Top 7 Gluten-Free Dinner Spots Across Little Italy, San Diego

Jolene Theresa

TLDR: specializes in gluten free! very celiac friendly My celiac friend and I were in town and made sure to scope out all of the restaurants she could eat at. Civico takes gluten free very seriously. Her pasta was delicious and I couldn't even really tell it was gluten free. Our waiter was very kind and even helped out with some wine suggestions. The bread is my favorite part. As the gluten eating friend, I often miss out on bread because we just don't get it for the table but Civico passes it over in a brown bag which is great for me to take to go but also great for my celiac friend because no stray crumbs will get near her! Yes, thats excessive but, for the serious celiac, it can be an issue. 10/10 highly recommend!

Jolene Theresa

TLDR: celiac friendly My celiac friend and I stopped by to try out their gluten free flatbread and she took half of hers to go which is highly uncommon. Most gf breads are like cardboard or rubbery but this flatbread tasted just like gluten bread! She didn't get sick so there was definitely no gluten in it but whatever it was, it was amazing! I ordered gluten full tortellini which looked and tasted like it was made in house and I was completely satisfied with my meal. We stopped by just as happy hour was ending and our waiter was quick to help us get some happy hour wine orders in before it was too late. The bathroom... it an experience. Like many cities, some locations work within their confines and RoVino got very clever. The restroom is a short walk outside the restaurant which at first seems so strange because they have someone walk you down to it. At the end of the block, tucked away you'll find a very clean little walk to a door with their logo. Type in the code and you enter a 1 stall restroom. It was so random but well done, I'll be talking about that little experience for a while.

Audrey Holas

I think it's very nice that they have gluten free options here, and all of the workers seemed very polite except one. The worker checking me out had such an attitude. He had short brown hair and when i politely asked for the gluten free creme brulee he gave me such a rude look and said "your confusing me, look in the case that's all we have right now" in a very rude tone. While i'm not upset that they were limited on the gluten free options that day, i am upset that the worker had to be disrespectful to a customer trying to find a gluten free option. It was confusing as online they had a long list of gluten free options but only 2 available things in store.

S.G. Matheny

Great food, good gluten-free options & loved the outdoor dining.

dawn mattix

Love the ambience, food and wine here! They have one of the best gluten free pizzas I've ever had and their happy hour happy meal is fantastic!

Crystal G

We stopped by while in the area for lunch. It was a sunny day and we were thrilled we didn’t have to wait and got a table outside under cover for shade. I ordered a gluten free flatbread with prosciutto and arugula. It was a nice size, very tasty and fresh ingredients. Service was good even though it was a busy day.

Miss Michele

Had a wonderful dinner here this evening. I am gluten free and ordered the gnocchi and my husband had the lamb tagliatelle pasta. Great portion sizes. We ordered a bottle of the Super Tuscan which is luscious! We took what was left with us. We shared the misto salad which they graciously split for us. Our service and food were wonderful. We have been to Italy and this is top notch. Folks Italy is Italy-it’s the terroir of there and cannot be matched but this came pretty darn close! Would defiantly eat here again.

Sarah DeBoy

I’m tellin’ you, this and a yap!! Bruschetta is prepped to share. $6 happy hour wine?! Lots of gluten free and low/no lactose options too!

Jacqueline Purtee

Gluten free gnocchi is not easy to find, so I was ecstatic to try it. 100% recommend!

Tara Popli

Loved the food! Took care for allergies and had great gluten free options!

Lust TheWander

Our waiter Luca, didn't give us the full experience. Sadly I heard another waitress doing her job with such class and enthusiasm. No specials were said, the other waitress greeted her table with the specials. Apparently we weren't special. My husband's meal was lacking flavor and chicken. 3 small bits of chicken with his penne pasta. My daughters Alfredo, sauce was bland and this Mama never adds salt to ANYTHING, but this NEEDED it. It was great after I added some flavor. My tortellini fungi was amazing. My son's pizza and my mother gluten free pizza(yes they have gluten free pasta and pizza)was tasty. Never did we just get drink refills, we had to ask. Sadly I wished our waiter made our first experience here a nicer one. Don't think hubby will want to come back. 😢

Horace Orndorff

Ruth Benner

Absolutely incredible burgers! And god bless them they have gluten free buns. Kids eat free on Tuesdays!

Francis Louque

Sarah D

This is a great spot for fast, tasty food—whether you’re craving a burger, chicken sandwich, or even a veggie option. They’ve also got gluten-free buns and lettuce wraps, which is always a plus. Since it’s Pride Month 🏳️‍🌈, they’re offering colorful rainbow sprinkles on your shake to support GLAAD, which we love! I tried the Banana Pudding shake, and it was pretty good—loaded with crumbled vanilla wafers and fresh bananas. Other limited-time shakes include the Oreo Cookie Funnel Cake and Campfire S’mores—definitely worth stopping in while they’re still available! Ordering is quick and easy—they have kiosks inside, or you can order ahead online or through the app. There’s plenty of seating both indoors and out, and they even have a parking lot (a rare find in Little Italy!) It’s a solid stop for a quick, satisfying meal—and now’s a great time to go grab a shake and show some Pride! 🌈🥤💛

Earth Explorer

Exquisite Italian food they can make any of their pastas gluten free. Friendly servers but they forgot to put extra meat on our pasta and they forgot the dessert. But still it's a five star place.

Dennis Esparza

Deena Comeaux

Kathy Torre

We would highly recommend Ristorante Illando and its staff if you are looking for a beautiful and delicious meal in downtown San Diego. Everything was perfect from the choices of beer and wine to the beautifully crafted food. And best of all, they offer Gluten Free Pasta for those with an issue eating gluten and the taste was still superb. The wait staff were very friendly, helpful and attentive without being overbearing. Five Stars all around!

Dan Ferry

Caroline Barbee

A great place to eat , food was delicious . Gluten free/vegan options too . Staff was amazing . Unfortunately I orderd the spinach ravioli and it came out cold. My friend ordered lasagne and that came out HOT and delicious. I definitely would reccomend this place , I go to little italy often so I will be back.

Ryan Seo

Alberta Waller

Organic

Absolutely no customer loyalty. Especially for a place I've given countless dollars to. Constantly given gluten when i ask for gluten free, and they always expect me to just "understand" when my thyroid was affected on multiple occasions. But I didnt get the same consideration in return. Honestly hurt by how all of this went. But I cant say that im surprised. I never leave reviews on restaurants, but today felt like a huge slap in the face. 👍 Thanks for nothing.

Mary Wenthur

Like many of the other reviews, a man stopped us and told us that this place was the best Italian and all the locals ate here…. I think Italy would be ashamed. The tomato on the caprese had zero flavor. Our entrées were good, but felt like the cheese cake factory version of Italian food. Service was amazing, very kind, very attentive. So just don’t listen to the guy out front, i think they pay him. They do have gluten free noodles tho!

Adam Cooks

James Fagan

Elizabeth Parker

Johnny Edwards

Thomas Chung