The frappe machine.  Even if i didn't know where you live, I could figure it out.

Yeah, I make them for the kids on my Vitamix once in awhile. 

Oreos and vanilla ice cream, a shot of milk and choc syrup?  Pretty good and I used to make them in an ice cream shop, so I make a good shake.  I also used to be the one who cleaned the Frappe machine.  I know how dirty they get, and you do not want to know about the critters crawling around under them.   

I have only let ds have a shake from one local place....a deli downtown...the owner is fantastic and scrubs down and sanitizes the shake machine for pb allergies.

Well, I spoke with management and then decided to try it.  Dd had chicken fingers and fries.  She liked it.  Ds had a burger as did I. 

The manager said they keep one wand clean if PB on the shakes for people with allergies and place those shakes away from any others.  Then, our server, overhearing that i would not let dd have a shake, said she could sanitize a container and wand and that they have a specific one for all the PB shakes.  So, opposite stories.  Umm, so which one os right and are they using the dedicated wand for allergic individuals *and* pb shakes, since there were 2 conflicting bits of information?  They are trying, but, I am not at all comfortable trusting that and I would not trust that one wand on a machine with 5 or 6 stays clean anyway. 

So, food okay for us, and no shakes for us.  The grill was opposite the fountain area, and fountain items were separate from the food items, even when set out for delivery.   

I have eaten at the Pentagon City location.  It's been a few years; I used to live near Pentagon City.  I'm pretty sure we've been there with DD at least once.  She usually gets a grilled cheese and fries.  DD has gotten a burger at our current location (Ashburn).

Anybody eaten at the one in the Pentagon City Mall?  (Maeve?)

I just downloaded their allergen information online yesterday hoping that could be a food option for DD. They even list sesame noting it is only considered a major allergen in Canada.  I had hopes she could get a burger and fries there.

We don't have one near us so I had no idea peanut butter might be so prevalent in the kitchen.

Glad to hear that some enjoy it, and go safely.  I still have to check ours out.  If the grill and fries are well away from the fountain, I think I would be okay with it, if the management has a clue. 

I heard a good story about the service, in general, at our new one here in town.  My friend went with her family.  her daughter did not like the chili.  There was nothing wrong with it, but she simply did not care for it.  The  waiter noticed and asked if it was ok, and they said so, and that the girl simply did not care for it.  They were offered something else, but declined, as the dd has picked at her sisters fries and was content.  They noticed the charge for the chili had been removed from the bill.  That was nice, and the waiter was clearly attentive to notice and ask about the uneaten chili. 

Quote from: momtoAidenDeclan on February 17, 2013, 07:35:00 PM
There's one in our mall and we eat there have never had a problem (no desserts or shakes)

We're about to head out to our local Johnny Rockets for lunch.

There's one in our mall and we eat there have never had a problem (no desserts or shakes)

We got fries at a Johnny Rockets in a mall once and they had good procedures to make sure that the fries were not xcontammed with anything else because they had a lot of other gluten-free and food allergic customers.  It was a dedicated fryer.  DS was fine eating them.  YMMV.

I am not usually worried about a soda, but this place is way beyond anything with the peanut butter in several shakes.  And it sounds like they do tons of shakes, it is their "thing." 

Dd has been places with *us* and not eaten!  There was the time she forgot her epipens when we went off to the mall.  Maybe 5th grade?  we had reminded her, and she somehow set them down again, or forgot.  We had planned on having lunch as a family.  We still needed to feed ds, as he was hungry and young.  Not fair to starve him for her error.  So, we got him pizza in the food court.  She was very hungry, since we had planned on having lunch.  It was a lesson. 

Also, we have often brought food or simple snacks in place of buying her food at parks, etc...  when we are headed into unknown territory.  She is ok with that, as a family. 

However, she does seem bummed at the thought of hanging and not getting something.  It just does not seem fun.  And she has made a poor decision or two, the couple of times I have let her go alone with friends to Dunkin Donuts.  Took a blender drink from a friend, when friend did not like it.  And oreo Coolatta.  Not sure if they do anything nutty on the blender, but she knew nothing of the item, since she had not ordered it for herself.  We discussed all of this.  And the sharing of the straw, not knowing what friend had eaten that day. 

She still is young or immature wrt to making impulsive decisions.  Well, I am guessing that is age-appropriate, seeing as that brain function does not mature entirely until around 25 years old. 

We will see and discuss if she gets invited to go there.  I would not want her having anything until I go see the place.    I do think we ate at one years ago.  In Florida, at a retirement "village."  It was very clean looking, as I recall.  I also think all the PB shakes would not be so big with the senior set.   It was likely our only real choice at the time and I am sure I had no awareness of their big thing with the shakes. 

It takes some time to get there. DS is only there this year, and he's several years older than becca's dd.

DS and I have talked about this for a few years. But now he'd just rather go and be with friends and just getting something to drink. Of course with this resTaurNt I'm guessing folks would be worried abut otherwise safe cokes getting contaminated.

Yeah, it sucks. But...

...how does your DD feel about exploring options like --- eating beforehand or bringing a snack with her so she can hang out with friends, but just not eat?

As an adult with food allergies, growing up with them since age 2, I firmly believe there is a point where the young'n going into pre-teen years needs to start seeing it as a possibility to go with friends, but just not eat. To hang, to be friends, to have fun...just not eat.

I started doing this in college in order not to be left out of the circle of friends and it's still a regular practice. It takes getting used to, sure, and sometimes I feel crappy not eating the yummy food...sure...but I've learned over many years to let a lot of food-allergy-things (like being "left out") roll off my back. So now...it's "being left out of eating" but not "being left out of hanging out with friends".

Make any sense? Not sure if your DD is there yet.

And I'm not saying to not acknowledge it's sh!tty, it is...

Adrienne

Well dd is sad.  This place is definitely going to draw the kids.  There is very little going on around here and this is so close to school.   

That said, I will go look and speak with the manager.  Maybe there will be some compassion and care since they are so close to a local Jr. High and HS and being careful will bring in more business. 

But, really, after looking over the menu, PB is quite integral to their shakes.  I bet they slap PB on some burger. 

that might have been me.   was awhile ago.  ds seemed pretty young.  to this day, he will not even check to see if anything has changed there.