This list is very personal. It contains places I like to go to. Most of these restaurants aren’t exclusively gluten-free (the only restaurant that is is A Stir, formerly Capitol Cider), so I can’t guarantee what your experience will be. I don’t go out to eat all that much, so I don’t have a huge list to share with you. Your experiences may vary.
(Note: there are some affiliate links in this post. This means that if you click on the link and then buy something, I get a tiny percentage of the cost of what you buy. Thank you!)
Folks are always asking me what restaurants, bakeries, and stores I recommend for gluten-free dining and supplies in Seattle. My usual answer is: normal places that happen to have gluten-free options. There is only one completely gluten-free restaurant in Seattle–A Stir (formerly know as Capitol Cider). For info see below list. And there are a couple of bakeries–see list. So, I shop, dine, and get supplies from all sorts of places. But here are my answers for specific things.
Please note that this list is very personal. I haven’t included every restaurant in Seattle that has gluten-free options. I’ve only included places that I’ve been to and that I’ve liked and have done well with. Your experiences may be different. I would recommend calling before you go to see if they have a gluten-free menu and to gauge how gluten-free aware they are. And use common sense when ordering.
Where can I get gluten-free groceries and supplies?
I usually shop at PCC (locations throughout Seattle, but I mainly shop at the Fremont and Greenlake stores) and Whole Foods (mainly at the Roosevelt Square location). These places have most of the things I need to make gluten-free baked goods and meals. They also have some pre-made gluten-free items. Local grocery stores are beginning to have more gluten-free items. I also shop at QFC and Fred Meyer (which are part of the Kroger chain). They have many gluten-free items available.
If you’re hanging out at the Pike Place Market, Delaurenti, a specialty Italian market, often has gluten-free crackers and cookies (you kind of have to hunt around for them). And they have a huge selection of meats and cheeses that you can buy at their deli. This is good place to go to gather snacks or picnic supplies.
What gluten-free bakeries do you recommend?
My honest answer is that I don’t really go to bakeries. I am a baker and I make my own baked goods. And I like my own stuff the best :), so I don’t usually make an effort to go to a bakery to purchase these things. I bake them myself. That said, here is what I have experienced:
Avoid the baked items at Chocolati made by All About Cookies. They have cookies and bars that are labeled gluten-free. I, against my better judgement, bought one (at the Greenwood cafe in July 2018). I took it home and bit into it and had an anaphylactic reaction due to my wheat allergy (luckily I had my epi-pen). When I contacted both Chocolati and All About Cookies about this, the response was basically: our things aren’t really gluten-free even though they say gluten-free so it’s your fault for eating it if you really need to eat gluten-free. Ugh.
Gluten-free, vegan and allergen-free baked items. Friends of mine have ordered from them and I have tasted some of their things. I liked what I had! I think you have to call them to order.
Used to be Wildflour (which I loved). Not completely sure what the situation is with the re-branding, but they are worth a look.
I HAVE NOT BEEN TO THE FOLLOWING BAKERIES SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC, SO I DON’T KNOW WHAT THINGS ARE LIKE NOW
Nuflours (Capitol Hill and farmer’s markets):
-a certified gluten-free bakery. I’ve had their stuff at my local farmer’s market and I like what I’ve had! So yay! An actual gluten-free bakery to shop at! And they are on one of my favorite streets in Seattle: 15th on Capitol Hill. Lots of restaurants and a terrific bookstore, Ada’s Technical Books: a boring name for a beautiful, wonderful, and dynamic science-oriented bookstore. Ada’s also has a cafe and they usually have a few gluten-free treats available.
Cupcake Royale (Various neighborhoods–I mostly go to Ballard and Capitol Hill)
-offers gluten-free cupcakes as an option and has a fairly aware staff (I did a bit of consulting w/them on how to treat gf items so things are safe). It’s nice to be able to go here with pals and enjoy a cupcake along with everyone else!
