One thing I’m asked for over and over is the best places to eat gluten free in the Midwest! If you’ve followed along for a while now, you know that I have a gluten allergy. I was diagnosed in November 2019 and have been working to adjust my eating ever since. Eating at home is easy as I have complete control of the groceries that I keep in the house and how food is prepared. But sometimes when traveling, eating gluten-free can be a challenge! (It’s amazing how many places offer only fried foods & sandwiches!) Thankfully, over the last several years, I’ve found several delicious places to eat that either offer Gluten-Free specific menus or have lots of menu options that are gluten free!
*Note – I cannot guarantee that cross contamination does not happen at any of these restaurants as cross contamination. For your own allergy/intolerance, please make sure to consult each of the restaurants before dinning there!
- Missouri Gluten Free Eats
- Minnesota Gluten Free Eats
- Iowa Gluten Free Eats
- Willie’s – Hampton, Iowa
- Montage – Cedar Falls, Iowa
- The Pub on the Cedar – Charles City, Iowa
- Central Perk – Estherville, Iowa
- Waterfront Grille- Okoboji, Iowa
- Twin Span Brewing – Bettendorf, Iowa
- The Map Room – Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Starboard Market – Clear Lake, Iowa
- KB Emporium – Clear Lake, Iowa
- Urban Pie – Cedar Falls, Iowa
- Piggy Back Smoke Shack – Osage, Iowa
- River Ridge Brewing – Bellevue, Iowa
- Your Pie – Various Iowa Locations
- The Drift – Winterset, Iowa
- Seneca Street Saloon – Webster City, Iowa
- Main Street Cafe & Bakery – Ankeny, Iowa
Missouri Gluten Free Eats
Danna’s BBQ & Burger Shop – Branson, Missouri:
- 963 Historic State Highway 165, Branson
We’ve visited Branson several times and love all the great things it has to offer families and couples alike! We have not been back yet (thank you COVID) since I’ve known about my allergy, but I have visited Danna’s BBQ & Burger Shop enough times to know how delicious the food is and I’ve researched to know that that they have a separate gluten free menu and are more than willing to accommodate any special requests!
Ivory Grille – Sedalia, Missouri
- 317 S Ohio Ave, Sedalia
One of our other favorite stops in Missouri is Sedalia (located just 1.5 hours North of Springfield. And located inside the Hotel Bothwell (one of our favorite historic hotels) is the Ivory Grille. Not only do they have an ever changing seasonal menu, Chef Christopher is more than happy to accommodate food allergies, so you can experience his high quality cooking!
Minnesota Gluten Free Eats
OMC (Oink, Moo, Cluck) Smokehouse – Duluth, Minnesota
- 1909 West Superior Street, Duluth
With delicious smoked foods and whole foods as sides, it’s easy to eat gluten-free at OMC (Oink, Moo, Cluck), which is a fun and modern smoke house in downtown Duluth! The fries are hand cut and the rubs are all gluten-free! Plus, try unique sides like Mexican Street Corn.
Blackwoods Grill & Bar – Two Harbors, Minnesota
- 612 7th Avenue, Two Harbors
Blackwoods Grill & Bar, located on the main drive through Two Harbors, offers great outdoor seating as well as several gluten-free options! They have a dedicated menu that describes all the dishes that are made gluten-free as well as offering gluten-free buns for any of their burgers! They also offer delicious seasonal sides so it’s a must stop when you’re in the Duluth area!
BONUS STOP! Make sure to stop by The Rustic Inn near Two Harbors to pick up a piece or three of their gluten-free pies! They are made a with an amazing and delicious meringue crust! YUM!
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Piggy Blues BBQ – Austin, Minnesota
- 323 Main Street North, Austin
Piggy Blues BBQ, located in downtown Austin offers several different gluten-free safe options including their delicious pulled pork tacos and their amazingly delicious hand cut Pit Potatoes! Plus, for dessert, you can grab a cup or cone of gelato, which is always gluten-free!
BONUS: 1910 Fresh Kitchen in Austin has several gluten-free options! Personally, I recommend their rice bowls!
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Foremost Brewing Cooperative – Owatonna, Minnesota
Downtown Owatonna is Foremost Brewing Cooperative. Not only are they brewing up delicious beers, but they also have a fairly extensive menu of delicious eats! They offer gluten-free crust for their flatbreads, but also Carintas Lettuce wraps, which are so fresh & delicious. Of course, they also offer delicious salads like The Nest, which is made with locally grown greens, chicken, walnuts, craisins, feta, and apple slices! So good! It’s a great choice in Southern Minnesota for those needing to eat gluten free!
