Gluten Free Los Angeles, CA: A Complete Guide for Celiacs

Despite having lived in San Francisco for almost a decade and having family near L.A., neither of us had really ever spent much time in Los Angeles. So when we were looking for a warm and sunny place to hunker down for a week or two, L.A. quickly rose to the top of our list.

Without ever having spent much time there, I had preconceived notions about L.A. that turned out to be mostly right. There’s a ton of traffic. Parking can be a nightmare. It takes forever to get anywhere. I also knew that there is a good gluten free scene, but I wasn’t sure how Celiac-friendly it would be.

As you know, the gluten free trend is a double-edged sword when it comes to dining out – on one hand, there are more options than ever. On the other hand, some places are not knowledgeable about the steps they need to take to prevent cross-contamination and serve Celiacs safely.

After more than a week in L.A. I can confidently say that eating gluten free in Los Angeles is EASY. There are more than six dedicated gluten free bakeries in L.A., along with two dedicated gluten free gelato shops, and a handful of 100% gluten free restaurants with everything from sushi to pizza.

In this guide, you’re going to find the best gluten free restaurants in Los Angeles. With a big emphasis on dedicated gluten free places – bakeries, restaurants, and gelato shops – so that you don’t have to worry about whether that avocado toast was toasted in the same toaster as regular bread.

There are a few places with mixed kitchens at the bottom who I talked to and am confident that their process is set up to serve safe gluten free meals. 

While you’re here, you won’t want to miss our other Los Angeles Travel Guides:

• Where to Stay in Los Angeles: The 4 Best Areas to Stay in LA
• 5 Days in Los Angeles: A Complete Itinerary

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post, like hotel links, are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, we make a little bit of money if you click through and book. That being said, we would never recommend something to you that we don’t stand behind 100%.

The Best Gluten Free Restaurants in Los Angeles, California

Below, you’re going to discover the best 100% gluten free restaurants and bakeries, and a couple of places that aren’t dedicated gluten free, but have processes in place to minimize cross-contamination based on my experience. 

There are almost certainly more gluten free restaurants in L.A. But they aren’t on the list because I haven’t personally reached out to them to talk to them about their processes. I’ve seen a lot of “gluten free friendly” menus that I’m not sure I trust. 

That being said, always always always double check with each restaurant for yourself. Things change in kitchens all the time. You need to make sure that the restaurant can meet your needs and expectations, which might be different than mine. 

Plus, I always say that you should never take an internet stranger’s word for it. Even mine! 

With that out of the way, let’s get into the best gluten free restaurants in L.A.

Dedicated Gluten Free Restaurants in Los Angeles

The restaurants in this section are 100% gluten free, which means the risk of cross-contamination is significantly lower than mixed kitchens. That being said, always make sure to communicate your needs to the restaurant and make sure that they can meet your needs (and that nothing has changed in their kitchen procedures).

Honey Hi

This place closed down temporarily literally the day before we were planning on going, and I could not have been more disappointed about it.

Honey Hi is a 100% gluten free restaurant in Echo Park “serving food that promotes personal, public & planetary well-being,” which is a mission that we should all be on board with, I think.

They shop at local farmers markets for a lot of the seasonal fruits and vegetables they use in their dishes. They also work with Imperfect Produce, one of my favorite food businesses of the past few years that connects people with the produce that has a (usually physical) defect that prevents it from being sold at grocery stores, but is otherwise completely edible. 

Anyway, you should go and order the Lambwich or the Breakfast Bowl, which were the menu items that were on our radar. 

Sweetfin

Sweetfin is an amazing fast casual spot for a quick and safe meal. It’s a 100% gluten free poke chain, and they have locations ALL OVER the city. Basically anywhere you find yourself in LA, you’ll be within a mile of a Sweetfin.

The food is pretty good – we shared a special that had cooked shrimp on it and enjoyed it in a nearby park. It’s basically sushi, but 100% gluten free and in a bowl. This is one of the better places to find a gluten free lunch in Los Angeles. 

Ecco Un Poco

We LOVED this place. It’s about as authentic as it gets, and it reminds me of the amazing 100% gelato shops you’ll find in Rome. Everything at Ecco un Poco is gluten free. The cones. The cookies. The gelato. All of it.

And my favorite part of the whole experience was the owner, who was scooping the gelato, telling us about the origin of the pistachios, hazelnuts (both from different parts of Italy), lemons (from the Santa Monica Farmers Market) and more. They use real ingredients, and it shows in the taste.

We got a double scoop of their hazelnut and pistachio flavors, and it was magical. So good that we went back a second time. If you want a gluten free dessert in Los Angeles on a warm summer day, I’d come here. You’ll find them on West 3^rd street close to the Grove and Melrose Place. 

Fatamorgana Gelato

Speaking of gelato in Rome, Fatamorgana is the same 100% gluten free gelato shop that are some of my favorite gluten free places in Rome. Cones and gelato are all gluten free, and they also use natural ingredients (though I didn’t get the story behind all the ingredients from them because the owners weren’t behind the counter).

There are so many flavors to choose from, along with a bunch of dairy free options if you don’t do well with dairy. It’s right off of S Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills (they also have a location in Studio City). 

