Gluten-free doesn’t mean flavor-free—you have more options than you might suspect! Consider these local reader favorites for your next gluten-free dining experience.
Unique Favorites
Jenison’s Bangkok Taste offers GF Thai suggestions. Among many GF items at Green are beef, bison, elk, and lamb burgers, and chicken strips. Marie Catrib’s is beloved for GF bread, crackers, granola, sandwiches, soups, and more—including chocolate pudding. Sheshco offers Lebanese cuisine with a healthful slant. Six.One.Six features local dining with a global flair—and creative options for all taste buds. Terra GR aims for inspired, handcrafted foods to nurture body and community. Uncle Cheetah’s Soup Shop has plenty of soups to choose from, often with a twist on “the usual.” Zeytin brings Turkish-American tastes to the table.
Grills, Pubs, Casual, Sushi …
Holland favorite 84 East has GF salads, grill items, pasta, pizza, and desserts. Brann’s features beer among its choices and has several children’s menu offerings. Derby Station works to please those with dietary restrictions and has GF options on its regular menu. Rockwell-Republic notes GF options on its locally sourced menu, with a hefty nod to sushi. Maru Sushi keeps on nodding, and is a hit on the GF scene.
A Taste of Italy
Italian food and pizza aren’t always carb-filled no-no’s! Amore Trattoria Italiana has pasta at no upcharge, pizza, fish and proteins, salads, and flatbread, along with hand-rolled chocolate truffles, gelato, sorbetto, and granita to satisfy your sweet tooth. Pizza options are plentiful, with Grand Rapids’ Brick Road Pizza, Cult Pizza, and Mitten Brewing Co. among them. In Muskegon, American Italian restaurant Handsome Henry’s modifies pizza and other menu items to be GF.
The Gang’s All Here
Essence Restaurant Group establishments pride themselves on locally sourced, earth-to-table dining. Bistro Bella Vita features natural, Mediterranean country cuisine. Innovative gastro pub The Greenwell features eclectic flavors and an ability to modify many items to be GF. Grove flirts with the classics while paying tribute to the bounty of the earth’s harvest. Restaurants in the Gilmore Collection also are loved: Blue Water Grill with appetizer, salad, entrée, and dessert options (crème brûlée, anyone?); Gilly’s, with big flavors and culinary creativity; Kirby House, with an American-influenced menu near the Lake Michigan shore; Mangiamo!, with Italian-inspired menus and a nineteenth-century mansion setting; and Rose’s, with Reeds Lake views and items inspired by casual American, Italian, and Mediterranean cuisine.
A Little Something Extra …
Charlotte Gluten-Free Bakery, a dedicated GF facility, offers sweet treats such as cupcakes, along with breads, buns, and granola. Along with coffees, teas, and fresh-fruit smoothies, Clique Coffee Bar features a fan-favorite breakfast cookie. Need something more? Ask Grand Rapids Cheesecake Company about its GF selections. Metro Cupcakes happily offers GF cupcakes among its many varieties. Stealthily making its way into your options is Propaganda Doughnuts, with a GF fritter-type treat lurking amongst its sought-after delights.
Written by: Amy L Charles, West Michigan Woman editorial director, wrote the original version of this article.
