Allergy-Friendly Dining at Lulu’s Gulf Shores
Allergy-friendly menus and newly renovated isolated meal prep stations are the latest addition to LuLu’s repertoire of beach-centric family dining.
LuLu’s Gulf Shores, a Gulf Coast icon for more than twenty years, and its sister locations in Destin and North Myrtle Beach are synonymous with beach-centric family fun. Boasting signature dishes featuring locally sourced seafood and produce, LuLu’s is about creating safe and memorable dining experiences for the entire family – including those leading food-allergy lifestyles. Locals and vacationers alike enjoy safely prepared fresh meals with water-front views, live music, patio seating, and family-friendly activities, including an arcade, beach, or ropes course. “LuLu’s is about creating experiences for families. We want visitors to relax, grab a drink, and watch the kids play in the sand. Our job is to help our guests forget about life for a little while,” says LuLu’s President, Gerald Tipton.
The Gulf Shores and Destin communities warmly embrace the inclusiveness LuLu’s offers with its attention to allergy-friendly menus. Nationally recognized by AllergyEats, the leading guide to allergy-friendly dining worldwide, LuLu’s is one of the top allergy-friendly independent restaurants along the Gulf Coast. “We have heard touching stories of our guests that have never been able to eat out due to their allergies, and it gives us satisfaction to know that we can make them feel safe and taken care of while dining with their families,” says Tipton.
With a firm understanding of how dining out impacts those with food allergy and food intolerance lifestyles, LuLu’s strives to ensure all guests enjoy a welcoming and positive dining experience. One of the unique in-kitchen features at each location is a separate allergy-friendly meal prep station where meals are prepared free from common allergens, including dairy, egg, gluten, shellfish, soy, or seafood. While LuLu’s Destin included an isolated meal prep station during construction in 2015, LuLu’s flagship restaurant in Gulf Shores recently underwent an extensive kitchen renovation to include a 500-square foot food prep station set off from the main meal prep area.
Meticulously trained staff perform a careful review of each menu item while considering known food allergies. Substitute ingredients not only meet allergy guidelines but align with LuLu’s standards for high quality. “We want our guests to have the confidence to relax and allow LuLu’s to care for their meal,” notes Tipton. The staff follows extensive, well-defined allergy protocols designed to keep allergy-sensitive guests safe. Food safety protocols outline each interaction with the customer from carefully taken food orders, to food preparation and meal delivery. Managers deliver each allergy-free meal as confirmation that the meal was not only carefully prepared in a separate setting, but to impress solidarity between LuLu’s and it’s guests.
The kitchen continues to take pride in preparing coastal cuisine with customer favorites including LuLu’s Famous Seafood Gumbo, Jumbo Shrimp, LuLu’s Specialty Cheeseburgers, the Catch of the Day and balancing out the menu with healthy dining options like grilled or blackened seafood, beautifully crafted salads with handmade dressings, like the Arcadian Greens Salad, or the signature Key West Bowl.
LuLu’s focus on families and the “family beach tradition” sets them apart from other establishments. Vacationers and visitors alike choose this family-fun destination to create lasting memories while enjoying fresh, safely-prepared handcrafted meals in a casual, relaxed atmosphere.