Moon Bowls

I might be in love with Moon Bowls. They make “Korean-inspired” bowls that are 100% gluten free, and 100% delicious. And they have plenty of plant-based options, including using Impossible Meats in their potstickers (which are also gluten free). They make everything from scratch, including sauces, which is where the gluten usually hides in Korean food.  

Order the potstickers, the fried cauliflower wings, and the avocado bulgogi made with Impossible “Beef.” And the kimchi. Definitely get the kimchi. 

It’s a delivery/pickup only business, which means they don’t have an actual restaurant that you can go to and eat at.

Califlower Pizza

I really wanted to love this place. And to be honest, the food was great. But the experience? Not so much.

Pizza is always tricky if it’s in a mixed facility, but Califlower is a 100% gluten free pizza place that is “delivery first,” meaning they don’t have a storefront.

You can either have it delivered (a $4.99 fee, which isn’t bad) or pick it up from one of several locations in LA. And, as you can probably guess based on the name, they make a mean cauliflower crust pizza using cauliflower, chia seed, and a gluten free flour blend as a base.

The resulting crust is gluten free, soy free, and nut free. And they have vegan options too! And fried cauliflower wings, which I’m a huge fan of and have had me questioning why we even need chicken wings anymore for years. 

The issue isn’t the pizza – which is 100% gluten free and delicious – the issue was the service. We ordered two pizzas and only received one, which is no big deal – it happens. They prefer you to text them if you need something, so I dutifully texted the number they gave me and let them know we were missing a pizza. immediately, I got a text back from “Sam” who said something like “Oh no! So sorry! Which one was missing?”  I let her know that it was the BBQ chicken, and then got radio silence for half an hour. 

Now, this might have been partially my fault. I was expecting to get that pizza. But half an hour later, when I followed up asking for an update, “Sam” let me know she was sorry, she would check with the kitchen to see what happened so that it wouldn’t happen again, and that I would get a refund for the pizza in 2-3 business days. No pizza. 

So we shared one pizza and an order of cauliflower wings between four people, and ate pop tarts from Wow Bakes instead. And I probably won’t be ordering from Califlower again, even though they have a location in San Francisco and the pizza wasn’t bad at all. 

If I were to do it over, I’d pick it up and make sure my order was right before I left. If you want gluten free pizza in Los Angeles, that’s what you should do. 

Azla Ethiopian (Vegan)*

I love Ethiopian food, but it’s not easy to find safe gluten free Ethiopian food because of the injera, which is the teff flatbread that is a little bit sour, like a good sourdough, that is served with every Ethiopian feast I’ve ever been a part of.

In the US, injera is almost always cut with wheat flour, and if they do offer a gluten free option that is 100% teff, it’s prepared on the same equipment as the regular version. 

Not at Azla! It’s just teff and water BABY! And everything is 100% gluten free AND vegan*. 

*Though you should double check, because she did mention that they source ingredients from vendors that aren’t necessarily 100% gluten free and very occasionally have gluten-containing dishes on the menu, so there’s some risk of cross-contamination. 

They have a variety of different wots (stews) and salads to choose from that you’ll scoop up with pieces of injera, which I always enjoy. There’s something appealing to me about eating with your hands – tacos, arepas, injera, etc. The Kik (curry split peas) and Yatakilt (curried potatoes, carrots, and cabbage) were the standouts for us in terms of food.

And I haven’t even gotten to the drinks yet! The Sorrel, which is a combination of hibiscus iced tea, cinnamon, and cloves, is a must-order. Get the “Feast for One,” which is what we ordered and it was a perfect amount of food for two people (probably more than enough for two normal people, to be honest).

Go here. Do it. It’ll be a unique gluten free dining experience that you won’t soon forget, and it’s a great introduction to Ethiopian cuisine. 

Powerplant Superfood Cafe

100% gluten free AND vegan? I’ll admit, I was a little skeptical. Then I had their double decker pesto burger, and I am all aboard the Powerplant train.

Other Dedicated Gluten Free Restaurants in LA

• 401k Food & Wine
• RICE (Manhattan Beach)

Dedicated Gluten Free Bakeries in Los Angeles

This is where Los Angeles really shines. There are over seven gluten free bakeries in Los Angeles, and we made it to almost all of them over the course of a week. That’s a lot of donuts, which are my pastry of choice. 

I’ve ordered this list in order of my preference, with the first few being the ones that you should prioritize, at least in my opinion. 

Kirari West Bakery 

Kirari West was our first stop in L.A., and it set a pretty high bar for all the other bakeries in L.A. It is not an exaggeration to say that their almond brioche, which was as warm, light, and fluffy as any gluten free pastry I’ve ever had, is in the top 5 best gluten free baked goods of all time.

It’s a gluten free bakery that started in Japan using rice flour instead of wheat, and they became the first dedicated gluten free bakery in the Fukishima area. Then, in 2014, they opened their first location in the U.S. down in Redondo Beach. 

They have a wide variety of baked goods aside from that gem, including a brioche au chocolat that is essentially a chocolate croissant. Plus a menu of breakfast and lunch sandwiches if you’re craving something a little more like real food. This place is in Redondo Beach, which is a little south of the heart of L.A., but it’s worth the drive, I think. 

