{"id":22675,"date":"2026-09-20T23:40:51","date_gmt":"2026-09-20T23:40:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/22675\/"},"modified":"2026-09-20T23:40:51","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T23:40:51","slug":"alpha-gal-safe-restaurants-near-me-some-missouri-restaurants-are-developing-alpha-gal-safe-menus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/22675\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cAlpha-gal safe restaurants near me?\u201d Some Missouri restaurants are developing alpha-gal safe menus"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chris Galloway, or \u201cPappo,\u201d as he\u2019s better known, said for many years he felt like a monster.<\/p>\n

There were times in the mid-1980s when he would accidentally ingest red meat. After a few hours, he started to get hives. Then, he realized, it was getting harder and harder to breathe.<\/p>\n

\u201cI jumped in my car, beat a path to the hospital,\u201d Galloway said. \u201c[I] get to the hospital, I tell them my name and my social security number, I go down on the floor, and next thing I know, I’m seeing lights. It’s like you’re in a movie, and I’m looking up and there’s three or four people above me talking, saying, \u2018I think he’s coming around.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

He said he asked his doctor if it was possible for him to be allergic to red meat, and his doctor said he didn\u2019t think so. But after some testing, it was confirmed \u2014 much to his doctor\u2019s surprise.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Chris “Pappo” Galloway said the staff at all of his PaPPo’s locations are aware of alpha-gal and the kitchens take allergy prep seriously. “On the screen, it’s going to say “alpha gal,” and then normally the server who put the order in, will also come back and say something or shout through the window,” Galloway said. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe goes, \u2018You’re off the charts allergic to beef and pork,\u2019 and he goes, \u2018I’ve never seen anything like this.\u2019 That was 1987.\u201d<\/p>\n

Galloway said this went on for years \u2014 avoiding red meat and heading for the hospital when he was worried about having an anaphylactic reaction.<\/p>\n

To make things even more complicated, Galloway was a pizza man. He started out as the owner of multiple franchise locations for a large pizza company. But, for the last 13 years, he\u2019s been the owner and operator of PaPPo\u2019s Pizzeria & Pub, a chain of local pizza shops throughout the central and southern parts of Missouri.<\/p>\n

He said he started the restaurant to make food that was \u201cas fresh and as real as possible,\u201d which made including ingredients that were red meat-free easier from the beginning.<\/p>\n

For many years, he said he never met anyone else with his allergy, which did end up being alpha-gal syndrome, the tick-borne allergy to mammalian-derived products, such as red meat and dairy.<\/p>\n

But over the years, Galloway said he began to hear about more people having alpha-gal syndrome in the southern part of the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was so happy to find out that I wasn’t the only Frankenstein on the planet, although I’m not ever happy that somebody got this,\u201d Galloway said. \u201cAnd then, when we opened the store in Branson in 2023 \u2026 I’m telling you, like 25% of the crew had alpha-gal, and then \u2026 it’s gone epidemic now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Creating a sense of normalcy<\/p>\n

Chris Galloway said the menu at PaPPo\u2019s contains many options for folks diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome, such as turkey pepperoni and vegan cheese.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The new “Alpha Gal Menu” at the Springfield Colton’s Steak House location has 15-20 items on it. The regular menu has between 40 and 50 items. Owner Thomas Orr said they are working on developing more items for the menu. “Like sauces,” Orr said. “So, it may be a little bit more bland than putting ranch on everything, but at the same time, it is giving you an option to eat something other than, maybe, just regular turkey or regular chicken.” <\/p>\n

He said it was important for him to offer delicious food in a safe way. At his restaurants, his staff are all knowledgeable about alpha-gal and other food allergies.<\/p>\n

His kitchen staff uses fresh tools when preparing the pizzas to minimize the possibility of cross contact with alpha-gal containing foods.<\/p>\n

