Gluten-Free Salt Lake City Restaurants
Ever heard of the phrase “food anxiety”? If you haven’t and are now gluten-free, especially if you’re Celiac, you will almost surely have experienced this type of stressor. Food anxiety relates to the stress caused by eating, especially when eating out. In this case, the burden is caused by being unsure if the food you have ordered or purchased, won’t make you sick.
Believe me, I have had food anxiety on multiple trips and vacations. I understand how this type of nervousness can affect and even ruin a vacation. Always remember that the recommendations in this book aren’t a guarantee you’ll never get glutened. Even with all my experience and knowledge, I still get glutened two to three times a year. Keep in mind I travel six to eight weeks of the year and eat out about once a week. This being said, the chances of getting myself cross-contaminated are high because of the quantity of food I eat away from home.
Although Salt Lake City isn’t known for it’s gluten-free food scene, there are still places you can go in Salt Lake that are gluten-free friendly. A good gluten-free friendly restaurant will cater to your food needs, offer more than salads for their menu selection, and the wait staff will check with the chef for your meal ingredients.
Here are restaurants that I’ve eaten at locally in Salt Lake City. I’ve found them to be safe, courteous and will usually go out of their way to ensure your food safety.
Gluten free bread can be hard to come by. Ask the restaurant if they have gluten-free bread options, even if it’s not listed on their menu. While there’s usually an upcharge, it’s nice to eat bread with your meal.
Always check with your server and have them double check with the chef for the safety and ingredients in each dish. Never assume the same food dish is prepared equally in different restaurants, even if you’re eating out at a chain establishment.
First and fast: Gluten Free Fast Food Options
Some fast food restaurants are safe to eat at when you’re gluten free and others I’d completely stay away from when I’m eating out. If you’re going to eat out, these establishments have created a gluten-free or allergy protocol so you can eat there safely.
Chick-Fil-A is one of my favorite places to eat out when I’m visiting Salt Lake City. They are known for their funny billboards featuring cows telling you to “eat chikn”. They have a gluten-free bun choice, and you can ask to have your order tagged as gluten free. This chain does amazing salads, and I often eat their Garden Market salad minus the blue cheese.
Jersey Mikes Subs created a gluten-free protocol when one of the owner’s daughters came down with Celiac disease. They tried it out and it was a big hit! When you order, they’ll ask you if it’s a preference or an allergy. They have separate utensils for those of us with medical conditions, and allergies and make your food on a separate piece of parchment paper.
Jimmy Johns will lettuce wrap any of their sandwiches. They also give you separate condiment packets so you don’t get your sandwich cross-contaminated. They also have gluten free potato chips to pair with your sandwich.
Core Life Eatery is one of my favorite places to eat! Not only do they have their menu labeled, they also list cross-contaminants. Almost entirely gluten-free, except for their bread, Core Life has many delicious and healthy options you can create yourself from their line of food.
Gluten Free Asian Food in Salt Lake City
Asian food can be found most anywhere in Salt Lake City. However, I always avoid Korean BBQ as I've never found a safe KBBQ place to eat. Visit some of these places and make sure to tell them you’re gluten-free.
Oh Mai has Vietnamese Pho, one of the best soups to eat when you’re not feeling well, in my opinion. You can also get rice noodle bowls that are gluten-free. Their gluten free and vegetarian choices are clearly labeled on their menu.
Joy Luck has several different dishes that you can eat which are gluten-free. Their menu is labeled and the servers have been great about double checking on the food for me. Somi Vietnamese Bistro is located in Sugar House, a popular place in Salt Lake City. Their gluten free options are limited, but their food tastes amazing and they have a nice atmosphere.
Pho Thin offers gluten free chicken Pho along with a few other gluten-free menu items. Tsunami restaurant and sushi bar is a bit pricey, but they can make safe, gluten-free sushi. Try going when they have lunch pricing for a more budget-friendly order.
