Top 36 Gluten-Free Lunch Spots to Discover in Downtown Raleigh

Meg Cosgrove

Everything was wonderful. They were able to work with our food allergies without issue. They accommodated gluten free, nut free, and even a garlic free guest! Room is beautiful, staff was on top of everything, would definitely recommend.

Parish Wolfe

Bida Manda is amazing. I go there regularly and it’s always a good experience. They have a lot of gluten free options and the menu is well marked for gluten.

madison spaulding

My friends suggested here and I was skeptical because Im gluten free and its so hard to find a good Italian place with gluten free options. Needless to say I was blown away. I got the Rigatoni con Pollo alla Panna with gf pasta and it was delicious. The service was great and the food was amazing. Definitely will be back and looking forward to it!

Caroline Gardner

We had reservations so we were seated quickly. We each had a drink which was wonderful. Our server was kind, but we were given takeout boxes for our entrees and the check upon receiving our food without time to enjoy our meal. The gluten free options are limited, and the pasta was a bit of a let down.

Steph

I love popping in to Centro for lunch. Great, quick service, and reliably awesome food. The flautas and tacos are my favorites - and they even have a gluten free fried chicken taco which is so so good!

Dawn Lineman

Love that it’s completely gluten free I have celiac and anxiety when trying new places but my biggest concern was what to eat I chose the khalessi bowl and hot mocha omg soooo gooooo if you like clean juice you will love this my partner had avacado toast and couldn’t tell it was gf wish I lived closer

Randy Earl

This was my first visit to Bad Daddy's. I have Celiac disease, so gluten free options are extremely important to me, and it's a real treat for me to have a proper burger-in-a-bun rather than a lettuce wrap, even if it is a GF bun (they tend to fall apart without gluten to hold them together; no fault of the restaurant). My burger was delicious; I'll definitely come back when I need a burger fix. However, my review is mixed because I found the ambience lacking - the music was loud and of what I considered to be an obnoxious selection (personal taste, I know, but hey, it's my review). Also my menu was dirty, which was a real turn-off. A few customer-focused tweaks and it could be a five-star experience for me, but currently it's not.

Olivia Obeng

This place really is great! It's nice that it can fit a party that's big or small. There's even a long table inside that can genuinely fit about 16ish people, I didn't count exactly but was really impressed with it. The food was also great- I loved all the Dim Sum and the non-alcoholic drinks. They have a lot of gluten free options also, which is super nice!

Julia Summers

Elizabeth Fieno

Entrees are giant and the lettuce chicken wraps are the best thing on the menu. Super gluten free friendly

Laura Bernhard

Love this place! The gluten-free wraps are delicious!

Liz F

I don’t usually seek out Italian but I’m so glad I came here. It’s a family run place, with super authentic food and amazing staff. I got gluten free pizza and they also have gluten free pasta. Prices are wonderful.

Ieshia Baskett

I need more vegan choices and also where is the fruit choices. Is vegan need that gluten too. Not much to choose from of you ask me.

Shanah Bell

We stopped into Transfer Food Hall while downtown hanging out. They had a lot of gluten free and vegetarian options for me. I decided to try the Palak Paneer and the Onion Bhaji (vegan) as an appetizer since I'd never tried them before. Both were delicious and and the portion sizes were huge! The staff was exceptionally helpful and friendly. I will definitely be back again.

Bianca Lupan

We love coming to Sono Sushi when we are in Raleigh. We had another great dinner tonight - our server was Hannah. I appreciate that they have some gluten free roll options and gluten free soy sauce. Their cocktails and sake are also great!

Tracy Willis

I have dined here 4 times. I want to love it so much: The food it good. Although cold savory crepes aren’t my favorite the flavors are good. The service is the absolute worst. Warm water, never refilled unless you can literally run someone down. Our crepe (all 4 times) took over an hour! I kept trying to talk to our waitress but each time she reacted like I was asking her to walk to the moon and back. The last time and yes it will be the last time I go, I brought a friend for her birthday for a gluten free crepe: She has celiacs - which we told our waitress 3 times. She was also extremely annoyed at us for mentioning that 3 times. The dessert crepe came out after a 40 minute wait and it was not gluten free. My friend went to take a bite and noticed it wasn’t buckwheat: we are pretty nice women, but after an hour and 45 minutes at this point, WE were annoyed. We received no apologies, not offer to quickly re make a crepe, nothing. I was so embarrassed I had recommended Press for her celebration. Please work on the service so I can enjoy a crepe in a fun location.

