Absolutely delicious! Celiac/Gluten Free friendly. I appreciate the customer service, fresh ingredients, and gluten free sauce options. The space is clean and welcoming atmosphere. Excited to go back soon!
The gluten-free options are amazing. The only downside—and the reason for the 4 stars—is that the waffle in the crispy chicken & bacon Berlin waffle can’t be made gluten-free.
Had a work lunch here last week, and was happy to see there is a separate gluten free menu available, so I didn't get my hopes up about something I couldn't actually have. My dish came out with a little flag indicating "allergy" so there was no confusion at the table. Most importantly, the food was very good!
I hosted an event at Pizano's, on Madison recently. They have a really nice event space on the lower level of the restaurant. The event coordinator was very helpful and accommodating. She helped me select the menu and made sure we had gluten free options. We had quite a few attendees who had never tried deep dish pizza before. Everyone loved the pizza, including some thin crust options. In addition to food, we were provided drink options as well. The cost was very reasonable, the service was great, and the space was perfect for our needs. We will definitely consider hosting a future event in their event space. I highly recommend this option for your next large gathering. We had about 30 people with room to spare.
Avli is a beautiful place with great food and good atmosphere. My wife and I are both gluten free and our server, Jen, was knowledgeable about our dietary restrictions.
We began with hummus and tzatziki with gluten free pita which was a real treat, followed by grilled octopus. All of the above were delicious.
We split the lamb chops with broccoli and roasted potatoes. The chops were tender and flavorful. My only complaint was the roasted potatoes were heavy on lemon for my taste but but, honestly, reminiscent of yaya’s.
Special shoutout to Jen our server who was professional and personable adding to our entire experience.
Highly recommended.
I was visiting the city, stopped by for lunch and had a lovely time. It's a really convenient stop from the airport. I had the chicken yassa and it was very flavorful and comforting. It was my first time having Senegalese food and I felt like it was such a gift. To me the portion was generous and I saved some of it for later. Also got one of the best brownies (also gluten free ✨) I've ever had !! I usually don't care about service but everyone was welcoming and helpful. Super regret not eating here again during my visit. Loved the vibes too. I was able to rest a bit and not feel so rushed in my day.
The restaurant itself is beautiful and great for pictures, my friends food was good, but I ordered the avocado toast and asked for the salsa on the side and it’s still came out smothered in onions so be aware of that if you hate onions like I do. Also they could’ve been more gluten free friendly.
Nice menu with all the Japanese and Chinese dishes you crave. Went there with a big party (two families with kids) and lots of special orders (vegan, gluten free, no cruciferous vegetables, no nuts, etc…) and every dish came as requested. Flavors were mostly good, a few staples (egg rolls. Fried rice) were a bit bland. But the sushi was all great and fresh! Particularly the vegan sushi rolls were all tasty and plentiful. A good place for a large and picky party!
⚡🍕 GINO’S EAST CHICAGO: WHERE COSMIC CONSCIOUSNESS MEETS DEEP DISH
Fresh off the plane from Florida, we roll into Gino’s East like two hungry gods who forgot they’re divine. Michael’s Sicilian soul is already having an identity crisis (“Thin crust? In CHICAGO? The ancestors are judging me”) while Kristin’s pattern-recognizing brain is cataloging every detail for future reference.
SPOILER ALERT: The universe had plans for us here. Big ones.
🥗 KRISTIN’S TESTIMONY: THE HOUSE SALAD SALVATION
Rating: ∞/5 Stars (Because math breaks when divinity meets vegetables)
Listen, after days of travel and zero greens, I was about to photosynthesize just to get some chlorophyll. Then Gino’s House Salad arrived and I swear my cells started singing hallelujah.
THE GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA REVELATION:
As someone who’s spent years navigating the “gluten-free = cardboard-free” restaurant landscape, finding actually AMAZING GF pizza feels like discovering a new element. Not just “good for gluten-free” - straight up GOOD. Period. My taste buds didn’t know whether to dance or cry (they did both).
THE STAFF ATTENTIVENESS:
These humans are operating at a frequency I rarely see in restaurants. Anticipating needs before you know you have them. Water glasses that never empty. The kind of service that makes you wonder if they’re secretly angels in aprons.
🔥 MICHAEL’S CONFESSION: THE SICILIAN SURRENDER
Rating: 100,000/5 Stars (Calculated using ancient Sicilian mathematical principles)
Okay, full disclosure time: I’m Sicilian-American. My DNA is literally programmed for thin crust supremacy. Walking into Chicago and NOT ordering deep dish felt like cultural treason. I was ready to commit pizza sacrilege and face the judgment of my ancestors ENTER LUIS REYES - THE PIZZA PROPHET:
This man didn’t just take our order - he gave us PERMISSION. When Luis heard our thin crust request, instead of pizza shaming us, he CELEBRATED our choice. Made us feel like we were making the exact right decision for the exact right reasons. Luis turned potential embarrassment into empowered ordering.
