I’ve been eating mostly gluten-free lately. Like many people, I’m discovering that I feel better and have more energy when avoiding gluten in my diet. It’s hard as a food writer to avoid it completely, since it’s in practically everything. However, I have been pleasantly surprised at the gluten free options in South Sound restaurants, cafes and bakeries. There are not as many gluten free friendly places as I’d like, but it’s a great start.
Note: Not all of the below restaurants are suitable with someone with Celiac disease or a highly sensitive gluten allergy, as some restaurants may have more cross contamination with gluten foods than others. Be sure to check with them if you have concerns about cross contamination. Restaurant menus tend to change often, so please be sure to check with the restaurants listed before dining in case their gluten free availability has changed. I update this list with your suggestions, and as I discover more places, so send your favorites my way!
Featured photo: Gluten free burger from Blazing Onion
I’ve compiled a list of local eateries with gluten free menus and options:
Bakeries and Sweets
Mon.-Sun., 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Gluten free cakes, cupcakes, doughnuts, cookies, muffins, sandwich bread, French bread, savory breads, cinnamon rolls, eclairs, and more. These are the best cupcakes I’ve ever had, GF or not!
Gluten free baked goods including breads, muffins, pizza, bars, cakes and more. I’ve bought their cupcakes and bread at GF Joe’s Market and they are both really good. Some of the best GF bread I’ve had.
Gluten Free Menu
Cakes, pies, cheesecake, breakfast items. Some items, you need to special order. Call ahead in advance to see what GF items are available.
Menu
Cupcake flavors including triple chocolate, vanilla raspberry, cinnamon and more are all gluten free.
Desserts, custom cakes and cupcakes available gluten free. Call in advance.
Markets
Freshly baked cookies and bars from Flying Apron available in the deli. Deli pastas can be made with gluten free pasta.
Sandwiches in the deli can be made on gluten free bread — in fact, the best gluten free bread I’ve ever had. It has great flavor. You can also buy the freshly baked loaves for $7.99 a loaf if you call 24 hours in advance.
Gluten free breads, baked goods, frozen meals, deli items and prepared foods.
Gluten free frozen meals and snacks.
Restaurants
Gluten Free Menu
Gluten free pizza and penne pasta options. Specify gluten free. The pizza is 11″, and has an additional charge. I have had the gluten free Palermo pizza, and I liked the thin crust.
Locations in Lacey, Dupont, Sumner, 6th Avenue Tacoma, Parkland
Menu
Gluten free pizza crust is available. Large (12″) only, with a $3 extra charge. Not my favorite GF crust around, but it’s not bad. A little soft.
Menu
Gluten free crepes are available for all of their flavors and are made out of rice flour.
Menu
Gluten free pasta available for $1 extra.
Sample breakfast menu. Sample lunch menu.
Breakfast and lunch gluten free options available. At breakfast, there’s a gluten free toast substitution (for no charge).
Gluten free flatbreads.
GF breakfast and lunch paninis and pastries.
A gluten free menu is available if you call two days in advance.
Gluten free pizza crust available.
Gluten free pizza crust available with no extra charge.
Gluten free menu items. Ask server for options.
Menu
Gluten free large (12″) pizza and baked desserts.
Gluten Free Menu
This burger shop specializes in gluten free items, which are cooked on a separate grill area and fried in a separate fryer. Burgers, salmon burgers and hot dogs. Their gluten free buns are the best I’ve had.
Gluten Free Lunch Menu | Dinner Menu | Bar Menu
Gluten free lunch, dinner and bar/happy hour menus. A variety of appetizers, salads, small plates, entrees and sides.
Gluten Free Menu
Gluten free pasta available with an additional $.75 fee.
Gluten free sweet and savory crepes with various fillings.
Gluten free soup options available daily.
Most of the menu is gluten free, but if you would like gluten free bread with your dinner, let them know at the time of your reservation. Let the staff know you are gluten free and they will accommodate.
Gluten Free Menu
Any burger can be made on a gluten free bun, although there is a specific gluten free menu.
Separate gluten free menu available.