Hanitua Teai

This was my first time at Mofu and I will absolutely go back! I have Celiacs and the entire restaurant was kindly accommodating to help me avoid Gluten. The menu also has some delicious Gluten free options. The assistant manager waited on us and was the friendliest person, he gave me a whole list of gluten free options and offered me substitutions to make other menu items Celiacs friendly. My meal came out 3-5 min after my parties due to an error in the kitchen and he was kind enough to comp their delicious Vietnamese Coffee Mousse - wholly unnecessary as I was not bothered, but highly appreciated! Myself and my friends had a great meal, great drinks and the best time!

Matt Berno

Sir Walter Coffee is definitely a great place to go no matter your mood. They have a decent-sized beverage menu including everything from spirits to Kombucha and while they don't have the most extensive coffee selection, their coffee is quite good. Also, they have gluten free pastries available and a few food offerings if you're wanting something to nibble on. Give it a try if you're in the area

Shanah Bell

Always a good time. I wish they had more gluten free beer options, but at least they had a Glutenberg and a Green's. The nachos were pretty good and a great compliment to the late night trivia.

Fred Lybrand

Best gluten free gf smash burger in America. Spicy pineapple jaalpeno drink was meh.

Lennon Cabral

Stopped here for a quick bite (second dinner) after spending some time in downtown Raleigh. Not only was the food excellent, the service was great too! This was a perfect spot to sit for some food on a hot summer night. The chorizo quesadilla was delicious and the spicy margarita was no joke! This is also a great option for those who are gluten-free.

Shanah Bell

Not a lot of gluten free vegan options to be had here. However, the manager and her staff were all phenomenally knowledgeable about their offerings. They were able to make the garlic edamame appetizer gluten free for us but swapping Tamari for the soy sauce. My husband and I both agreed that this was, by far, the best edamame appetizer we've ever had. The Green sushi roll was made gluten free for me as well by swapping out the sauce the tofu is usually tossed in for a side of Tamari to dip the sushi in. I love that the tofu pieces were rolled in cornstarch for a light crunch and served on top of the sushi with some delicious microgreens. We've been having a difficult time finding some good sushi/Asian food that can be made both gluten free and vegan and this place certainly hit the mark. Definitely one of the best well hidden gems in the area we have yet to find! Only wish they would offer one or 2 more things gluten free and vegan ah that I could have a bit more of a choice. That would give them 5 stars.

Noël Lemen

Surprisingly reasonably priced, excellent quality food that was both kid-friendly and adult-friendly. It's simple fare- soups, wraps, and sandwiches, mostly, but all very good. There were also plenty of vegetarian options and while I didn't check, I presume also some gluten-free. The coffee bar was solid, and there were even some local brews. All in all, I was super impressed and so were the kids.

R Sebeck

One of our favorite places to take visitors to Raleigh! Great options, great atmosphere. I’m gluten free and always eat here confident that I won’t be sick afterwards! Our friends love the quick but delicious food, the option to sit outside, and the great location!

Luke Stephens

Rate this a 3.5... not bad, but not awe inspiring. The menu is limited. If you are gluten free you basically have 2 choices. Food was ho hum. I got the BBQ sandwich (wanted the catfish but I didn't see the "after 5" fine print). It could have been a lot better. The sauce on it was flavorless and the Asian slaw just cabbage. Service was ok. Nice location and atmosphere but the total open format makes the room cold and noisy. Work on some tastier dishes and being more accommodating to alternative dietary needs. Wait staff needs to up their game a little on the personality front.

