Below you'll find The Infatuation version of a guide for gluten-free eating. Unlike other gluten-free guides, this one doesn’t just list all the places that come up when you search “gluten-free restaurants in NYC." The restaurants listed below are not specifically marketed as being gluten-free, and they may not be the first that come to mind when you need to eat wheat-free, but they all have solid options for the celiac and non-celiac alike.
Still, you know, be sure to tell your server about your allergies. If you sneeze when someone says the word “gluten," you might not be able to eat at some of these places (as cross-contamination is always a possibility). If this is the case, we apologize. Please print this guide, cut out this paragraph, and keep it in your wallet to redeem for a hug.
the spots
1
Rubirosa
235 Mulberry St.
8.7
MAP
If we ever make a guide for the best restaurants for putting on guides, Rubirosa will probably be at the top. It’s a crowd pleaser. It isn’t too fancy, the atmosphere is fun, and the pizza is excellent. Have we mentioned they have an entire gluten-free menu? Bring a bunch of friends, tell your server to make your pizzas gluten free, then see if anyone notices. They probably won’t, but we take no responsibility if they do. That’s your mess.
2
Egg Shop
151 Elizabeth St.
7.6
MAP
The Egg Shop experience is highly Instagrammable. So take a picture of your avocado toast, but don’t forget to eat it. The food here is actually good, and there are gluten-free bread options for the gluten-averse. Pretty much all the sandwiches and bowls come with eggs in some form, so this is a natural fit for breakfast or brunch. At night, the food gets more substantial (bibimbap, burger, etc.), and gluten is equally easy to avoid. There’s also a full bar, so drink accordingly.
3
Taïm Falafel and Smoothie Bar
222 Waverly Pl
MAP
Taim isn’t a restaurant, per se. It’s more of a takeout counter in a little storefront with locations in the West Village and Nolita. But the sandwiches and platters are good enough to serve in a place with non-paper napkins. And lucky for you, falafel is gluten-free. And Taim's falafel is especially good. Get a platter (the pita sandwiches are glutinous unfortunately), wait for your order to come up, then find a bench to eat it on. If you’re afraid of pigeons or benches, we recommend the location in Nolita. There’s enough space to eat inside there.
4
Lighthouse
145 Borinquen Pl
8.4
MAP
There’s an emphasis on vegetables at Lighthouse, so a lot of the food at this Williamsburg restaurant is naturally gluten free. The salads are satisfying, the proteins are solid, and the best thing on the menu might just be the grilled escarole. The food here is fresh and the perfect level of healthy, and the dining room looks like it was built by a fisherman who always wanted to be an interior designer. It’s also a good brunch or dinner spot for pretty much any occasion. If you’re the sort of person who never goes to Williamsburg, they also have a new takeout spot in Nolita. It's called Lighthouse Outpost, and there are plenty of excellent gluten-free options there too.
5
Cafe Mogador
101 Saint Marks Pl
MAP
Cafe Mogador has been in the East Village for over thirty years, and there’s a newer one in Williamsburg too. The food is Moroccan/Israeli, and that means a lot of veggies and grilled meats. They specialize in a type of north African stew called a tagine, and there are a few great combinations to choose from (lamb with apricots and prunes, for example). Get yours with rice instead of couscous, and it’s entirely gluten free. Brunch here gets crowded and sceney, but you should be able to stop by for dinner without a reservation.
6
Santina
820 Washington St.
8.0
MAP
You know this place opened after gluten allergies went mainstream, because pretty much everything on the dinner menu is or can be made gluten-free. (They even have gluten-free pasta.) The chickpea pancakes are naturally gluten free, and, although they’re not our favorite thing on the menu, they’re popular, and they’re fun to have on your table. If you want a guaranteed winner, go with the wild rice calamari or the salad with raw tuna. Overall, this is a fun place to eat and a solid choice for a gluten-free night out in the Meatpacking District.
