Top 40 Gluten-Free Pet-Friendly Spots to Explore in Santa Cruz

Sven Pedersen

Cute cafe with great food that caters to dietary restrictions like gluten free, vegan and vegetarian.

April Giesbrecht

Best pizza ever tasted! They were so helpful with my Gluten Allergy and made me the bestest pizza i had ever had! Haven’t got sick from it so far and i have a pretty sensitive gut! Shoutout to them making it a good experience. Only thing is it’s not cheap eating. Thanks a lot though.

Travis Mccleery

Amazing food and staff. Great vegetation and vegan options. It’s all glute free and celiac safe.

Robert Wilson

Easily one of the best chicken sandwiches in Santa Cruz, and possibly the best one I've ever had. The dining situation can be a bit funky at times as they share the space with a couple of other businesses, but usually everyone is super nice, and the atmosphere is great. They do offer takeout if you want to take it home, to the beach, or anywhere else! Aside from their original or spicy chicken sandwiches, which are locally known (and for good reason), they offer chicken tenders, sides like mashed potatoes and gravy, french fries, mac and cheese, and more. This restaurant offers gluten-free options and takes the proper precautions in doing so to prevent cross-contamination. However, I would suggest talking to staff about the measures they take, as they will happily explain them, which will help guests feel at ease eating there. They do offer vegetarian options, but they are made in shared fryers if that is an issue (but everything in those fryers IS gluten free). From good food to great staff, this is one of the places that make Santa Cruz Santa Cruz.

Robert Wilson

Every time I have gotten a meal here, I have had a fantastic meal, outstanding customer service and a good experience. All of their produce is organic, and there are plenty of options for everyone, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and meat options. Some of their options include teriyaki chicken, garlic tofu, and teriyaki salmon, which come with jasmine rice (or noodles) pickled vegetables and spring onions, or they have sandwiches, soups, salads and noodle bowls as well. The meals are well priced, and you can choose takeout or to sit down in their covered patio area. The staff are friendly, and there is parking (but, on a busy night, it could fill up). Overall, this is a great, affordable and yummy option in Santa Cruz and I would highly recommend it!

Robin K.

Didn't like being stuffed back into the corner. Dark back there. BUT they have a gluten free menu. Food very tasty. Gluten free menu. Server nice. Would go back!

James Ehret

Awesome Gluten Free Buns. Great food. Love the portions.

Koko Paulli

Late night pizza experience accomplished! Accommodating the Vegan gluten free request to max a whole pizza myself for a road trip was perfect. Thanks Pizza My Heart!

Shachar bar

A great place. great street location. Comfortable seating for a family. The food was really good and served fast. There are many Gluten free options and the staff are aware of Cross contamination. Highly recommended

Erica Carrasco

Hubby and I are new to Santa Cruz. We were shopping at Trader Joe's this evening and decided to go across the street to the indoor food mall. We almost missed it. It's a hidden gem. If you love Puerto Rican food, you will love Pana. Funny thing is, I was looking for something gluten free. They are gluten free! The flavors! The service! If I had questions, they were answered. The yucca fries 🍟 were delicious and filling. The fried plantains were perfecto! The green garlic sauce was divine! I enjoyed the dish with the beef, plantains, I added basil, mozzarella and avocado 🥑, black beans wrapped in a gluten free corn DELICIOUS wrap!! Guys! Please go find this place! So much food, we have leftover plantains and yucca fries. Air fryer tomorrow morning 😄. They cut everything fresh! You can watch them prepare your food while you read all the printed reviews that the restaurant has posted. Abbott square is the mall. They are located in that area. God bless them! Keep up the great work ! Be back soon!

Minecraft Power

We went there today and even drove an hour to get there because we saw that it’s gluten free and vegan and NOT EXPENSIVE which is REALLY hard to find. And then you’d think there must be a catch, it can’t be vegan, gluten free, inexpensive AND delicious but damm it was it was really tasty and so filling, and overall the food felt like a warm hug and the owner was really nice as well :) so 5 stars, would recommend

Holly Finn

Good menu for all including vegetarians and gluten free options! Beer and wine too! 🍷

Megan Fischer

They are very nice and friendly to families with kids that can't have gluten.

