Updated 10/2023: Because this is a frequently-viewed post, I’ve updated the restaurant list to reflect our current recommendations.
I’m easing back into regular posting (more than just life updates) with a fun post today: our favorite gluten-free restaurants in the Twin Cities! Minneapolis and St. Paul are full of excellent restaurants (although the cuisine selection does leave a bit to be desired. I can’t say that we live in the most diverse place in the world, ha). And luckily, many of these cater to the allergy-friendly crowd, too–with more allergy-friendly spots opening each year!
Eric has successfully eaten at all of these places several times without being glutened over the past decade, as we worked summer jobs in Minneapolis and now live in the suburbs. Bon appetit! 🙂
- Agra Culture. A casual, order-at-the-counter restaurant chain with a few Twin Cities locations. They’re your typical health foodie place. Every dish on the menu is labeled with its allergens (vegan, dairy-free, paleo, gluten-free, or vegetarian) so you don’t even have to specify that you need something GF. The kitchen isn’t entirely GF.
A chicken and vegetable bowl from Agra Culture - French Meadow Bakery & Cafe. A sit-down restaurant in Minneapolis where you probably don’t want to wear sweatpants and a t-shirt, although it’s not too formal. No gluten-free kitchen, but their menu has all of the GF options labeled and they make some incredible GF desserts (cakes and tarts). Eric’s parents rented out one of their private rooms for our wedding rehearsal dinner and they were amazing.
The gluten-free caramel brownie from the French Meadow booth at the State Fair a few years ago–and yes it’s as good as it looks! - Pizza Luce. With several Twin Cities locations, you can order out (free delivery) or casually dine in here. They’ll make all of their specialty pizzas on locally-made GF crust, although they don’t have a GF kitchen. They also do dairy-free pizzas, so there’s something for everyone!
- Sift Gluten Free. A cute little bakery in Minneapolis. It’s entirely GF. Eric and I don’t love their donuts, but we like the other baked goods we’ve tried from there.
A salted dark chocolate brownie from Sift… AKA heaven 😛 - Barbette. A not-at-all-GF French restaurant in Uptown. They have some wonderful gluten-free menu items, though! Dinner is a bit pricey, but their omelets and breakfast hashes are a nice weekend morning treat. The cafe ambiance is lovely. Ask about gluten-free menu items when it’s time to order.
- Salut Bar Américain. I’ve had a bit of a love affair with French food over the past few years since I got into the “chic lifestyle” book genre, and Salut is your typical brasserie. They always have several GF entrees including burgers (Eric’s fav… such a typical guy lol), and a few GF desserts too. Great food and the perfect date night spot!
Ignore my “don’t take a picture” face and check out that GF burger instead! Their fries aren’t gluten-free, but they’ve happy to substitute another side for Eric. - Hola Arepa. It’s right in the name–a Latin American street food-inspired restaurant. They have a limited menu but almost everything is gluten-free (as arepas are naturally GF, made of cornmeal). It’s definitely not the healthiest meal but wow, is it delicious.
- Naf Naf Grill. The easiest way to describe Naf Naf is it’s like Chipotle, but with Mediterranean food. It’s about as close to fast food as we get in this house 😛 Their rice bowls and hummus bowls are gluten-free, as is the falafel. Besides the pitas, I don’t think there’s much Eric can’t eat on their menu.
- Red Cow. This is more “guy food” than “Claire food”… a pretty typical burgers and beer place. When Eric has guy friends in from out of town, they often grab lunch or dinner here. They have various gluten-free entrees, desserts and drinks.
- The Kenwood. They have a rotating seasonal menu and usually feature at least 2-3 gluten-free entrees. The food is a bit more adventurous and the atmosphere a bit more upscale than the other places on this list, and that’s reflected in the prices. It’s one of my favorite date night spots nonetheless!
- People’s Organic Cafe:Â A casual health foodie spot serving organic, often seasonal fare. Soups, salads, quiches, sandwiches, etc. I love meeting friends here to catch up as their food is simple, light and delicious (not to mention reasonably priced, too).
- Original Pancake House. To end this list with something fun, OPH is a casual and super reasonably-priced breakfast spot in Edina. They have an extensive list of gluten-free pancakes on their menu! We love grabbing breakfast with the kids here. The only downside is you need to get there early or call ahead… it’s popular!
Removed from the list: The Good Earth (I had a bad undercooked food experience there and haven’t been back since) and Common Roots Cafe, which permanently closed down during the pandemic.
Places I’d love to try but haven’t yet as of 10/2023:Â Young Joni (which didn’t originally do GF but they do now!), Alma, and Martina, among others!
If you live in the Twin Cities/suburbs, what’s your favorite restaurant? And what’s the best thing you’ve eaten recently, whether in or out of the house?