Dining out with a peanut or tree nut allergy: flag the menu, then ask your server.
Scan the menu for peanut and tree nut signals → prepare 3–5 server questions → confirm prep and cross-contact → optional: snap with NutNope for dish-level flags. Never claim the meal will be safe. Always confirm with your server before anyone eats.
When dining out with a peanut or tree nut allergy, treat the menu as a list of clues, not a guarantee. Look for obvious nuts and for common hiding places — peanut oil and shared fryers, satay and pad thai, pesto, nut crusts, chili, desserts, and many sauces. Then ask the server and kitchen how the dish is prepared and whether equipment is shared.
No app or review can promise a restaurant dish is free of peanut or tree nut protein or cross-contact. NutNope lets you snap a restaurant menu and flag dishes that may contain peanut, tree nuts, or any of the other FDA top nine allergens, so you walk in with a short question list. Always confirm with your server before anyone eats.
NutNope is free for allergy families and $1.99 per month otherwise. It is not medical advice. Start at nutnope.com.
Short answer — what to do tonight
Treat the menu as a list of clues, not a guarantee. Mark dishes that name nuts or famous nut sauces. Mark dishes that hide risk in oils, “house” spice mixes, desserts, and shared fryers. Write down three to five questions. Ask the server (and the kitchen if needed). If answers are vague, choose another dish or leave. Optionally photograph the menu with NutNope so peanut, tree nut, and the rest of the FDA top 9 are flagged dish by dish before you order.
Menu hotspots for peanut and tree nut
This list is practical and not exhaustive. Items below often contain peanut or tree nuts, or commonly trigger an ASK about shared equipment. Prefer “ask about” over “avoid this cuisine forever.”
Often named on the menu
- Peanut sauce, satay, kung pao, many pad thai variations
- Pesto (often pine nut or other tree nut — ask)
- Nut crusts, candied nuts on salads, baklava, praline, marzipan
- Peanut butter in chili or some “secret” sauces
- Mole and some African / Indian / Southeast Asian sauces that use ground nuts
Hidden-ish places parents ask about
- Peanut oil or nut oils (including when “vegetable oil” is vague)
- Shared fryers used for nut-coated appetizers
- Chili crisp / chili oil garnishes
- Desserts with “nutty” toppings or ice cream mix-ins
- Egg rolls and fried apps cooked near nut dishes
- Bakery cases and pastry kitchens with nut flours
- Packaged sides or dressings with “natural flavoring” you cannot see
These are conversation starters — not proof an allergen is present or absent.
Tree nut names worth knowing
Menus may list almond, cashew, walnut, pecan, pistachio, hazelnut / filbert, macadamia, Brazil nut, pine nut, and blends. Also watch for pesto, marzipan, praline, frangipane, nut milks in sauces, and “dukkah” / seed-and-nut mixes. If a word is unfamiliar, ASK — do not guess from the name alone.
Cross-contact questions that matter
Even when a dish looks plain, ask about:
- Shared fryer oil with nut-coated items
- Shared grill or wok
- Same utensils or cutting boards
- Pastry case scoops and tongs
- Ice cream scoops dipped across nut flavors
- Garnish stations where nuts are sprinkled onto other plates
Frame every item as a question. No app and no review can promise a kitchen is free of cross-contact.
Server and chef questions (copy-ready)
Reuse these at the table. Point to NutNope’s server card when you have flags on a snapped menu.
- Does this dish contain peanut or any tree nuts, including in sauces, oils, marinades, or garnishes?
- Is the pesto / sauce / dressing / spice mix made with nuts? Can someone check the label?
- Is there a shared fryer, grill, wok, or prep surface with nut dishes?
- Are desserts or breads prepared in a pastry area that uses nut flours?
- If you’re not sure, who can confirm before we order?
- If confirmation is not possible, what is another dish we should consider instead?
If staff are unsure and cannot get a clear kitchen answer, choose another dish or leave. That is a valid outcome.
Reviews vs tonight’s menu
Community restaurant reviews (for example Spokin-style place intel) help you shortlist a neighborhood. They do not read tonight’s specials board, the handwritten dessert list, or the oil the fryer is using this week. The gap at the table is dish-level flags on the menu in front of you — then the same confirmation step every family already knows matters.
NutNope is built for that gap. It does not replace reviews, and it does not replace talking to staff.
How NutNope flags peanut and tree nut
- Snap or upload any restaurant menu photo (how snap-menu works).
- Select the profile that includes peanut and/or tree nut (and any other top-9 allergens your family manages).
