Westfield San Francisco Shopping Centre Food Emporium
865 Market St
(at Cable Car Turnaround)
San Francisco, CA 94103
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Garage
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
203 reviews
Neighborhood: Financial District
"Hello Schroeder's after my very first time eating lunch at Schroeder's that last couple of weeks... I have returned once again on a 8 8 08…" read more »
120 Reviews for Westfield San Francisco Shopping Centre Food Emporium
Usually food courts in malls consist of McDonalds and Burger Kings. This place has a way better food selection. It's a pretty big place and lots of places to sit. I try and go eat here everytime i'm in SF. My cousin lives in SF so i want him to take me here. haha.
I really cant stand mall food... No matter how fancy they try to make it.
There are long lines, dirty tables, messy condiments bars... and a smelly mixture of Chinese food, pizzas, french fries and beyond...
You can never go wrong with the Nordstom's Cafe. :)
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OK my little secret is out. I HATE shopping at the mall, but I like eating there. Kind creepy, I know. Just hear me out before you judge.
I am one of those people who needs to eat every hour or I get cranky. I tend to walk home from work from time to time with my guy and the mall is right on our way. By the time I make it all the way over to 5th and Mission, I am STARVING! So one day on our walk home, a moment of cranky hunger (my man likes to refer to it as something else that begins with a b) over came me. We just so happened to be in front of the mall. I was dragged quickly downstairs to get a quick bight to eat.
I staggered up and down the court checking the food out with my tummy grumbling. All I can remember in my daze, was that to my surprise, there was some pretty decent looking food. We ended up eating at Coriander Thai and had a yellow curry and a veggie tofu dish. Pretty yum yum.
My blood sugar started to rise and I looked around the food court area now a sane and somewhat rational person. Whoa. I noticed people drinking wine and laughing like they would at a restaurant. How cool is that? I also noticed a gelato stand right smack in the middle of court. Even cooler. I looked at the tables surrounding us, not everyone had a shopping bag. This meant people were coming here like we were, just to eat. Interesting. It dawned on me then that this place was not a regular food court. We continued our walk home that evening with full bellies and lots of cheer. I had found a new drop-in-and-eat destination in the most unsuspecting location.
Now I regularly stop down here on my walks home with or without company. It's great. Of course I try to avoid the rest of the mall as much as possible. The other day I got sprayed with some obnoxious perfume on my walk out from dinner, but it is a small price to pay for some decent food.
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Is this not the BEST mall food court EVER?
We wandered in here by accident one day, on our way off of BART. Now, when we BART, we make it a specific point to get to the city or leave the city RIGHT at dinner, so the family can go to this food court. So far, I've tried the raw bar and pizza at Bristol Farms (picks by the kids), coffee at Peet's (yeah, can never seem to pass by Peet's without getting a cup), Sorabol (but I think that's kind of standard mall fare, actually), andale, and buckhorn grill (yeah, this one is kind of standard mall fare, too, but I was in the mood for one of those huge salads).
The kicker is that this place is ALWAYS bustling; the only table that we found was this mini table w/ little chairs. Perfect for 5 year olds. Except that I'm not five. My kids loved it, and I -- well, I had good food, so who cares?
I hope I discover more ACCIDENTS like this one.
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Well, what can you say? This is straight out of an episode of "Extreme Food Court Makeovers." Beard Papa, Askew Grill, Bistro Burger, Buckhorn Grill, etc. Lots of options, something for everyone, and it ain't fast food.
So why only two stars? Well, although the food has potential, the food court itself is the perfect setting for someone to get something stolen, which is exactly what happened to a friend of mine the other day. Though it probably wasn't a good idea to hang her purse from the back of her chair, whoever did it had no regard for the four people at the table, as well as the hundreds of people that were around us. Hey, I should give them credit, no one noticed a thing. Some kind of inside job, perhaps? I guess desperate times call for desperate measures, and I understand folks gotta survive by any means necessary, but I would hate to go back to see some other would-be thief try to take it up a notch.
