As awareness about Celiac Disease has become more widespread, so has the range of people being diagnosed. With that comes more children who are being diagnosed with this allergy. I’ve had many parents ask me about family friendly restaurants who offer gluten free menus. I decided to compile a list of a few of the best offerings I found.
Pizzeria Paradiso– Pizzeria Paradiso has two locations in DC (one in Georgetown and one in Dupont Circle) and one in Old Town Alexandria on King Street. It has a casual family restaurant vibe and serves a variety of specialty pizzas, paninis and salads. Gluten free crusts are offered. These restaurants are the perfect place for a casual family pizza night.
Pizzeria UNO– Pizzeria UNO has also taken an interest in the gluten free population. They offer a full gluten free menu including gluten free pizzas, burgers and buns and even gluten free ice cream sundaes!
Silver Diner– The Silver Diner is another great place for a casual family meal. They also have multiple locations including one in Arlington and one by the Springfield Mall. They have a wide range of gluten free offerings especially for brunch/breakfast. They now even offer gluten free Belgian waffles! Kids also love to play with the jukeboxes at every table.
The Counter– The Counter is a Build-Your-Own burger place located in Reston Town Center. They have gluten free buns and offer a clearly labeled list of all ingredients for every item on their menu. So you can check which toppings contain gluten and also which of their specialty fries are safe for gluten free followers to eat.
Chuck E. Cheese– Every parent’s worst nightmare, every kid’s dream come true…. Chuck E. Cheese now offers a gluten free menu in 500 of their restaurants and are planning on offering it in all of their locations by November. You can call and check if your local Chuck E. Cheese is currently offering it.
When you have a child with a food allergy you are constantly worrying about their safety while eating out. However, you also want them to be able to enjoy themselves and feel that they’re one of the gang and not the oddball sticking out. Luckily, these restaurants seem to be catching on to that fact and are addressing both of these concerns. So feel like taking the family out for pizza tonight? You have a few choices. And the best part? No dishes to clean. Enjoy!
-By Guest Writer: Joyana (JPM) of Gluten Free Nova Girl
Editors Notes: Joyana has written an article about the Gluten Free stand at Nationals Park. Also, Silver Diner’s Springfield location is the “test location” and does not have all the GF options listed on the website’s menu.
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