GF Menu Options At Fast Food Restaurants Pt. 1

When you got told that you could no longer eat gluten, I’ll bet this question popped into your head: Can I not eat out anymore?

I know it did for me, and thankfully, the answer is “no!” Whether you don’t feel like cooking, have to eat out, are traveling, or simply want to enjoy a meal with your family or are going on a nice dinner date, there are plenty of wheat-free menu choices available out there. I am incredibly thankful for that. I don’t have to worry about packing food with me all the time or wonder if I can find something to eat when I travel due to the ever-growing, ever-conscious allergy problems we have now-a-days.

In this pt. 1 series, I will be sharing 5 fast food restaurants with wheat-free menus and what those menus include.

Let’s get to it!

1. Chick-fil-a

Chick-fil-a has a lot of options that are wheat-free. When you order your food, the employees will always inquire if it is an allergy. By responding with a “yes”, the lively staff will select the wheat-allergy button, which alerts the kitchen to handle your food with care. I deeply appreciate that. And if you also have a gluten-allergy, especially celiac, I know you will greatly appreciate that as well.

Chick-fil-a’s gluten-free menu items include the following:

Grilled chicken sandwiches with gluten-free buns

Grilled chicken nuggets

Grilled chicken salads (Cobb Salad, Spicy Southwest Salad, or Market Salad-NO granola-)

Waffle fries

Waffle potato chips

Hashbrowns

Hashbrown scramble bowl with grilled fillet or sausage

Applesauce

Fruit cups

Berry parfaits (NO granola)

Milkshakes (This includes vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and some seasonal options like peach)

Chick-fil-a Ice-dream cup

Frosted coffee

Frosted lemonade

Sauces/dressings (This includes bbq sauce, Chick-fil-a sauce, honey mustard, honey roasted bbq, Polynesian sauce, zesty buffalo sauce, avocado lime ranch dressing, creamy salsa dressing, fat-free honey mustard, garden herb ranch dressing, light balsamic vinaigrette, light Italian dressing, and zesty apple cider vinaigrette.

Primarily, I order the gluten-free grilled chicken sandwich (plain, because I’m picky!) and add American cheese. I think the bun is pretty good. With a hint of sweetness and made with grains such as quinoa and amaranth, Chick-fil-a’s gluten-free bun pairs nicely with the juicy, seasoned chicken.

From what I hear, the granola from one of the salads and the berry parfait can cause allergic reactions for some people with wheat allergies—I’m not sure if the granola itself contains gluten, or if it is processed in a facility that has gluten-containing ingredients, but you an always opt out the granola pieces if you don’t want to risk it!

Chick-fil-a has a dedicated fryer for gluten allergies, so make sure to tell a staff member about your sensitivity, and they will ensure they cook your waffle fries in the dedicated section. You won’t have to worry about cross-contamination!

To my understanding, the Sriracha sauce is the only condiment that contains wheat. So as long as you avoid that one, you should be set!

As for milkshakes, since Oreos do get blended in the ice cream mixer, I would ask them to clean the blades off for you before they blend your shakes to avoid cross-contamination. Since the staff are always so kind and understanding, I know they will gladly oblige.

Chick-fil-a is a great option if you are wanting to eat out on a gluten-free diet!

2. Culver’s

Culver’s has a TON of gluten-free options! And, for the record, I think this particular fast food restaurant has one of the best gluten-free burgers you can get.

Culver’s doesn’t follow the same allergen safety protocols as Chick-fil-a does (and you can count on that being the case for most places, in fact), but they do provide you with the wheat-allergy alert button to tell the staff to be careful with your order.

Culver’s gluten-free menu items include the following:

Cheese/no cheese ButterBurgers with a gluten-free bun

Beef pot roast sandwich with a gluten-free bun

Corned beef sandwich with a gluten-free bun

Grilled chicken sandwich with a gluten-free bun

Prime rib sandwich with a gluten-free bun

Chicken cashew salad with grilled chicken (NO croutons)

Cranberry bacon bleu salad with grilled chicken (NO croutons)

Garden fresco salad with or without grilled chicken (NO croutons)

Side salad (NO croutons)

Dressings (Blue cheese, French, honey mustard, ranch, and raspberry vinaigrette)

George’s chili (NO crackers)

Baja chicken enchilada soup (NO crackers)

Broccoli cheese soup (NO crackers)

Potato Au Gratin soup (NO crackers)

Applesauce

Coleslaw

Green beans

Mashed potatoes (NO gravy)

ALL condiments (This includes American cheese, cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, bleu cheese, dill pickles, honey mustard, horseradish sauce, ketchup, lettuce, mayonnaise, mustard, spicy brown mustard, red onion, bacon, and tomato)

Vanilla & chocolate custard

Lemon ice

MOST custard toppings (This includes almonds, cashews, peanuts, pecans, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, maraschino cherries, peaches, raspberries, strawberries, butterscotch, creme de menthe, chocolate syrup, hot caramel, hot fudge, marshmallow topping, novelty chocolate, Reese’s peanut butter, salted caramel, whipped cream, Heath bars, Reese’s peanut butter cups, Reese’s pieces minis, and Snicker’s)

I am quite impressed with the gluten-free options that Culver’s has to offer! Wether you are in the mood for a burger, sandwich, salad, or custard, Culver’s is a fanatic option for a wheat-free diet.

