My Dad and I had an absolutely terrible experience at this restaurant. Not only was the manager incredibly rude and unprofessional, but she also refused to allow me to bring in outside food despite my medical condition.

As someone with celiac disease, I have been advised by my doctors not to eat in restaurants due to the risk of cross-contamination. However, when I attempted to explain my situation to the manager, she was completely dismissive and refused to accommodate me in any way.

Until now I've never been to a restaurant who's been anything but welcome to the idea of bringing in food. I simply carry in a plain turkey sandwich made myself, Boar's Head turkey on Schär gluten free bread, 100% gluten free. Normally I ask if they mind, I eat my own food, elsewhere the answer is always, absolutely. Not at Morse Tavern, here it was a big problem, one she could offer no solution.

I asked the manager to call the owner, requesting if it would be at all possible to allow my normal routine. She called and after a minute came back denying my accommodation request. She said the strict policy was due to Natick having an no outside food law from the local board of health. Wondering if this was true, I called the Natick health department. They said no such town bylaw exists. She also used the excuse "it could be contaminated".

Next, I asked about gluten free options on the menu. She suggested their salad with salmon. I asked, "how is it cooked, in a pan or open grill?" She replied with an attitude "I don't understand why have to be so mean to me" and stormed off to the kitchen. Clearly her response indicated a complete lack of understanding of the situation. I always ask questions to gauge my confidence in their ability to produce a safe meal. As the grill is contaminated and off limits to celiacs. Every bite I eat must be strictly monitored, no exceptions. As eating even a gram of gluten would result in permanent damage to my digestive system and take up to a month to heal. Why should I take this risk?

If she can't effectively understand my needs and communicate how can this manager communicate my needs to the kitchen. At that point we decided to leave after a two-minute unnecessarily stress filled visit. After a two-hour drive to get there, this completely ruined my day off from work. My Dad is also disabled and relies on a scooter, it takes ten minutes to get him and the scooter in or out of the car. We had to cancel our lunch with our friend as unfortunately Natick has very limited lunch options. Thus, all that work to get in the door wasted by the manager's lack of thought and inability to listen. We were shocked and disappointed since at any other restaurant they are accommodating.

How dare this restaurant owner and manager dictate what I should eat without having a proper two-way conversation about the allergy precautions and cooking methods used. Especially given I had an ideal 100% safe gluten free lunch sitting in a cooler in the car. Living in a world filled with wheat is hard enough. Social events are stressful for people with celiac disease and made exponentially more difficult with uncooperative and inconsiderate management not willing to adapt.

It is truly unacceptable for a restaurant to have such a callous attitude towards customers with medical needs. I would strongly advise anyone with dietary restrictions or medical conditions to steer clear of this establishment. The management is completely intolerant and unhelpful, and their disregard for customer health and safety is truly disturbing. Save yourself the trouble and find somewhere else to eat.