Amerikano’s - diabetics/prediabetics beware!
 

Stopped by there late yesterday. Asked if I could get the chicken kabobs without the bed of rice but instead get cole slaw or extra veggies. Waitress said substitutions weren’t allowed. Told her that I was in previously and that they did allow this. Since this waitress was fairly new, she asked another waitress but I received the same answer. I explained that I’m on a low carb diet and rice is a high carb food which I avoid as I do bread, pasta and potatoes. She was sympathetic and said she was going to check with one more person out front, who I assumed might be the manager. She came back and confirmed again that the rice is part of the order and cannot be replaced with something else. She also said that they could serve the meal without the rice but I would have to still pay for the rice. Needless to say Amerikano’s has lost a customer.

Good to know, thanks for posting. We've never been there, but had considered going. Not anymore.
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bc

I also sent an email to Amerikano’s when we got home expressing my disappointment. So far, no reply. If I do get a reply, I’ll post again.

More and more restaurants are not allowing substitutions. My favorite restaurant is Turners in Leesburg and the chef will not do substitutions. I have had good food at Amerikanos. I would have selected a different entree that had sides I would eat.

Waitress: What can I get you?
Harry: I'll have the Number Three.
Sally: I'd like the chef salad, please, with the oil and vinegar on the side. And the apple pie a la mode....But I'd like the pie heated, and I don't want the ice cream on top. I want it on the side. And I'd like strawberry instead of vanilla if you have it. If not, then no ice cream, just whipped cream, but only if it's real. If it's out of a can, then nothing.
Waitress: Not even the pie?
Sally: No, just the pie. But then not heated.
Waitress: Uh-huh. - Sally from 'When Harry Met Sally'

More and more people are developing prediabetes and diabetes (over 100 million in US). Restaurants need to be a bit more flexible if they want these people to remain customers.

I would have ordered the salad with grilled chicken. I have found I need to be flexible in a lot of the restaurants.

I have salads everywhere. Chicken kabobs were perfect. There is no reason they couldn’t have given me a few extra veggies with it instead of the rice. Shouldn’t restaurants try to please their customers especially those on a special diet for health reasons?

You ran up against a variation of the petty bureaucrat syndrome. If someone believes they do not have the authority to approve a request, they exercise their perceived authority to refuse it.

I can not eat cheese for allergy reasons and I have a heck of a time getting it omitted from many orders; I can sympathize. Also just try to get them to 'hold the salt'.

On the other hand...my ex-wife: "I'll have the special (chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and green beans) but want to substitute steamed chicken for the fried steak, rice for the mashed potatoes and peas for the green beans." True story - many times over...

Point is this can get out of hand.

Why not order the kabobs without the rice and a veggie or two on the side? Rice is cheap and easy to prepare; veggies cost more than rice and are more work to prepare. Q.E.D.: They are not equivalent.

We went to Bluefin for lunch last week and they told us we could substitute anything.

Next time, I'd order the kebabs, and bring a friend along who likes rice. I'd have the friend order something that comes with a vegetable, but not with rice. I'd ask for two empty bread plates, with nothing on them. And then when everything shows up at the table, I'd scrape the rice onto a plate for my friend, and my friend would scrape her veggies onto a plate for me, and we'd all be happy.

Dining was so much more enjoyable a year ago when I ate anything and everything. At least beer is still on the menu (Mich Ultra, 2.6 carbs).

Have you sought a second opinion on your medical condition? How old are you, at this point in your lifespan a little rice may not affect you too much.

You do know there are new owners there now and what you had before was under the old owners. Name is the only thing that stayed the same.