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Eating gluten-free in the San Francisco Bay Area

Posted on March 13th, 2009 by alison

goldengatebridge3Looking for gluten-free restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area? A while ago I questioned why there were so few restaurants in the Bay Area that offered gluten-free menu options. Since that time, I have discovered some more and received information from readers about restaurants that are doing a good job with gluten-free. I’m still not very impressed with the selection, given the number of restaurants there are in this area, but it is getting better and I expect that we will see more and more restaurants start to have gluten-free menus. One great thing about the Bay Area is that there are so many restaurants that cook with fresh, local ingredients that it is not too difficult to find a gluten-free meal. I just wish there was a little more awareness on the part of the restaurants.

Whether you live here or are just visiting, I hope these suggestions help you find a great (and safe) meal! I’m sure that there are more restaurants that should be on the list. If you know of a place that has a gluten-free menu or is gluten-free-friendly, please let me know in the comments or via email and I will consider adding it here. If you are a restaurant owner looking to offer a gluten-free menu, please inquire about consulting services.

Before you embark on gluten-free dining, I recommend reading the following articles — they can make things much easier and more enjoyable for you!
Dining Without Gluten - Course by Course
Restaurant Tips for Dining Without Gluten

RESTAURANTS WITH GLUTEN-FREE MENUS OR MENU OPTIONS:
(in alphabetical order)

Betelnut

  • Website/menu
  • Chain restaurant? No.
  • Type of food: Contemporary Asian cuisine
  • Special notes: Ask for the gluten-free menu.
  • Bay Area Location:
    • San Francisco
      2030 Union St., San Francisco, CA 94123
      Phone: (415)-929-8855

Cafe Gratitude

  • Website/menu
  • Read a description of the restaurant from another gluten-free blogger
  • Chain restaurant? No.
  • Type of food: Vegan
  • Special notes: Everything on the menu is gluten-free. It is recommended that those with severe nut allergies do not dine here.
  • Bay Area Locations:
    • San Francisco
      2400 Harrison Street (@20th Street), San Francisco, CA 94110
      Phone: 415-830-3014
    • San Francisco
      1336 9th Ave, (@ Irving), San Francisco, CA 94122
      Phone: 415-683-1346
    • Berkeley
      1730 Shattuck Ave (@ Virginia), Berkeley, CA 94709
      Phone: 510-725-4418
    • San Rafael
      2200 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA 94901
      Phone: 415-578-4928
    • Healdsburg
      206 Healdsburg Ave (in the Olive Leaf), Healdsburg, CA 95448
      Phone: 707-723-4461

Crepes Cafe

  • Website/menu
  • Chain restaurant? No.
  • Type of food: Crepes
  • Special notes: The “Savory” crepes are made with 100% buckwheat and they told me that they cook them on a different surface than the wheat crepes. Make sure to tell them you are gluten-free to be sure.
  • Bay Area Location:
    • Menlo Park
      1195 Merrill St., corner Oak Grove Ave., Menlo Park, CA 94025
      Phone : (650) 473-0506

Dosa

  • Website/menu
  • Read about my experience
  • Chain restaurant? No.
  • Type of food: South Indian
  • Special notes: Look on website or ask for Chart for Special Dietary Needs
  • Bay Area Locations:
    • San Francisco - Fillmore
      1700 Fillmore Street (@ the corner of Post), San Francisco, CA 94115
      Phone: (415 ) 441-DOSA (3672)
    • San Francisco - Valencia
      995 Valencia (@ 21st Street), San Francisco, CA 94110
      Phone: (415) 642-DOSA (3672)

E & O Trading Company

  • Website/gluten-free menu
  • Chain restaurant? Yes.
  • Type of food: Southeast Asian Grill
  • Special notes: Make sure you ask for and order off of gluten-free menu
  • Bay Area Locations:
    • San Francisco
      314 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94108
      Phone: (415) 693-0303
    • Larkspur
      2231 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur, CA 94939
      Phone: (415) 925-0303
    • San Jose
      96 South First Street, San Jose, CA 95113
      Phone: (408) 938-4100

Mangiamo

  • Website/menu
  • Chain restaurant? No.
  • Type of food: Italian and Pizza
  • Special notes: Regular menu indicates which items are available gluten-free. Call ahead to make sure that pizza is available.
  • Bay Area Locations:
    • Windsor
      740 McClelland Drive, Windsor, California 95492
      Phone: (707) 838.1616

