Top 14 Gluten-Free Kid-Friendly Spots to Explore in Beasley and Hamilton

Connor Dénommée

To prefix, I want to say that the staff at The Burnt Tongue have ALWAYS been great to deal with and accommodating. However, if you are a vegan, dairy free or have any dietary restrictions: AVOID THIS RESTAURANT 🚫 Their system for indicating vegan items is inherently busted. Items are marked with a “VVC” which translates to being vegan and celiac friendly on their little ordering guide. With that said, they have a little asterisk (*) that says to check about daily specials on a dish.. or something along those lines. The signage is confusing as the asterisk doesn’t say “may change what dietary restrictions are accommodated by this dish.” In my scenario, I ordered a soup marked as “VVC”… but there was cheese in the toppings. Whoever thought that putting dairy in a dish SPECIFICALLY NOTED as being vegan shouldn’t be allowed to add items to the menu. Again, the staff were fantastic at getting me a refund and courteous when on the phone. This doesn’t excuse the fact that The Burnt Tongue is negligently and FALSELY advertising dishes as being vegan/dairy free when they are, in fact, not. I should not have to ask if a vegan option is actually vegan.. this is dangerous to people who have severe food allergies and grossly incompetent. I will not be returning until they can make the appropriate changes to the listing process for their menu items. I and advising friends and family to go elsewhere until that change is made, too.

william wallace

We travelled 2 hours to eat dinner here. Destination choice. Us and our friends (4 top) The dining room was busy, loud and full of laughter. The Kitchen was on a lull when we sat down for our 7 pm table, as we had a front row seat to see what they are up to. What they are "up to" is a LOT. As is the whole restaurant. Great greeting at the door, good well timed and solid service by the whole team, table visit from the Manager to say hello and chat for a minute. Very well made drinks, good wine selection by the glass, big tables, nice big chairs. Details. They have these covered. As the second rush hit, and the Kitchen crew was heading into what I know was the second stretch of service in a 10+ hour day, they did not let up. All of the parts of the dishes we ordered had their full attention. The salad, venison carpaccio and squash fritters were delicious, proportional and looked fantastic. The frites on the burger and flat iron steak (both cooked as ordered, delicious and served hot) were crisp and seasoned. The gnocchi was so good my wife purposefully did not finish so she could take some home to have the next day and my duck leg had crispy skin, soft delicious meat and slightly textured cabbage, with potatoes, proper lardons and a balance of tart mustard. There was dessert too after all of that great food, a smooth and full-of-real-vanilla-bean brulee and a light lemon tart. Espresso martinis after the meal instead of coffee. I am a full blown celiac diner who understands that there will be dishes that I just cannot have and yet I had numerous menu choices as well as un-requested thoughtful additions provided (gluten free crackers for my carpaccio) This is a restaurant business that you can go to knowing that all of the people that are here are working to put out the very best over-all experience they can, and have been doing so for the past several years. In a changing time of eating out and deciding where to go and what to get, my wife put it perfectly - "Go somewhere that can exceed your expectations" The French does just that.

Cody Alexander

MYSTIC RAMEN IS THE BEST. Some of the best flavours I’ve ever tasted have been here. The staff are all so welcoming and enthusiastic. You can tell they all genuinely enjoy the food and love working there. The owner Heather, is so sweet - very involved and attentive to guests experiences. The decor is super cool and it always feels so cozy and intimate even when all tables are full! The Lava Lounge is a recent addition to their seating options - it’s super cute/cool!! They project anime on the wall which is awesome! (please play Demon Slayer sometime 😉) They offer delicious gluten free options (noodles too!) which is amazing for my wife! They’re really careful with allergies and such, so I’m pretty sure it would be a great ramen option for someone with Celiac. When family and friends visit from out of town, Mystic Ramen an essential stop! With so many amazing restaurants, Hamilton has no shortage of delicious food but it’s safe to say that Mystic Ramen is in my top 3 favourite restaurants in the city! *You guys are amazing!!! Thank you for giving us a beautiful experience every single time we come in ♡*

Dawn Stowell

ALL their waffles are GF gluten free by default. Default was never so delicious as this! The Belgium Waffles had a perfect texture with a buttery moist chewy yet delicate airy interior and a crispy golden exterior. You can't make them better than this! Yum!! Thank you for sharing your talent 🙏

Michelle Da Cruz

Hambrgr had great selection for burgers and were even able to easily accommodate my gluten dietary restriction with a delicious bun substitute. I ordered the Hawaiian Punch burger and it truly was one of the best burgers I've had in a long time. The pulled pork's BBQ sauce and sweet pineapples balanced out the saltiness of the fried onion topping and savoury beef burger. Side caesar salad was a little pricey at $6.00 for a small salad but was tasty and wasn't overwhelmed with too much dressing. I would order it again. Overall, Hambrgr is a great value for a gourmet burger and worth spending a couple extra dollars for a premium meal. I have gone twice and will be back.