Lunch Menu | Breakfast Menu
Gluten free bread for sandwiches and cookies for breakfast and lunch
Gluten Free Menu
Separate gluten free menu with appetizers, pastas, salads and entrees
Menu
Gluten free bagels and pizza. The bagels can be used to make any of their sandwiches or breakfast sandwiches.
Lunch Menu | Dinner Menu
Gluten free pizzas ($1.25 extra charge), salads and some entrees for lunch or dinner.
Menu
Gluten free pizza ($1.00 extra charge).
Separate gluten free menu available.
Separate gluten free menu available.
Gluten free pizza (12″) available.
Gluten free bread for sandwiches available.
Gluten free breakfast menu served all day with crepes, omelettes, sandwiches and more. Cross-contamination with gluten items may be high (see comments).
Gluten Free Menu
Separate gluten free menu available for lunch and dinner.
Menu
Gluten free pastas available for lunch and dinner.
Menu
Gluten free pasta available ($2.00 additional charge). Gluten free (10″) pizza ($2.00 additional charge).
Gluten Free Menu
Separate gluten free menu with appetizers, salads, burgers and entrees.
Gluten free hamburger buns available
Gluten free wood-fired pizza that I personally really like.
Loco moco is available gluten free. For other items, ask your server.
Gluten free pizza crust available.
Gluten free menu items are clearly labeled.
Gluten free pizza crust available.
Their menu changes seasonally, but there are always gluten free options available.
A good selection of gluten free Thai items. Ask your server for gluten free menu.
Gluten free pizza (10″).
Mod Pizza is a good option. They offer gluten free crust for their pizzas. Could be some mild cross contamination but my wife does ok with their pizzas and really them. She is gluten intolerant. They are all over the Puget Sound.
Moctezumas in Tacoma offers a gluten free menu. My husband was diagnosed in late 2008 after going thru a severe illness only to find out from a naturopath doc that he cannot tolerate gluten at all and is close to developing full blown celiac. He was actually tested and back then it was not as common as now, so the test was not well known in our parts and it was heavily expensive. Anyhow, with all that being said, were able to dine out together at Moctezumas for Mexican food, he just doesn’t eat the chips, and he orders the gf enchiladas, or veggie fajitas, with poblani rice and black jeans and has never gotten sick. Other places we are able to dine together are pf Chang’s in bellevue for those who want Chinese food, they have a great big selection of everything from Mongolian beef, ginger chicken, lettuce wraps, egg drop soup, spicy chicken, white or brown rice and gf soy sauce, and much more. We also are able to dine at red robin ask for gf fries no salt, gf bun, and the outback, he always gets a steak, baked potato, and salad no croutons, or frisenburgers he loves their home made gf buns and dipping sauce for the fries. Old spaghetti factory offers gf pasta but only one kind of gf sauce haven’t been back since there’s no variety, olive garden same issue. BJs brewhouse in Tacoma mall offers gf pizza, one size, and a gf pizookie for dessert we’ve ate there and was ok. He’s even ate at Taco Time with the chicken crisp tacos and been okay. Just some places I didn’t see listed especially pf Chang’s, we love dining there!
The bearded lady is closed, and Johnny’s (not really Johnny’s anymore) doesn’t offer the gf fish and chips. I had them, but had bad results intestinally – so am sure the fries were coated 🙁
Hello!
I just wanted to touch base on one of your recommendations. I know Johnny’s owned by Pacific Seafood claims that they have Gluten Free Fish & Chips and even lists it on the menu as available. However, when I went their this past Saturday (3/28/2015) and started verifying the information (which as a Celiac suffer I always do before I eat the food) The server told me that the Fish is gluten free but the fries are not, they are dipped in some type of batter that contains gluten. I did not stick around long enough to confirm that they were using a designated fryer for the “gluten free fish”. I was truly appalled that even though they had the fish & chips listed as available in GF, the chips were not truly gluten free. When I questioned the server on this he said that the dish was designed more for people that were doing it as a diet and not due to being intolerant or having Celiac. Least to say I found that answer not okay.
I just wanted to tell you so that the integrity of your site would not be compromised by the poor practices of Johnny’s owned by Pacific Seafood.
Sorry to be a bother, thanks for your site, its awesome!