Outback Steakhouse

  • Website/gluten-free menu
  • Chain restaurant? Yes.
  • Type of food: Australian steakhouse
  • Special notes: Make sure you ask for and order off of gluten-free menu
  • Bay Area Locations:
    • Sausalito
      196 Donahue Street, Sausalito CA 94965
      (415) 331-6193
    • Daly City
      371 Gellert Blvd., Daly City CA 94015
      (650) 756-3691
    • Pinole
      1361 Fitzgerald Dr., Pinole CA 94564
      (510) 758-7386
    • San Mateo
      66 31st Ave, San Mateo CA 94403
      (650) 287-4329
    • Pleasant Hill
      150 A Longbrook Way, Pleasant Hill CA 94523
      (925) 687-2225
    • Dublin
      6505 Regional Street, Dublin CA 94568
      (925) 833-9335
    • Fremont
      5525 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont CA 94538
      (510) 252-1595
    • More locations

PF Chang’s China Bistro

  • Website/gluten-free menu
  • Chain restaurant? Yes.
  • Type of food: Chinese
  • Special notes: Make sure you ask for and order off of gluten-free menu
  • Bay Area Locations:
    • Corte Madera
      301 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera, CA 94925
      Phone: (415) 413-9890
    • Emeryville
      5633 Bay Street, Emeryville, CA 94608
      Phone: (510) 879-0990
    • Walnut Creek
      1205 Broadway Plaza, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
      Phone: (925) 979-9070
    • Pleasanton
      1330 Stoneridge Mall Road, Pleasanton, CA 94588
      Phone: (925) 224-9916
    • Palo Alto
      900 Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA 94304
      Phone: (650) 330-1782

San Francisco Soup Company

  • Website/menu
  • Chain restaurant? Yes.
  • Type of food: Soup
  • Special notes: Menu is updated daily on the web and gluten-free soups are shown with a (G). They also have (V) for Vegetarian and (D) for Dairy-free.
  • Bay Area Locations:
    • San Francisco
      50 Post Street, Crocker Galleria, 3rd Level, San Francisco, CA  94104
      Phone: (415)-397-SOUP
    • San Francisco
      One Market, Bayside Cuisines Food Court, San Francisco, CA  94105
      Phone: (415)-495-4765
    • San Francisco
      221 Montgomery (Between Bush & Pine), San Francisco, CA  94104
      Phone: (415)-834-0472
    • Palo Alto
      1950 University Avenue @ Woodland Ave, East Palo Alto, CA  94303
      Phone: (650)-322-7687
    • Oakland
      Oakland City Center (1300 Clay Street), Oakland, CA  94612
      Phone: (510)-763-7687
    • San Francisco International Airport, Terminal 3
      Phone: (650)-821-7687
    • Berkeley
      2512 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94704
      Phone: (510) 781-7687
    • OTHER LOCATIONS too!

Sol Food

  • Website/menu
  • Chain restaurant? No.
  • Type of food: Puerto Rican
  • Special notes: Everything on the menu is gluten-free except bread, but you can subsitute “tostones” for the bread on any sandwich. Tostones are green plantains that are fried, smashed and fried again. Rice bran oil is used for frying.
  • Bay Area Locations:
    • San Rafael - Larger location
      901 Lincoln Ave., San Rafael, CA 94901
      Phone: (415) 451-4765
    • San Rafael - Takeout and limited outdoor seating
      732 Fourth St., San Rafael, CA 94901
      Phone: (415) 451-4765

The Plant Cafe Organic (formerly Lettus Cafe)

  • Website/gluten-free menu
  • Chain restaurant? No.
  • Type of food: Organic — juices, salads, sandwiches, soups, entrees and desserts
  • Special notes: Regular menu denotes gluten-free items with “gf”
  • Bay Area Location(s):
    • San Francisco
      3352 Steiner Street @ Chestnut, San Francisco, CA 94123
      Phone: (415) 931-2777

Zadin

  • Website/menu
  • Chain restaurant? No.
  • Type of food: Contemporary Vietnamese Cuisine
  • Special notes: Dishes on regular menu are marked with “GF”
  • Bay Area Location:
    • San Francisco
      4039 18th St., San Francisco, CA 94114
      Phone: (415) 626-2260

