Top 17 Gluten-Free Allergen-Friendly Spots to Enjoy in Grand Rapids

Kaila Kiaunis

Title: A Gluten-Free Haven with Room for Improvement Rating: 3/5 stars As someone with celiac disease, it's a rare treat to dine at a completely gluten-free restaurant like Papa Chops. I was thrilled to finally eat out with my family, especially on Mother's Day weekend. The food selection was great, and I ordered a variety of dishes, including fish and chips, burgers, and a pork sandwich. The food itself was good, but the service fell short of expectations. When I went inside to ask for lemon and tartar sauce with my fish and chips, the cashier was surprisingly rude and snippy. She even checked my receipt to see if I had paid for the food, which made me feel uncomfortable, especially in front of my kids. There was also a miscommunication about ranch dressing, which added to the frustration. Despite the good food, the service issues left a sour taste. With a bit more attention to customer service, Papa Chops could truly shine as a gluten-free destination. For now, I'd recommend it for the food, but with the caveat to be prepared for potential service inconsistencies. Price: $80 (before tip) Would I go back? Maybe. I'd like to give them another chance to show me better service.

Jennifer Bosman

Anyone who is gluten-free and Dairy free knows that finding treats is difficult. Love the options here!

Gramarcy Firlie

Absolutely incredible every time! My spouse and I make the long drive up from Cincinnati, Ohio every couple of months just to experience the joy of an allergy friendly breakfast! We are both cross-contamination sensitive celiac, as well as having some other odd (and common!) allergies between us, such as apples, eggs, and peanuts. Anna's House handles this all with no problem! We have never had a single reaction eating here. This time we had the pleasure of meeting Sharlet, who came out to our table to personally deliver our food, reassuring us that everything was safe, and even listed some of the ingredients for us! She was incredibly warm, kind, and happy to get to know us, as well as incredibly knowledgeable about the food she was serving us! Anna's house has separate preparation areas as well as the cutest little 'ALLERGY' picks that they place in your food so you KNOW it's safe! Thank you anna's house, but especially thank you to Shar, who made us feel so welcome and safe.

alyssa veres

Their sandwiches and GF treats are so amazing! whenever i come to town for lunch this is my go to stop!

Taylor M

Frosty Boy was my go to spot for gluten free ice cream. I was extremely disappointed on my last visit. I asked for a gluten free cone and the employee told me she needed to check to make sure they had enough gf cones left. She told me they only had 1 more box but I could not order it because they were “saving them for later customers.” She was rude and unaccommodating. What happened to a first-come first-serve policy?

Island Ewert

Awesome food and selections. Very filling. Most sandwiches can be made gluten free and they note if it's an allergy! Quality and filling gluten free options.

Clare Liening

Had the best tapas paired with the best service from Derick, our waiter. Loved that they had a gluten free baguette with pesto, and all of our food was delicious.

Tracy Butcher

First visit here was several years ago on an overnight stay for a concert. Today I had to go back because that time was so good. Today I went and sat at the bar for brunch the staff (all 4 I encountered) were friendly and helpful answering questions and making suggestions that made my visit amazing. I went for this avocado toast gluten free with added egg and coffee, followed up with a citrus drink they mixed for me (not cocktail) that was the perfect refresher after the delicious meal. 10/10 recommend going here when in Grand Rapids, it is a super adorable yet smaller space so try to go outside the typical meal times or be patient and willing to wait. It’s worth it in my opinion.

Megan Foster

The cocktails were yummy and very reasonably priced ( most around 10$ with more than decent liquor). Our server was great and very attentive. I had the hoppin jane dish. As a gluten free, vegan I thought it was very delicious. Be sure you ask for extra green goddess dressing as it really made the dish. So flavorful! I wish I lived closer, this would become a regular for me! We would love a Noco in the Ann Arbor area!

Jessika Wolfsen

Super food ribs, fell right off. Shows what is gluten free too.

Freeman Outside

Absolutely fun and welcoming atmosphere! People are friendly and open. Family friendly, allergy conscious, super affordable, and overall great vibe. Love the local art that envelopes the walls. All staff was very accommodating and diverse. Will make this a regular stop! Gluten free nachos were so good and fed me and my teenage son with leftovers!