Thanks, but no thanks.
This is by far THE BEST food court that I've ever been to. It's not your typical food court which has the sbarro, hot dog on a stick, etc, etc... This food court has restaurant-style food at decent prices. They have selections ranging from sandwiches to Korean food, to Thai food, to seafood specialties!
I opted for the Korean food. For a little under $10 I got a huge plate which included rice, Korean noodles, steamed broccoli, and I chose the spicy chicken (also had a bottle of water). I was pleased with the way the food tasted and was pleased with the quality of food (you seem to forget that you're eating in a shopping mall food court).
Be careful if you choose to eat here on a weekend as it's usually packed and finding a place to sit is a little difficult... it is, afterall, a tourist spot! Also, be prepared to have bus boy service after you've finished your meal. They serve your meals on real plates with real silverware (if you state that it's for here) and after you've finished your meal, people take away your plates and clean up your table... gotta love service!
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This food court is the bomb! It doesn't really look like your typical food court. The place looks really trendy and sophisticated. The variety of food here is more upscale than other food courts that I've been to. I ordered from the Coriander Gourmet Thai and Sorabol Korean BBQ & Asian Noodles. Both place tasted awesome and their prices were not bad- about $10 for a combo plate at each place. I would definitely come here again. Next time I will try the gelato at the Melt Gelato & Crepe Cafe. Seatings could be kinda hard to find if it's busy. If you come here in a large group, good luck with finding a table to fit all of ya'll.
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How sad that Westfield has turned SF into just another big city maul... I've seen the same stores in Chicago, NY and all over the country - none of these chains creates a sense of place or really reflects the uniqueness of San Francisco.
The food court is really nice and the movie theatre is all plushed out with the latest mod-cons (Like LEGROOM!)
I'm glad they kept the dome but everything else is just too generic...
Are you old enough to remember the old Emporium -Capwell from back in the days? Well, I have. I am glad that they kept the original arch/dome in front of Market Street, It brings back memories. The place is breathtaking for me. The shops are certainly has changed for the better. Theres a movie theater inside as well. I believe a multi-plex. Food court on the lower level, super market...Good God!
The Westfield is connected to the SF Centre. Close to Bart, and Muni.
Go check it out if you have done so yet.
Is it sad that I often eat here when I'm downtown? The location is convenient, the prices are decent and I love the choices. Seating can be rough at peak hours, and somehow I always end up in that back right corner by the Japanese place, right next to the doors that all the employees go through. I love the smell of warm Pamolive as I munch on a chicken ceasar salad or the spicy green beans from the Thai place.
The soups from Bristol Farms can hit the spot on cold days (or when you need a medium-sized snack, one that will make you feel fuller than you actually are). The bathrooms often have lines (but not usually for the dudes). If you feel particularly daring, try the family bathroom. I'm sure no one will think you're creepy.
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Other than shopping and eating at their food court...The Westfield San Francisco Centre Food Emporium for me is a really neat & very cool place to hang out!!! The one place that, I like the most of all at The Westfield is going to the top floor and to sit down on the chair that they have and to relax and stay away from the busy & noisy streets of Market Street!!!
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Waking up after my SF DYL I was a bit hung over and extremely thankful I had until noon to check out of my wonderful hotel. I used every last minute in there to rest and recover from the night before. When it was time to meet GBF#1 in the lobby I finally went down and we deiced on where to grab a bite to eat. I thought why not check out the Westfield Food Court, I'm sure there would be something down there that my hung over ass would want to eat. Plus I wanted another Teaz Me ice tea, ice tea is a great hangover cure if you didn't already know.
