SXSW has come and gone, and Austin has returned to its regular level of activity: bustling. March to May is a high time for out-of-towners to visit before the heat returns and bakes its residents, bleaches the streets, and scorches the land. For gluten-free travelers, Austin can sometimes be stressful, since a lot of eating is on-the-go and service staff don’t always know what’s gluten-free.
With that in mind, here are eight delicious spots downtown and across I-35 that you might want to commit to memory so that you don’t have to whip out your phone every time you need to eat.
Casino El Camino
This spot is on Dirty Sixth itself, a beloved staple featured on Food Network and touted for “best burgers and bar food” in Austin by The Austin Chronicle, Austin360.com, and Fodor’s. Burgers can always arrive without the bun, their chili fries are a delicious goopy glop of gluten free paradise, and they also have gluten free hot dogs.
Second Bar + Kitchen
In the heart of downtown, this restaurant serves upscale, New American dishes and is open for brunch, lunch & dinner. Manyitems off of their regular menu can be adjusted, and, with celiacs in mind, the food is not prepared near anything that could cause cross-contamination. (But, as with any dining experience, cross contamination is always a possibility, no matter how slight.)
Menu favorites include the Seared Faroe Island Salmon prepared over a bed of arugula, the Raw Kale and Carrot Salad (red quinoa, red grapes, red onion, chickpea dressing, dill), the Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad (candied pecans, camembert, pickled shallots, cranberry vinaigrette) and last but not least, their Congress burger, a pretty famous staple. Made of ground brisket and chuck, topped with gruyere and horseradish pickles, it comes wrapped in lettuce. Outdoor seating available.
Frank
Frank has hot dogs, cold beer, live music, and an art wall. For the gluten free crowd, they offer sausages, hot dogs (with gf buns!), chili cheese fries, and cocktails. (Note: their vegan sausages and vegan franks are not gluten free.)
Koriente
Also downtown on the “dirty” side of Seventh Street, this cafe has an outdoor patio. It’s healthy pan-Asian food with a conscience, so it’s vegan, no msg, all fresh ingredients, and low oil, sugar, and fat content, etc. etc. You will basically feel really good about yourself when choosing this spot because who knows what else you are doing to your body this week. Have some summer rolls, or try the obake bowl (with wheat free sauce), a light stir fry (mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, rice wine) without oil—make sure to add a fried egg or shrimp on top—or go for the Mix Mix Bibimbap, a light salad of shredded veggies surrounding rice (brown or white). Again, you can add fried egg, avocado, or tuna.