Gluten-free Restaurants in Columbus Ohio
You will be surprised at how many Gluten-Free Restaurants in Columbus, Ohio there are. When writing up this blog post, it was humbling to realize just how many options I have. Below, I’m going to discuss dedicated gluten-free restaurants, mostly gluten-free restaurants, restaurants with dedicated GF prep space, and then restaurants with gluten-free menus and strong cross-contact protocols.
Please always do your due diligence in screening these restaurants for your own suitability. And understand, things can change quickly in the restaurant industry, so stay alert in case something has changed. And as always, nothing should ever substitute you asking for the proper gluten-free cross-contact precautions in a restaurant.
And if you live in Columbus, and you think something is miscategorized, or you have a restaurant to add, please comment below!
P.s. Want my dietitian-approved gluten-free restaurant cheat sheets? You can get them for free here or with the button below!
Questions to ask Restaurants to Determine Gluten-Free Safety:
Before we dive into the gluten-free restaurants in Columbus, Ohio, it’s important to remind everyone of how to dine out with celiac disease. When dining out with celiac it is essential you are avoiding cross-contact, even if you don’t think you react. This is one of the ways celiac disease and gluten intolerance are different, as not everyone with gluten intolerance may need to be as careful.
There are 3 key steps to dining out with celiac, researching the restaurants (which you’re doing right now with this post), advocating (which includes asking questions and making cross-contact prevention requests), and self-care (which is taking care of yourself after).
I am sharing a list of restaurants that are gluten-free to a variety of degrees below. However, here are some questions to ask to make sure you’re getting safe food. Please note: this is not an all-inclusive list and for more help with this, check out Gluten-Free Dining Course. Questions to ask restaurants and restaurant staff include:
- Hi, I see you have gluten-free options on your menu, I have celiac disease which is like a severe allergy to gluten, is there a way I can speak to the chef to see if this is a safe place for me to eat?
- What are your cross-contact precautions?
- What’s the safest thing to order?
- Do you prepare gluten-free food in a separate area of the kitchen?
- If you don’t, can you prepare food with special cross-contact precautions (ex. If I order x, can you do y?)
100% Gluten-Free Restaurants in Columbus, Ohio
Okay, now that we’ve got safety out of the way, let’s talk 100% gluten-free restaurants in Columbus, Ohio! Columbus is lucky to have 5 restaurants that are 100% gluten-free. Not including our gluten-free bakeries. Below are the dedicated gluten-free restaurants you’ll find in Columbus.
- Greenhouse Canteen + Bar Grandview – This forever gluten-free and plant-based restaurant is open Tuesday-Saturday. They’ve got everything from vegan and gluten-free wings to cheeseburgers to delicious gluten-free and plant-based desserts!
- Bibibop – A more causal and fast-food-like restaurant, Bibibop is 100% gluten-free. It’s a chipotle-like restaurant only with Asian-style food. Build delicious rice, salad, or gluten-free noodles-based bowl of flavor to enjoy!
- Choripan Grill – This restaurant in Columbus, Ohio is 100% gluten and grain-free. They’ve got everything from empanadas, wings, to pizza and desserts!
- Portia’s Cafe – This restaurant is near and dear to my heart as it was one of the first dedicated gluten-free places I remember popping up in Columbus. Not only that, but Portia used to support my old fermenting business and sold my drinking vinegar to guests when I was still in operation. I digress – Portia’s Cafe is an amazing 100% vegan and gluten-free care. My favorite thing to order here is here gluten-free cashew cheesecake. SO good.
- Portia’s Diner – A diner-based spin on Portia’s cafe, Portia opened a gluten-free and vegan diner for Columbus too. Please note: this location does use gluten-free bread from a shared facility but they have certified gluten-free bread for those diners who need it. However, aside from the cross-contact risk of their Sami’s Gluten-Free Bread, there is no gluten in the facility.
- F#ck Gluten – Another 100% gluten-free restaurant in Columbus is F#ck Gluten. They serve a wide variety of foods but please note, they operate in a cloud-based kitchen and are only available for take-out through delivery apps like Door Dash.
90% Gluten-Free Restaurants in Columbus, Ohio
While there are a few dedicated gluten-free restaurants in Columbus, Ohio, there are also quite a few mostly gluten-free establishments too! Below are some mostly gluten-free restaurants with minimal risk of cross-contact!
- FUSIAN – it’s like Chipotle, but for sushi. The whole prep line is gluten-free. The only thing that’s not gluten-free in the restaurant is the soy sauce and the dumplings which are made and stored separately. Be sure to specify you need the gluten-free soy sauce when dining in. Click here for help with ordering sushi in restaurants that aren’t mostly gluten-free.
- Core Life Eatery – This is a fun chipotle-like restaurant where you make your own salad or soup. Everything here is gluten-free except for the bread that’s stored on the end of the line on the OTHER side of the cash registers. That’s means the sky is the limit when building your meal!