I think this is the most amazing food court I've seen in the US and they use real plates and silverware. Plus the tables are kept clear and clean and people didn't mind sharing their space. Yet another plus the variety of the food they have is amazing, something for everyone. Salads to Thai food to Korean food to crepes to Mexican food to even Panda Express. If you're shopping in the area and need a quick bite to eat stop into the Westfield Food Court I'm sure you'll find something to satisfy your hunger, I sure did.
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OMFG...who would've thought that a mall food court could be this good! I love, love, LOVE everything about this section of the mall. I came here on my last day in SF & I really wasn't expecting it to be so tasty & inexpensive. I really didn't know where to begin or even what to select so I walked around a bit & had lots of samples....more than once:)
I settled for this Korean BBQ place where I got 3 huge pieces of short ribs, rice, noodles, & vegetables. I couldn't finish it all so I had more than enough to eat on my flight (which ended up being my meal before my flight at the airport since my flight got delayed 2 hrs). Anyway, the food was great & it only cost $8.95 before tax!!
The one annoyance I had was with the huge crowds. I was with a group of 11 so it was obviously hard trying to sit together. We managed to collect chairs & tables while people bought food so by the time everyone had their food, we had sucessfully acquired 5 small tables & 11 chairs. (FYI...I do not recommend trying this if you're really hungry because it took awhile to make it happen).
Every time I go in this place I am amazed that it can bring together so many different vendors selling so many different kinds of food, and still utterly fail to offer up anything I really want to eat.
(Exception: Bristol Farms has an amazing hot food bar - but they are union busting scum and I refuse to eat there)
Three stars for mediocre execution of a great idea.
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The roadhouse salad with tri-tip is amazing! My boyfriend and I split the salad and felt full and satisfied. The tri- tip was cooked perfectly and all of the veggies were fresh and crisp. Good times!
Yesterday, for the first time, we visited the food court (or Emporium, as they call it rightfully so) @ the Westfield Centre by Market St. We were SO impressed: we expected the traditional franchises yet found none of them (fortunately). There were so many great options to eat that it made it really hard to choose, but we settled on Buckhorn a great place to eat Trip-Tip (Punta Trasera, para los venezolanos) at a "reasonable" price. We got a plate with the meat, veggies and a glass of wine for a little over $13.
We will be coming back: to Buckhorn and the Emporium, in future visits to the city.
Two Words:
CULTURE SHOCK
For the first time ever, last night I stepped foot into the Westfield. I went to see a movie in the theatre on the 5th floor of the mall. In an effort to get our booties to said movie on time we hustled to the cellar for some dinner, to go. This place brings the term 'Food Court' to new visual heights, not only with the bougie lighting, high ceilings & well placed seating areas, but the stench of filthy rich shoppers filling my senses.
The food is overpriced for what you get, but it far superceeds any other foodcourt meal you have had or will ever have again. Ambiance included.
I imagine this mall being inundated with busloads of tourists whispering about the modern version of the California goldrush while eating $10 hamburgers and wishing their hometown mall was just this chic...
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not at all your typical run of the mill mall food court. this one has a better selection and is far more upscale (and pricier) than any mall food court i've seen. you won't find the usual mcdonalds (ewww) and sbarro (kind of ewww too) here. instead there's a branch of andale, bistro burger, a good pizza/pasta joint (forget the name) and buckhorn grill.
the variety makes it a really great place to meet friends for a meal - everyone can find something - yet it's not fast food.
the atmosphere can be a bit off putting at times, it's loud and crowded. but trust me, you won't find a nicer food court in a mall.
Insanity! The best food court I have encountered in my life time! On more than one occasion I am more excited about my trip down to the mall basement for lunch than the shopping upstairs! As a matter of fact, I catch my self thinking of errands to run downtown in order to justify going to this place! (Sadly, its just far enough from my office near the Ferry Bldg to make this outside a typical lunch timeframe during the week, otherwise I'd be here whenever I'm in town!) So, yes yes . . . a firm 5 stars here. Altho everything is so good, its hard to branch out and try all the offerings, here are some of my highlights:
-Bristol Farms! Particularly the ceviche/ poki and soda fountain at which my diet coke addicted self sneaks in plenty of refills.
