Top 6 Gluten-Free Lunch Spots to Enjoy in Northside, Cincinnati

Cassie

I ordered the redskin potatoes and vegetarian cheesesteak. The redskin potatoes were DELICIOUS! Very well seasoned and tender. The only complaint is the ketchup/sauce does not have much flavor and is quite thin. You have to pack it on to taste anything. Other than that, amazing potatoes! The vegetarian cheesesteak was also pretty good but I felt it was missing something. It needed more zing or seasoning of some sort but I couldn't put my finger on it. Maybe onion powder? Italian seasoning? Not too sure, but regardless I had never tried the vegetarian meat option on this cheesesteak and I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. I also loved the amount of peppers on there. Additionally, my husband ordered the nachos so I got to take some (a lot) of bites. They were also very tasty. My only complaint is the toppings aren't layered on the chips. This means you eat the top layer and are left with naked chips on the bottom. I give the food overall a 4/5! The pricing was nice for the portions. No complaint there, especially considering the allergy friendly options that we ordered due to my mom's gluten allergy. The atmosphere was chill. There were a decent amount of people there but for a group of 3 it was hard to find seating. We only had one option: put 2 small tables together, and there were only 2 small tables left. The staff was very friendly and happy to answer any questions we had. I'm pregnant and was worried I couldn't try my husband's nachos (queso is usually a watchout for pregnant women), but the staff reassured us that the queso was vegetarian/vegan (can't remember which one). Very nice and friendly people for sure. Would I come back to this establishment? Yes! It's not my typical food style but my mom has been wanting to try it and I was pleasantly surprised as well. I recommend you try it too.

Ria Villaver Collins

Hole-in-the-wall burger place in Northside doesn't quite live up to the gem in its hidden gem status. Ordered the "Hammstein", "Buns n Rose's black bean", and vegan "James Brownie" milkshakes. Pros: Large variety of eclectic burgers, including a couple vegan options, all with fun, quirky names. They also offer gluten free & pretzel buns. Though it fell apart easily, I appreciated that the bean burger seemed fresh and handmade - could see the beans. Milkshakes can be made with vegan ice cream (coconut ice cream & almond milk). Fries were great, and burgers tasted decent. Cons: Limited seating in a tight space. Atmosphere is a little grungy, and staff seemed stressed and rushed despite there not being many people. Vegan milkshake was like syrup - not good. Biggest issue: Staff were NOT knowledgeable about dietary restrictions. I asked if the milkshakes were entirely vegan or if it was just an ice cream swap > was told it was totally vegan > turns out the mix-ins are not necessary vegan (the brownie had egg and I had to ask 4 times before I got that answer.) Sadly, can't say I'll be back.

Bryan Lierer

The Kitchen Factory is a lifeline for people who are dairy and gluten free. I haven't tried anything that hasn't tasted great and you could never tell anything has even been substituted. Thank you Reese and Dillon for allowing us to have pizza and mac n' cheese again! Looking forward to enjoying a meal in the newly remodeled dining room soon.

Anna DeHondt

We love this spot in town and the people who work there are always so kind and welcoming! Great atmosphere and a wonderful spot for vegan/ gluten free food.

Maggie Groff

Great burger and fries, and they have a gluten free bun!

Aaron Rapport

Ok so this is on the Cincinnati chili trail and has been marked as a lot of people's favorite so I had to try it. We got in quickly, it's seat yourself so be prepared to hangout waiting for a table to be bussed after a group gets up (which is really quick). The bar is also a good choice (it reminds me of the old school soda bars or diner bars, stools and all). We sat down right after the table was bussed and a large group of people sat at the bar but the wait staff didn't slow down a beat. Are drinks were out shortly after that. After chatting with our server we found out that she is the granddaughter of the founder of blue Jay restaurant and is helping run it now. I am gluten free so chili places can be challenging for me (Cincinnati Chili especially) but she made me feel right at home and got our orders made quickly and it was very very good. It's hard to rate places without having them next to each other but as far as Cincinnati Chili goes this is easily in the top 3 I've had so far.