Boonee
Boonee, Wow, I had no idea! That is very good to know. I doubt that they use a separate fryer for the fish. I am not Celiac, but I am gluten intolerant, and eating things fried in the same oil as gluten-containing items does not bother me. Many of the restaurants on this list are not Celiac-friendly because the food is prepared in the same places as gluten-containing items. I would always recommend people to ask at an establishment if they are Celiac to find out more specifically how and where food is prepared so as to not become exposed. This list is not meant to be a foolproof, no personal research required list for those who are Celiac – merely a starting off point to research what works for you at these restaurants that at least claim to offer gluten free options.
Thank you for your comments!
Julie’s Gluten-Free Bakery has sadly closed down. =(
I’ll have to go to some of these other places, though.
Frenchy’s and GF Joe’s Market have closed down. 🙁
Thanks, Melissa! I’ll remove them from the list.
Great list, thanks! My sister and I had crazy good gluten free food at the Hardware Store on Vashon Island. Tasty focaccia, and calamari. Sometimes, restaurants offer gluten free food, and it is sad — sawdust-ish, tasteless, not a dining experience. But at the Hardware Store, it’s like the chef has actually tasted the dishes, and cares that it is good. The Hardware Store is that kind of great surprise.
The Hardware Store on Vashon Island was AMAZING!!! I had a bacon burger on a biscuit and it was so tasty!
I LOOOOVE the fish and chips there!
Adriatic Grill does offer gluten-free pasta, and their staff (at least those I have talked with) are pretty helpful on GF items. Also, their food is amazing.
Rock Pasta has GF pizza. There are GF options at Olive Garden and Red Robin. Our server at OG in Puyallup did a fab job of making sure that croutons for salad came on the side and suggested chicken as a pasta option as their sausage is not GF.
Also, Wanna Cupcake with locations in Tacoma and Puyallup is starting to do GF cupcakes.
Went to Adriatic Grill for birthday dinner – ” oh, we don’t have the gluten-free pasta”. Wtf, why did I go there??
Colette, It states on their menu they accommodate gluten free, and I had read elsewhere that they had gluten free pasta. I will remove it from the list! I am sorry that happened.
I did a quick scan and did not see Indochine (downtown) on the restaurant list. They have a GF menu.
IF it is possible to alphabetize the restaurant list…that would be a great help!
THANKS so much for this info! I will make it available to my patients.
Lisa Taylor-Swanson, EAMP
Abundant Health
The Buttered Biscuit is NOT good for people with celiac or high sensitivities. I went mistakenly thinking that I was going to be safe but the server couldn’t answer my questions about how things were prepared so she had the owner come out. The owner confirmed that everything is made in the same pans and that there will be cross contamination. In addition, the gf crepes that they serve are made in one big batch on the same grill as everything else, again cross contaminating them, and then frozen. They taken them out and heat them in the microwave when you order them. I had to walk out without ordering because there was no way I was going to be safe with that much cross contamination going on. I do NOT recommend them!
Angie, Wow, thanks for posting that! Definitely good to know for people with Celiac or high sensitivities. P.S., you have a gorgeous blog (Freetobake.com)!!!
Thanks! 🙂
There is a new option in Kent near IKEA – they open the Gluten Free Bakery this weekend!
Makers’ Mercantile
18437 E Valley Hwy Suite 102
Kent, Washington 98032
Awesome, thank you!
There are a few places that need to be added to your list.
Celebrity Cake Studio has delicious gluten free baked goods, as well as dairy free baked goods. http://www.celebritycakestudio.com/cakes/gluten-free
Dirty Oscar’s Annex always has gluten-free items on their menu. http://www.dirtyoscarsannex.com/
Stanley and Seafort’s has a gluten free menu, and Marzano Italian Restaurant offers gluten free pizza.
Elliott, Thank you! I will add these to the list. Wonderful to know.
Abellas Pizza in the Harmon Building has gluten free pizza.
Thank you, Aura Mae! I will add it.
Thanks for compiling this list. I keep driving to Seattle for ff options. Did not know there were so many spots in Tacoma. I miss piazza most of all and will check these spots. Grateful for your good work.
I
Laura, So glad to hear that! There is lots to explore in Tacoma.