Kathmandu Indian and Nepali Cuisine has an extensive selection of gluten-free offerings, as many Indian and Nepali dishes are naturally gluten-free. I love their papadom - the gluten-free crispbreads paired with their chutneys. Mazza Middle Eastern Cuisine has dishes that are off the charts when it comes to flavor! One of my favorite restaurants for date night, visit Mazza when you are in the mood for a nice dinner out with your partner.
Kitchens and Cafes that Offer Gluten Free Foods
Zest Kitchen is the only dedicated gluten-free restaurant in Salt Lake City. They are also completely vegan. I love their desserts and their drinks. They have a good selection of food and the service is excellent.
Pulp Lifestyle Kitchen and Mollie & Ollie serve up many gluten-free dishes and are a great place to stop for lunch. Lazy Day Cafe and Millcreek Cafe & Eggworks, located in south Salt Lake, offer good breakfast choices including gluten free
Gluten Free American Food
East Liberty Tap House is a great place to eat, especially when the weather is nice outside! Although the menu is small, all of the food I’ve eaten there is fabulous. They have their menu labeled and I’ve never been sick eating there.
The Cheesecake Factory is known for its crazy selection of cheesecakes, but did you know that they have a gluten-free pasta from Italy? Yes! You can have any pasta dish made with gluten-free pasta and they have an allergy protocol. Although I wouldn’t get the cheesecake because of the risk of cross-contamination, they have many food choices for gluten-free eaters on their menu other than dessert.
Sugarhouse BBQ is the best and safest place to eat BBQ in all of Utah. One of the owners has Celiac disease, so they are very careful about serving gluten-free food. All of their sauces are gluten-free, and they even have gluten-free cornbread, which is heavenly! Definitely stop by this Sugarhouse favorite when you’re in town.
Make it stand out
Eating Gluten Free Mexican
Mexican food is mostly gluten-free naturally because they don’t use a lot of wheat, except for wheat tortillas, which can easily be swapped out for all corn tortillas. Costa Vida, Taqueria 27, and Chile-Tepin are just a few of the Mexican hotspots to eat at in Salt Lake City. While Red Iguana 1 & 2 have been a staple for decades and have the most authentic food I’ve eaten
Coffee & Tea Shops Serving Gluten Free Food
Here’s where gluten-free gets a bit tricky. When you’re at a coffee shop, make sure the gluten-free food is individually wrapped and that they use individual papers or a special thong for grabbing gluten-free goodies. They also need to have the food on the top shelf to help avoid cross-contamination.
Coffee Garden, Campos Coffee Roasters & Kitchen, and The Rose Establishment are all places I’ve been to that have some gluten-free offerings. Tea Zaanti is an amazing tea shop downtown with a cozy atmosphere, along with outdoor seating. Sugar House Coffee provides brews and juice drinks, so you can get your healthy juicing on while visiting here.
Gluten Free Bakeries
City Cakes & Cafe, Create Donuts, and Sweet Tooth Fairy are not dedicated gluten-free, so depending on your level of sensitivity, you’ll want to try a dessert on the weekend in case you have a reaction. Sweet Cake Bake Shop and Good Food Gluten Free Bakery are dedicated gluten-free bakeries, so you don’t have to worry about cross-contamination! They offer an amazing selection of rolls and other baked goods.
While not a bakery, Sweetaly is the best ice cream place in Salt lake City. Offering gelato straight from the source (the owner shipped her gelato making equipment from Italy several years ago when she started her shop), they have an allergen list and will use a new scoop for your gelato.
While this has been my experience at these locations, make sure to reach out and give them a call before you visit. In the past two years, many things have changed, especially in the restaurant industry and they are continuing to evolve. Support your local gluten-free restaurants so we can have more options to eat safely when we go out to have fun!
Discover tips on how to safely travel gluten-free with my complimentary ebook, Ten Tips for Traveling Gluten Free! You can also find out more details about how to travel via cruise, road trip, or camping and learn the freedom you can have when you know how to travel with Celiac disease when you grab my Guide to Traveling Gluten Free.
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