Restaurant Guide

The restaurants, stores, and farms on this web site understand gluten-free. Always tell your waitress that you are gluten intolerant and ask for a gluten-free menu or to speak to the owner, manager or chef. If the restaurant doesn’t have a gluten-free menu, call ahead at a non-busy time (3-4pm). Always remind the waitress – no bread or croutons. Be sure to show your appreciation for the extra effort and care to make our food gluten-free.

Restaurants followed by an asterisks (*) have a gluten free menu or gluten-free items on their regular menu

Guidelines for Eating Out

Always ask for the gluten-free menu. That way they know it is being used and keep it on hand. You will also need the regular menu that describes the dishes and gives the prices.

Always remind them -- no bread/croutons and that you are gluten intolerant. Thank them and be gracious. We are so happy they take extra effort and care to make our food gluten-free.

Call the chef ahead at a non-busy time (3-4:00) if you are going to a restaurant that does not have a GF menu.

When possible, tip a little more.

Hidden Sources of Gluten

Beware of ordering roast beef au jus in restaurants; it is likely that the restaurant now purchases it in single serving cryovac-wrapped packages, with "au jus" juices included. These juices are usually not gluten-free. Also, the "au jus" served with your meal could have been made from a wheat-containing stock base.

Beware of cold cuts or self-basting turkeys that often have wheat added.

Beware of soups, flavor enhancers, gravies and sauces in restaurants. Ask about their ingredients, and if unsure, ask to have them omitted from your food. Marinara sauce is almost always GF.

A restaurant's proprietary blend of spices is usually not GF. Premixed seasonings are usually not GF. Wheat is used in the mixing process and isn't listed on the label. Ask that they not be used in your meal.

Ask if your meat has been marinated. Most soy sauces and bottled marinades are not gluten-free. Ask for unmarinated meat if possible.

Potato chips and corn chips often contain wheat or have been manufactured using wheat. Best to avoid them unless you know the brand.

French-fried potatoes could have a wheat flour coating to make them crisper.

Cross Contamination

Not only must we be cautious about the ingredients in food, we must also be aware of the possibility of cross contamination. Cross contamination is when a gluten-free product comes in contact with something that is not gluten-free, and loses its gluten-free status.

If it is not practical to have a section of the counter top set aside for preparing gluten-free food only, always make sure that the counter space you are using to prepare gluten-free food is freshly washed to ensure it is free from crumbs or flour dust.

Make sure any pots, utensils, etc., that are used for other foods are thoroughly scrubbed before using them for gluten-free foods. In the case of something like muffin tins, paper liners may be worthwhile.

When slicing gluten-free meats, the utensils or meat slicer must be cleaned after cutting gluten-containing meats. Also, take care not to stack the slices on the same plate or overlap with gluten-containing slices.

The thermometer used to check temperature of cooking meats or of buffet dishes can contaminate gluten-free items, if not washed before touching them.

Fried foods can be contaminated when cooked in oil where battered foods have previously been fried.

Grilled foods (steaks) can be contaminated if the grill is not cleaned after cooking gluten-containing food.

At the table, be careful when sharing a butter dish with others who are eating bread. Check for crumbs.