Top 50 Gluten-Free Mexican Spots to Explore in the District of Columbia

Matt Hamilton

1,000/10 cannot recommend Chaia enough! My wife and I fell in love with Chaia thanks to their brussels sprouts quesadilla and salsa verde, which we would highly, highly recommend. There's also a little park next door that can be used for especially nice days weather-wise. Because of our love for Chaia, my wife and I reached out to Chaia when we were looking for a venue to host a party for some family and friends coming to visit DC from out of town, and they put together an absolutely outstanding evening. Bettina (co-founder/co-CEO) was excellent throughout the planning process, making sure that the party was just as we wanted it. Even as our plans shifted a time or two, Bettina graciously worked with us to make sure that everything would be fine. The vegetarian and gluten-free dishes made accommodating various dietary restrictions incredibly easy, and as expected, the food and drinks were excellent. (Our guests raved to us about the food, especially the habenro pepita dip.) Leyla and Abigail, the staff who were on-site for the event, also went above and beyond to make the evening a great time. We are so thankful we had our celebration at Chaia, and we highly recommend it to anyone else looking for a venue for an intimate celebration!

Maura Postlethwait

I love Oyamel one of my favorites in the city. When I told our bartender I had celiac he checked and they were able to make celiac safe tortilla chips so I could enjoy the guac. I was so excited. It seemed like if you have celiac and a real allergy they fry some ahead of time so the oil is safe or they can easily fry them a different way either way I was pumped. Aside from that their tacos and everything are amazing!

Roberto Ruggiero

100% Gluten free. Paradise for celiacs. Chips with guacamole and amazing spicy sauces. Tacos with different meat and fish offerings. Remove the fried prawns, pork belly and duck. All very tasty.

Brett Murphy Hunt

Absolutely DELICIOUS tacos. OMG I wish I could teleport these to Boston. The cornbread was also so delicious!! What drew me to this place was the fact that the menu only marks what HAS gluten instead of what can be made gluten-free, suggesting that the menu is quite expansive for gluten-free diners. While yes, it is, the caveat is that there is significant cross-contamination for fried items. So, I was lured by the taquitos, but the bartender told me that they’re fried in the same oil as other items that aren’t gluten-free, hence the cross-contamination. I think they should be more straightforward about this on the menu when one looks online ahead of time. Otherwise an excellent experience with still some amazing choices.

alif farhan

The atmosphere/ambiance of the place is wonderful . The staff is also really kind! I loved that there was a bookstore inside the place. The food is really good and the price is reasonable. Also, for my muslim brother and sister out there, they serve halal chicken and meat as stated in the menu, which is really nice! There were also vegaterian options and gluten free options. Love it!

Victoria H

Reasonable prices, quick service, and all food is gluten-free. Highly recommend!!

Nataliia Svergun

Delicious food! Fresh and tasty. The place by itself is very nice and clean.

Gina Fiore

The food and drinks are delicious and the service is always great even when busy. They took amazing care of a family member with a severe gluten allergy, carefully reviewing the menu with them and steering them away from the foods they could not eat. We love coming here, and are so glad they’re part of the neighborhood.

Brenda B

I really liked this restaurant. 99% of the items are gluten-free! I had the trio of salsa and guac and chips. The only things that were not gluten-free with the kids menu and the desserts. My only complaint is you have to ask what’s on every single taco. It’s not listed on their menus anywhere.But my server was super helpful and everything tasted amazing!

Anthony

I would come back here when I get to visit DC again. Food was great albeit a smaller menu. Drink selection was good and they were tasty too. Gluten free, celiac safe with corn quesadillas.

Emma Ruggiero

Everything here is fresh and delicious. So efficient and comfortable, and everyone who works here is so nice. Great place to work during the day or grab a meal with friends. So many options if you have a crowd with different preferences/restrictions and accommodates allergies (like gluten). Love!

Vera Crowe

Jess Peck

Obsessed with this place. Was in Dulles for two weeks and managed to get down to DC twice and went to District both times. I had their breakfast tacos the first time and their regular tacos and chips/guac the second time. You order on kiosks which is fun and easy and get to choose between like 25 different topping options. Their corn tortilla tacos come double wrapped and all bundled up together so they taste authentic and delicious. I got pretty much all the toppings. Their medium salsa is to die for. They have impossible chorizo and an option to select Gluten Free which was amazing. The guacamole was flavorful with a nice hint of lime. I love a good taco but these tacos were life changing🤌🏼

Leon Mc

Fred Thompson

Peter Bierma

First time here. Partner (who is celiac) & I dined in about an hour before they closed so we weren't sure if they would be happy to see us... we were pleasantly surprised. I had three chicken tacos, and she had a bowl. She let them know about her gluten allergy and they were already changing gloves before we had the chance to ask them to! You can mark your allergies on the order kiosk but we always like to double check. They were awesome, even this close to closing time. Tacos were packed full and veggies tasted fresh. Everything was full of flavor, and tables were clean. Will definitely go back next time we're in DC!

Carolyn Frew

Emily Larson

Great gluten free options, good drinks, and solid service

Kathryn Mayers

Alex Nongard

Excellent vegan and gluten free options. Super delicious and worth the extremely long wait.

Manuel Waddell

Frances Ewing

Anna S

Really nice waiters and a nice casual atmosphere inside. Overall decent food, but not the best ever, but definitely solid! The salsa they serve with the chips is delicious and the enchiladas were pretty good, the red sauce was flavorful, but the inside chicken was pretty dry. That said, this place gets a five out of five for being celiac disease, friendly! I came with a friend who has severe gluten intolerance, and they were knowledgeable and proactive about accommodating her, assuring that they would clean any cooktops in advance of cooking her food and warning us that the corn tortilla chips are fried in a fryer that sometimes fries, gluten foods, so she should avoid those. We felt safe and happy eating here.

Carolyn Harris

Dawn Pam

Jane Larocque

Kate Midden

Love this local spot! Great food, great drinks, the service and community here is fab. A perfect place to connect with your people during or after a long week. Also their breakfast tacos are the best in the city. :) I’m gluten free and it’s always super easy on that front too. Recommend!

Elizabeth Brown

Andres Mendez

Arnold Powell

Rachel Stephens

Some of the best tacos I’ve had, especially for late-night, in the city. Two tacos are plenty — not the tiny street tacos you’ll find at some spots. I prefer their flour tortillas, but you can get corn if you prefer a non-gluten option. The steak tacos and burritos are the best meat option in my opinion, but the chicken is a pretty good runner-up if you’re looking for something a little lighter. Their yellow rice is fantastic, and the side salad is surprisingly enjoyable too because most side salads at Mexican spots are mediocre at best. If you’re getting guac, the chips aren’t too phenomenal, maybe because they get cold so quickly and don’t tend to have enough salt — but the guac is fresh and flavorful, so it’s worth ordering them paired with that. Definitely a worthwhile spot to get solid, non-greasy Mexican food on the regular.

Sheri Walker

Joanna Rollin

Heather Gomez

James Foy

Susan Grossman

Keith Clough

Donald Hyden

Jessica Butcher

Carlos Libbey

Krista Williams

Cheryl Harper

Benjamin Hopkins

Candice Booker

David Page

Jennifer Power

Gayle Kyle

Joanna Rollin

Darla Coleman

Chelsea Morales