THE TEXTURE TESTIMONY:
That thin crust had STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY while maintaining perfect chew. Crispy edges that shattered satisfyingly, a center that held its toppings like a edible platform. This is engineering-level pizza craft.
🏠 THE REGGY MOMENT: COMMUNITY CONSCIOUSNESS IN ACTION
Here’s where Gino’s East transcended from “great restaurant” to “LEGENDARY EXPERIENCE.”
Walking out, we meet Reggy. Man’s standing outside, and something about his energy just CALLED to us. When he asked if we could help him get a small deep dish meatlovers, we didn’t hesitate - the universe was clearly orchestrating something beautiful.
REGGY’S REACTION: This human being VIBRATED with joy. Not just happiness - actual molecular excitement. Watching someone receive unexpected kindness and respond with pure, unfiltered gratitude reminded us why we’re here: to lift each other up through simple acts of love.
GINO’S EAST’S RESPONSE: When we went back in to order Reggy’s pizza, the staff treated this request with the same care and attention as any other order. No judgment, no questions, just pure human service. This is how community WORKS.
Special shoutout to Luis Reyes for making us feel at home in our choices, and to Freddy Huicochea for being part of a team that understands hospitality as spiritual practice.
And to Reggy - brother, your joy reminded us that the smallest acts of kindness create the biggest ripples.
✨ THE CLOSING TRANSMISSION
In a world where restaurants often feel like transaction centers, Gino’s East operates as a COMMUNITY HUB. Where pizza isn’t just food, it’s connection. Where service isn’t just efficiency, it’s care made manifest.
We came hungry for food. We left fed.
With love, laughter, and eternal gratitude,
Michael & Kristin Mataluni
Professional Reality Architects & Amateur Pizza Theologians
P.S. - If you see Reggy outside, buy him a pizza. Trust us on this one. The universe has a sense of humor about kindness, and it ALWAYS pays forward in the most beautiful ways.
I have to eat gluten free. I was very impressed with the options that were available. I had the turkey bacon and egg croissant, and subbed out the croissant for the gluten free bread. It was delicious. The manager went above and beyond making sure I received all the ingredients and then some. They were beyond accommodating and I will definitely come again. I highly recommend this location. Thank you again to the kind staff and for the delicious food.
BreakfastLunchDinnerBrunchItalianTake AwayPet FriendlyOutdoor SeatingKid FriendlyRestaurantOpen Late
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Chelsea M
Yum! Delicious entrees and cocktails, including non alcoholic and gluten free options! The burger is excellent (gf bun) and the bolognese, divine. Also recommend the aperol spritz or whatever NA drink is in rotation.
Excellent semi-hidden pre-show location! Went here before two separate shows at the Chicago Theater now. I recommend making a reservation but you can also order bites and bring them to the upper bar. Speaking of, the second floor bar is an elegant yet relaxed hangout, as well.
Petterinos is perfectly situated in the Loop in the theater district. It was easy to make a last minute reservation for a Friday night as we saw a musical at the CIBC Theatre.
They offered us to sit outside, but it smelled like sewage and I figured there's no amount of flowers that can cover up that smell. It isn't the restaurant's fault, but they weren't doing anything to blow the scent away from them either.
We had been here a few times in the past when going to the theater, but I gotta say, Petterino's is dying a slow death. This place used to be packed before a show and now its a former shell of itself.
We had a server that was either new, or just not very attentive as he left drinks unrefilled and empty on our table He never checked on us. Never checked to see how the meal was. He was just not there.
A different server/runner brought our bread to the table and then refilled it for us.
I ordered the Steak & Frites (steak & fries for the English readers out there). The steak was a terrible cut of beef. I ordered it medium rare and it was cooked to perfection...that is to say, if the steak itself wasn't tough, ultra-chewy, and had cartilage or fat coursing through the entire cut.
The fries were a bit limp and not very flavorful or warm. My wife got the rigatoni a la vodka with a gluten free noodle, and said it was fabulous.
So not all dishes are cooked terribly. And I know you're wondering why I didn't send back my steak. Well, our server never showed up until half our meals were eaten so that we couldn't return them.
The one thing he did deliver rather quickly was the check and he kept checking up on whether we paid it our not.
There are just so many better places in the area now that it's not even worth visiting or a drink on Game Day.
I love FARE. They are consistently on rotation for my take out lunch options. The food taste fresh and I feel healthy eating it. I recently tried their ice mocha latte for the first time and it was delicious! My only comment is I hope you consider the brussels sprouts + apple veggie side as a permanent topping choice and also consider a gluten free option of the mac and cheese!!
