Finally, a place where you can get all the best places to eat gluten free in San Francisco. The best advice on where to eat and how to live gluten free in any city is from a local. The inside perspective is the best when you are planning on travelling for work or on vacation. Not everyone has a friend or relative that has to eat gluten free, so learning about other people’s stories is also refreshing.
This was provided by Esmi who lives in San Francisco and is sharing her story to help others in all things Gluten Free San Francisco. We will answer all your burning questions:
- where to buy gluten free bread in San Francisco,
- where to eat gluten free in San Francisco,
- is there gluten free Chinese food San Francisco &
- the best gluten free restaurants in San Francisco.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE GLUTEN FREE RESTAURANTS IN SAN FRANCISCO?
Quick and Easy Places to Eat Gluten Free in San Francisco:
Asian Box offers a lot of gluten free options. To check out their menu of gluten free options click the link. I tell them that I have celiac and cannot eat gluten and it is never a problem. They are a chain in California and have locations through-out the state. The San Francisco location is at 2031 Chestnut Street, San Francisco, CA 94123. You can also order out delivery through Door Dash and UberEats. Just download the app and you can get gluten free delivered right to you.
Hours: Each location is a bit different, but mostly opens at 11 am and closes between 8-10 pm.
In & Out Burger has gluten free lettuce wrapped burgers, fries and shakes. For their allergen list, click here. The San Fran location is at 333 Jefferson, San Francisco, CA 94133 and for all of their locations, you can check online here. It nice to be able to go for a burger and fries with friends.
Hours: Open daily from 10:30 am – 1:30 am
Pica Pica Maize Kitchen is a 100% gluten free restaurant that specializes in Venezuelan cuisine. To see their 100% naturally gluten free menu, click here. They are located at 401 Valencia Street, San Francisco.
Hours: Sunday – Thursday 11 am – 9 pm and Friday – Saturday 11 am – 10 pm
Lulu’s, which has many gluten free options on their menu, you can check out the link. They have 5 locations in California, so if you are in California, check them out. You never know if you will see them on a road trip in California.
Hours: Open daily from 11 am to 8 pm
As Quoted is the restaurant for you if you are interested in a healthy salad kind of meal for lunch. If you want to see their menu, click the link. They are located at 3613 Sacramento St, San Francisco, CA 94118. They are not open after 5 pm during the week, so this will be a breakfast or lunch place.
Hours: Monday to Friday from 7 am to 5 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 8 am to 3 pm.
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Nice sit-down Gluten Free Restaurant San Francisco:
PF Changes is also a favourite where I can safely eat gluten free Chinese food in San Francisco. The address is 5633 Bay St. Emeryville, CA 94608. If you want to see what they offer on their menu that is gluten free, check out the link. They have a dedicated area and wok in the kitchen to prepare the gluten free dishes and they deliver a specific gluten free plate to you. They even have deserts!
Hours: Open daily from 11 am to either 10 or 11 pm
True Food Kitchen uses local and natural food in their dishes and they have many gluten free options. To see their full menu, click here. This restaurant chain is located all over the United States, so you will be able to find it in other cities too. For a full list of the locations, check it out here. For a nice gluten free breakfast in San Francisco, they have a great brunch menu.
Hours: Monday to Thursday 11 am to 9 pm; Friday 11 am to 10 pm; Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 9 pm
Tender Greens also has a ton of gluten free options on their menu. If you are interested to see their menu at a San Francisco location, click here. They have a symbol by each item that contains gluten (CG) so stay away from those items. They have many locations in California and have two other locations in Boston and one in Manhattan. For all of the locations, click the link. You can also order online and get it delivered for ultimate convenience.
Hours: Some locations are closed on Saturday and Sunday but have regular hours from 11 am to 9 pm for Monday to Friday.
Propositon Chicken has a dedicated gluten free fryer, so you can enjoy gluten free fried chicken and french fries. To see their amazing menu, click here. They have two locations, one in San Francisco at 1750 Market Street and one in Oakland.
Hours: Open daily from 11 am to 9 pm
Little Gem where everything on the menu is free of gluten, dairy and refined sugar. For the full gluten free menu that you can order everything on, just click the link. This amazing place is located at 400 Grove St, C1, San Francisco, CA 94102.
Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 11 am to 9 pm; Friday-Saturday 11 am to 10 pm
Kitava has a 100% gluten free menu options for you to try. For their menu, click here where they offer so much more than just gluten free. If you are eating paleo, vegan or nut free, this place is for you. They are located at 2011 Mission Street, San Francisco. You can even order online and get it delivered through their website.
Hours: Open daily from 11 am to 9 pm.
Firefly Restaurant has many gluten free options on their menu and everything is delicious. They are located at 4288 24th St, San Francisco, CA, 94114.
Hours: Opens daily at 5:30 pm
Resposado is a fancy Mexican restaurant at 236 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301. If you would like to check out their website, click here.
