Gluten-free options in Palo Alto

Eating gluten-free in Palo Alto is easier than it was a few years ago. Many restaurants now label gluten-free dishes on their menus and several offer gluten-free crusts, crepes or buns as swaps. One fast-casual counter says its entire menu is free of gluten. This guide lists what restaurants state on their own menus and websites, as summarized in our business directory. We have not tested any dish. We do not judge how safe any kitchen is.

How restaurants label gluten

Palo Alto menus use a few different approaches. Knowing them helps you read a menu quickly.

• GF symbols on dishes. The most common approach. A letter or icon marks dishes whose recipes contain no gluten.
• A separate gluten-free section or menu. Some chains group gluten-free dishes together.
• Swaps. A gluten-free crust, bun or crepe replaces the wheat version, often for an extra charge.
• "Contains gluten" marks. A few restaurants flip the approach and mark the dishes that do contain gluten.
• "Gluten-friendly." This usually means the recipe avoids gluten but the restaurant will not promise the dish is free of traces.

A fully gluten-free menu

Asian Box at Town & Country Village is a fast-casual Vietnamese counter where you build rice and noodle boxes. The company describes its whole menu as 100 percent gluten-free, with gluten-free kitchens. That makes it one of the easier places in town for people avoiding gluten, since nothing on the menu is supposed to contain it. It also caters with boxes that serve five, useful for an office with gluten-free staff. As with any restaurant, confirm with staff if your needs are medical.

Breakfast and brunch

• Hobee's, 4224 El Camino Real. The breakfast and lunch restaurant publishes a gluten-free section on its menu, which is more than many breakfast places do. It is closed Monday.
• Local Union 271, 271 University Avenue. The restaurant describes its daytime menu as almost 100 percent gluten-free or available that way on request. Brunch includes gluten-free chilaquiles and a range of gluten-free bowls. It also warns that its kitchen handles gluten, so cross-contact is possible.
• Crepevine, 367 University Avenue. Offers a gluten-free crepe as a substitute for a small extra charge. Crepevine says plainly that it is not a gluten-free restaurant and that cross-contamination may occur, so people with celiac disease should take care.

Pizza and casual meals

• State of Mind Slice House, 3850 El Camino Real. Makes pizza in three styles: round, pan and gluten-free. Whole pies can be ordered online for pickup.
• Pizzeria Delfina, 651 Emerson Street. A gluten-free crust is available on its red and white pies and gluten-free pasta is available on request. Its vegan pie cannot be made on the gluten-free crust.
• Starbird, 2515 El Camino Real. Hand-breads its chicken in a blend of gluten-free flour and spices and fries it to order. The company calls the breading gluten-friendly, so check its allergy information first.
• P.F. Chang's, Stanford Shopping Center. The menu gives gluten-free dishes their own section, which helps in a cuisine where soy sauce is everywhere.

Dinner with labeled menus

These restaurants mark gluten-free dishes directly on their menus, which makes ordering much easier.

• Nola, 535 Ramona Street. New Orleans and Southern food. The menu marks dishes that are gluten-free or can be made that way. Most oysters and several seafood dishes are marked gluten-free.
• Coconuts, 642 Ramona Street. Caribbean and Jamaican cooking. The menu marks gluten-free dishes GF and many of the grilled and curried mains carry the mark.
• Tacolicious, 632 Emerson Street. Several tacos are marked gluten-free, including the carnitas and the vampiro, as are most sides. The mushroom carnitas taco is vegetarian and gluten-free.
• Rara, 201 California Avenue. A Nepalese restaurant whose menu marks vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes. Many dishes carry the gluten-free mark.
• Arya Steakhouse, 140 University Avenue. The dinner menu marks vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes and says every kabob is gluten-free.
• Tane Vegan Izakaya, 461 Emerson Street. A plant-based Japanese restaurant that says it uses gluten-free flour for its sushi rolls. Some dishes, such as the gyoza, the futo maki and the Philadelphia roll, are marked as containing gluten.

Dessert

Kara's Cupcakes at Town & Country Village bakes gluten-free cupcakes as well as vegan ones. Note the fine print: its gluten-free cupcakes are not vegan and its vegan cupcakes are not gluten-free. For more sweets, our bakeries and desserts guide notes which shops publish allergen information.

Where gluten hides, cuisine by cuisine

Some cuisines are naturally easier than others, but each has its traps.

• Mexican. Corn tortillas are usually free of gluten, which is why several of Tacolicious's tacos carry the mark. Flour tortillas, some salsas and fried items shared with battered foods are the risks.
• Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese. Standard soy sauce contains wheat. Rice noodles and rice paper are gluten-free, but marinades and dipping sauces often are not. Ask whether a gluten-free soy sauce is available.
• Indian and Nepalese. Many curries and lentil dishes avoid wheat, but naan, samosa pastry and some spice blends do not. Rara's labels help here.
• Italian. Pasta and pizza are the obvious problems. Gluten-free crusts and pastas help, but they often share ovens, boards and boiling water with the regular kind.
• Grills and steakhouses. Plain grilled meat and vegetables are usually safe. Marinades, rubs and fried sides are where gluten slips in.

Questions to ask before you order

1. Is this dish gluten-free as written, or does it need changes? A dish that "can be made" gluten-free depends on the kitchen remembering the change.
2. Do you use a separate fryer? Fries and fried chicken often share oil with breaded foods.
3. How is the gluten-free crust or bread prepared? Ask about separate pans, cutters and prep space.
4. What is in the sauce? Soy sauce, malt vinegar, beer batters and thickened gravies often hide wheat.
5. Can the server flag it to the kitchen? Ask that the ticket be marked as an allergy, not a preference.

A good time to ask is when you book. Restaurants are busier at the table than on the phone at 3 p.m.

Planning meals out

For groups with mixed diets, pick a restaurant that labels its menu so everyone can order without a long conversation. Our group dining guide lists places that handle large parties. For office meals, the catering guide notes which caterers mark gluten-free items. If you also avoid animal products, see our vegetarian and vegan guide.

Shopping for yourself is often the safest option. Palo Alto's supermarkets and the two farmers markets make it easy to cook at home. Visitors who want to explore the wider region's food can browse Bay Area food tours, but ask each operator about dietary needs before booking, since tasting stops vary.

Frequently asked questions