon with shitake mushrooms and asparagus (can't remember what they call it, but it's not the salad). I also like the lettuce wraps.

Also, if you're worried about them messing up your order, the Changs spicy chicken is gluten-free anyway.

Unfortunately there isn't one in the city. (there are Outbacks in the the city though if you want that chain).
The easiest PF Chang's for you to get to would be White Plains. You would have to take the train to White Plains and then take a cab from the train station (there are usually always cabs just waiting there). PF Chang's is located in the Westchester Mall so you could just telll the driver to go to the Westchester. I'm sure the concierge in the mall could help you get a cab back.

THANX JILLIAN (what would I do without u heheh )

Yes, have been to the Boston one numerous times. They have the menu in the restaurant as well and the waitors seem pretty knowledgible about the gluten-free menu. I have even sat at the bar and had success ordering dinner there (the bartender enters your order on a computer and you can see that they enter it as a "gluten free" order!) Are you going sometime soon?

We went to PF Changs in Minneapolis a couple nights ago. My daughter and I ordered from the gluten free menu, but I didn't feel very confident in the server. She didn't seem to know anything about gluten free. I should have asked more questions and been more persistent, but I didn't want to make a scene in front of the people we were with and I figured that since they had a gluten free menu they would probably know what they were doing.

My daughter and I each ordered the gluten free lettuce wraps, but only I ended up getting sick. The only thing I ate that she didn't was the brown rice and the gluten free soy sauce which the waitress brought separately (and a cup of coffee made in the hotel in-room coffee pot.) I know some of you have said that the rice is okay but do they bring separate rice for a gluten free meal? We just had 2 bowls of rice for the whole table (the spoons stayed in the rice bowl so I don't think it was contaminated that way).

Any thoughts? I'd like to figure out what went wrong so I can fix it for next time!

Christine

Christine,

I personally choose to stay away from the brown rice. From what I have been told, the kitchen is set up so that all the gluten-free orders are prepared in a separate area. As the brown rice is just considered gluten-free by nature and served to everyone at the table, I am not sure it is prepared in a dedicated and safe area (who knows if it is cooked in a pan that has not been thorougly cleaned, etc). This is just my own personal feeling about the rice..I have no idea how it is prepared in the kitchen. That could be something to ask about if you go again though...

One way to tell the difference between the gluten free and regular lettuce wraps is the color. The gluten free lettuc wraps are much lighter in color than the regular lettuce wraps. Once you get used to recognizing this difference, you will feel comfortable knowing you are receiving the gluten free lettuce wraps. We eat there all the time and enjoy it.

Please pardon the ignorant question. I haven't had Chinese food in 10 years and this thread is making me hungry. Are any of their dishes also soy free? I know this is a stretch, since all Asian food is usually full of soy sauce.

Hmmm, a good friend works at changs, I'll have to ck with him. I would assume each rice is made a container pretty much dedicated for rice only, and that it would be pretty safe. I'll ask him...

PF Changes is great however my local Chinese restaurant makes me steamed chicken and vegetables with no sauce for a fraction of the cost of PF Changes. I bring my own gluten-free soy sauce - Ask your local Chinese restaurant.

Actually, you could reach the one in Westbury by public transit also. You could take the Long Island Rail Road out to Westbury and either walk (longish) or take bus to the restaurant. I don't know exactly where on Old Country Road the restaurant is (I lived in Westbury a loooong time ago) but I used to live a block from the train station, and I'd walk down or take the bus to places on Old Country Road all the time. I'm not familiar with current bus routes, so you'd have to check on that. Also, there used to be a bus you could catch at the Mineola train station that went right down Old Country Road. So it is doable, but you'd have to check on the bus routes.
Debbie

From one redsox fan to another! Are you in Boston? I have eaten at the theatre district location three times with no problems. The lettuce wraps are to die for. Also, there is a gluten free chocolate torte. It is not on the menu. Ask your server. It was heaven!!

I've had a couple of bad experiences and several good experiences at PF Changs with the menu items that require the gluten-free sauce instead of regular sauce, so I've decided to stick with items that are gluten-free pretty much as prepared. If you compare the gluten-free menu and the regular menu you can see which items are naturally gluten free. I usually get the Oriental Chicken Salad (without wontons), which is excellent.