Trophy Cupcakes (Various neighborhoods–I go to the Wallingford one)
-they have two flavors of gluten-free cupcakes available each day. I’m not clear on how well-trained the staff is around gluten-free issues, but I have not had reaction there.
Hot Cakes (Ballard and others)
-fun shop with molten chocolate cakes in little mason jars and other things like sipping chocolate and sipping caramel that are to die for. Gluten-free options and dairy-free options abound. You can enjoy your food there or take some to bake at home.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A 25 MINUTE–GORGEOUS–FERRY RIDE, CHECK OUT BAINBRIDGE ISLAND:
Blackbird Bakery (Bainbridge Island)
-this is a ferry ride away from Seattle. Bainbridge is charming and worth a trip if you have some extra time. You can walk on the ferry and then walk up to the main shopping area (Winslow). They have a fabulous bookstore (Eagle Harbor Books) and they used to have a yarn/tea shop (Churchmouse Yarn and Tea, which went online only during the pandemic) that I went to all the time. We lived on Bainbridge for a time and I frequented the Blackbird Bakery. They are also a wheat bakery, so I have heard there may be issues with cross-contamination. But, I haven’t had a reaction there.
—BACK TO SEATTLE—
Any coffee shops that have gluten-free things?
Some do, most don’t. Before the pandemic started, I went to various Starbucks on a regular basis. They usually carry some gluten-free items. I like that they carry Country Archer Jerky (Turkey and Beef) as well as the vegan Hippeas snacks. They are a good protein boost when I am out and about.
What gluten-free restaurants do you recommend?
There is only one completely gluten-free full-service restaurant in Seattle (that I know of)–A Stir (formerly Capitol Cider) listed below). But, we don’t really eat out that much–again, I like to cook, so I usually make our food. I am a bit of a failed foodie when it comes to this–I generally don’t follow the restaurant trends. And, my daughter has a life-threatening peanut allergy, so we have had a lot to juggle when eating out. For the most part, we avoid Chinese and Thai because of her peanut-allergy, so I don’t have any recommendations for those cuisines. When we do eat out, we tend to eat at restaurants that are nice and a bit upscale, and therefore have the ability to make things to order; or at places that are naturally gluten-free; or at places that have a gluten-free menu. My recommendation to you would be to find a restaurant that you think you would like and call to see if they have a gluten-free menu or if they have the ability to make things gluten-free.
Below is a list of places where I often eat (or ate before the pandemic) and where I haven’t had a problem. Your experience may be different. This list is in no particular order. Also, due to the pandemic, we now often get take out from these restaurants instead of eating in the restaurants.
WE REGULARLY GET TAKEOUT FROM THE FOLLOWING RESTAURANTS
The Chicken Supply (Phinney Ridge)
Gluten-free Filipino fried chicken. In fact, everything is gluten-free (as far as I know). Very small with a limited menu. And you should call ahead to place your order (meaning, several hours ahead if possible). When they run out, they run out. They have a tiny indoor eating space–but we order take-out. The chicken in absolutely amazing! And they have a small number of sides–including collard greens, marinated veggies, garlic rice, and crispy potatoes. They do have peanuts on one or two of their menu items, but we order them without them.
Bamboo Sushi (University Village)
Japanese restaurant with a great gluten-free menu–everything is well marked. It is mostly sushi but with scattered other dishes that I love. My favorite is the Chicken Karage–Japanese fried chicken and the cauliflower, which is tempura fried. Both are gluten-free and so good!
Kabul Afghan (Wallingford)
-this is what we consider to be our everyday, neighborhood restaurant (it’s down the street from our house) and it is family-owned and operated. They aren’t officially gluten-free, but I’ve not had a reaction there. Middle Eastern food–shish kabobs, rice pilaf, braised veggies, etc. We order from here about once a week. The know us by name (lol). Child friendly. If you have not had Afghani food before, give this place a try! The food is so good!
