Our regular "picky eaters" column explores restaurants that you might not think would have options for vegetarian, gluten-free or paleo dieters. But lately, we’ve seen an uptick in gluten-free options across the metro area. What was once a niche market is now something every smart chef must pay attention to — or risk losing customers.
We rounded up 12 of our favorite spots to eat a gluten-free meal. Keep reading to see which places made the list.
Revel Kitchen
So, the bad news is that Revel is closing its first brick-and-mortar kitchen on Cherokee. But all is not lost: There's a second location already open in Brentwood (8388 Musick Memorial Drive) and you can also catch Revel’s food truck on the go around St. Louis. The menu is entirely gluten-free, and offers salads, small bites and bowls, with an option to add your choice of protein, from shredded beef to fresh fish to tofu.
The Shack
In Valley Park (13645 Big Bend Road) and Frontenac (731 South Lindbergh), the Shack serves up a gluten-free menu of breakfast and lunch deliciousness. From omelets to hash brown skillets to gluten-free pancakes (!) for breakfast, and burgers and sandwiches on gluten-free buns for lunch, they’ve got you covered.
The Tavern
Run by the same owners as the Shack, the Tavern also offers gluten-free menus for dinner at both of its locations — Central West End (392 North Euclid) and West County (2961 Dougherty Ferry Road, Suite 101). The dinner menu features salads, meaty main dishes, fresh fish and veggie sides.
Nora’s in Dogtown
Located at 1136 Tamm Avenue, this mom-and-pop style sandwich shop offers gluten-free bread for its super tasty sandwiches.
Porano Pasta
Use the gluten-free fusilli-style pasta as a base for endless flavor combinations at this fast-casual Italian restaurant helmed by Gerard Craft, located at 634 Washington Avenue. They serve the best gluten-free pasta we’ve had, and we bet you wouldn’t even know it was gluten-free unless we told you. You will pay an extra $2 for it, though.
Pastaria
Another brainchild of Gerard Craft, you can enjoy gluten-free pasta at Clayton's Pastaria (7734 Forsyth Boulevard) for an additional $3.50.
Turn the page for six more great spots to dine without gluten.