Pooja Kodali

Hands down, it's the best gluten-free bun I have tasted so far !!! We visited Mad Yolks for a quick lunch and were immediately welcomed by friendly staff. We ordered a chicken sandwich, which was juice and crispy, and a mushroom sandwich was delicious as well! For drinks, we have Pineapple Orange, which had a refreshing twist for regular jasmine tea. The vibe and ambiance were warm. I would go back to try other items on the menu

Katie Teschler

Steamer Lane is the place to be! Everything on the menu is delicious, and the staff are very friendly and care deeply about the community of Santa Cruz. Their menu has expanded over the years, and a lot of care is taken by the whole team to make sure the all of their offerings are really tasty and inclusive to all dietary needs. I have celiac disease, and typically feel safe eating here. They have a handful of very tasty gluten free items, and are very friendly and accommodating. I love the breakfast tacos, poke and other fish bowls, fish tacos, chicken leg plate, and the burger (with no bun). As with pretty much all places, not guaranteed to have no cross contamination, but if you want them to take extra precautions, just ask! I remind them I have celiac and they do a great job :)

Anthony Lambruschi

Great beer selection, they even had a gluten free beer tucked away in the back for my celiac partner to try! Hummus tray and the roasted potatoes were both great as well!

TheOne Anjel

I found this place several years ago when I lived in Santa Cruz, I always ordered the frittata panini on gluten free. It was the best sandwich! Now I live 2.5 hrs away & go once a year. The last 2 years the sandwich was barely yummy & in fact this time - last week - they had the nerve to hand me a burnt sandwich - for $22! People were waiting on me so I opted not to send it back but it should not have been served that way in the first place. It's also been lacking flavor and little or no butter was used, plus they seem to remove the potato when I add avocado (which costs extra). The sweet carrot missing, as well. They obviously have different cooks now& less concern on what comes out of the kitchen. On top of only going once a year, it's also my only cheat day per year, so the disappointment was palpable. Last week was my last visit. They obviously don't want my repeat business.

Ron Clonts

If you are driving highway 1 and want a great taste of local California wine, beers, or seafood, this is a great option. The delicious gastropub quality food is worth the price because the flavors are amazing. There are many vegan and gluten free options on the menu. There is also a comfortable and warm dining area with outdoor seating as well.

Noelle Stanger

Great Mediterranean food dishes. Gluten-free vegetarian options available.

Jacqueline Kimmey

Absolutely love this place, food and ambiance is incredible ever since the renovation last summer!! The orange salmon and saffron pasta are my regular favorites, but whatever you get, don’t miss out on the pork belly bao buns or tuna wontons (order split in half to accommodate a gluten free guest)! The chef is very understanding and accommodates any dietary restrictions. Sit at the bar with the bartender Rainbow- he is the BEST! Special Valentine’s Day lobster and pomegranate risotto was to die for!

Allison Schimke

Menu marked with gluten free options.

lucy wyatt

Loaded fries were insanely good and gluten free

Eriko Dreyer

One of the best weekend brunches in SC County! Highly recommend the Benedicts. Their gluten free options are excellent. No matter what you order, if you have toast, ask for the strawberry butter. It's divine.

Nick Leffler

Great service, great food, and a few options for the gluten free. I had some delicious pancakes and my wife had the gluten free French toast. It was a bit busy and we had to wait to be seated but once we were seated the service was great. I oversaw the sign saying to sign in when you arrive so be sure to do that. The waitress was kinda and accommodated my mistake gracefully though. Would definitely recommend this place for breakfast. My only disappointment is that I didn’t get to try the Cuban, those things are damn good and I’m sad to not see them in California more. On every block in Florida and I had them every day I was there. Will definitely try them here next time I’m back. Oh, as for the parking… it’s not ideal because there are exactly 9 parking spots but we found parking right in front of the salon on the street and it was so close it was more convenient than the parking lot.