RESTAURANTS THAT SERVE GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA:
(in alphabetical order)

Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria

  • Website/menu
  • Chain restaurant? Yes.
  • Type of food: Thin-crust pizza baked in brick ovens, pasta
  • Special notes: Crust is made by Still Riding Pizza, staff is trained to prevent cross-contamination. They deliver!
  • Bay Area Locations (only these Amici’s locations are currently serving gluten-free crusts):
    • San Francisco
      2200 Lombard Street @ Steiner, San Francisco, CA 94123
      Phone: (415) 885-4500
    • Dublin
      4640 Tassajara Road, Dublin, CA 94568
      Phone: (925) 875-1600
    • Mountain View
      790 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA 94041
      Phone: (650) 961-6666
    • San Jose
      225 W. Santa Clara Street, San Jose, CA 95113
      Phone: (408) 289-9000
    • Vacaville
      1679 E. Monte Vista Ave., Vacaville, CA 95688
      Phone: (707) 451-7777

Mangiamo
See info in section above

Mariposa Baking Company

  • Website/menu
  • Chain restaurant? No.
  • Type of food: Gluten-free bakery and cafe
  • Special notes: Pizza by the slice is served daily from 12-3 pm, or you can buy a frozen crust to make your own pizza at home.
  • Bay Area Location:
    • Oakland
      5427 Telegraph ave, Unit D3, Oakland, CA 94609
      Phone: (510) 595.0955

Mary’s Pizza Shack

  • Website/menu
  • Chain restaurant? Yes, family-run.
  • Type of food: Italian
  • Special notes: Crust is made by Still Riding Pizza, staff is trained to prevent cross-contamination. They deliver!
  • Bay Area Locations:

RESTAURANTS THAT ARE GLUTEN-FREE-FRIENDLY (they understand and accommodate well):
(in alphabetical order)

Cyrus

  • Website/menu
  • Read about my fabulous experience.
  • Chain restaurant? No.
  • Type of food: Contemporary Luxury Cuisine
  • Special notes: Very important to call ahead and let them know you are a gluten-free diner!
  • Bay Area Location:
    • Healdsburg
      29 North St.,  Healdsburg, CA
      Phone: (707) 433-3311

Dragon Well

  • Website/menu
  • Chain restaurant? No.
  • Type of food: Healthy Chinese
  • Special notes: The rice noodle dishes are gluten-free and almost anything can be made gluten-free (you’ve got to try the stir-fried pea shoots!). The restaurant is aware of allergies and cross-contamination issues.
  • Bay Area Location:
    • San Francisco
      2142 Chestnut St., San Francisco, CA 94123
      Phone: (415) 474-6888
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Comments

  1. Anita, on March 13th, 2009, said:

    Alison, what about Dona Tomas in Oakland, I have a patient whose Mother tested them up and down and says they are great…and unfortunately Socca Oven closed in Berkeley…I actually really liked their pizza!
    :)
    Anita

  2. karen, on March 14th, 2009, said:

    Another great list!!! Thank you!

  3. Debbie Duncan, on March 16th, 2009, said:

    Sprout is a new cafe on Univ. Ave. in Palo Alto. (I call it the Facebook cafeteria.) Both my celiac daughters and my wheat-allergic daughter have eaten successfully there (even Molly, the canary in the coal mine). Here’s their menu:

    http://cafesprout.com/tempsite/tempmenu081808.html

    HIGHLY recommended. Thanks for the list, Alison!

    Debbie

  4. Jen, on March 16th, 2009, said:

    THANK YOU for posting this! What a helpful suggestion list! I plan on starting at the top and eat my way down! :D

  5. heather kennedy, on March 17th, 2009, said:

    This is the best list I’ve seen. Not just because it is local but because you added the details I’ve been looking for. Thank you!

  6. Tracy, on March 18th, 2009, said:

    I live in Marin County (Mill Valley) and was diagnosed Gluten Intolerant one month ago. I have passed through a significant period of grieving for all the foods I won’t be eating any more, but I am now feeling positive about embracing this new life.

    I am excited to find your site! Thanks for this list. I am thrilled to know that one of my favorite Marin spots–Sol Food– is GF!

