A gluten-free and vegetarian paradise found at Cheeseburger in Paradise

Restaurant: Cheeseburger in Paradise, Indianapolis, Indiana

Before you harp on me too much…I know.  I know.  I vowed not to cover chain restaurants and here I am…yet again…covering one.  But, if it helps, this chain isn’t too widely spread.  And I feel when a restaurant makes a concerted and fantastic effort to cater to those that are gluten-free they should be rewarded with a blog.  Chain or no chain.

If anyone is familiar with Jimmy Buffet, you are probably familiar with Cheeseburger in Paradise.  This is his sister-restaurant chain to Margaritaville.  And their specialty?  Burgers, of course.

I know…I know what you’re thinking.

“But…you’re vegetarian.”

HAHA!  Yes…I am.  And on their menu, any burger can be substituted for a gluten-free veggie burger that they make.  And the icing on this (gluten-free) cake is that they also offer gluten-free buns.  Yes.  While I have been to some local eateries that offer a gluten-free veggie burger, none of them have gluten-free buns.  Do you realize that ever since I went gluten-free over a year ago, I haven’t had a veggie burger that I could pick up and eat like a burger?  Do you realize how stupidly happy the fact that I could eat a veggie burger without a knife and fork made me?  Yeah…stupidly, stupidly happy.

It was decided, then, that the perfect time to try out Cheeseburger in Paradise would be after I ran in the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini Marathon.  After all, the closest one to us is in Indianapolis (2 hours away) and that’s where I would be for the race.  And after running 13.1 miles, a veggie burger and some celebratory fries (also gluten-free!) would be awesome.  So, I came, I ran, I found myself at the threshold of Cheeseburger in Paradise…a little giddy with excitement.

We were seated and handed menus.  Our waitress was immediately told that I was medically gluten-free and she said she would grab me a gluten-free menu.  As is the case in every other restaurant I go to, I expected to get a little sheet of paper that gave the run-down of the items I could consume.

Not here.  At Cheeseburger in Paradise…you actually get a menu.  Like…laminated, folding, looks just like the regular menu…menu!  I didn’t look like a weirdo reading off a small sheet of paper, trying to make out faded ink from an inkjet printer.  Nope.  I was looking at a full-color, pictures included, looks just like any other menu, gluten-free menu.  I wasn’t an outsider here.  It was an awesome feeling.

I perused…and settled on the Gluten-Free BBQ Cheddar Burger, with a veggie burger, on the gluten-free bun.  My side…the french fried potatoes, of course.  The BBQ Cheddar Burger was simple.  Cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce, lettuce, and caramelized onions.  Sounded delicious to me.  The waitress took the order, retrieved the menus, and went to put it in.

We had a respectable wait time for our food, which was always a good thing.  I never want food rushed out to me when I eat.  But this chain prides itself on making things to order, and that is definitely the case.  Our food was brought out, and mine was served to me by the chef himself.

“One delicious gluten-free burger!” he said as he began to put the plate down.

Unfortunately, when the burger on the gluten-free bun was set in front of me, I immediately saw bacon.

“Oh no!  There’s bacon!” I said.

The chef blinked.  “She doesn’t like bacon!”

“I’m a vegetarian!” I exclaimed.  And he snatched the plate away and said he’d be right back with a new one.

I had my roommate go ahead and dive into her plate of Sirloin Sliders, because I didn’t want her food to get cold.  She was only halfway through when the chef carried out my plate once more.  This time…a veggie burger, no bacon.

He said, “There was nothing vegetarian about that burger.  Try this one.”

It looked fantastic and I thanked him immediately.

Now that I glance back over the menu, I think the waitress was so focused on the gluten-free part, she missed the veggie burger request and wrote it down as the Bacon Cheddar Burger, which is cheddar cheese, Applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, and red onion.  Because my veggie burger had no BBQ sauce and no caramelized onion.  It did have lettuce, tomato and red onion with cheese, however.  Mystery solved.

I didn’t care.  I was about to pick up a burger at a restaurant for the first time in over a year.  It was actually a very emotional moment for me.  One bite…and it was hard to stop.  Honestly.  The veggie burger itself was fantastic.  Cooked perfectly.  Made with fresh vegetables that you could see throughout it.  The bun…flaky goodness.  It made my burger actually…feel like a burger.  I was so happy.  So happy that I pretty much hoovered it and the fries without batting an eyelash.  I was one happy gluten-free girl that day.  I don’t think a veggie burger ever tasted so good.  And the fries…those were so delicious too.  Not overly seasoned.  Done up to where I didn’t have to quiz the staff on if they have a separate frier.  They did.  It was on the menu.

I want to also point out a nice little disclaimer on the Cheeseburger in Paradise gluten-free menu.  It was in the corner.  I thought it would be the usual “we can’t guarantee cross-contamination won’t happen…” disclaimer that restaurants put on their gluten-free menus.  But I was wrong.  This one clearly read:

We want your experience to be the best one possible. Everything is made fresh to order, so if there is something you crave that is not listed, we would be happy to make it for you. Please speak to a manager when you arrive so we can make sure to meet all of your dietary needs.

It was just a refreshing change from the restaurants I normally go to.  I felt like I belonged there.  And the fact that the chef himself walked out my food, not once, but twice…was nice.  They kept everything separate.  They made me feel very confident in eating there.  I was quite happy with the care they gave to my dining experience and would totally go back and eat there again in a heartbeat.  Maybe even get that BBQ Cheddar Burger this time.

But my story doesn’t end there.  We were brought the check for our order, and because of the mix-up with my burger, my dinner was comped.  Completely.  Nevermind that my gluten-free bun was an extra $1.00.  It wasn’t on the check at all.  I wasn’t upset about the mix-up.  And despite not getting exactly what I ordered either time…I was quite happy with eating there.  It was a very kind gesture made by the restaurant itself.  And one that I honestly appreciated.

Like I said…when a chain goes out of their way…they do get a blog.  I have never been so satisfied with service, food, and an experience at a restaurant chain before.  I just want to advise anyone out there who has yet to go to a Cheeseburger in Paradise to go…because they make the journey well worth it.  I can’t complain about anything because what they messed up, they made right.  And then, unexpectedly, didn’t charge me for my meal after getting it wrong the first time.

Kudos to a well-run chain who not only treats their clients well, but takes care of them too.  And they made this gluten-free vegetarian feel like just another customer.  And that is how dining out should be.

Beyond impressed.  I will be back.