I've written to Applebee's, and they don't "guarentee" ingredients or list them in any way. "We don't want to be responsible for someone getting sick, etc, etc."
We don't have a Friendly's in our area, so I haven't contacted them.
I would recommend just ordering a baked potato ABSOLUTELY plain. I find that actually saying "absolutely" helps, because if you just order a "plain baked potato" they often forget/ don't notice and bring it with butter. And, I agree. Food allergies are taken very seriously, so using that as your explanation is short, quick, to-the-point, and gets things to happen your way. I would avoid the buns/ grilled meats with possible glazes/ sauces unless you get a wonderful server or a helpful manager who will show you ingredient lists/ packages or be willing to guarantee that its safe (and you have a sense that they actually checked, and are not just blowing you off). Sometimes people are wonderful helpful, and you can adapt/ combine different menus items and have a wonderful meal. But, if you sense that they are hurried, or not taking you seriously, stick with the plain potato. Until you're stable, its best not to let even small amounts of triggers sneak in. My rule is, if you don't list all the ingredients, and I can't see each individual ingredient, I'm going to stick with something I know is safe. (Ex. Dairy, Eggs, etc might be in bread, but you can't tell if they are or not--it might be safe, but it's not worth it to me to risk it). Either of those restruants probably serves rice also, so you might be able to have rice and potatos. And you can use the salt and pepper at your table to add some flavor yourself. (Or stick your favorite spice bottle in your purse--I've done that before also.)
Also, be aware that restruant portion are often large than any tummy (especially an irritable one) needs, so it might help to decide when you get the plate how much of it you are going to eat.
Good luck, and I hope you can relax and enjoy your meal, and your dining companions (that's what it's all about, right?)
-------------------- ~~~Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.~~~
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