There’s a small card I carry in my wallet.
It’s not a business card. It’s not a credit card.
It’s an allergy card — a list of foods that can make me violently ill.
Wheat. Soy. Eggs. Peanuts. Tree nuts.
And then the curveballs: cabbage. Green beans. Rice. Apples. Any fruit with a core.
I carry it because I have to. Because for most of my life, nobody believed me.
Long before Code 1 BBQ existed — before I was a chef, before I was a business owner — I was just a girl who was always sick.
Swelling. Rashes. Joint pain. Violent stomach reactions. Hospital visits.
And every time, I was told it was seasonal allergies. Or stress. Or “just part of pregnancy.” Or maybe — and this one stung — that it was all in my head.
I was hospitalized during my first pregnancy. They blamed the pregnancy.
After my first child, the symptoms intensified. I kept swelling. Breaking out. Getting violently ill. I developed fibromyalgia-like joint pain from eating foods that were quietly attacking my body.
I thought it was normal.
Let that sink in.
I thought constant inflammation and pain were just how life felt.
It wasn’t until someone without allergies looked at me and said, “This isn’t normal,” that I realized maybe I wasn’t crazy. Maybe something was actually wrong.
During my second pregnancy, I had a violent reaction that landed me in the hospital again. That was the moment it became undeniable. That was the moment I stopped accepting dismissal as an answer.
When I was finally tested, the list was long. Overwhelmingly long.
And here’s the harsh truth — the hardest part wasn’t just being sick. It was feeling invisible. Dismissed. Crazy. Like something was wrong with me and I just couldn’t power through it like everyone else.
It took a long time to accept what was happening. And an even longer time to learn how to live with it.
And then came the next reality.
It is incredibly hard to eat out safely when you live with allergies.
Especially at a BBQ place.
Gluten in rubs. Soy in sauces. Soy in oils. Soy hidden inside “natural flavorings.” Wheat fillers. Peanut cross-contamination.
It’s everywhere.
When your reactions are severe, you don’t get to gamble.
So when Sean and I built Code 1 BBQ, I built it the way I wish restaurants had existed when I was the scared pregnant woman in a hospital bed.
Our smoked meats are free of gluten, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts. Our two main sauces are free of those allergens too. I intentionally designed most of our kitchen to reduce exposure to the things that hurt me the most.
Not because it’s trendy. Not because it sounds good in marketing.
Because I know what it feels like to sit at a table and wonder if dinner is going to cost you three days of recovery.
Allergy-friendly at Code 1 does not mean bland. It does not mean boring. It does not mean sacrifice.
It means scratch-made.
When you cook from scratch, you control what goes in. No fillers. No mystery powders. No hidden soy. No wheat-based anti-caking agents. Just real ingredients, real technique, real flavor.
And let me say this clearly:
Allergy-friendly does not mean less tasty.
Flavor comes from fire. From patience. From technique. From knowing your craft.
Not from wheat and soy.
🔥 My Scratch-Made Allergy-Friendly BBQ Dry Rub
This is a base rub I use that’s free from gluten, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs.
Big flavor. Zero fillers.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons coarse black pepper
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1–2 teaspoons brown sugar (optional)
Mix it together. Rub generously on brisket, ribs, chicken, or even roasted vegetables. Let it sit at least 30 minutes — overnight if you can. Then cook low and slow.
That’s it. No packets. No hidden surprises.
Want the gluten version?
If gluten is safe for you and you love that classic texture:
- Add 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour to the rub for a slightly thicker bark or
- Serve your finished meat on a toasted brioche bun brushed with butter for that full BBQ sandwich experience.
Same base flavor. Different finish. No compromise either way.
There are moments in this restaurant that make it all worth it.
A mom telling me her child hasn’t been able to eat BBQ safely before. A customer saying, “I didn’t get sick.” Someone relaxing instead of interrogating the menu.
But if I’m being honest, there’s something even deeper.
I grew up being told to stay in my lane. To accept my position. To not expect too much.
And now I stand in a kitchen I built. Employing people. Feeding families. Creating a place that protects people the way I once needed protecting.
Me. Of all people.
I still carry that allergy card.
But I also carry proof.
Proof that you are not crazy. Proof that your body is not broken. Proof that safe food can still be unforgettable. Proof that you don’t have to stay in the lane someone assigns you.
If you ever walk into Code 1 BBQ wondering if it’s safe for you —
I built it with you in mind.
With gratitude, Erica
Code 1 BBQ The Only BBQ on Your Radar 🔥