Cross contact is when one food comes into contact with another, in this case, with the allergen. This could be direct contact or even both foods being placed on the same surface. This contamination is often too small to be seen with the naked eye, and cooking a food does not necessarily eliminate the risk.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the things that really bothers you if you have an allergy is if you go into a place and they come up and you explain that you have an allergy, and they don’t seem to care,\u201d Galloway said. \u201cWe have a lot of alpha-gal folks that come in \u2026 and they’re like, \u2018I have not been able to eat a pizza in three years or five years or whatever, since I’ve had this,\u2019 and they start literally crying because they can eat, and they feel like we’re going to take care of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

“It’s not a downgraded product. You may not be able to have all the sauces with it… the gravies and ranch,” Orr said. “But, as far as the food itself, it’s not a downgraded product. It tastes very similar, if not the same.” <\/p>\n

Thomas Orr, Springfield Colton’s Steak House <\/p>\n

Galloway said it\u2019s been encouraging to see awareness of alpha-gal syndrome grow \u2014 grocery stores in the region are now taking the condition more seriously, and he\u2019s seeing more restaurants adapt their menus to meet the needs of customers with the allergy.<\/p>\n

Thomas Orr is the owner and operator of the Colton\u2019s Steak House in Springfield, Missouri. This past summer, he launched an alpha-gal specific menu that includes nearly 20 items.<\/p>\n

He said many of the items are the same \u2014 just tweaked to remove alpha-gal containing foods. Instead of buttermilk, they use oat milk to prepare fried foods, and they\u2019ve come up with an alpha-gal safe breading mix that\u2019s stored separately.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can get chicken tenders. You can get chicken fried chicken,\u201d Orr said. \u201cWe’ve got some appetizers that we can get, like, fried pickles is a really popular one.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said he first heard about alpha-gal when his now 16-year-old daughter was diagnosed two years ago. But, over time, he\u2019s heard from customers about how common the allergy is in the region and how many families are looking for an alpha-gal safe restaurant to visit.<\/p>\n

At first, he said he joked about buying a separate fryer just for his customers with alpha-gal \u2014 another way to avoid cross contact \u2014 but he soon realized that the demand was there.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

At the Colton’s Steak House in Springfield, once an alpha-gal order is entered into the computer system, all of the kitchen printers receive a notification to ensure that the risk of cross contact is minimized. <\/p>\n

Now, there\u2019s an \u201cAlpha-Gal\u201d button in the computer system, a tabletop fryer and a separate prep station toward the back of the kitchen. <\/p>\n

Orr added that other items, such as the baked salmon, are now wrapped in foil numerous times to both retain moisture and reduce the risk of cross contact.<\/p>\n

He estimated that he\u2019s spent about $500 so far on the endeavor, but the response has been huge. Since the menu launched in July, they\u2019ve had more than 400 alpha-gal menu orders.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut a lot more than 400 that come in and actually eat with that person,\u201d Orr said. \u201cIt just gives them a place to go, where they feel comfortable doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said that he has plans to continue to expand the menu offerings, and even though he\u2019s a franchisee, he\u2019s shared his process with corporate \u2014 meaning other Colton\u2019s Steak Houses could adopt the menu, if desired.<\/p>\n

\u201cRestaurants are supposed to provide a service for their guests. We’re supposed to bend over backwards. We’re supposed to make things work, \u201d Orr said. \u201cWe always want to make sure that our guest feels comfortable when they come in.\u201d<\/p>\n

The buying power of the allergy community<\/p>\n

There are an estimated 33 million Americans that have food allergies severe enough to require the carrying of an epi-pen. That\u2019s according to Food Allergy Research and Education, or FARE, a national non-profit that studies and advocates for the allergy community.<\/p>\n

And nearly 1 in 4 people in the United States live in a household impacted by the top nine allergens in the country. This list does not currently include the sugar that causes alpha-gal.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