3. Schlotzsky’s

Schlotzsky’s has some gluten-free options, too! I don’t know about you, but I love a good ham and cheese or turkey and cheese sandwich. When I found out I could no longer have the incredible sourdough bread, I was so sad! But thankfully, Schlotzsky’s has a gluten-free bun that I think is quite good.

Now, I’m not sure how good allergen safety protocols are followed at this particular eatery— but I do know that they don’t have a wheat-allergy alert button for their kitchen. Unlike Chick-fil-a and Culver’s where they give you your bun in an airtight, plastic-sealed wrap, Schlotzsky’s hands you your sandwiches already assembled. Now, I’m not quite a celiac (I almost am though), so I haven’t had any issues with cross-contamination before. If you are a celiac, Schlotzsky’s protocols may be fatal to you. It’s safe to say that it would probably be best for my celiac folks to avoid this fast food joint, unless you are willing to take the risk. You may be able to inquire of the staff to leave your bun in it’s plastic wrapping, but I’m not sure. It would never hurt to ask, though!

Schlotzsky’s gluten-free menu items include the following:

ALL sandwiches with an Udi’s gluten-free bun (This includes the original, the deluxe original, the turkey original, the turkey bacon club, the smoked turkey breast, the smoked turkey avocado, the roast beef & cheese, fresh veggie (also vegan), the french dip, the fiesta chicken, the beef bacon smoke cheesy, the albuquerque turkey, the pastrami & swiss, the pastrami ruben, and the corned beef.

ALL potato chip options except bbq (This includes the regular, the cracked pepper, the jalapeño, the salt & vinegar, the sour cream & onion, and Lay’s baked original)

Udi’s gluten-free breadsticks

Udi’s dough gluten-free pizzas & flatbreads (This includes the California chicken & avocado flatbread, chicken club flat bread, and pesto chicken flatbread. As well as the supreme pizza, meaty pizza, double cheese pizza, bbq chicken & jalapeño pizza, pepperoni & double cheese pizza, and the veggie pizza (also vegan).

If you’re craving a good sandwich or pizza, but are on a gluten-free diet, Scholtzsky’s is a great place to visit!

4. Five Guys

Five Guys has a few gluten-free options if you are wanting a burger or simply somewhere else to try.

Sadly, this fast food chain doesn’t have gluten-free buns available. They do however, have lettuce wraps. If you’d rather bring your own bun to assemble at the table, that would be perfectly fine, too! Personally, I hate lettuce, so I would go with the latter option, but you do what floats your boat!

From what I’ve read and from my own experience with the staff, they are very friendly. They take allergies seriously and make sure to type your wheat-allergy into the computer system, and it will even show up on your receipt. That is greatly appreciated, of course!

Five Guys’ gluten-free menu items include the following:

Cheeseburgers/hamburgers with lettuce wraps or no bun

Hot dogs with no bun

Fries (regular or cajun)

Milkshakes (Mix-ins include bananas, bacon, Reese’s peanut butter cups, strawberries, peanut butter, salted caramel, and chocolate sauce)

Toppings (includes mayo, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup, mustard, relish, onions, jalapeño peppers, green peppers, bbq sauce, hot sauce, and A1 sauce) (A1 sauce is considered gluten-free although it is not labeled as such— if you don’t want to risk it, I totally understand.)

Five Guys has a dedicated fryer for fries, just like Chick-fil-a, so there’s no need to worry about cross-contamination there.

Obviously, as with everywhere, let the staff know of your gluten-allergy, and they will follow protocol to ensure your food is prepared safely. You can also kindly ask the staff to clean the milkshake mixing blades prior to blending your own, and they should gladly meet your request.

Since there aren’t too may places to get gluten-free fries, Five Guys is a perfect place to get some incredible, salty, and fried potatoes!

5. McDonald’s

Everyone seems to love McDonald’s, am I right? But do they have much for gluten-free options? Sadly, the answer is “no”. Even the fries aren’t gluten-free, and it’s not just because of the cross-contamination of fryers. There is a beef flavoring in McDonald’s fries that contains wheat. A bummer, huh? But there are a few things you can get if you are stopping into this extremely popular fast food joint and are on a wheat-free diet.

McDonald’s gluten-free menu items include the following:

Cheeseburgers/hamburgers with no bun

Egg McMuffin with no english muffin

McPlant burger with no bun

Sausage burrito with no flour tortilla (It’s basically an egg scramble bowl!)

Cappuccino

Strawberry banana smoothie

Shakes (Including vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry)

Hot fudge/caramel sundae

Apple slices

Toppings (Including ingredients like bacon, American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles)

Sauces (Including ones like ketchup, honey mustard, mayonnaise, creamy ranch, tartar, and spicy buffalo) (Big Mac sauce contains wheat)

Just like with Five Guys, McDonald’s is a bit of a bummer since they don’t offer gluten-free buns or even lettuce wraps. Of course, you can always bring your own bun and enjoy the burgers you once knew and loved. As for the shakes, asking the staff to clean the mixing blades to avoid cross-contamination is always a good idea.

To my understanding, McDonald’s is one of the worst fast food restaurants in regards to following allergen safety protocols, but you can always try it out for yourself and see how it goes for you.

So there you are—five fast food restaurants with all the listed gluten-free items! It’s so nice being able to go out and enjoy foods even when you are living a gluten-free lifestyle. And knowing where to go and what you like is a plus! I hope you found this article helpful and subscribe! Thanks!