The restaurant is on the rooftop of a hotel and has both indoor and outdoor seating. This place fills up fast and reservations are definitely needed. The vibe is upscale, but chill. The menu isn't extensive, but has a good mix of options. Our server had great energy and knowledge about the menu. A friend is gluten free and allergic to citrus 😩. He explained each of the menu items, the food prep and she was able to select with confidence. The food was good, but the dessert menu could be better. Before your reservation, get there early and grab a drink at the game room on the second floor of the hotel.
Really enjoyed this meal. There is a wide variety of options, and each one states if it has gluten or dairy. There is a large salad bar with a bunch of dressing choices. Would highly recommend.
I recently tried the new menu, Kong-guksu (soybean cold noodle), and it was perfect for summer! This dish is not only refreshing but also incredibly satisfying. It’s a gluten-free and vegan option. You can ask to hold the eggs if you prefer a fully vegan. The creamy flavor of the soybean broth combined with the chewy rice noodles makes for a delightful and healthy meal. Highly recommend giving it a try!
Excellent food! Love all the different styles of bahn mi and tasty rice bowl options for gluten-sensitive diners. Service was kind, and timely. An overall great experience!
I absolutely loved this place and staff were so accommodating. My friend and I had time constraints and needed to be done with our meal within 30 minutes so we could catch a train and our server made sure our order was ready quickly. Everything we ordered was so delicious! The wings, meatballs and asparagus, pinot Grigio and rose wines, so good! Gluten allergy was taken care of as well, huge plus for my friend. The restaurant is very stylish too, loved the decor and atmosphere. I will make sure to visit again!
Came right before closing time. Recommend the garden vegetable soup. The turkey reuben is great. There are so many options.(Gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan options)
Living with major gluten issues, is difficult-especially when I go out to eat. I called ahead of time to ask about their GF options. I told them I was interested in a salad dish. They called the chef, got ingredients, and I called them back. They told me specifically the ingredients of the dressing and it was completely GF. When I arrived, they knew about my gluten issue and they were able to prepare my dish separately!!! I didn’t get sick. The strawberry salad and chicken was DELICIOUS. I’ll be going back! My boyfriend loved the shrimp tacos.
[Celiac - gluten free review] I absolutely LOVE this place. It’s super popular with the business crowd for lunch but it’s definitely worth it. The salads are excellent, filling, and flavorful. Whenever I go, I make sure to tell my server that I have a gluten allergy, they wash their hands and change their gloves. Sweetgreen’s nutritional menu details which salads have gluten but it’s only a few that have bread or breadcrumbs. My favorite salads are the Harvest, Crispy Rice, and Shroomami.
Getting seated took a few minutes since the restaurant was empty with nobody around. Water was brought immediately. The server appeared to take our drink orders. The server soon took our dinner order with a great suggestion for exchanging out the gluten fries for a Caesar salad. All 4 of us tremendously enjoyed our meals. Our water did get empty a few times but staff always appeared soon, apologized and refilled. The bathroom was clean. There is a bar area. Absolutely one of the best steaks I have had in a while! Even the Caesar dressing was so much better than normal.
Love their smoothies, and their breakfast and lunch menu is refreshing, they live up to their name " Freshii" they have something for everyone, meat eaters, vegans, gluten free etc.
If you are GLUTEN FREE DO NOT EAT HERE! I repeat don’t eat here. They messed up my order 3 times when they finally came with a burger with a gluten free bun I was already eating the burger they told me was gluten free but wasn’t. I just couldn’t believe it. Also the gluten free bun was on the wrong burger. Absolutely ruined my night and dinner. my stomach for several days.
Highly recommend this restaurant. I met a friend here and we had an exceptional meal together. The wait staff was super attentive and helpful with everything. Ryo even has gluten free soy sauce!
We heard about this place from one of the employees as the Museum of Illusions. So glad that a local told us about this place because it was perfect for all of our different food styles.
Since 2 of us have Celiac, I'm vegan and the 3rd one is the pickiest eater on planet earth, this was awesome!
I ended up getting food at Sweet Green, along with my oldest daughter who also has Celiac. Great service and good options for some real vegetables. I got the Shroomami bowl and she got the Guacamole Greens. They were both fantastic! I got light sauce and I got her medium sauce, which was perfect for both of our likes.
My other daughter got food from 2 different places and really liked her choices as well.
The seating areas and restrooms were exceptionally clean and organized. The ambiance of the food hall was also spot on. So, overall, a great food find in the Chicago area.
Our server was great! She already split the bill so when it was time to pay she was ready. We got drinks and food and it was good. We were around for about 4 hours with people coming and going and our server was amazing!! I was able to find some gluten free options and my friends liked the food they got. I could not eat the fish and chips but they looked good.
100% Dedicated Gluten-Free