-Beard Papa's crme puffs and little chocolate cakes! So yummy, and small enough that I don't feel like a total heffer.
-Askew!
-brown rice and Ahi bowl from the sushi place.
-Soup Co is yummy Soup Co, yet you might as well go somewhere less wide spread
-tea at TeazMe . . amazing selection
-Out The Door for Slanted Door's amazing spring rolls or steak salad
The only think that has ever been disappointing here has been the crepe place, but I've heard great things about pretty much everywhere else. I always end up bringing SF visitors here, and they are always happy. The only thing to be aware of here is that cell phone reception is shotty as its in the basement, which has come up when you're trying to find the rest of your party after going your different ways among all the various places to reconvene at a table.
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By far, thee best FoodCourt around. Picture all your favorite sit down restaurants, minus the waiter and cheaper! You even still get real plates and silverware!
You won't find any Hot Dog on Sticks or Sbarros here!
My favorite is Sorabol Korean BBQ and Teazme :)
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Don't recall seeing a better food court with richer options. And they have people cleaning up your trays & tables during and after!
Yummy! Yummy! Yummy! There's so much to choose from. The hamburger place is so good! I also like the fact that Bristol Farms is located here. Yep, great idea and wonderful location! Shop. Eat. Eat. Shop.
its like hell with more tourists. are there tourists in hell?
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Love the food emporium! Very good food court so far.. a little too trendy and modern for a food court, but, it's SF.. and it's in Westfield... so, I guess!! Quite a few of Asian cuisine =) and they are pretty good. Couldn't believe that I am excited about going to a food court now!!! They also have good dessert places such as Beard Papa.. yumm.. love their cream puffs, especially with the cookie crunch in it! Man, I'm addicted to the thing! and it's cheap too in here compares the one in Hawaii (honestly, only in SF I tried it and gosh.. oh, soo good!!) And, there are plenty of seat so you don't really have to wait for people to get up.
Why I can see people liking this place:
-- the variety of nouveau stands: they have aren't your typical mall food stands (although I don't see anything wrong with a Great Steak and Fry once in awhile).
-- the people watching is more fun out here
Why I don't get it:
-- why it gets really crowded: does everyone who works in the mall eat here?
-- why the samples from Buckhorn Grill taste better than the lunch I just bought?
-- why this place is so highly reviewed?
Conclusion:
It's a food court folks. I don't care how hard you try to dress it up. At best the food is good but when you take into account how much you've paid for it, then it becomes a rip off. For the price you're paying, you could go to an actually restaurant.
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its a very cool place to shop and eat. my kids love the 4ht floor its very beautiful and fancy. the food court is excellent except there is lots of table but not enough chair, it took us awhile to sit down and eat.
As far as food courts go... this is just pretty damned amazing.
I dont know, but when I was told that we were going to a food court, suddenly I just lost my appetite. Visions of General Tsos chicken under heat lamps and bad pizza were called to mind, while the sound of children running around with hot dogs on a stick echoed through my mind. *shudder*
This was nothing like that... very modern looking, open space, and a variety of food that... well, as compared to the food court in my mind... that I actually wanted to eat. Everything from Korean to Mexican, from Thai to Salads.
When we were in a pinch for time (headed out drinking, priorities here, you know), we needed to get something in our stomachs (one must be responsible, after all) and needed to appease seven diners (though, luckily none of them are picky). Thus, one of us recommended the food court (and was prepared for the reeling looks of disgust on our faces, and to talk us off the ledge (or onto the escalator, as it were)).
Give it a shot... its a good step up from Food Court food... I think I might even head back there for lunch today (the Thai place is calling to me)
Ok, it's just a food court but it's not like your typical food court you'd find like at say, Serramonte or Stonestown. It's a little more 'upscale'. You just have to try it yourself and see how you like it but be warned; this place gets really crowded for some reason.
