Eating out is one thing that can be tricky when you are GF. Not only do you have to find a food that doesn't contain gluten, but you also have to worry about the possibility of contamination. Here is a list of restaurants where I have had success eating GF.
Fast Food:
Wendy's
-all restaurants have allergen charts/nutritional info posters posted. There isn't a lot of GF food, but the baked potato and chili (without crackers) make a great lunch. Side salads (without croutons) and Frosty's are also GF in case you were wondering.
In N Out
-all you have to do is avoid buns, and grills where buns have been toasted. In my experience, they have been wonderful to work with, even suggesting options for GF burgers. My favorite is protein-style (wrapped in lettuce), but the flying dutchman is also a good option (two patties, two cheese, no bun). Also, I really love french fries and this is one place that doesn't use oil to cook anything with gluten, so the fries are guaranteed GF.
Firehouse Subs
-they have a really good gluten free chef salad, but not much else is gluten free
Asian:
Tea Rose Diner
- a new favorite, located off of State Street in Murray. The best Thai found I've found in Utah, and it's easy to find gluten free options.
PF Changs
-they have an entire GF menu that is AMAZING!!! And they have a gluten free chocolate mousse dessert.
Pei Wei's
-the same family as PF Changs, but a little bit more everyday. They have a smaller GF menu, but the food is pretty good food.
Noodles and Co
- they have a Pad Thai that's gluten free.
Mexican:
Costa Vida
-one of the most friend GF restaurants and my favorite place to eat. Ask for a gluten free meal and everyone changes their gloves. Everything there is GF except for the flour tortillas and they will make anything (salad, enchilads, even burritos) with a GF tortilla. If you are interested, check out their website which details their efforts to go GF.
Chipotle
-same as Cafe Rio, avoid the tortilla. Chipotle is nice because you can do a rice bowl, which is essentially a burrito without the tortilla.
(Mexican in general is a good way to go if you are gluten free)
Pizza:
Pier 49
-offers GF pizza crusts, but not all sauces are GF.
Robintino's
-offers GF pizza crusts and sauces, but ground beef is not GF.
(A caution on pizza restaurants: There is a lot of gluten-containing flour flying around, on surfaces, etc. I get sick whenever I eat at these kind of places, but it is an option if you aren't as sensitive to gluten as I am.)
Other:
Zupas
-several soups and salads are gluten free, but you might need to make a couple modifications to salad toppings. All the employees I've worked with have been knowledgeable about GF options. Just make sure you have them change gloves and use fresh mixing bowls etc.
Paradise Bakeru
-the only thing I ever get is the tomato soup but it's delicious!
Tucanos
-yummy food and lots are gluten free. The servers were very knowledgeable about what was gluten free. Just avoid the salad bar!
Chili's
- they have a gluten free menu you can ask for that has several options.
Olive Garden
- they have a gluten free menu (ask for it) that has a few different options.
Rumbi Island Grill
-they have a gluten free teriyaki rice bowl, but make sure you carefully explain about your gluten free needs because I've found noodles/breaded chicken in bowls before.
Pizza Factory
-I love their salad bar! The location I go to does a great job at keeping things clean/separate, but any time there is a salad bar be careful to make sure that gluten items aren't mixed with your gluten-free items.
Some general tips for eating out
-Do your research ahead of time. Most restaurants have menus and allergen information posted online.
-Enlist the support of the people you are going out with. They can help point out ideas you didn't think of for food options and help to explain to servers why it is so important to avoid gluten.
-Talk to your server when you order. Explain what celiac disease is if they don't know and why it is so important for you to avoid gluten. Most people I've talked to have been very understanding and offered ideas and even special menus or items to me that I wouldn't have found otherwise.
-Ask your server (and cooks) to change gloves if possible to avoid contamination.
-If you go to a salad place, make sure they use fresh bowls to mix your salad.
-Tip generously, especially if they take good care of you. Especially at small restaurants, they remember and take care of me the next time.