    I would love to know about any Marin (or SF) support group or advocacy groups. We need a strong voice in the Bay Area–as you note, there is astonishing little awareness of GF among Bay Area restaurants.

  7. Jeanne, on March 25th, 2009, said:

    I have so many friends that need this list. Now I know where we can have dinner. Thanks!!

  8. Melissa Batavia, on April 7th, 2009, said:

    Please help. My 18-year old daughter was diagnosed w/celiac at age 12. An endoscopy today 4/7/09 shows that she is still ingesting gluten although she has been strictly GF for 6 years. Before I begin my own investigation, does anyone have any recos for GF shampoos, soaps, and makeup?
    Thanks.

  9. E.Scott, on April 22nd, 2009, said:

    Here are some suggestions for gluten free beauty products:

    Nars - the entire line of makeup in GF. Great colors. Available at Sephora.

    Dessert Essence Organics - shampoos and body lotions all GF. Available at most health food stores.

    Burt’s bees - Many of their products are GF. On their website they have a list of all GF products.

    Good luck!

  10. Sheena, on May 8th, 2009, said:

    California Baby super sensitive line is gluten free also

  11. Jasmine, on November 18th, 2009, said:

    Greens is also really informed. They always have a good variety of gluten free menu items and the staff are happy to point them out to patrons

  12. Dave, on November 26th, 2009, said:

    We ate at Flytrap @ Zares (2nd & Folsom) last night & the host knew what gluten was, the waitress pointed out the gluten-free items on the menu & the head chef/owner (Hoss Zare) came out & chatted with us for a bit. The bonus? The food was incredible. The salmon with yogurt sauce was melt-in-your-mouth good. Definitely a recommended place - we’ll be going back before we leave & we’re only going to be here three days!

  13. Elaine, on March 22nd, 2010, said:

    New restaurant in Berkeley on Oxford called Gather has gluten free and vegan options listed on the menu. Some items can be made Gluten free on request and they use mainly local organic ingrediants.

  14. alison, on March 25th, 2010, said:

    Thanks Elaine - someone else alerted me to this restaurant also… I need to update this list and more and more restaurants are offering gf menus — finally! Yay!

  15. Selina, on March 30th, 2010, said:

    Thanks for the restaurant list Alison. My family and I traveled to San Francisco over spring break and used a couple of your recommendations. We found Mariposa Baking Co. at the Ferry Building and enjoyed their muffins and bagels. They were a bit hit!

    We also tried Dosa, but I wanted to warn everyone that if you have multiple food allergies, this might not be a good choice. Shortly after beginning our meal, my youngest daughter broke out in hives from something in the food (she has dairy and nut allergies). We ordered from the Special Dietary Needs menu and spoke with our server before ordering. Luckily, Benadryl stopped her reaction.

    I’d also like to recommend Alamo Square Seafood Grill on Fillmore Street. They serve fish and seafood with simple but delicious ingredients and preparations. We had an awesome gluten-free (and dairy-free for my daughter) meal that wasn’t crazy expensive.

  16. alison, on March 30th, 2010, said:

    Selina,
    That’s terrible about Dosa! I know they do use a lot of nuts in Indian food — do you think that was it? Scary! I haven’t brought my kids there. I am wary of Indian with nut allergies.

  17. Myriah, on April 21st, 2010, said:

    Teacake Bake Shop (www.teacakebakeshop.com) just added a gluten free cupcake to their menu that is delicious!!!!! It’s a Vanilla Almond Cupcake with a Swiss Meringue Buttercream! They also offer $1 Frosting shots that are GF! Thats right, I said frosting shots! Locations in Corte Madera, Lafayette, Emeryville, and Burlingame.

  18. Carla, on May 1st, 2010, said:

    Empress Pavilion at the SunValley mall in Concord/Pleasant Hill. If June is working she will make chicken and shrimp in cornstarch and cook anything without soy sauce for you. If you bring your own GF sauce, she will have them prepare the food with it if you like. We really love the Singapore Rice Noodles and the Hawaiian Fried Rice. I don’t suggest eating there unless June is working. We also get the sizzling rice soup.

  19. karin, on June 5th, 2010, said:

    Harmony in Mill Valley has a gluten free menu & wheat free soy sauce.They also have gluten free beer.

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