PROS:
Variety of restaurants....take your pick
There are employees cleaning tables and trays promptly when you leave
Service is quick
Sometimes people watching can be fun.
CONS:
Full of people.....you can barely walk
The food doesn't seem too appealing
Prices are outrageous
NEVER eat at Asqew. Please read my review on this horrendous place.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
If you and your friends can't make a decision on where to eat, head to the food court for the variety. I've been here too many times to count (it's near my job), and I have yet to eat at half of these establishments.
It's extremely busy between noon and 1 p.m. and pretty pricey, but also strikingly clean for cafeteria atmosphere.
TIP: Instead of ordering a bottled water or soda, you can save $2-3 by asking for a glass of water at any of these places.
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2.5 stars. Been here 4 times, and each time I tried something from a different stand/stall? I've tried the Soup, Thai, Korean, and Mexican. Not the best quality in food but had a better selection than your regular everyday mall food court. It does get overly crowded and the prices are much higher than you would expect for fast food at the mall. 2.5 stars for the concept and the variety of the selection.
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After I got over the initial opening of the food "emporium" ("oooo, shiny!"), I realised this place isn't really that bad.
Never come here on a weekend! I mean, that's like common sense when it comes to malls. You'll end up sitting at the kiddie table with your beer and pizza if you don't heed your common sense. I speak from personal, awesome experience obviously.
Yeah, it's a little dim and what little lighting there is gives me a headache sometimes. Yeah, it can get really loud, so much so that if the adage "if it's too loud, you're too old" is right, I must be a billion years old.
Oh! But the cushion seats are comfy once you get over the possible sanitary issues and they have hand washing stations OUTSIDE the restroom. And it's not too difficult to find a glass of water around here. If you have kids, they have a "family room", whatever that is.
Food prices can put a dent in your wallet if you eat here every day. But it's easy to get to from the Mission garage through Bloomingdales and you can get here directly from BART/MUNI without stepping a foot outside.
Best part: you don't have to bus your tray. Makes me feel fancy.
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Best mall food court I have ever seen, plenty of high quality options. Ate at multiple places here on my trip. Loved the Bristol Farms grocery market/deli. Great place to stock up on late night food and snacks for your hotel.
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What the hell am I doing giving a mall food court five stars?
Has the world started rotating in the opposite direction?
Did I trade in my fancy-ass messenger bag for a knapsack with "Kimmie" embroidered on the back?
Do I now show up at the roller rink every Saturday at 2 pm so I can jealously dig my nails into my hands as my crush Andy Tiller skates around, hand in hand, with Robin Papigan, to "Last Dance?"
Nope. The food court at this mall - yes, this mall - is that amazing. Tom Colliccio has a restaurant here. There's an outpost of the Slanted Door's fast food concept. There's a full blown Tom's Bakery (the people who make that frozen dough you buy at Trader Joe's). A Korean Fast food concept...like Chipotle, but Korean. A fish joint. A tea joint. A boring old Peet's. A Bristol Farms (ah, thanks for that little piece of LA flash, yo). Upscale burgers. And a nasty-ass gelato joint that, if I reviewed separately, would fall into the one-star "heartbreakingly bad gelato" category.
I've never seen such a collection of interesting, high-end restaurant concepts grouped into one place in the US, ever (for those of you who have spent time in Japan and wandered the top floors of department stores, this is old hat). For anyone wondering what's "in" in restaurant concepts these days, this is a must-stop on your itinerary.
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Ken and I played hooky on a work day. Our first time to walk through the new Westfield SF Shopping Centre Food Court. It was absolutely breathtaking. kinda.sorta.notreally. But seriously, it was an awesome experience to walk around and look at different menus. It was busy on a Monday afternoon. It was definitely a treat, granted I had never gotten the chance to go walk around here while I was working in the FiDi. I wished I had sooner.