Giddyup Burgers (Fremont-Ballard, aka, “Freelard”)
Good grass-fed beef burgers and the option of gluten-free buns. They also have a dedicated fryer for their tater tots and fries. We get takeout from here almost once a week. They also have a large outdoor seating area. Very family friendly.
Uneeda Burgers (Fremont)
Same thing as Giddyup–grass-fed burgers with the option for gluten-free buns. A dedicated fryer for gluten-free fries (but no tater tots). They seem to run out of gluten-free buns a lot, so we kind of switched to ordering mainly from Giddyup.
TnT Taqueria (Wallingford)
Hole-in-the-wall (literally) taco place. Simple, fresh food. They are part of the CHOW food chain here in Seattle–so you know the quality is good. They have some outside seating and a tiny amount of inside seating, but this is best used as a take-out place. Again, it’s in our neighborhood, so we get food from here a lot. Not officially gluten-free, but I’ve not had a problem here. Child-friendly because it is mostly take out.
Bengal Tiger Indian (Roosevelt)
-this is where we get Indian food for take out. Again, not officially gluten-free, but I’ve not had a reaction there. Child friendly.
I HAVE NOT BEEN TO THE FOLLOWING RESTAURANTS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC, SO I DON’T KNOW WHAT THINGS ARE LIKE NOW
A Stir (formerly Capitol Cider) (Capitol Hill)
-Everything is gluten-free. Kind of heaven for those of us who are gluten intolerant. It is so nice to go somewhere where you can just order anything. They have rebranded and their food seems to be Mediterranean-oriented. I haven’t been there since the re-brand.
Razzi’s Pizza (Greenwood)
-terrific place for gf pizza, pasta, breads, sandwiches, salads. We order their delivery fairly often. I love being able to order delivery pizza. They also do vegan, if needed.
The Grill From Ipanema (Downtown)
This is a Brazilian steak house. The menu consists of meat–so you order a one-price prix fixe meal of sorts. The servers are constantly wandering around with big skewers of different kinds of meat and they stop by and ask if you want some. If so, they slice off some onto your plate. Repeat and repeat and repeat. So good. There is also a salad bar that has just about every salad and vegetable you could want. And they have a dessert bar. I was kind of blown away by the whole experience and am dying to go again!
Fiasco (Wallingford)
Italian-esque restaurant. They have gluten-free pizza crusts and pastas that you can sub in for the regular versions. Again, it is in our neighborhood.
Blue Moon Burgers (Several locations, I mostly go to the Fremont one)
-not officially gluten-free, but they have gf buns and they have a dedicated gf fryer for their French fries. They are quite aware of gluten-free issues and make a really good effort to be super-gluten-free friendly. Their burgers are fast-food-type–flat and cooked well-done. Very child friendly.
The Whale Wins (Wallingford)
James Beard Award-winning restaurant. Oriented towards seafood and vegetables. Extremely charming space. They have a cute outdoor eating area.
Mamnoom (Capitol Hill)
-Middle Eastern food. I really like this restaurant–as does my family. They have gluten-free crackers on request that are quite tasty–they go well with the amazing hummus. They also have gluten-free wraps for their sandwiches.
Osteria La Spiga (Capitol Hill)
-Italian restaurant. They have gluten-free pasta that you can order with any of their sauces. This is a very loud and boisterous place.
Cactus (Several locations but I love the West Seattle one)
-a Tex-Mex bar-cantina type of place that has a terrific gluten-free menu and an out-of-this-world view of the ocean across the street at the West Seattle one.
Portage Bay Cafe (several locations, I mostly go to the Roosevelt one)
-this restaurant has a good gluten-free menu–especially for breakfast. It is rare to find a good breakfast place if you’re gluten-free–but this fits the bill! They have a pancake and waffle “bar” where you can go up and pile your pancake/waffle with a variety of fruits, toppings, syrup, butter, and whipped cream. Decadent and very fun. Very child friendly.
(updated 2/9/24)
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Jeanne Sauvage