Top 20 Gluten-Free Lunch Spots to Enjoy in Harvard Square, Cambridge

Angi Horn

We were very pleased with our visit. Amazing service and the food was great. Much bigger portions than we were expecting, we ordered way too much! My niece is gluten free and the server marked up the menu to show exactly what was gf or could be modified to be gf. Amazing service! We had the ubiquitous kale salad, burrata that comes with sweet potato bread (gf bread also available), grilled broccoli with hummus, and roasted potatoes. Both the cocktails and cocktails were great too!

Melissa Gene

GLUTEN-FREE OPTIONS NOT GLUTEN-FREE I came to this location on 6/5/24. I was very excited to be visiting this restaurant in Cambridge. I am vegan and have a gluten allergy and saw on the menu that many items were denoted gluten-free so I was very happy that there would be food for me to eat. (I had also not eaten all day so I was extra excited.) I went up to the counter to order and while ordering was told (in a very rude/smug way) by the people working the register that everything that is noted as gluten free is not actually gluten free but “gluten friendly” and not safe for an allergy and they would not recommend for anyone who actually eats gluten free to eat at their restaurant. Either the menu needs to be changed to say “gluten friendly” or a kitchen process needs to be changed so the gluten free options are actually gluten free and there is no cross contamination. I do appreciate that they let me know so I didn’t get glutened but I shouldn’t have found out while ordering - it should have been clearer (and that’s on Veggie Grill). The staff at this location were also rude, unhelpful, and didn’t offer any suggestions. They honestly didn’t care and were not kind at all. I hope management changes the menu to be clearer so people that do have a gluten allergy are able to either eat safety or don’t come with their hopes up only to not be able to eat not anything. They should also train their staff on some basic customer service/kindness. (They didn’t even apologize - which I feel like is just like basic customer service.) Maybe other staff members are great and the ones that were working the register were just the bottom of the barrel but I am honestly shocked with how I was treated. Luckily, I don’t live in Cambridge so I won’t run into this issue again but I want to flag this for future gluten-free travelers (and honestly anyone who may come into this seemingly wonderful place…).

Sherri Antonuccio

This is the best place to enjoy a gluten free brownie. Wow! I have been to a few places in Boston and nothing compares to the brownie I purchased here. It is so big! The taste is amazing, so fudgy! You would never know it’s gluten free! I have also had their chocolate cream pie during the holidays and you can request that to be gluten free. The pie was beyond amazing. I will definitely be making it a part of our holiday celebrations. Anyone who is gluten intolerant knows how hard it is to find a place with excellent gluten free bakery items. I’m happy to say I have found the perfect place. Thank you and thank you for always being so friendly and kind.

Joan Harrison

Michelle Huges

Candice Sullivan

Marissa Gillis

Very nice restaurant all around. The service was wonderful and they accommodated my allergies (gluten and dairy) very well. They do not have a lot of GF and DF options but everything I had was wonderful. Would recommend!

Sherry Owens

Brandon Messinger

Naomi Karmel

Great food! Large quantities and can accommodate gluten friendly and vegan options

Deena Dickey

Susie Jackson

Elle Troeger

Atmosphere can be widely variable, depending on whether or not you drew the short straw. We were seated right away without a reservation on a Sunday around 1pm. There were several nicer tables available which is why we asked to be moved from the single DARKEST place in the dining room - right next to the bathroom. We were rewarded for asking with the single BEST seat in the house - upstairs, overlooking the front of the dining area. Reader, this is the brunch experience I was hoping for. Lots of natural light. Great spot to watch people from (you can even see out to the street and sidewalk). Not too loud on the upper level. It was a bit too chilly for outdoor seating. The food: My brunch date got a cortado with the burrata sandwich, noting the sourdough bread was exceptional. We both thought burrata - while wonderful - was a little too runny/drippy for sandwich format... but ideated about how to make it better. (Make it open face and poach an egg on top. Move it to the breakfast side of the menu.) I got the beet latte (hot) and it was tasty except the chocolate powder on top was an unhappy surprise. Next time, I will know to ask for no chocolate. What a strange combo: chocolate and beet. For food, I had the "beef and pickles" sandwich on gluten free bread. The gf bread held together pretty well and the mouthfeel was the okayest. It's not the amazing sourdough they have but it's a solid stand in. That pastrami / saurkraut / mustard / pickles palette is my jam, though, and this sandwich was great.

Barbellz

This was my first time trying Shake Shack, and it turned out to be a great experience. We were visiting Boston for a few days and decided to take the subway out to Harvard. This location made for a convenient and enjoyable lunch stop. The restaurant was fairly clean and offered both indoor and outdoor seating options, which was a nice touch. I especially appreciated the quiet atmosphere upstairs — it was a comfortable spot to relax and enjoy our meal away from the busier areas. Another highlight was the option to order through a tablet, making the whole process quick and easy. Overall, this Shake Shack location provided a pleasant dining experience, and I’d definitely consider coming back the next time I’m in the area. 🍔 Burgers 100% all-natural Angus beef. No hormones and no antibiotics ever. Our proprietary Shack blend is freshly ground and served on a non-GMO potato bun. ShackBurger® Cheeseburger topped with lettuce, tomato, and ShackSauce SmokeShack® Cheeseburger with all-natural smoked Niman Ranch bacon, chopped cherry pepper, ShackSauce 'Shroom Burger Crisp-fried portobello mushroom filled with melted muenster and cheddar cheeses, topped with lettuce, tomato, and ShackSauce Shack Stack® Cheeseburger and a 'Shroom Burger topped with lettuce, tomato, and ShackSauce Hamburger Let us know if you would like ShackSauce, lettuce, tomato, pickle, or onion GF Option: Make it a gluten-free hamburger bun ➔ +$1.00 (Note: Our kitchen is not a gluten-free dedicated facility.) 🍗 Chicken Chick'n Shack® Crispy chicken breast with lettuce, pickles, and buttermilk herb mayo (100% all-natural cage-free chicken. No hormones and no antibiotics ever. Served on a non-GMO potato bun.) 🌭 Flat-Top Dogs 100% all-natural beef. No hormones and no antibiotics ever. Split and griddled crisp. Shack-cago Dog® Dragged through the garden with Rick’s Picks Shack relish, onion, cucumber, pickle, tomato, sport pepper, celery salt, and mustard Hot Dog Vienna all-beef dog Chicken Dog Shack Shack chicken, apple, and sage sausage 🍟 Crinkle Cut Fries Fries Cheese Fries Bacon Cheese Fries

Deborah Velez

Joseph Burgess

John Waggoner

Ashley Beaver

Bret Mora

Alfred Amaya