- Hot Chicken Take Over – This is a mostly gluten-free restaurant ONLY ON TUESDAYS. This restaurant on Tuesdays cleans out all their fryers and changes the oil to serve 100% gluten-free fried chicken. Remember, soap and water do a good job at removing cross-contact as long as items are not porous or if they are porous, they’ve been sealed (ex. many wooden cooking utensils). These precautions to serve gluten-free fried food on Tuesdays are considered enough for general celiac safety, but if you are super sensitive or it makes you uncomfortable, don’t dine here.
- Rodizio Grill – This is a Brazilian Steakhouse where 90% of the menu is gluten-free. They do have a buffet so watch out for cross-contact there. The restaurant staff is very knowledgeable and helpful in keeping you safe.
Restaurants with Separate Prep Areas
Mostly and dedicated gluten-free restaurants in Columbus, Ohio aside, let’s talk restaurants with gluten-free prep areas.
- Donna’s Delicious Dozen – I’ve never had any donuts from this place but I’ve heard great things from other locals! This is a donut company that makes gluten-free and non-gluten-free donuts. They do take cross-contact precautions and use a separate dedicated gluten-free fryer, prep stations, toppings, etc. Bakery settings can be higher risk, so it’s important you’re verifying every time that cross-contact precautions have been taken. And assess if offers are suitable for your own needs.
- Molly Woo’s – Probably one of my favorite restaurants that I don’t get to enough, Molly Woo’s is an Asian Bistro with delicious gluten-free options. This is a Cameron Mitchell restaurant with a dedicated gluten-free prep space. It’s on the pricier side, but it’s well worth the money as Cameron Mitchell restaurants tend to go above and beyond for cross-contact safety.
- Cap City Fine Diner – Another only of my favorite restaurants in Columbus, this too is a Cameron Mitchell Restaurant. It offers a lot of diner-like food, and my favorite: gluten-free folk get gluten-free rolls! I love when I get to enjoy appetizers with friends!
- The Guild House – Yet, ANOTHER Cameron Mitchell Restaurant with awesome gluten-free precautions and options. It’s an artisanal restaurant based on traditional and handmade cooking techniques. This restaurant has a dedicated gluten-free prep protocol. Including using separate pans, utensils, etc. to keep celiac guests safe.
- Marcella’s – If you are also dairy-free due to lactose intolerance with celiac disease, this Italian-style restaurant may be difficult to dine at, However, this is another Cameron Mitchell restaurant with strong cross-contact prevention measures for celiac guests. If you are a big pasta and Italian food fan, you’ve got to try them!
- Mitchell’s Ocean Club – Just two more Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, Mitchell’s Ocean Club and Hudson 29. Mitchell’s Ocean Club is a seafood restaurant as the name would imply, with lots of gluten-free options and again, strong cross-contact protocols. This restaurant is also located at Columbus’s popular indoor-outdoor shopping mall, Easton. If you’re looking to do some shopping while you’re out too.
- Hudson 29 – The last Cameron Mitchel restaurant on the list of restaurants with gluten-free prep areas in Columbus, Ohio is, with a separate prep area and fryers
- PF Changs – A popular national Chinese Restaurant Chain, PF Changs has a separate part of the kitchen for gluten-free options. They also serve all gluten-free food on black-rimmed plates so you know it’s safe.
- Daruma Japanese Steakhouse – They have gluten-free options, a dedicated gluten free prep grill in the back, and GF soy sauce. Just let your serve know of the precautions you need!
- Prestons – This burger join consulted the amazing 100% gluten-free local bakery, Bake Me Happy, when developing their gluten-free options. Straight from their website: “We have a dedicated prep space, a dedicated fryer, a dedicated grill — and a very educated team who is passionate about feeding you!”
Restaurants with GF Options
- Coopers Hawk – This winery has a lot of gluten-free options. I’ve never been here but have heard great things from locals and from people who’ve been to other branches across the USA.
- Benihana – A gluten-free sushi restaurant. They take food sensitivities and food allergies seriously. They will use GF soy sauce for the whole table.
- Panda House Polaris – This is a Chinese Restaurant with a gluten-free menu that is open to taking gluten-free precautions as needed.
- Northstar Cafe – Has gluten-free options and will take precautions as needed.
- Brassica – It’s like a Mediterranean version of Chipotle. You can either get a bowl or get things served in a pita. You will need to ask for the same cross-contact precautions as you do when going to Chipotle. Everything is gluten-free except for the croutons in the salad and the Pita bread.
There are A LOT of Options Here
If there’s anything I hope you get out of this guide to Gluten-Free Restaurants in Columbus, it’s that you’ve got options depending on what you’re in the mood for and what you’re comfortable with. Selfishly, I made this for my gluten-free local clients, and also as a list, I can send my friends when they ask to meet up for lunch or breakfast.
If you have anything you’d add to this list, please again, comment below! The more info on cross-contact precautions you can give me, the more someone can make an informed decision.
And if you’re still working on building up your dining out skills, check out my Gluten-Free Dining Course. I talk about how to dine out safely in just 4-simple steps INCLUDING practice simulations so you can build up your confidence!
