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8 Best Places to Eat Gluten-Free in Portland

Portland is home to so many great gluten-free restaurants
Portland is home to so many great gluten-free restaurants | © Engin_Akyurt / Pixabay

The Rose City provides plenty of tasty options for those who need to eat, or prefer to be wheat-free.

Portland is a foodie’s dream. From food cart culture to amazing vegetarian and vegan restaurants, eating your way through the city is an experience all its own. But what if you suffer from celiac disease, or are just trying to get away from wheat?

Fear not, gluten-free foodies, the city’s got you covered as well. Many of Portland’s restaurants offer GF options, and some kitchens are straight up wheat-free. From bakeries to breweries, and everything in between, here are the eight best places to eat gluten-free in Portland.

Gluten Free Gem

Bakery, American

Gluten Free Gem is one of the city’s oldest quality purveyors of GF sweets. The bakery has been selling its tasty baked goods all over the city in cafes and markets including Floyd’s Coffee, The Arbor Lodge, Kure Juice Bar, New Seasons, Zupan, and Green Zebra, for years, and now has a retail shop of its own. It operates out of a completely gluten-free facility, so no matter where you are on the spectrum, you can enjoy that muffin, brownie or custom cake without fear.

Thrive Sauce and Bowls

Cafe, Asian, Mexican, Indian, American

Thrive has been serving up tasty (and healthy) bowls to the Portland community since 2012. Though the restaurant started out as a food cart, it’s been concocting delicious creations out of its 100% gluten-free kitchen in the Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood for the past couple of years. Thrive Sauce and Bowls offers dinner options on Friday and Saturday nights, and aside from legendary bowls also serves mouthwatering appetizers like tempura shrimp or avocado skewers, butternut frites and loaded mac & cheese.

GF Chef

Food Stand, American

GF Chef is a comfort food lover’s dream. The Northeast Portland food cart has been serving rich, decadent, 100% gluten-free fare since 2011, and is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner most days. Feeling like a stack of pancakes or waffles? GF Chef’s got you covered. Craving fish and chips or a chicken biscuit? GF Chef’s got you covered. Wish you could fry up tasty GF cuisine at home? GF’s got you covered by selling its special gluten-free flour mixes to the masses.

New Cascadia Traditional

Bakery, American

Wheat-free eaters have long praised New Cascadia Traditional because its bread actually tastes and feels like bread rather than that flaky, odd-tasting mess usually associated with GF loaves. Aside from some of the best gluten-free bread you can find in town, the Southeast bakery also specializes in muffins, scones, cakes, and other delicious baked goods. Stop in early for a lox-covered bagel or challah french toast during Sunday brunch. Cruise in for lunch and scope out the various sandwich and pizza options. And if you’re full-blown celiac, fear not. The bakery is 100% gluten-free operated.

Ground Breaker Brewing

Gastropub, American

James Neumeister started Ground Breaker Brewing for his wife when she was diagnosed with celiac. After tasting all of the subpar, and limited, gluten-free beer options she was restricted to, he was outraged by the taste, so decided to do something about it. At first, he just brewed beers for her, but now he serves tasty GF brews to the public, along with delicious gluten-free gastropub fare like fried chicken bowls, sandwiches, burgers, pizza, and tacos.

Corbett Fish House

Restaurant, American

Corbett Fish House has boasted a 100% gluten-free menu since 2002 and promises no chance of cross-contamination. If you’re craving some deliciously fried fare, the seafood establishment offers a variety of fish and chips, calamari, fried cheese curds, and onion rings, all flash-fried in rice bran oil with your choice of gluten-free beer batter or super-thin brown rice flour breading. And definitely make sure to stay for dessert—they have deep-fried pumpkin bundt cake. Hawthorne location: 4343 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR, USA

Butterfly Belly

Restaurant, Vietnamese, Asian

If you’re a gluten-free asian food lover, then Butterfly Belly is going to be your new favorite restaurant. Specializing in primarily Vietnamese fare, this Northwest hidden gem makes its own bread, egg rolls, French fries, and meatballs in a 100% gluten-free operated kitchen. It also boasts an MSG-free menu, as well as being the only spot in the world that serves 48-hour bone broth beef pho. Are you drooling yet?

Petunia’s Pies & Pastries

Cafe, American

Petunia’s Pies & Pastries has got it all, if you’re looking for gluten-free, vegan eats. As the name suggests, the downtown cafe offers a variety of decadent pies, pastries, doughnuts, cakes, bars, and ice cream in homemade waffle cones. However, Petunia’s also serves a wide selection of savory fare, as well, including breakfast sandwiches, biscuits and gravy, mac & cheese, and pizza that is 100% gluten-free and 100% vegan.

About the author

Katrina Nattress is a professional writer in the music, entertainment, culture and travel landscapes. She lives in Portland, OR, and enjoys exploring all the nooks and crannies of her city and state. She's also a bona fide cat lady.

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