Top 7 Gluten-Free Late-Night Spots to Enjoy in East Watertown

happylioneatsprey

We enjoyed a late dinner at City Works for the first time the other night and weren't disappointed. We did not have a dinner reservation, but since it was later on a Friday, we were seated immediately. The interior boasts plenty of seating, and during the nicer weather, there is an outdoor patio section, too. After renovations to the original buildings, you can see the steel frame ceiling of the brick building plus a faux ceiling for the restaurant. The typical industrial chic with numerous televisions is standard, but they do have a large wall with the current drink menu for easy decision-making. There is plenty of parking at Arsenal Yards, plus it's right on the bus line. It's easily accessible along Route 20 from the Greater Boston Area or west-bound from Brighton. Although there are "gluten sensitive" items on the menu, they do not have a dedicated deep fryer, and there's always a risk of cross contamination. They do offer gluten-free pasta and buns, but sadly, they only have flour tortillas for their tacos. I ordered the Cajun linguine (with gluten-free pene), and it was outstanding. Their Buffalo chicken dip is also a stand out on the menu. I recommend visiting City Works for any casual occasion for good drinks and food.

Pegah Hosseinpour

It’s a go to place for me in Watertown for years now. They have gluten free options, very tasty and the staff are good with ensuring there is no cross contamination. If you ask, they have a gluten free bread that they can bring with olive oil as a pre-starter and that bread is fantastic. They recently updated their menu and now all the gf options are marked on the same menu. The atmosphere is also quite cozy and at the same time with the large windows they have, it’s airy. It has always been pleasant to dine there.

Cassy Lee

I’m writing this review in context of my wedding, but I’ll preface that I’ve come here many times prior to choosing it as the special spot for our big day. I’ll speak on the food part first so folks can benefit from that strictly on food/ambiance. Food: extremely accommodating BOH team. We love going for brunch (chicken and waffles and chicken banh mi are both sooo good), and they now have tacos on Mondays that are killer. Great cocktails, but the thing that I think about all the time is the creme brûlée and pot de creme desserts they have. Insane. I will say that I don’t feel like their menu changes all that often, and sometimes it would be nice to see a few new things. But on the whole, their staples are great. Oh, the crab cakes are also delightful! Ambiance: Ambiance wise, I like both indoor and outdoor options (though the last few times I ate outside in summer, there were a lot of wasps that wouldn’t leave us alone). Not a deal breaker and just the general con of eating outdoors. The inside is lovely and can feel a bit more intimate with the bench seating. Music is never too loud. They also have a covered patio with heaters so it’s nice to eat outside even on chillier nights. Parking is plentiful bc there’s a lot you can use that’s free, and honestly there isn’t much wait when I’ve gone bc it’s a bit off the beaten path. Choice as a wedding venue: probably unlikely that you’re reading this review for a wedding but in case you are...this location and the team is INCREDIBLE. Restaurants are SO UNDERRATED when it comes to weddings and I don’t understand why. 1. The food we knew was going to be awesome, but it was extra incredible bc the chefs worked with us consistently to make our ideas come to life. I worked in restaurants and my dad owned a restaurant, so the food part of the wedding was so important to me. It honestly felt like a lot of pressure bc my friends know I love to eat, so everyone was like “well we know your wedding food will be great since you’re a ~foodie~*”. Triggered. My anxiety was through the roof to make this perfect. Luckily, the team at Branch Line did not disappoint me AT ALL. Deena and Teagan kept me honest every step of the way, put my incomprehensible word vomits into concrete ideas & helped parse through panic decisions vs rationale ones. My guests dietary restrictions included gluten free, vegan, allergies, and BL tackled it all. I think I told them I loved them? I still mean it. (In case you’re wondering, my guests STILL rave about the food and it’s been a month. PHEW!). 2. Restaurants just make sense. They execute service FLAWLESSLY. They have the plates and supplies so no extra rental needed. They know the drill, they know their venue space inside and out, and the location perfectly blends indoors and outdoors. Probably the only complaint I’d have (no one has complained to me personally) is that I couldn’t fit everyone in one space. We awkwardly split folks up during the sit down meal, but since my wedding was a brunch wedding without dancing, it honestly didn’t feel that weird. 3. If you have a bit of an unconventional wedding like mine, restaurants are way more accommodating to things that suit your style. For instance, I made it pretty clear to Deena that I didn’t intend on having dedicated dancing. She made me feel at ease and said “no problem, we have corn hole and we can set up other games, or you can connect with these entertainment services I’ve worked with” (we didn’t end up doing that since my fiance and I made a bunch of table activities and iSpy games that people enjoyed). It just felt like I kept hearing “yes, and” instead of “no we don’t allow that”. Additionally, they helped walk me through all the decor changes I could make (it was thorough), and even let me keep some of their flowers on the tables. Overall, the entire Branch Line team really put in so much effort to make my wedding work out, and I am so incredibly thankful for them. If you’re looking for a venue for your special day, I HIGHLY recommend them! *to be clear, I do not claim being a foodie, okay?

Mara Tzizik Swanson

Food is good, large portions and lots of gluten free options.

Gabriel Rusk

Mara Tzizik Swanson

Good pub with comfortable seating and friendly staff. Gluten free burgers available. Lots of parking on the side.

Cornelia Cooper