Hours: Monday to Thursday 11:30 am – 10:00 pm; Friday 11:30 am – 11:00 pm; Saturday 10:00 am – 11:00 pm and Sunday 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Rosa Mexicano is another Mexican restaurant you can try at 30 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94105. Please see their dinner menu here.
Hours: Monday to Friday from 11 am to 10 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 12 pm to 9 pm
Awesome Gluten Free Bakery in San Francisco:
Maripasa Bakery is a 100% gluten free bakery. The croissants are amazing and for the full 100% gluten free menu, check out the link. They also can ship the bakery items to you, if you are close, but not close enough to just pick it up at the store. This is the best gluten free bakery in San Francisco. They have a spot at Ferry Building, One Ferry Building #32, San Francisco, CA 94111.
Arise Bakery is another 100% gluten free bakery. They also ship bread anywhere in the United States in three days if you are there and interested. Their products are sold in other retailers, for the list where to their products, click here.
Restaurants can change owners, chefs and menus: please contact the restaurant to ensure a gluten free meal can still be offered.
If you’re visiting, check out this 4-day Sonoma and San Francisco itinerary.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE GLUTEN FREE STORES?
You can get gluten free groceries at most of the chain grocery stores. The best ones are Wholefoods, Draegers, Arise Bakery for baked goods and the Farmers Market for fruits and vegetables.
Draegers has a few locations, so you can check them out here.
There are a lot of Wholefoods locations that you can stock up on tasty gluten free items.
CAN YOU GET GLUTEN FREE SERVICE AT MANY RESTAURANTS?
There are some 100% gluten free restaurants that I have found, but in California many restaurants have a gluten free menu that you can order from.
Once I find a place that I can eat at, I typically eat out at these places. Then I know that I can relax and order my favourites without being worried.
DO YOU EAT OUT A LOT OR MOSTLY COOK AT HOME?
Our family mostly cooks at home, but we do go out maybe once per week. If we are busy or there is an event or gathering then we may eat out.
HOW DOES SAN FRANCISCO COMPARE TO OTHER AMERICAN CITIES?
I do not travel too much in the United States, but I have family in England and the Czech Republic and travel there often. England seems way ahead in being able to safely eat out gluten free and for products in the grocery store. Even in Czech Republic they have more options each time that I visit.
YOUR FAVOURITE GLUTEN FREE PRODUCTS AND BRANDS?
When I visit in Czech Republic, I really like the Schar brand for bread and snacks, they have many products that taste great. Back in San Francisco, here are my favourites:
Bread – Arise Bakery
Baked Goods – Mariposa Bakery for the chocolate croissants which we heat up for breakfast in the morning
Burger and hotdog buns – Udis from the grocery store
Crackers and wafers – Glutino
Pasta – Rummo Pasta
WHEN WERE YOU DIAGNOSED?
I was diagnosed very early in my childhood. I always had sinus problems and stomach problems, which lead to getting diagnosed with Celiac and Crohns.
IS YOUR WHOLE HOUSE GLUTEN FREE OR DO YOU HAVE GLUTEN IN YOUR KITCHEN?
Our whole house is gluten free. It is easier to come together as a family and makes it easier. This way we can all cook together and not worry about contamination.
I like to bake and try new recipes with different gluten free flours as well.
DO YOU HAVE FAMILY OR FRIENDS WHO HAVE CELIAC?
My sister has Celiac and Dermatitis Herpetiformis and my mom eats gluten free because of other autoimmune diseases.
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WHAT ARE YOUR GLUTEN FREE TRAVEL TIPS?
Invest in a Nima for sure. It allows me to test food for gluten prior to eating. I use it out at restaurants when I travel, and it helps a lot.
I pack a lot of protein bars, granola bars and I do a lot of research before I go anywhere to see where I can eat out.
California is really beautiful and a great option is renting a motor home to travel the state. If you are new to RV’s or motor homes, check out this post about motor home rental in California.
THE WORST THINGS ABOUT HAVING CELIAC AND HOW DO YOU OVERCOME IT?
Not being able to eat donuts, I miss them. Sometimes I do feel like a burden, enough though I know that I cannot change my dietary requirements. When my friends want to go out somewhere, we always have to decide on where I can eat.
THE BEST THING ABOUT HAVING CELIAC?
I feel good and I am healthy! As I mentioned, I love to bake gluten free. Subscribe to my Youtube Channel (video below) to get inspiration on some delightful treats. You can still have great tasting desserts.
Why not watch this easy to follow video of amazing Lemon Poppy Seed Drizzle Cake:
If you want to help others and be featured in the Gluten Free City Guide by a Local, reach out and send me an email at GlutenFreeTraveller. It is so much easier when someone lays it out for you in one place, I love it! Share a comment below. Follow me on Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest to keep updated on the all the latest in Gluten Free.