7
Tacombi @ Fonda Nolita
267 Elizabeth St.
7.6
MAP
Corn tortillas are gluten free. Who knew? (People who know anything about corn probably knew.) Tacombi makes their own corn tortillas in house, and they make some pretty good tacos with them as well. Will they be the best tacos you’ve ever had in your life? Not if you’ve been to Sunset Park. But the barbacoa is exemplary, and there are fun, beachy vibes at the Nolita, Bleecker Street, and Flatiron locations.
8
Hearth
403 E. 12th St.
7.9
MAP
Hearth is a health food place, but only insofar as the food is actually nourishing. They serve stuff that’s great for you in moderation (and probably very bad for you if you eat five or more servings at once). The burger, for example, is a blend of nutrient-rich brisket, chuck, heart, and liver, and it’s topped with a layer of melted fontina. It also comes with potatoes. And did we mention there’s no bun? This is one of their many options for gluten-free eats, and there are plenty of vegetable, fish, and meat dishes too. Dinner is on the pricier side, so go here when a nice, cozy restaurant with healthy and satisfying food is exactly what you’re looking for.
9
Nix
72 University Pl
7.7
MAP
Nix is a vegetarian restaurant. They also offer a full-on vegan menu, and it’s safe to say that the staff here is especially sensitive to dietary restrictions. You don’t have to be a vegetarian to appreciate the quality of food at this Greenwich Village restaurant, but it probably helps. Most of the dishes on the dinner menu are already gluten free, but check with your probably-very-polite server to be safe. Skip the fry bread (a mass of gluten, potato, and sour cream) and go for some beets or the egg salad.
10
Quality Eats
19 Greenwich Ave
8.4
MAP
Unless it’s done in the chicken-fried style, a steak will probably be gluten free. Which actually makes steakhouses decent places to eat if you're avoiding wheat. If you like this idea, but you'd rather not sit next to a bunch of middle-aged suits in midtown, try Quality Eats. It’s a fun, younger take on a steakhouse located in the West Village. This is probably unnecessary for us to say but, when you go, be sure to get the peanut butter and jelly bacon.
11
Spring Natural
98 Kenmare St
MAP
Tired of asking if things are gluten-free? Go to Spring Natural, where the gluten-free options are labeled as such. Get breakfast, lunch, or dinner here if you’re heading out with a group that has potentially disruptive dietary restrictions. Vegans, vegetarians, carnivores, and gluten-free diners will be well taken care of. The food is healthy-ish, the new space on Kenmare is large and inviting, and it’s convenient to other late-night downtown activities (drinking).
12
Mighty Quinn's Barbecue
103 2nd Ave.
8.5
MAP
Consult the staff when you get to the counter, but most everything here is gluten free. And why wouldn’t it be? You come here for the meat. Specifically: the brisket, the pulled pork, and the ribs. The burnt end beans are also excellent, and should be eaten alongside a “brontosaurus” rib so hefty it’ll make you consider the cosmic irony that, while humans have only one stomach to store such beefy pleasures, cows have four (and they’re all used for grass). Check out Mighty Quinn's in the East Village for a casual meatfest with plenty of gluten-free options.
13
Two Hands Restaurant & Bar
251 Church St
MAP
There won’t be any symbols on the menu that stand for “gluten-free,” but that’s only because Two Hands is an Australian place and Australians are too laid-back to bother with that sort of thing. In the morning, there’s gluten-free banana bread and gluten-free granola, and, at night, there are small plates like octopus with meyer lemon and chorizo and larger things like hanger steak. Carbohydrates aren’t a huge part of the dinner at Two Hands, and that makes for some pretty good gluten-free dining.
14
Nom Wah Tea Parlor
13 Doyers St.
8.0
MAP
Dim sum can be tricky for the gluten-free diner. There are lots of dumplings, steamed buns, and dishes with soy sauce (which is made with wheat). Nom Wah has all of that, but about a third of the menu is gluten free (and it's marked as such). Unlike most other dim sum joints, everything at Nom Wah is made to order. So just let your server know you don’t do gluten, then enjoy some rice rolls and chicken feet. If, for some reason, chicken feet don’t sound appealing, get some spring rolls or beef balls. This place has been in Chinatown since 1920, and the dim sum is some of the best in the city. It’s a good place to bring a tourist and the perfect spot for a fun and affordable night out with friends.