Joshua Ratliff

For over a decade, I have enjoyed my finest celebrations in life with Poole's Dinner. The ambiance is energetic and like a step back in time with the 40s decore. Thank you to the staff for never disappointing, always being kind, and exceeding expectations. My partner and I headed out to Raleigh to celebrate my new job. An especially trying year sent packing with one exquisite meal. To start, we had the tuna tartar. The NC tuna was beyond the quality you'd expect at a sushi bar. The tuna was perfectly chopped but not to a paste. It was wonderfully dressed with cider aioli and topped with ripe, creamy avocado. The tobiko provided a delightful pop and brininess. The chicken liver pate is my favorite starter Poole's serves. The mustards are fantastic, and the compote is a perfect pairing with the smooth and luscious pate. All this was served with seasoned cucumber slices to accommodate my partners gluten allergy. Again, kindness prevails at Poole's. Our main was simply the best tenderloin I've ever tasted. I'm not a tenderloin fan, but this blew me away by the endless flavor. Usually lacking in a tenderloin, in my opinion, but not on this occasion. The meat was velvet on the tongue and melted into an amazing bite with the garlic and spicy carrot top chimmichurri that it was paired with. Served with brown butter carrots, fingerling potatoes, crunchy spiced pine nuts, and finished with a bed of tangy whipped feta. The final exquisite touch was a perfectly salty and savory sauce. My partner had the triple smoked au jus roasted chicken. She refuses to get anything else and has said it is her final meal request. LoL the chicken was paired with the lightest, creamiest whipped potatoes. Worth another mention is the amazingly deep and rich au jus. For our "Nexts" we had to order the house specialty, Mac and cheese. As my company couldn't partake due to gluten, the waitress was so kind as to ask for a half portion for myself. Again, kindness. We also enjoyed the cauliflower with oyster mushrooms, sherry, and cream. Surprisingly, this side was one of the stars of the show, and I am definitely making this side for the holidays. A new tradition begins. We didn't have room for dessert this go-a-round, but the creme de pot is always a win no matter the variation, and the chefs cobblers are devine. I so desired the banana and chocolate pie, but alas, my waistline pleaded to stop. Please treat yourself if you are in town, or celebrating, or just want to experience amazingly crafted food. They are expanding this week, which is great news for us faithful. More seats for us all to enjoy Ashley Christensen's creative southern cooking, served by talented and helpful staff. Thank you, Poole's dinner, for once again, making a special night more memorable and with... kindness.

Kirsten Currie

Wow!!!! How do I describe my Wednesday night visit to LaGana? Perfection. We were treated with such care and the food was phenomenal. I had the Bradford burger because they said the meat is cooked more on the rare side (as opposed to the Textbook which is the thinner, smash burger style—my boyfriend got that and it was super good too). The combination of the blue cheese, sauce and patty was sublime. 👌🏼 For dessert we had the chocolate cake which was perfection. The man who made the desserts happened to be there and he was so sweet—he even let us sample some gluten free chocolate cake that he was preparing. Apparently they feature an Omakase once a month with like several courses and music etc. I will definitely try to make one of those! All in all I thought it was such a unique, fine-dining yet casual, heart-warming meals I’ve had in a while.

Mairin O'Brien

This is the best food hall in Raleigh. Every single place has incredible food, and they're all very kind and helpful with food sensitivities. For gluten free food, I love the empanadas, yatai, and chhotes. Friends and family who don't have dietary restrictions have tried dumplings from bulbox, ramen and pork buns from yatai, and cookies and ice cream. All have been a hit.

Kristina Turple

I had the veggie ramen and it was absolutely delicious and I completely recommend. The reason for the low rating is because they charge $2 to swap ramen for rice noodles. Rice noodles are cheaper but there’s still an up charge just because I can’t eat gluten

Scott Kleist

They have gluten free fryer so nachos are possible for you gf peeps out there. Carne asada is tender and has a nice even slow spicy burn to it which I love.

Adventures of Valley

Quick and super good! They even have excellent gluten free bread!!

Caitlin Williams

I got their smoked chicken legs which were incredible. They don't have a lot of gluten free options, but some of the sides and the smoked chicken legs don't have flour in them.

Isaac Estrada

Their barbacoa tacos are the real deal! If you like authentic Mexican food, this is the place for you. They have varios salsas with varying levels of hotness. There’s also optional cilantro and chopped onions if you want to add to your tacos but no limes. Plenty of gluten free options and Mexican sodas. Fantastic location and atmosphere.

Terry Baudoin

Plenty of gluten free meats and sauces. Was told all meats, rubs, and sauces were gluten free. It’s been a number of hours since we ate and I’m ok. Sampled brisket, bbq chicken, jalapeño cheese sausage, and ribs. Yum!! Ask for the spicy bbq sauce. Just has a hint of habanero, excellent but not too spicy. Great to have some real HARDWOOD SMOKED food. Just need gluten free bread and Mac. lol. Btw, those from Austin, Texas will surely appreciate the very close “queso”. NO IT NOT CHEESE DIP DAMNIT. It Queso! Try it. It’s the recipe of the VOTED best BBQ IN THE WORLD. Valentina’s BBQ in Buda, Texas. Native Texan. T.

Crystal Simmons

The menu was diverse and accommodate gluten free and dairy free. It was absolutely delicious. We had a party of six and seating was kind of tight. The staff were very friendly, accommodating and quick.

Rainer Zarzour

Matt did an excellent job with our gluten free order ensuring everything was correct and not cross contaminated.