Top 9 Gluten-Free Spots with Outdoor Seating to Enjoy in Chicago Loop

Deniz Namik

The place itself was really clean, and the workers were super polite & nice!! Location is also good because you can buy a bowl and then walk on over to the lake, which is exactly what we did. In terms of food, I think there are better-tasting places and a better bang for your buck. This place is REALLY good for those who are gluten-free and also if you’re vegetarian. The amount of protein you get, especially if you opt for the salmon or crispy chicken, is VERY small. It is not worth the price you are paying. But, if you are vegetarian and care more for all the other toppings, you’ll be satisfied. I think this is a very unique place with its korean-inspired ingredients combined with a make-your-bowl experience. I love that i could get a quick fix of kimchi (although it wasn’t really authentic kimchi). The noodles were good, i would like to try the rice next time. Perhaps it’s also the combo of ingredients that you get that make a difference in taste. I wasn’t able to finish my bowl. Not sure. I would be willing to come back & try again but not for a while. Service was 5/5 though!

Leon Rishniw

The miso soup was great and started the meal off on a high. Sadly the sushi course was disappointing. The fish was mediocre at best (saba and medai), uni was bland, avocado in my roll was not ripe. Too much rice on the nigiri and overcooked. Tea was tasty and refilled regularly. They had gluten-free soy and were communicative about gluten in dishes. Service was great. Sadly it was overpriced for the quality of the food being served. Won’t be going back.

A D

Good food, gluten free and vegan menu

N

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.

Entre Tostadas

Delicious coffee, they have different gluten-free pastry options and GF bread to replace the regular ones on the menu.

Chelsea M

Love this location! It's on my walk to work and I often pick up a chai and pastry on my way in. They typically have 3-4 Gluten Free items! I appreciate how GF friendly they are.

George W

Outstanding food, service, ambience. And the prices are extremely reasonable relative to other choices. The attentiveness of the staff rivals Michelin starred restaurants. The pasta was gluten free and fabulously delicious.

Cierra Maras

Love shake shack for their gluten free options! This location was quick, clean, and orders were correct. Clean bathrooms. Open late.

Belinda Wilson

Emily Atkins

Andrew Halaby

Topper did a great job reviewing my gluten free options… cheers to Topher!

Eve Runnels (TrainerMaven)

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.

Jyoti Yelagalawadi

Decent place to have a quick bite. We were extremely hungry, so I didn't take pictures of the taco. Gluten-free and vegetarian options were available, so that made my day

Brian Rayburn

Greg Boutsikaris

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.

Petter “Siston” Svensson

Flew from sweden to eat at lukes lobster again. Usualy insanley good. But the Usual performance dont matter when they do not have any glutenfree bread at all to serve...

A R

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.

Larry Sheetz

Jacqueline Poe

Michael Mataluni

⚡🍕 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.

A McWho

Make a reservation or you will have a wait but it is beautiful up here! The raw oysters are delicious and gluten free. The scallops, the carrot salad, and the fries are gluten free. They also offer a gluten free bun! Fun place and I get to stay safe!

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.

Dave Kogan

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.

Jessica Capati

Good gluten free options (not necessarily celiac safe, but gluten sensitive for sure), food was all good. Service was just a bit slow at times.

aly

Easy access by subway (red line) and bus (146). Easy menu to be able to build your meal. The were halal and had gluten free options. Had the burger and milkshake. Was epic! Glad we were able to stop by!

Patricia Wendland

Frank Haviland

I was very excited to have the opportunity of dining here for a quick lunch. There are a few locations, and when I was last in Boston, I was unable to experience the Boston location, but I felt fortunate enough to experience the Chicago Ocean Prime Location. The location of the restaurant is in a prime spot within the Downtown Chicago area that affords them the opportunity to provide you with fantastic seating options that look out over the city. The menu is very elaborate with several options in spirits, proteins, dining options, and varying entrees. They do have the ability to accommodate a food allergy, including a gluten allergy, but with full disclosure, I did have a slight reaction to something I consumed while dining with Ocean Prime. The staff was made aware of my exposure and was sincerely apologetic for my discomfort.

Lk K

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.

Carlos Mc

Marie Gauthier

Delicious and perfect for those with gluten intolerance.

Lior Seidel

Gail Loranger

Asia Burke

Joyce James

Adriana Bueno

Food is always good. However, today was the 2nd time that something was missing from my order. Last time it was the salmon and now it’s the gluten free pita. I’ll think twice before I order from this place again. Manager didn’t even give a credit or discount for a next time. Really bad customer service and experience.

James Henson

anita thompson

The best gluten free pancakes I’ve had in years!!

Gordon Portillo

Olivia Palak

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.

Harold Whatley

Ollie Rowell

Amy Terrill

Herbert Middlebrooks

Brian Knouse

Jody Rice

Gene Brown

Carla Ramirez

The Exchange was such a fun experience! We went to celebrate our friends birthday and our waiter Javier did an amazing job taking care of us. He truly went above and beyond! Not only was he patient with our gluten free and dairy free questions and requests, but he was also very personable and helped us create a fun birthday experience for our friend. The food was delicious and their crème brûlée was scrumptious. I would highly recommend you check this place out.

Henry Smith

Crystal Trimble

Hettie Boykin