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Pedal Pushers Cafe – Lanesboro, Minnesota
- 121 Parkway Ave. N, Lanesboro
Lanesboro, Minnesota is known for its location along the Root River State Trail, which is a very popular bike trail in the Midwest. The town is full of great shopping, restaurants, ice cream stops, & a brewery, but what I loved most was our lunch at Pedal Pushers Cafe. This adorable bike & historic themed cafe offers a rather extensive menu of gluten-free options and everything is well labeled. During our visit, I enjoyed their Mango Shrimp, which is quinoa crusted shrimp & crispy fried brussel sprouts with mango-apple & red pepper salsa drizzled with sweet chili sauce & lemon basmati rice. While the entire dish was delicious and fresh tasting…the shrimp was absolutely melt in your mouth perfection! I didn’t realize how much I had missed a breaded shrimp since being diagnosed with a gluten allergy, but I could easily go back many times for this one dish, alone!
Iowa Gluten Free Eats
Willie’s – Hampton, Iowa
- 10 1st. NW, Hampton
Don’t be scared off by the exterior of Willies Sports Bar in downtown Hampton. This spot is delicious for gluten and non-gluten eaters alike! They are known for their breaded tenderloins (They placed in the Top 5 in Iowa’s Best Tenderloin contest in recent years), but personally I think they should be famous for their smoked beef brisket and sweet potato fries. The fries are gluten free, they offer a gluten free bun, and several salads that are gluten free! (Go for the brisket salad….you won’t be sorry!)
BONUS: Rustic Brew, also in downtown Hampton, offers a couple different options for lunch and is more than willing to accommodate! Their homemade chicken salad in lettuce wrap is delish!
Montage – Cedar Falls, Iowa
- 222 Main Street, Cedar Falls
Not only is Montage a great, up-scale place in downtown Cedar Falls, to grab a drink or dinner, but they also offer a well-marked menu. Their menu denotes gluten-free items, spice, and vegetarian. I very much appreciate when restaurants make it easy to figure out which items I can eat! The bonus is that everything from Montage is DELICIOUS! Whether you’re gluten-free or not, I highly recommend the Shrimp Skewers in Peanut Sauce with Asian Slaw and the Goat Cheese Risotta! Both are mouth watering!
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The Pub on the Cedar – Charles City, Iowa
- 101 N Jackson Street, Charles City
The Pub on the Cedar in Charles City offers delicious food and beautiful views of the Cedar River! They offer sweet potato puffs that are gluten free (and delicious) along with gluten free pizzas, naked wings, and several salads. While I love the puffs, I think you need to go with the Raspberry Chicken Salad…it’s drool worthy!
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Central Perk – Estherville, Iowa
- 12 S 6th Street, Suite A, Estherville
Any place that offers delicious coffee drinks, ice cream, and fresh made sandwiches using gluten-free bread is a winner in my book and that is exactly what you’ll find (and so much more) at Central Perk in Estherville, Iowa. My sandwich was loaded high with deli sliced meat, the gluten free bread was fresh tasting and moist (and if you have a gluten allergy you know how hard that is). They also offer unique side salad options along with delicious coffee, and hard scooped ice cream! YUM!
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Waterfront Grille- Okoboji, Iowa
- 610 Linden Drive, Arnolds Park
When I visited the Vacation Okoboji area, I was sent to Waterfront Grille because of their delicious gluten-free pizza crust options! They offer a wide variety of custom pizzas on a cauliflower crust that is delicious! I opted for the The Godfather, with fresh tomatoes, feta cheese and more….it was delicious! It’s not just pizza, they offer an entire menu dedicated to gluten-free eats!
Twin Span Brewing – Bettendorf, Iowa
- 6776 Championship Drive, Bettendorf
We love a good brew pub and we love ones that also offer delicious food. Twin Span Brewing is a great place to spend a night sipping some brews and enjoying delicious meal. Their entire menu is marked for gluten-free and vegetarian choices. Personally I recommend the Moho Tacos and the Nacho Loaded Fries! YUM!
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The Map Room – Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- 416 3rd St. SE, Cedar Rapids
Don’t blink or you might miss this adorable small space eatery in downtown Cedar Rapids. Why did I love this place as a gluten-free eater?! Not only are their fryers gluten-free with their hand cut fries (sooooo good), they are happy to accommodate lettuce wrap burgers and offer health gluten-free sides like quinoa salad! YUM! This stop was a great way to start our visit to Cedar Rapids!