U.S. Food & Drug Administration<\/p>\n

According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, at least 450,000 people in the country have the condition, but this is largely considered to be an undercount. For comparison, more than 700,000 are confirmed to be allergic to sesame, the ninth most common allergy in the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cFood allergy is a disease, not a diet,\u201d said Craig Fontenot, the chief of staff and mission integration at FARE. \u201cAnd I think that’s an important reminder for those who don’t have food allergy, that this is a really life changing diagnosis.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The “Alpha Gal Menu” at Colton’s Steak House includes many of the same items as the traditional menu, such as fried shrimp. But, owner Thomas Orr, said the entire staff is trained in the alternative, alpha-gal safe ways of preparing the food. <\/p>\n

He said even if just one family member has a severe food allergy, it changes the way the entire family eats. He added that a significant amount of time is spent identifying food products, companies and restaurants that can be trusted to take allergies seriously, and customers are often willing to spend more.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a real consumer opportunity that most businesses don’t realize or see as a large consumer segment,\u201d Fontenot said. \u201cBut, for the businesses that do see this consumer group, are making accommodations in their product formulations or their experiences, [they\u2019re] being rewarded with a high degree of loyalty from this unfortunately large and growing consumer group.\u201d<\/p>\n

Research from FARE shows that this community spends an estimated $19 million dollars each year on safe, allergen-free food experiences and products.<\/p>\n

Fontenot said he hopes more restaurants will make changes to accommodate those with alpha-gal, and he recommends that those with alpha-gal and other allergies speak up about their dietary needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more awareness we have of how many people in the U.S. are dealing with these allergies, the more innovation and accommodation will happen over time,\u201d Fontenot said.<\/p>\n

“The loyalty and repurchase rates for the food allergy consumer is significantly higher than the average consumer because their safety is at stake.” <\/p>\n

Craig Fontenot, Food Allergy Research and Education [FARE]<\/p>\n

Back in Missouri, Chris \u201cPappo\u201d Galloway stressed that those with alpha-gal syndrome shouldn\u2019t apologize for noting their food needs. But he knows the fatigue that can come with having to explain your allergy every time you go to a restaurant.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey literally get depressed when they find out they have it, and they’re like, \u2018My life is over,\u2019\u201d Galloway said. \u201cAnd I understand, because it’s scary. They’re used to eating and not worrying about what they eat, and \u2014 all of a sudden \u2014 they’re going to eat something that might put them six feet under.\u201d<\/p>\n

Galloway said to remember that you\u2019re not alone. The number of alpha-gal diagnoses in Missouri is growing every day, and more restaurants are making changes to meet this growing community\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n

The Missouri Restaurant Association said there\u2019s currently no count of how many restaurants accommodate for alpha-gal in the state, but they are confident that restaurants will respond to the need as awareness of the condition grows. They added it\u2019s \u201ccommon practice\u201d for their member organizations to adapt to new dietary needs, as they have for intolerances to gluten and dairy.<\/p>\n

For the full audio transcript, click here. <\/p>\n

In piece five of “One Small Bite,” we will explore how alpha-gal syndrome is impacting the life \u2014 and livelihood of Missouri farmers. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Chris “Pappo” Galloway has had alpha-gal for nearly 40 years. “It’s pizza, you know, it’s fun. When people come in here to PaPPo’s, they’re coming in here to enjoy themselves. We want alpha-gal people to be able to do the same thing.” <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chris Galloway, or \u201cPappo,\u201d as he\u2019s better known, said for many years he felt like a monster. There were times in the mid-1980s when he would accidentally ingest red meat. After a few hours, he started to get hives. Then, he realized, it was getting harder and harder to breathe. \u201cI jumped in my car,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22676,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[3642,3640,3638,3641,3639],"class_list":["post-22675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-missouri","tag-missouri","tag-missouri-dining","tag-missouri-food","tag-missouri-grocery-stores","tag-missouri-restaurants"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/vive.im\/@dc\/117306018076053837","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22675","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22675"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22675\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22675"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}