Gluten-Free Restaurants

This is a list of restaurants, in no particular order, that I recommend for gluten-free dining based on my first-hand personal dining experience.

Rule of Thumb

• Sushi - Take your own gluten-free soy sauce. Request no Ponzu.
• Hamburgers - Protein Style. Check to see if French Fries are fresh (not processed) and cooked in oil separate from breaded items like onion rings.  
• Fries - If they are processed, may contain flour. Always ask.
• Mediterranean - Grilled proteins and side of veggies are usually a safe bet
• Vegan/Vegetarian - Brown rice bowls and salads with tempeh and tofu. Double-check dressings and sauces don't have gluten.
• Mexican - Rice, beans, and corn tortillas are all safe. Some corn products may have added flour, so double-check.
• Chinese & Korean - Many dishes are made sauces that contain gluten such as soy , oyster, eel, and hoisin. Authentic mom & pop restaurants don't substitute or omit. I haven't had much luck.
• Japanese - Stay away from soy sauce, ponzu, and tempura. Bring your own soy sauce if you're eating sushi. Double-check the ingredients in broths for noodle dishes like ramen.
• Vietnamese - Noodles are made out of rice. Make sure their broths or sauces don't have soy or gluten-containing fish sauce. Stay away from condiments (e.g., hoisin).
• American - When in doubt, go for that grilled chicken or salmon salad without croutons. It's not always the tastiest meal, but it's safe.

Best
Solid gluten-free selection or separate gluten-free menu

• True Food Kitchen (Newport Beach)
• Roy's (Various, but I like San Diego the best)
• Rice (Manhattan Beach)
• Shojin (Culver City & Downtown LA)
• Cafe Gratitude (Los Angeles)
• Lemonade (Various Locations)
• Bruno's (Brea)
• Eat Cake (Rowland Heights)
• Layer Cake Bakery (Fullerton)
• Les Amis (Fullerton)
• Lette Macarons (Various)
• The Good Cookies (Torrance)
• Veggie Grill (Various)
• Native Foods (Various)
• Burger Parlor (Fullerton)
• Lazy Dog Cafe (Various)
• BJ's Restaurant (Various)
• Tender Greens (Irvine & Culver City)
• Anepalco's (Orange)
• Lucille's BBQ (Various)

Good

Gluten-friendly items are relatively easy to identify or substitute

• D'Vine (Brea)
• Olive Pit (Brea)
• Crepes & Grapes (Whittier)
• Slapfish (Huntington Beach)
• Milk+Honey Cafe (Costa Mesa)
• Chipotle (Various)
• Tortillaz (Various)
• Okazya (Fullerton)
• Rubios (Various)
• Kopan Ramen (Fullerton) 
• Zankou Chicken (Various Locations)
• Sprinkles Cupcakes (Various)
• Mead's Green Door Cafe (Orange)
• Green 2 Go (Brea)
• Dominique's Kitchen (Redondo Beach)
• Dr. J's Vibrant Cafe (Downtown LA)
• Mon Ami Gabi (Las Vegas)
• California Fish Grill (Various)
• Nordstrom Restaurants (Various)
• Cha Cha's Latin Kitchen (Brea)
• Black Market Bakery (Camp)
• Daphnes (Various)
• In-N-Out Burger (Various)
• Rutabegorz (Fullerton, Orange, & Tustin)
• Whole Foods - Deli section (Various)
• Mother's Market - Deli section (Various)
• Cheesecake Factory (Various)

Decent
Gluten-free choices are possible with some menu exploration, creative substitutions, and asking a lot of questions 

• Claws (Garden Grove)*
• Kickin' Crab (Irvine)*
• Boiling Crab (Westminster)*
• BCD Tofu House (Various)

*Avoid cajun seasonings as it might contain (wheat flour). You can request a plain steam and add butter, lemon juice, salt, pepper, etc. to taste.

To Try List

• Sea Birds (Costa Mesa) Thanks for the suggestion, Jen
• Sensitive Sweets (Fountain Valley) Thanks for the suggestion, Allison
• Chains
• PF Chang's (Various)
• Outback Steakhouse (Various)
• Olive Garden (Various)
• Thanks for these suggestions, Anha
• Casey's Cupcakes (Various)  
• Buffalo Wild Wings (Various)  
• Sidecar Doughnuts (Costa Mesa)
• M Cafe (Los Angeles)

If you have any restaurant suggestions in Los Angeles & Orange County, please leave a comment below.

Visited
Gluten-free and gluten-friendly restaurants in NYC.

• Risotteria Melotti (West Village)
• Sohha Savory Yogurt (Chelsea)
• Pip's Place (Various Locations)
• Bar Suzette (Chelsea)
• The Lobster Place (Chelsea)
• Hummus Kitchen (Midtown East)
• The Meatball Shop (Various Locations)
• Luke's Lobster (Various Locations)

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Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way to promote these restaurants.