Carrie Aiken

Totally local vibe for people of all kinds. Excellent gluten-free option

Roberta Rogers

I literally dream about these chicken wings and stop every trip to Santa Cruz! (Gluten free :) my son loves the Mac and cheese! (Regular, but very picky 5yo) Everything is so so good!

R F

We came here and one of us had a gluten intolerance. The personnel was very helpful and tried to find gluten free options, and we found finally a good solution. Thanks for the help and the good service! Also the other food was good we eat there.

Agnes Masters

ACC Cardone

One of the best breakfast / brunch places in Santa Cruz! Be warned that this restaurant is so good that people will wait for hours to get a table on the weekend. I’m not sure if the wait is still as long, after the pandemic, but the food is still as good. I’m not fond of most breakfast foods, especially eggs (which I find to be one of the tastes and textures I despise more than almost any other “food”). However, Cafe Brasil’s egg dishes are actually something I look forward to eating! Honestly, I can count the number of egg dishes that I have ever liked on one hand (before trying the egg dishes here), and still have spare fingers. Yet, Cafe Brasil has several egg dishes that I really like! If you don’t want eggs, though, they have so many other options that you are guaranteed to find at least a few dishes that you will fall in love with, from standard American fare to the very unusual. The most popular item on the menu is the “acai bowl”, which is similar to a frozen smoothie made from raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries (the flavor of the açaí berries) with crunchy vanilla granola on top, and then sliced strawberries and bananas topping all of that. I promise that this açaí bowl tastes even better than it sounds like it would! Yum! I found this restaurant because a friend introduced me to it and I fell in love with the food. Every person I have brought here still talks about it when they visit, and asks to go back. — The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating. — The outdoor seating is dog friendly. — There are plenty of options for most people with dietary restrictions; just let the staff know when you are ordering. (I am vegetarian and at least 1/2 of the menu is available for me to order with only a few items needing any adjustments. There are plenty of vegan options as well as gluten-free options. Just note that if you don’t tell your server, you should expect most dishes to come with fresh cooked bread and butter, and often pan fried potatoes.)

Megan Dauphin

One of my favorite restaurants in Santa Cruz! I can get vegan gluten free curry noodle soup here that tastes amazing. My whole family loves the food here. Plus they are super quick and bring the food right out. I highly recommend Betty Noodles!

Ellen Calhoun

Nikki Wright

Such a great place!! Fabulous burger and super yummy gluten free bun!!! Beautifully curated craft cocktail menu. Ridiculously excellent service. All the stars!!! Will definitely be back!

Jeannette Calomeni

Sergio was friendly and accommodating to my questions about GF options. Everything on the menu is gluten free! 10/10 ceviche.

Greg Lang

Andy Ng

Happy to see they finally put the space here to good use - shaved ice sorbets are a definite plus any day of the year. They have a variety of options to choose from - many of which are vegan/gluten-free, which makes it more inclusive of all diets. Their vegan chocolate based items are made with agave and coconut milk, so it's a bit flakier than dairy cream shaved ice. However, I still appreciate having such an option. I got two small scoops for my visit and they were great. Only thing is that they actually were quite small compared to what I'm used to at other shops. Their small feels like a kid's scoop in other places. Service was very friendly and not busy when we went. I imagine their busy season will return when the next heat wave arrives to town.

Mike Allen

Great gluten free blueberry muffin. Enjoyed the monkey bread. Both paired well with the mochas.

David Boyette

Kenneth Taylor

Gluten free options are NOT actually gluten free. Not good for those with Celiac disease or high sensitivity.

Josie Pappas

Food was great! Happy hour did not have many options. The menu didn’t include any gluten free notes but the receipt had it. Definitely would dine again. Fish tacos on homemade corn tortillas were excellent.

andy martin

One of the best Americanos I have ever had. Coffee was so smooth and rich. Love the concept and Eddie is super fun to talk to! Had some gluten free goodies from Honey B with my coffee, this gem is not to be missed! 💜