Dining

Dining out with Celiac's Disease is the weirdest combination of paralyzing fear and yet pure joy when you find a safe place to enjoy food! It feels crippling at first; eventually with the help of apps, learning what questions to ask, what places are safe and how to advocate for yourself, you will find the places that are meant for you, but I honestly can't shake the weight of awareness and caution it takes to eat out safely. It's perhaps the biggest thing I wish people understood about Celiac's, that the freedom of just "going out for a bite" is gone. And though it takes hard work to find a safe place to enjoy a meal out, inevitable someone will make light of your being gluten free, call you picky, a fad dieter, and greatly misunderstand you. I hope we can keep being honest about this disease and the many people who live daily with extreme dietary needs. We can't "just have a bite". No, we won't drop dead, but a crumb will cause our own immune system to attack itself, hence the term autoimmune disease. Every reaction leads to many issues, and many reactions and issues that persist due to eating gluten as a Celiac lead to cancer, infertility, other serious diseases, among feeling debilitatingly awful. Perspective for the non-Celiacs: If a single crumb was enough to ruin your next 6 weeks and risk long term bodily harm, how safe do you think you would feel the next time you swung through a drive thru?

Below is only a small list, we are a frugal family and choose to not eat out frequently, so my list is perhaps narrower than another's and that's ok. As always use your own discernment and ask direct questions to the person cooking your food that day. Use apps, Instagram, and more to help you find a safe place to dine, these are just the places we have successfully been or places I know other diligently cautious Celiacs frequent safely.

*Our favorite app for dining out is Find Me Gluten Free, every Celiac needs this tool in their life, especially if you travel or simply want to enjoy a safe meal out: https://www.findmeglutenfree.com/

Our Recommendations:

Chain Restaurants:

Chick-Fil-A: They have separate friers so you can eat the fries and they offer prepackaged GF buns for their grilled chicken sandwiches- tell them it's an allergy and you'll be taken care of!

Five Guys: Tell them you want a burger bowl or a lettuce wrap and that it's for an allergy, they'll change their gloves and fries are the only thing going in their friers making the fries safe!

Longhorn Steakhouse: While I basically stick to the location close to home, Longhorn has an allergy guide, and when expressed how severe the need to be gluten free is, we've been taken seriously. Tips: always ask that your steak be cooked on foil and with salt and pepper only. Have a side of steamed veggies or a baked potato and you're golden! Sure, the menu is limited, but who can argue with steak and veggies you didn't cook?! We've never gotten sick here, but always ask all the questions and if it doesn't feel safe, walk away.

Kona Ice: If you're at an event and a Kona Ice truck is there - rejoice! As of Summer 2024 all their flavors are gluten free! Having one in our community at baseball games and firework shows was a highlight for the Silly Yak, who is so used to having zero options!

Maine:

Sweets & Co -dedicated gluten free bakery in Saco, Maine

Spinnakers, Wells, amazing seafood!

Lovebirds Donuts, Kittery

Knew Potato Caboose, Wells

Holy Donut, multiple locations around Portland

Wildflours Gluten-Free Bakery, Brunswick

For more Maine Recs follow https://www.instagram.com/mrs.geefreeliving/

Massachusetts:

Mac Daddys

110 Grill, multiple Northeast locations

Evviva Trattoria, multiple New England locations

Kanes Donuts, Boston area

Tavern in The Square, multiple locations

Legal Sea Foods, multiple New England locations

Fenway Park Gate A Gluten Friendly Stand (check their website ahead of time and if its there get your food early)

For more Massachusetts, especially Boston area recs follow https://www.instagram.com/philhatesgluten/

New Hampshire:

110 Grill, Rochester and Portsmouth

Evviva Trattoria, Rochester

Lovebirds Donuts, Portsmouth

New York:

110 Grill, multiple locations throughout the state

New York City:

TAP NYC

Baked by Melissa miniature cupcakes.

Noglu

Atlanta, Georgia:

Hell Yeah Gluten Free (they have two locations) https://www.hellyeahglutenfree.com/

Jen's Splendid Ice Cream (multiple locations including the Atlanta Braves Battery) https://jenis.com/blogs/scoop-shops/atlanta-ga

Kentucky:

Awaken Bakery in Bowling Green https://www.awakenbg.com/

Florida:

Merlin's Pizza in Destin. Yes, it's a tiny joint that looks like it came straight outta 1992 and surely it can't be safe, wrong! I aways double check a place by confirming that they cook a pizza on a separate pan, cut it with a separate pizza cutter, etc. and this place rattled off their protocols before I could even ask, they're safe and delicious! https://merlinspizza.com/

Lulus: Super fun environment, super amazing allergy menu with strict care taken to keep you safe! https://lulusfunfoodmusic.com/location/destin/

Disney World (Florida):

Disney is the best place we've ever eaten, the care to allergies is unmet elsewhere. My biggest tip, buy a guide from Mouse Ear Memories and follow her on social media, she is a wealth of information, and her guide will save you hours of stress and planning. We did this for a 2023 trip, and it was the best Disney hack! https://mouseearmemories.com/