- Review NOPE / ASK / no flags found per dish.
- Use the question list. Confirm with your server.
No flags found only means NutNope did not see a clear signal in that dish’s menu wording. It is not an all-clear. We never say a dish is safe.
NutNope is not medical advice. It is free for allergy families and $1.99/mo otherwise. Nothing is charged on the waitlist today. Texting a menu photo is coming soon — save my spot.
Multiple kids, multiple allergens
Many families stack peanut/tree nut with dairy, egg, wheat, sesame, or other top-9 allergens. Family profiles let you re-flag the same menu for each kid. For dairy/egg/soy and wheat/sesame/fish/shellfish hotspots, see:
Chicagoland note (light)
Early NutNope members are gathering across Chicagoland allergy parent groups — not one suburb only. Indie Thai spots, bakeries, diners, and food trucks often have thin review coverage. A menu photo still gives you flags and questions to take to staff.
A simple table routine parents reuse
- Before you sit — If you already know the restaurant, skim the online menu for named nut dishes so you are not surprised. Online menus go stale; still re-check the paper menu and specials.
- When the menu arrives — Circle or note every dish that names peanut or tree nuts, plus every “house sauce,” dessert, and fried app you might order for a child.
- Snap (optional) — Photograph the menu with NutNope so peanut, tree nut, and other top-9 allergens on your profiles are flagged dish by dish. See snap menu.
- Ask out loud — Use the copy-ready questions. Ask early, before drinks and bread service distract the table.
- Decide — Clear confirmation → order with the same care you always use. Unclear answer → another dish or leave. Either choice is success if it protects your kid.
NutNope’s job in that routine is step 3 and a cleaner question list — not a substitute for steps 4 and 5.
What “no flags found” means on a peanut / tree nut profile
Parents sometimes hope a clean flag row means “this one is fine.” It does not. No flags found only means NutNope did not see a clear peanut or tree nut signal in that dish’s menu wording (for the allergens you selected). It does not measure fryer oil, garnish mistakes, or a sauce swap the menu never printed. Always confirm with your server. We will never market a “safe” plate.
Pricing and waitlist (plain)
- Allergy families: free (unlimited kid profiles).
- Everyone else: $1.99 per month.
- Waitlist today: no charge. Button label on site: Save my spot.
- Text a menu photo: coming soon — not live until Steve clears SMS / 10DLC.
FAQ
What should I check on a restaurant menu if my child has a peanut or tree nut allergy?
Look for named nuts and nut sauces, then for hiding places: oils, pesto, chili, desserts, bakery items, and vague “house” sauces. Treat every hit as something to ask about — not as automatic proof.
Which dishes and cuisines commonly hide peanuts or tree nuts?
Satay, peanut sauces, many pad thai variations, pesto, nut crusts, some moles and spice pastes, praline/marzipan desserts, and shared fryers near nut-coated apps are common ASK zones. No cuisine is automatically fine or automatically off-limits; ask about the specific dish.
What questions should I ask the server or chef?
Ask whether peanut or tree nuts are in the dish (including sauces/oils/garnishes), whether equipment is shared, and who can confirm if the first answer is unsure. See the copy-ready list above.
Can an app tell me a dish is OK to order?
No responsible tool can promise that. NutNope flags possible allergens from menu wording and typical recipes so you know what to ask. Always confirm with your server. We never say a dish is safe.
How does NutNope help with peanut / tree nut flags on any menu?
Snap the menu → dish-level flags for peanut, tree nut, and the rest of the FDA top 9 → short server questions. Free for allergy families. Details: snap menu.
What else is in the FDA top 9 if my family has multiple allergens?
Milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. NutNope covers all nine from day one on the same scan.
Is NutNope medical advice?
No. Follow your allergy action plan and your clinician’s guidance. Confirm with your server. In an emergency, call 911.
What’s the price?
Free for allergy families; $1.99/mo otherwise. Waitlist today does not charge you.
Join free for allergy families
Snap the menu for peanut and tree nut flags — free for allergy families. Then confirm with your server. Never say the dish is safe.
Keep reading
Please read: important
NutNope is for information only. It is not medical advice and does not replace your doctor, your allergist or the restaurant. Flags come from menu text and typical recipes and may be wrong or incomplete. They can miss ingredients, recipe changes, substitutions and cross-contact. A missing flag does not mean an allergen is absent. Always confirm with your server before ordering, and follow your allergy action plan. In an emergency, call 911.