Starboard Market – Clear Lake, Iowa
- 310 Main Ave, Clear Lake
If you’re gluten free in a rural area, you know how hard it is to find gluten-free baked goods. Thank goodness for Starboard Market in downtown Clear Lake! Not only do they offer gluten-free bread for their mile high deli sandwiches, they have homemade gluten free salads in their deli case, but the piece-de-resistance is their variety of gluten free desserts! With offerings like Fudge Brownies, Grasshopper Mint Brownies, So You Say It’s Your Birthday Blonde Brownies, and (my personal favorite) Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies your belly will be happy!
KB Emporium – Clear Lake, Iowa
- 8 N 4th St, Clear Lake
If one place in Clear Lake with gluten free offerings is good, then two is even better! KB Emporium has become one of my favorite places to grab lunch with their delicious deli sandwiches (made with one of the best gluten-free buns I’ve ever had), baby green side salads, and THE BEST macarons I’ve ever had! They are melt in your mouth delicious!
Urban Pie – Cedar Falls, Iowa
- 200 State St, Suite 101, Cedar Falls
Urban Pie in downtown Cedar Falls not only offers one gluten free crust, but two gluten free options! They offer a gluten-free crust (cauliflower base) and Keto crust (cheese based) and both are gluten-free! If pizza isn’t your thing, grab baked chicken wings or a salad! The pizza offerings are traditional and unique! If you like something unique, go for the Korean BBQ pizza!
Piggy Back Smoke Shack – Osage, Iowa
- 715 Main Street, Suite 2, Osage
We love visiting Osage for a weekend and no trip is complete without a stop at Piggy Back Smoke Shack! Not only do they offer delicious smoked meats, but they feature unique sides like the Swett Potato Bacon Hash, which is one of my favorite sides, ever! You can also enjoy sandwiches or smoke pizzas, but don’t worry….their entire menu is marked with GF for options safe for those of us who need to be aware!
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River Ridge Brewing – Bellevue, Iowa
- 303 S Riverview St
A lot of breweries are now offering food, but the thing that makes River Ridge Brewing in Bellevue stand out is their absolutely delicious gluten-free flatbread! You can make your own flatbread or select one of their signature combinations. My personal favorite is The Cowboy, which is a chicken bacon ranch flatbread. Their gluten-free crust gets slightly crispy on the edges and holds up well to the toppings. It’s SO GOOD! The view of the river from their patio doesn’t hurt anything either!
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Your Pie – Various Iowa Locations
At Your Pie, think pizza meets a sub sandwich shop style format! That’s what you get at Your Pie! We happened upon this place because they had “GLUTEN FREE PIZZA” written in large bright letters on the window, so of course we had to eat there! Work your way through the line where they ask if you have an allergy or diet preference. If it’s an allergy, they prepare it separately to avoid cross contamination. Pick a specialty pizza to put on their gluten free crust or pick your own toppings! This has been my favorite gluten-free crust to date! There are actually four locations across Iowa including Marion, Waterloo, Dubuque, & Davenport!
The Drift – Winterset, Iowa
- 112 North 1st Avenue
Downtown Winterset is adorable. Yes, Winterset and Madison County are home to the famous covered bridges, but their food & drink scene is thriving as well. The Drift is a gorgeously restored building that is offering gluten free paninis, salads, and more! I can’t tell you how excited I was to be able to order a gluten-free Reuben! YUM!
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Seneca Street Saloon – Webster City, Iowa
- 919 Seneca Street
Smaller towns can be a challenge for eating gluten-free, but Webster City has Seneca Street Saloon to help you out. They offer several salads, but they also have a gluten-free cauliflower crust for their pizzas on the menu. I’ll admit that a lot of cauliflower gluten-free crusts are the same, so it’s the toppings that make the difference and the Saloon does it well. I selected chicken bacon ranch (surprise, right?!) on our visit and it was so fresh and delicious tasting! Plus, they cooked it up super quick and didn’t burn the edges, double win! Definitely check them out if you’re in the area.
Main Street Cafe & Bakery – Ankeny, Iowa
Located in the Prairie Trail neighborhood of Ankeny, you’ll find Main Street Cafe & Bakery. They offer a wide variety of menu items from pasta to sandwiches to wraps, salads, and bowls. In store, their menu is clearly marked with items that are gluten-free and those that are gluten sensitive. Personally, I go for the salads or bowls, but they also offer several soups that are gluten-free. And while I’ve never had one, they offer some of the largest Scotcharoos I’ve ever seen and they look absolutely delicious!
Eat Gluten Free in the Midwest
There you have it. Some of my very favorite spots to grab gluten free eats in the Midwest. From pizza to entrees, sandwiches, and desserts…gluten free is making it’s way to the more rural areas, and there are quite a few great places to eat gluten free in the Midwest.
I want to know…where is your favorite place to eat gluten free in the Midwest?
Updated 8/6/2024
