IHOP review: hostess

My wife, Darlene, and I went to the Erie, PA, IHOP location on Peach St, yesterday, Dec 7, 2018, about 1100. The hostess, I do not know her name, seated us. As my wife has Celiacs, and other food allergies. She has to be very careful what she eats and how it is prepared. We have eaten at this IHOP before with no problems.

The hostess seated us and Darlene asked her for the gluten free menu. Which, if I remember from the last time we were there, it came in a three ring binder. The hostess said, "Well, I know what you cannot have, you cannot have toast, panckes or anything with wheat?" Well, no kidding! Darlene is 59 years old, a home health nurse, so I am pretty sure she knows more than the hostess about what she can and cannot eat. Darlene asked for the gluten menu and she refused to bring it to the table. What the hostess does not know is that along with all the regular glutens associated with celiacs is that she also cannot have anything associated with rice or rice flour, maltodextrin, and a number of other ingredients. Every restaurant we go to, including IHOP, no one has ever refused to bring a gluten free menu or at the very least provide ingredient labels for her to look at.
We considered leaving and going to another restaurant, but we were running out of time for an appointment and we decided to just go with what she knew to be something she could eat. Personally, I don't think most staff members of most restaurants are trained in the aspects of gluten and other food allergies. She nearly always has to explain about the importance of a clean grill, new oil in a fryer, cross contamination from using the same spatula for other foods.
I must say, however, that the waitress, Cheyenne, has a good grasp on the fundamentals of gluten and what to do for those that have that allergy. She seemed to be knowledgeable and was very understanding. The hostess however, should have some training, at the very least, in customer relations. We have eaten at this location several times since its opening and have had pleasant experiences. However, if this is what we have to deal with from now on I am sure we can find other accommodations.