---
title: "Ask a restaurant about food allergies before you go"
description: "Have your AI agent call a restaurant before you book to ask how it handles a nut, gluten or shellfish allergy, about shared fryers and what the kitchen can change."
url: https://callforme.tel/use-cases/restaurant-allergy-questions
published: 2026-11-03
updated: 2026-11-04
author: CallForMe team, Great Work LLC
---

# Ask a restaurant about food allergies before you go

> Tell your agent the restaurant, the allergy and how severe it is. CallForMe calls during a quiet hour, asks how the kitchen handles that allergen, about shared fryers and prep surfaces and which dishes can be made safe, and reports what the staff said word for word. It can book the table in the same call. Each answered call costs $1.

**Say to your agent:** "Call Lantern Thai and ask how they handle a severe peanut allergy: do they cook with peanut oil, are woks and fryers shared, and which dishes can be made without peanuts. If it sounds safe, book a table for 3 on Saturday at 6:30 under Patel."

An allergy question needs a real answer from someone who knows the kitchen, and that rarely fits in a website FAQ. A two-minute call in the afternoon gets you whether they cook with peanut oil, whether the fryer is shared and which dishes can change, before you've booked anything.

## What your agent does

1. **find_business** finds the restaurant's number and whether it's open now.
2. **plan_call** checks the restaurant's local time and warns your agent during the lunch or dinner rush, when hosts are least able to check with the kitchen.
3. **place_call** asks your questions, and asks the host to check with the kitchen if they aren't sure.
4. Your agent gets each answer and the transcript, and books the table if you said to.

<details><summary>What your agent sends (for developers)</summary>

```json
{
  "phone": "+15125550173",
  "business_name": "Lantern Thai",
  "goal": "Find out how the kitchen handles a severe peanut allergy, then book a table for 3 on Saturday at 6:30pm if the answers are clear.",
  "details": "Severe peanut allergy (not a preference). Party of 3, Saturday 6:30pm, name Patel. 6 to 7:30 is fine.",
  "questions": ["Do you cook with peanut oil?", "Are woks, fryers or prep surfaces shared with peanut dishes?", "Which dishes can be made without peanuts?"],
  "on_behalf_of": "Anika Patel",
  "callback_number": "+15125550188",
  "constraints": "Don't book if the kitchen says it can't avoid cross-contact."
}
```

</details>

## Example result

Illustrative example: names and answers are made up.

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Peanut oil | No, they cook with soybean oil |
| Shared woks or fryers | Woks are shared but washed between orders; the fryer is shared with a peanut appetizer |
| Safe dishes | Most curries and stir-fries without the peanut garnish; avoid anything fried |
| Table | Booked for 3, Saturday 6:30pm, under Patel |

## Questions worth asking

- Do you cook with peanut, tree nut or sesame oil?
- Is the fryer shared? Are woks, grills or cutting boards cleaned between orders?
- Which dishes can be made without the allergen, and which can't?
- Can someone from the kitchen talk to us when we order?
- For gluten: do you have a separate fryer or pasta water, and are sauces thickened with flour?

## Tips

- Say how severe it is in `details`. "Severe allergy" gets a different answer from "we'd rather avoid it."
- Use `constraints` to tell the assistant not to book if the kitchen can't avoid cross-contact.
- Ask for the name of the person who answered, so you can mention it when you arrive.

## What it costs

$1 per answered call, including the first 2 minutes, then 40¢ a minute. An allergy question plus a booking usually fits in about 2 minutes. Asking three restaurants is about $3.

## Related

- [Have AI call restaurants for you](/call/restaurants)
- [Book a restaurant reservation](/use-cases/restaurant-reservations)
- [Check the walk-in wait](/use-cases/restaurant-wait-time)
- [Call caterers](/call/caterers)
- [What an AI call sounds like](/guides/what-an-ai-call-sounds-like)

## FAQ

### What is the best time to ask a restaurant about allergies?

Between 2 and 5pm local time, when the kitchen and host have time to answer properly. plan_call warns your agent when it's the lunch or dinner rush at the restaurant.

### Can it ask several restaurants and pick one?

Yes. Your agent can call a few places in parallel with the same allergy questions and tell you which gave the clearest answers, then book that one.

### Does a good answer on the phone mean the meal is safe?

No. A call tells you what the staff said and how confident they sounded. Tell your server again when you order, and follow your own doctor's advice on what's safe for you.

### Will the restaurant know it's an assistant calling?

Yes. The call opens by saying it's an assistant calling for you, on a recorded line, and it says it's an AI whenever asked.

## Related

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- [Ask about a return or refund with an AI phone call](https://callforme.tel/use-cases/returns-and-refunds.md)
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