Restaurant Info

Celiac Disease is becoming more well known as the disease gets exposure from the press, food labeling, and mainstream companies wanting to spread the word that they are Celiac aware. Restaurants are also becoming more knowledgeable of special dietary needs, including Celiac Disease. Some are trying very hard to reach out to individuals with Celiac Disease by providing ingredient lists and in some cases, special menus. Eating at a restaurant can be a challenge at times, especially if you are newly diagnosed or if you are trying a restaurant for the first time. It is imperative to ask the right people the right questions. Here are some tips and recommendations:

Gluten-Free Safety Tips	Explanation
Call ahead during an off-peak time and ask to speak to a chef/manager.	Calling ahead between meals gives you the opportunity to speak to knowledgeable individuals (i.e., chefs and/or managers) who may not be available to speak at length on the phone during a lunch or dinner rush.
Tell them the following: You are medically required to follow a gluten-free diet You must avoid any food, sauces, marinades, and salad dressings that contain or comes in contact (cross contamination) with wheat, rye, barley or oats, even in minute amounts. Ask about food preparation to avoid cross-contamination issues. Ask them if there is someone special you should ask for when you arrive and if so, check in with them when you arrive. Finally, if you have any doubts, order as simplistically as possible (i.e. plain broiled fish, chicken or steak, plain steamed vegetables and a baked potato.	If the restaurant doesn't have a specific menu available for individuals with Celiac Disease, ask them to go over some menu choices with you which would be acceptable for your dietary needs. Tell the chef or manager to clean the portion of the grill where your food will be cooking especially well, or maybe they can cook yours in a separate pan. Sometimes they will make a notation in their books about your dietary needs and will send a manager to your table upon your arrival. On the rare occasion, even after going through all of the above precautions you still may feel as though your needs are not being taken seriously. If you are doubtful that your meal won't be safe, ask to speak to a chef or manager. If you still don't feel safe, finding another restaurant may be an option for you.

Specific Menu Cautions	Explanation
Tell them that you can't have any croutons on your salad.	If the salad is made beforehand with croutons, they can't just pick them off! Ask for a freshly made salad. Many salad dressings in restaurants are not GF. Instead, ask olive oil, vinegar (not flavored after the distillation process), and lemon slices.
Soups in restaurants are rarely gluten-free.	Even if a restaurant makes its own stock from scratch, there is still a strong possibility that they will add gluten containing seasoning packets for flavor.
If ordering meat, be aware that au jus almost always contains gluten.	When restaurants run out of natural cooking juices from meat they resort to canned stock or powdered mixes which may contain gluten.
Make sure the menu items you're ordering don't have flour added to them.	This can be an unexpected one in that flour can also be used as a fluffing agent. For example, scrambled eggs, omelets and mashed potatoes may have a flour containing batter added to them to make them more substantial. This isn't usually the case but it's always a good idea to check.
If you're ordering rice, keep it as plain as possible (plain steamed white or brown rice).	Seasoned rice or rice pilaf may contain gluten in one form or another, be it seasonings or vermicelli.
Fried potatoes can only be prepared in a dedicated fryer with their own oil and not coated with gluten containing ingredients in order for them to be safe. Mashed potatoes may be from a mix and not from fresh potatoes.	Also check to see if home fries are made from real potatoes and gluten-free seasonings on a gluten-free cooking surface. Check to see if the mashed potatoes are made fresh and from gluten-free ingredients.
Check to see if the restaurant warms up steamed vegetables in pasta water.	When pressed for time during a busy meal, restaurants have numerous time-saving techniques which can be dangerous for individuals with Celiac Disease.

 

Greater Boston Area Restaurants that have Gluten-Free Menus

Some area restaurants provide Gluten-Free menus but do not participate (yet) in the Gluten Intolerance Group's Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness program (GFRAP). Please note that the Healthy Villi does not endorse any particular restaurant listed here, and it does not accept any responsibility for dining outcomes. If you do encounter a problem, however, we want to know about it.

Multi-location restaurants

Burton’s Grill  (Fenway Park, Hingham, North Andover, South Windsor CT, Virginia Beach, VA) GF menu available here

Carrabba’s Italian Grill (all locations) GF menu is available here.

The Elephant Walk (Boston, Cambridge, Waltham) Extensive GF menu available - direct link to location-specifc menus is here.

Flatbread Company (all NH/MA locations) GF pizza and beer available. Call specific location for details.

Legal Seafoods  (all locations, GF options may vary by location, please see website for specific GF menus)

Maggiano’s Little Italy (Park Plaza, Boston) GF pasta available. Contact restaurant directly for details.

Not Your Average Joe’s (all locations) direct link to GF menu is here.

Outback Steakhouse (most US locations) direct link to locations with GF menu is here.

Paparazzi Trattoria (all locations) GF pasta available. Contact restaurant directly for details.

PF Chang's China Bistro (all locations) direct link to GF menu is here.

Uno’s Chicago Grill Now offers GF pizza in select Boston area locations. GF menu items are available here.

Single location restaurants - Massachusetts

The Boynton, 117 Highland St Worcester MA (508-756-5432) now offers Gluten Free entrees every Wednesday from 5-10 PM.  And Gluten Free pizza every day.  See GF menu here.

The Fireplace, 1634 Beacon St, Brookline MA (617-975-1900) offers an in-house GF menu that is not yet online. Call for details.

The Horseshoe Grille, 226 Main Street, North Reading, MA  01864 (978-664-3591) direct link to GF menu here

Pepperoncini’s, 483 Concord St, Framingham MA (508-879-5558) offers GF pizza and beer. More information is here.

Vlora, 545 Boylston St (Copley Square), Boston MA (617-638-9699) has awareness of the GF diet and has several GF options. Contact for additional details.

Zebra's Bistro , 21 North St. Medfield, MA (508- 359 4100) gluten free awareness. Call for details.

Zocalo Cucina Mexicana, 1414 Commonwealth Ave Brighton MA (617-277-5700) has an in-house GF menu that is not yet online. Call for details.

Rhode Island

North End Cafe,1058 Charles St North Providence RI (401-726-4400) When making a reservation please notify us of your dietary condition so we can be fully prepared to satisfy your gluten free needs. GF menu here

Pinelii Marra Restaurants, this restaurant group has the following several locations throughout RI offering extensive GF menus including appetizers, pizza and pasta.

Cucina Twist–2095 Kingstown Rd. South Kingstown, RI (401-789-5300) GF menu here

The Grille on Main - 50 Main Street East Greenwich RI. (401- 885-2200) GF menu here

Pinelli’s Cucina –900 Victory Highway Slatersville, RI (401-767-2444) GF menu here

Pinelli’s Deli and at Night Café–701 Quaker Lane Warwick, RI (401-821-8828) GF menu here

Post Office Café–11 Main St. East Greenwich, RI (401- 885-4444) GF menu here

Twist–336 Bald Hill Rd. Warwick, RI. (401-734-4440) GF menu here

Twist on Angell–500 Angell Street Providence, RI (401-831-4500) GF menu here

Waterplace - One Finance Way, Providence, RI (401-272-1040) GF menu here

New Hampshire

Rafferty's 36 Kearsarge Road North Conway Village, NH 603-356-6460 link to GF selection page here

Anello's Gluten Free Cafe - Portsmouth, NH