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This food court is nuts. It has EVERY type of cuisine known to mankind on top of the "straight to my hips" desserts. Higher end restaurants. No McDonald's or Panda Express (which can be found at the other end of the mall) but places like Andale and Beard Papa. MmMmMm...
Everything looks so elegant. No need to bus your own table as there is a waiter-type staff who stand around ready to pounce on your utensils once you leave. Very professional, very friendly, and I appreciate what they do.
The first time there, I saw people bring their own wine, pop it open, and sit in their small tables. I wasn't sure if I should have held a tray with my food piled on top in fear that I was looking bad or not elegant enough. Should have worn my prom dress.
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Think what you want about eating in the malls, but there's no denying that the Food Emporium is the best food court. Not the best in the world (I believe those are in Hong Kong), but the best that SF has to offer.
The decor is aesthetically pleasing with its natural color scheme, modern chic tables/chairs, and all the bamboo a panda could eat. But even if you are not a panda, you'll find plenty to eat here. The offerings are more upscale than fast food you will normally find in a mall. No Dairy Queens or Panda Expresses. What you get instead is gelato, Coriander Gourmet Thai, Beard Papas, Asqew, etc.
It's the little things that make a difference here. You have people taking your tray away for you. You get real silverware. You get to pay a little bit more for a lot better food. This is a great place to meet friends, take a break from trying on clothes, or grab a quick bite before your movie. Those small things make this place a favorite outing of many, myself included, of course.
So why not 5 star? Well...
Didn't think you could go back to the pre-cell phone days? This place just may prove you wrong. The lack of cell phone signal (depending on your carrier) could be an issue. Better be clear about the exact time & location you want to meet your friend, and hope that he/she will show up as planned. Cuz if he/she doesn't, I hope you still remember how to use a pay phone.
Some time last year, I also discovered that the chairs are painfully annoying. When the tables around you slide their chairs in & out on the tiles (and there is a lot of this action going on at any given time), it results in a loud, high pitched scratching sound. Hear enough of this, and you'll be deaf in no time. Rubber stopper things needed badly here to cover the ends of chair legs. Either that or cotton balls for your ears.
The women's bathroom line is notoriously long. Go to one on another level instead. Legs need to be stretched to sprint toward any open seats. Until you are seated, you need to be in "city parking" mentality at all times. If you don't know what that means, maybe you shouldn't be eating here at peak hours.
The negative things are minor, but could just make enough of a difference when it comes to star ratings.
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I'm not a violent person.
But I almost drop-kicked a tantruming child the other night at this food court.
And basically, that's all this place is...a big food court, full of tourists, each carrying several bags of consumer crap, mercilessly pushing and shoving each other for a Beard Papa creme puff and a mango iced tea.
It's obvious why the kid was tantruming, now that I think about it. I should cut him some slack. He was just venting the frustration of being shoved and kicked by people who obviously have more rights to personal space than I do.
But NO ONE loves Beard Papa more than me, punks. Next time, I am drawing blood.
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4 Stars for Variety
2 Stars for Crazy Crowd
3 Stars for food Quality [depending what you select]
5 stars for cleanliness... [those cleaning peeps hustle]
1 star for Volume! Man that place is Loud
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I would love to give this place 5 stars as it is the best mall food court when it comes to the quality of the food. However because it is all so "trendy" and "fancy" they all use sesame seeds/ oil or peanut oil/ peanuts in everything. So I can eat a tri tip sandwich, some of the Asqew items, or a salad (not tossed cause they tongs all put into one water bucket and the miso sesame salad dressing washes off in it and gets on the tongs and makes me sick). So yeah... today I had a cobb salad and tried for about 5 minutes to have the lady understand what an "allergy" is. Food industry- teach your workers to understand the word ALLERGY. The last place I want to stab myself with an epipen is a food court with thousands of people pushing and shoving and not caring what my problem is.
I WANT TO EAT PAD THAI LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
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