Aaron Lehrman

Good pub with a nice burger and fries. Service was a bit lacking, though nice. - Big Easy: Half pound standard burger ordered medium and got it medium. The burger was juicy and cooked the way I like it. The rest of the burger was fairly plain and not much else to write home about. The cheese was not melted much. I saw it had mustard and no ketchup, so I freaked and asked them for ketchup instead of mustard which they did. I thought the burger was a little overpriced compared to the many of the other places I have visited in the area. If it were that good, I wouldn’t have a problem paying the price, but it was too plain to charge $16 and only get chips. - Fries: I upgraded to the fries. They were again fairly plain, but done right. They are medium sized steak fries with a good fluffy center and medium softer outer skin. They stayed warm until the end and were cooked just right. - Crispy Brussels Sprouts: WOAH! Powerful taste. There are several well balanced flavors that were nonetheless screaming for attention on this dish. I do like brussel sprouts and these were great, but a bit too much. That said, the parmesan was added as large shavings rather than grated which gave a great texture. The bacon is always a nice touch. The sherry gastrique was very sweet and powerful. There was a sour flavor to it as well that hits you at first, but settles down as you become acquainted with the initial shock. I liked it and it is worth trying. You’ll have to be the judge, though. It is a unique flavor. Not on the menu, but they have gluten free buns. Also, their Barnyard Burger was listed apart from the other burgers and I missed it. Their menu needs a bit of organization. They also have Shepherd’s Pie. Maybe I’ll come back and try that some time. They also list specials on their website. They are mostly drinks, though. I do see occasional specials for food listed on their Facebook page. - Service: We were greeted at the door immediately and seated at a booth at our request. However, that is where it seemed to go downhill. We looked over our menu and were ready to order and waited a good while (it was NOT that busy). Finally, I ended up sticking my head into the isle and being served by someone who wouldn’t have served us otherwise. Waters were finally brought (though never refilled) and our orders were taken. When served, it did come in a timely fashion, though. Paying also took a while. We had the credit card on the table for a good 5 minutes or more waiting to pay. BEWARE: The tip by default is 25% when paying by credit card. I didn’t notice until it was too late, especially since we were trying to get out as soon as possible since it was taking too long. I would NOT have tipped that much for our experience. Lesson learned. - Atmosphere: The booths have hard wooden backs, but cushioned seats (a bit worn, but not bad at all). The wood is warn down I think on purpose. It gives it that old-world feel they boast of. I felt like we were in Ireland or Scotland. There is a decent amount of old-world decor and the main of the inside is dark wood. It was overall comfortable in spite of the wooden backs. The music playing in the background was almost imperceptible. I could not hear it unless I really listened for it. Talking to my wife was not an issue and I appreciated that. The bathrooms were a tad small, but were okay. My wife mentioned the women’s room was a bit unclean, but I didn’t think the men’s room was bad. To call this place a “gastropub” (according to their Google Maps description) I think is a bit of a stretch. I think it is more of a pub with a slightly greater emphasis on the food than a pub. Maybe somewhere in the middle. I am guessing they have been around for almost 14 years (November 5, 2010 according to their Facebook page). Visited on a Friday night 7-8 PM. It was not terribly busy for a Friday and there were plenty of staff on hand from what I saw. Even a couple of the cooks came out for a few minutes.

Amy Smith

Great GR sushi spot! Sushi was awesome! Lots of choices with gluten free options. Service was spot on.

Yvonne Alexander

Worst ramen I’ve had- very bland and did not taste authentic. A lot of authentic ramen shops offer soba noodles, which are a great gluten free option, but the noodles here did not compare, and dissolved in the broth immediately, which was very unappetizing.

David Gentry

An incredible steaks with phenominal service. I sat at the bar and if you get Adam your service level will exceed any expectation. The dry aged NY Stripe Oscar Style paired with a Woodford Reserve Old Fashion created a party on my palate. The gluten-free Cheesy Brazilian pop-over bread is a must that would have made my Gkuten-Free friends run around punching the homless.

Megan D.

One of my go-to spots for Chinese close to downtown Grand Rapids. The staff is very friendly, the food is amazing, and I don't have to worry about my dietary restrictions since gluten free and dairy free items are clearly listed on the menu

Aileen Baab

Build your own tacos were very tasty and gluten-free