Here are some places I’ve either had their tasty fast food gf with no issue, or I’m excited to safely eat some in the future. Cross contamination is a major concern at any eating establishment and fast food places are no exception.
Chipolte
Always a favorite of mine. I still can enjoy some delicious burrito bowls or salads. Their website says that other menu items are also available to be prepared gluten-free. However, they do not have an allergy-free prep space. So if you are worried about cross-contamination, I would stick with a burrito bowl or salad, or an item where your food won’t touch the prep line. You can ask your server to switch to a new set of gloves prior to making your food if you are worried about that as well. I have never had an issue here, thank you gods of glutonium!
Chick fil a
We don’t have a whole lot of these locations around the valley, but it is a viable option for those of us hating on gluten. They have a dedicated fry fryer here!!! That means no cross contamination and their delicious waffle fries are safe for us to eat, woot! If only McDonald’s would follow suit, one day. So you can safely order their fries and the grilled nuggets should be a safe bet. I have not tried ordering the nuggets, so I am not sure about cross-contamination. They have several salads which hopefully don’t involve any cross -contamination and are safe options. Let’s be real though people, you came here for the fries. They also offer a gluten free bun for some sandwiches now. However, I do not believe they have a dedicated allergy-free prep space so I would be concerned with cross-contamination if ordering a sandwich with gf bun. There is one location in Trexlertown and 2 in Whitehall. Happy Fryday!
Core Life Eatery
A great option for healthy eating. There is only one location nearby that I know of, in the Hamilton Crossings. You can get a good filling meal here for a reasonable amount of calories if you are watching your weight. They take great care to prepare meals here that are gluten-free. All their menu items are technically gf! You can order soup, salad, grain bowls, noodle/broth bowls, and there is a kids menu as well. I really need to take advantage of this place more often. I would say it is pricey for fast food, definitely in the same range as Chipotle and Panera. It is healthy, tastes good, and glutonium free! You can get a side of bread to go with your meal, they take care to keep that separate from their other food. Their website is marked for which items might have been exposed to cross-contamination: the tuna-poke grain bowl (which is delicious), tuna poke fire bowl, and sesame seeds are the only cross-contamination items listed. So that's only 3 things to avoid on their entire menu (if that's your only allergy)! I highly recommend their salads and grain bowls. I have yet to try their broth/noodle bowls (personally I’d go to Mr. Lee’s for that). You can also build your own or order a protein plate. Check em out!
Saladworks
Another great healthy option for anyone. You can customize any salad here. Since everything is made in a clean bowl, I’ve never had an issue with cross contamination here. If you are hyper-sensitive you may just want to ask your server for a new set of gloves. Obviously, avoid the breaded chicken. They do have an Asian dressing, I would suggest avoiding that. Their website lists all of their dressings and whether or not they are gluten-free. My favorite is the green goddess dressing, creamy herb dressing, it is indeed gf, hooray!
Panera Bread
You can safely order some salads and smoothies here, according to their website. Be sure to specify gf in the preparation because I mean come on consider your environment, this is Panera Bread. Personally, I would only be comfortable ordering a soup that was marked as gluten-free, such as the black bean, or tomato soup (specify gf because it comes with croutons). However, I truly doubt they could prep a salad without having cross-contamination here. I would feel comfortable ordering from their smoothie menu as well, and of course, their coffee drinks are always good.
Have other favorite quick bites around here that are gluten friendly? Let me know. Cheers!
Comments