P Lynch

Service was great. Servers share tables and are very attentive. Food comes out quick, and I enjoyed everything I ate. It's not licensed, which is a bit of a bummer if you're looking for a glass of wine, but they do have some good looking smoothies and non alcohol options for an additional charge. The menu is laid out nicely too, showing all available vegetarian and gluten free options in their own categories. Overall I was very satisfied with my meal, even if it was a bit on the pricey side.

Shivana Yoga

Super delicious food. Healthy and clean. Vegan and gluten free friendly. I highly recommend the Green Bar.

Endless Rats

No matter where I go across Ontario, I cannot find Café Oranje's equal. The staff, the atmosphere, the coffee, the food... There is no comparison. I am delighted each and every time I visit. If you are gluten-sensitive, there are always wheat-free options aplenty and their muffins are some of the best I have had in a long time. There is also gluten-free bread available if you want to get into any of their robust selection of sandwiches. And to any fans of oat milk, there is Earth's Own Barrista-style oat milk available. The coffee is excellent - fans of black coffee, rejoice. It needs nothing added to be enjoyed to it's fullest. I simply tend to order lattes as a matter of preference. The store is always clean and welcoming with an atmosphere that delights in clever simplicity. The owner reflects these values with her personable, easy wit, and her staff are always professional and courteous. I'm incredibly socially awkward and still, I find everyone who works here is really easy to talk to. I am also sound sensitive but never feel the need to drown out noise here. Guests trend towards intelligent or pleasant conversation at a reasonable volume, and that over the sound of smooth jazz or lo-fi beats makes for pleasant background noise. If you are someone who likes to work at the café, I have been using the space to draw and work on commission illustrations and have found it very easy to focus and get a lot done here. The front door is a little small and heavy, but the staff are super courteous and if you think you will have any trouble with it, flag them down and they will absolutely help you. It's worth noting for the sake of accessibility as well, the bathroom is a rather small single-person room that requires you to ascend about two or three steps. As a result of the size and age of the building, there is no wheelchair accessibility. The store is very lgbtq2+ friendly! I was asked for my pronouns (for context, I use they/them) and they have been well respected ever since. All in all, I love this café. It is easily my favourite in the province. I am moving away soon, so I will dearly miss it. But I hope that it will continue to thrive so that whenever I visit Hamilton, I can stop by for a while.

Kristina Klobucar

We hosted our wedding at The Diplomat and everything was incredible! Our event coordinator, Kyla, was super helpful throughout the whole planning process and answered all of our questions promptly. The restaurant is beautiful and required such minimal decor. The staff working the event made everything run so smoothly, from set up, to cocktail hour, to dinner service. The servers were amazing. The bartenders are so talented and our guests loved the cocktails. All of the food was DELICIOUS! Our favourite canapés were the fried halloumi and the chili chicken. The braised beef was to die for. There were vegan and gluten free options for our guests with dietary restrictions. Our guests raved about the food! I would highly recommend The Diplomat for hosting events!

Gina Ritchie

pro's. best gluten free pizza base i have ever tasted. best seitan pieces i have ever tasted. cons. the ghost buffalo sauce that accompanied the bucket of seitan pieces has been haunting my digestive system for 9 hours. the next time i order this sauce, and i will because i crave it, i will ask if it can be cut with something to reduce the scoville rating. i hope this is a request that can be accomodated. but congratulations. you win. well played.

Mila Sobin

Ordered delivery. Everything went really well. Thank you. You may want to add gluten-free bread to the options.

Heather V

Made gluten free. A malibu sandwich and oat latte. Fabulous

Shalana Switzer

Amazing space! The escape room was fun (we solved it!) And a great, fun environment throughout the building. We were upstairs with a group. I was worried I wouldn't be able to eat anything being brought for a big group (I have celiac and can't eat gluten) I was surprised how many things were naturally gluten free (including the shrimp and meatballs), but they also brought specifically gf crackers with the charcuterie board. So good! It didn't affect me, but they also have lots of dairy free options. Again, they had lactose free cheese with the charcuterie. Great experience! 5 stars! Will go back. I'd also like to know what the red sauce/jam was that came with the charcuterie. Absolutely delicious. Do you sell it in a jar so I can bring some home???

Amy Kapoor

Everything I could have asked for! I’m usually let down when I search for gluten-free vegan options in restaurants because either they don’t have the option or they don’t taste good. It was a refreshing experience to visit a place with a menu that offered gluten-free vegan options, and they actually tasted good! The food was delicious, and the in-house cocktails were a delightful surprise. Everything was so well-prepared that it’s no wonder they have a Michellin. Thank you for having me; I would love to return soon.