Eating Out G-Free

When I first learned of my intolerance to gluten and made a commitment to avoiding it at restaurants, it took me a while to figure out where to go, what to order, and what to ask.  Let me help you save some time and energy:

G-Free Friendly Types of Restaurants*

• Mexican Restaurants (request corn tortillas and corn tacos and substitute guacamole or salsa for cheese)
• Thai Restaurants (Pad Thai is made with rice noodles, sample the curries made with coconut milk, and delight on satays)
• Steak Houses (there's nothing like a good steak and potatoes, except a great steak and potatoes.  Ask if they add any gluten to their seasoning)
• Middle Eastern/Persian Restaurants (Excellent G-Free options include chicken, steak, or lamb kabobs, rice dishes, and dips like hummus (ask for veggies instead of pita bread or bring your own rice crackers.  Avoid tabbouleh salad and kibeh balls, both of which have wheat mixed in.)
• Sushi Restaurants (Focus on sashimi and sushi, avoid Teriyaki and tempura unless rice flour is used.  Bring your own soy sauce.)

*Just because a restaurant offers menu options that do not contain gluten, it doesn't mean your meal will be gluten-free.  Make sure to ask how/where your food will be prepared, since cross-contamination via shared prep and cooking services can undermine your best efforts.  For example, is your gluten-free pizza being baked on the same pizza stone and moved with the same spatula as the wheat pizza?  Ask - your body will thank you!

Chain Restaurants with Gluten-Sensitive Menus/Alternatives

• Amici's  - They offer a rice-based pizza available with a traditional mozzarella or soy mozzarella crust.  I wasn't a fan, but if you pretend it's some sort of round baked bread and not a pizza, you may like it more than I did.  I think I'd pass next time.
• Red Robin Burger - They carry Udi's gluten-free buns (you can also choose a lettuce wedge), greatly expanding g-free burger options. Plus, they have g-free french fries available (sans the spice they normally use).  I love going there or ordering take out because they immediately know what I'm talking about when I see the words "gluten intolerant."  Customer service goes a long way.
• PF Chang's - They offer a separate gluten-free menu that includes starters, noodles, entrees, and even a delicious dessert option.
• The Olive Garden -The Olive Garden offers gluten-free versions of their salads, some pasta dishes, meat and seafood entrees, and kids' meals. 
• McDonald's - The best. Fries. Ever. (Unless you live in Germany).  Oh, and they're cooked in separate fry vats to prevent gluten cross-contamination with things like Chicken McNuggets.  They also generally understand when I ask for a bunless burger.  Lately, I like to order the Quarter Pounder (no bun, no cheese), which I eat with a fork and knife, along side my large fries.  I'm not saying it's healthy.  I'm just saying it's yummy, g-free, and a safe fast-food option that satisfies.
• Carls, Jr. - They have an "Alt Menu" in which they offer a bunless burger option available with bacon on top - much appreciated.
• In-n-Out Burger - Truly the original g-free burger, which they coin their "protein style" burger.  You can get a single, double, or even a double-double protein style burger or cheeseburger.  What I love about this burger is that the ground beef is fresh, never frozen, with the burger made the same day, and it comes served in a thick wedge of lettuce that makes it feel like an actual sandwich.  Not to mention the fries are fresh cut from potatoes on-site.  For a fast food joint, the atmosphere is fun, inviting, cheerful, and retro.  Simply put, they get it.
• Domino's Pizza -  The first national pizza chain to offer pizza with gluten-free crust, which is awesome. Unfortunately, right now it's prepared in a common area of the kitchen and therefore at risk of cross-contamination with gluten. Why go through so much trouble and not create a segregated kitchen area? A good first step, but more work to do...