I second the tip on the color of the lettuce wraps. If you see a regular lettuce wraps, the color difference is very noticable, the gluten-free is much lighter in color. This was a fav before gluten-free, and I think the gluten-free ones are better, personally.
The singapore noodles and the lemon chicken are the best.
They have the menu's at the front with the rest of them.
A note : even if everyone at your table orders gluten-free, they will still bring the regular sauce tray, which is not gluten-free, you have to specifically ask for a side dish of gluten-free soy sauce. That fancy rack with the spices and such? Beware!
I have friends that go to PF Changs with me and order off the gluten-free menu so we can share, even though they aren't on the diet, and it never fails, here, in Las Vegas, wherever. Do not assume that the soy sauce put on your table is gluten-free unless you asked for it specifially, and if it comes in a jar or bottle, its not the right one. The gluten-free soy sauce has a very different color and smell as well, I can now spot the diff a mile away.
Elonwy

Hi all...just chiming in here as someone particularly sensitive

when they say cooked with wheat free....it does nto mean safe for celiac...because those sauces are still processed with barley. I had an incident where I ordered and they gave me regular and I got rellay sick.

So my GI doc said when I order to say cooked with no sauce...on the lettuce wraps.

I ordered 'Soothing Lettuce Chicken Wraps', 'Lemon Chicken', 'Singapore Street Noodles', and 'Flourless cake with mixed berries and rasberry sauce.'

I highly recommend all of them! They were all delicious...espicially since I hadn't had chinese food in ages.


-amber

OMG! I had the spicy chicken last night and asked if they'd throw some veggies in there with it, and it was sooooo good. I honestly almost cried! It was hot and sweet and sour all at the same time and so full of flavor...AND our waiter was very knowledgeable about the whole gluten free thing and really seemed to care and to GET IT. He also told me that the spicy chicken is one dish that is naturally gluten free and they don't have to do any modifications, aside from making sure there are no CC issues. (I did, of course, ask for the gluten-free soy sauce for my rice...)


I waited to post to make sure I didn't get sick....didn't want to tell about my fabulous experience and then have to retract it

This was the Raleigh, NC location if anyone is interested.

Cheers!

Hello, I love to eat at PFChangs but I recently became aware that I need to find out if flavored teas are gluten free. PF Changs has maybe 6 hot teas listed on their regular menu, but actually No drinks are listed on the gluten-free menu so the omission didn't necessarily mean that the teas were not gluten-free. Anyway, here is the reply I received from Revolution tea, via PF Changs:

On 2008-08-19 P.F. Chang's China Bistro wrote:
Hi Patty,

I contact Revolution and here is what they said...

"Additionally, Accuracy of "gluten-free" labels

The "Codex Alimentarius" set of international standards for food labeling has a standard relating to the labeling of products as "gluten free", however this standard does not apply to "foods which in their normal form do not contain gluten".[7]


In the United States, gluten may not be listed on the labels of certain foods because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has classified gluten as GRAS (Generally recognized as safe).[8] Requirements for proper labeling are being formulated by the USDA. It is currently up to the manufacturers of "gluten free" food items to guarantee such a claim. "A final rule that defines the term gluten-free and identifies the criteria that would enable the food industry to use that term" is scheduled to be released by the FDA on August 2nd, 2008 [9]. Many so-called gluten free products have been found to have been contaminated with gluten (such as Pamela's cookies [10], etc.).


The actual statement, “Revolution Tea products are ‘gluten free’” would have to come to us directly from NATC along with a product safety guarantee of such a claim."

I wrote back and asked PF Changs to simply ask Revolution tea if any of their teas supplied to PF Changs contain any wheat, rye, oat or barley. Will post response when received.

I didn't like the Singapore noodles they were very bland tasting, disappointing! Everything else I have liked though.

I eat there alllllll the time and have never gotten sick...knock on wood. The best things are, like others have said, the lettuce wraps and chang's spicy chicken. If you like seafood the lemon scallops are very good too

I finally got to go to a pf changs in July. There is not one anywhere near me, but I was on vacation.

I ate at the one in san jose, CA. It was fabulous. My waiter was gluten free knowledgeable and very helpful. I had the lettuce wraps for appetizers. They made it vegetarian for us as a special request. (my hubby is a strict vegetartian). They were so yummy. I had the Buddha's feast for dinner and my daughter got the singapore noodles. I liked the Buddha's feast(all vegetables) but I loved the singapore noodles. so did my daughter.

Then we ate at the one in Monterey, CA. The waitress there was knowledgeable but not as friendly. They would not make the lettuce wraps gluten free and vegetarian. My family got the vegetarian ones and I could not eat them. oh well. My daughter and I split the singapore noodles again and I got garlic snappeas. It was yummy too.

I really wish there was one near us. oh well. I will definately go there again when on vacation. Even my older son who does not like chinese food loved it.

I got the lettuce wraps. They were great. I did have to ask for the gluten free menu, as they said nothing about it, and it wasn't mentioned in the regular menu, nor was it posted anywhere in the resturant.

When visiting the Raleigh, NC location, we had the lettuce wraps, garlic spinach and salt and pepper fried calamari. It was all so delicious, but I really had missed calamari since going g-f.

Back home, the calamari was not on the g-f menu! My server saw my distress and asked what was wrong. He asked the chef and voila! They used a clean wok with fresh oil to fry up some potato-starch crusted calamari. Yum.

Oh, we also had the lemon scallops, which were divine, and the Singapore street noodles that tasted bland, but much better after I added some of their g-f sauce.

P.F.Changs seems like one of those few chains that will truly try to do whatever it takes to please their customer.

I live near Monterey and we ate there the Lettuce wraps are on the gluten free menu We had it all with lemon chicken, shrimp with lobster sauce.

I went to PF changs not long ago and ordered off their gluten free menu. The singapore street noodles are GREAT! Plus, I'm a vegetarian, and when i asked if they would be able to leave off the meat, the waitress suggested a five spice tofu to put on it instead. It was incredible. I went back the next day just to have it all over again!

And to the poster who asked if there was a PF changs in NYC...Unfortunately, no..but there is one in Long Island if you ever get out that way!

I recently went to the P. F. Changs in Eugene, OR. It was my first time there. I was kind of scared, but I thought, if I don't try it now, I will never know if it is a place I can eat.

I cannot tell you how positive an experience I had there. Firstly, our waiter was fantastic. Very accommodating and didn't make me feel bad for being different and asking lots of questions about ingredients and such.

I also cannot have soy, and they told me that all of their marinade are done in soybean oil...So they cut me fresh chicken, and made me a dish that was special just for me! The manager also came to our table and wanted to tell us how important it is for them to take allergies seriously in their restaurant, and they wanted to let me know that if I ever do want my meat marinated, I should just call a few hours ahead so they can make me up a marinade. I had the moo goo gai pan, made especially for me It was REALLY fantastic. I also had the flourless chocolate dome, which was to die for! I cannot tell you how good it was to have a fudgey-chocolate-cakey type dessert. It was by far the most positive gluten free experience I have EVER had.

I'm so glad to hear of other people having good experiences there. I nearly always get sick after eating here and at Outback, even when ordering and eating gluten free. I'm chalking it up to the fact that we don't eat "rich" restaurant foods much anymore so that is probably the reason my tummy gets upset vs cc or gluten.

I'm giving PFChangs another try next week. Fingers crossed!!!

My husband and I went to PF Changs in Knoxville for lunch today and it was so good and I feel great! We shared the lettuce wraps - very delicious and I had the shrimp and lobster sauce. I think I could just have the lettuce wraps as a meal.

Thanks to whoever first suggested Changs!

Hi-

Just an FYI, when your nervous at P.F. Changs. A nice waiter told me that all the gluten-free food is served on round plates and the non-gluten-free is served on square plates. That is how the wait staff tells what is what. I am located in Charlote, NC but, I would think this is the standard operating procedure for this company.

Sarah

(same digmom but, they cleared all my post somehow so, I'm back to the beginning)

We went to PF Chang's last night for the first time since going gluten-free. My husband and daughter also ordered off the gluten-free menu, even though they don't have Celiac, so that we could share (awww!). We had: the lettuce wraps, the Dahli chicken (spicy), Chang's spicy chicken, lemon chicken, and a side of cucumbers. It was delicious and we have plenty of leftovers for lunch today. For dessert I had the flourless chocolate dome. My husband and daughter split a piece of 6-layer chocolate cake (non gluten-free). I also had the ginger-peach decaf tea. It was such a treat to eat out, and I feel fine!