Wow Bakes (Delivery or Pickup Only)

Wow Bakes was perhaps my favorite discovery in LA. I had heard of most of the bakeries on this list beforehand, but Wow Bakes was one that I discovered either in LA, or right before we arrived. And I am SO glad I did. It’s a one woman operation – her name is Sharon – and she bakes all of the amazing sourdough baked goods herself in Santa Monica.

Oh, and she’ll ship her delicious bread and bagels straight to your door if you can’t make it to LA.

The bagels are boiled – none of that “bread with a hole in the middle” stuff here – so you get that firm outside and chewy inside that you’d expect from a bagel. 

The most unique offering – and what I gravitated towards immediately – are the gluten free sourdough pop tarts. Only these are like artisanal pastries that are filled with everything from raspberry jam to chocolate hazelnut butter. 

She posts the flavors for donuts, pop tarts, and more on Instagram the week before, and orders need to be placed by Friday night to be ready the following week. If you find yourself in LA, definitely do your best to connect with Sharon and find a way to get your hands on some of her baked goods. You won’t regret it. 

Note: She uses oats in some things, but not the bagels, the pizza crust, and the pop tarts. 

BreadBlok

I have mixed feelings about Breadblok. On one hand, their baked goods are phenomenal.  On the other hand, $20 for a loaf of bread? I live in the Bay Area, one of the most expensive places in the country, and have never ever seen a loaf of bread even close to $20. 

That being said, I would highly recommend a stop here if you miss pastries. They use organic ingredients, and they use high-quality ingredients, free of gums, soy, and refined sugar. Which you can definitely taste in the finished product. 

They have a breakfast and lunch menu, all sorts of delectable pastries, and loaves of bread that are drool-worthy. We tried the mushroom toast, which was really really good (but costs $15+) and two fall flavored brioche donuts – pumpkin spice and apple cider. Like I said, they make a really good product, but also really expensive. 

Fonuts

Our time in L.A. was mostly spent trying all sorts of gluten free donuts, which might be my favorite gluten free baked good. Fonuts does one thing: gluten free donuts. And they do it well.

If you’re looking for gluten free donuts in Los Angeles, this would be my first recommendation thanks to their breadth of flavors. They make baked donuts, rather than fried, and have all sorts of different and interesting flavors. They have some vegan options, but not all of their donuts are vegan. 

They have two locations in L.A. – one on 3^rd Street near the Grove and Melrose Place, and one in Studio City. 

If they have it, get the blackberry earl grey. It was phenomenal. 

Note: Their donuts contain almond flour, if you’re sensitive to nuts (or have an allergy).

Karma Baker

Karma Baker is a bakery in Westlake Village, which isn’t really in L.A., but it’s worth including in this list anyway. We stopped by on the way to visiting family nearby, and I’m glad we made the quick detour.

It was the very beginning of fall in southern California, where temperatures had dropped into the 70’s (lol), so it was the perfect time to try their pumpkin donut with chai spice frosting. Which was delicious, moist, and had a perfect frosting:cupcake ratio of at least 1:1. 

Note: Some of their baked goods, including the donuts, use gluten free oat flour. If you’re sensitive, make sure to ask. They have all the ingredient lists for you. 

Twice Baked Baking Company

We loved Twice Baked, which is south of LA in Long Beach, CA. It’s in an unassuming strip mall, but don’t let the location fool you. Twice Baked makes some pretty incredible gluten free products, from breads and pizza crusts to our favorites, the bear claws and apple turnovers. Yum. Seriously. Get the bear claw. We were eyeing the croissants, but were already full from earlier bakery stops. 

Erin Mckenna’s Bakery

We ended up skipping Erin Mckenna’s dedicated gluten free bakery in New York City because we ran out of time on our trip. But I was delighted to learn that there are two locations in L.A. – one in Larchmont Village, and one on Montana Ave near Santa Monica. Their baked goods are free from basically everything – gluten, refined sugar, dairy, egg, and they’re even vegan.

They do use gluten free oats in some things, but not the donuts and biscuits, which I asked about and the friendly man behind the counter pulled out a huge binder full of ingredients for everything and double checked for me.

The veggie biscuit was delicious, light, and buttery (though probably not actual butter). The donut was more like a cake in the shape of a donut, but it still tasted good. Overall, not my favorite gluten free bakery in LA, but still worth a stop. 

Other Gluten Free Bakeries in LA

But wait! There’s more! Even though we were in town for a full week, we ran out of time and didn’t quite make it to these three gluten free bakeries in Los Angeles. 

• Rising Hearts Bakery
• Sweet Laurel 
• Ring Donuts

Other Celiac-Friendly Gluten Free Restaurants in Los Angeles

There are two other places that deserve a spot in this guide to gluten free LA, but are not 100% gluten free. Both places take measures to prevent cross-contamination, and can tell you what you can safely order. But, like I always say, always always always make sure you double check, because things change all the time. 

Are there other places where you can find gluten free food in LA? Yep. But I found that a lot of places that came highly rated on various apps didn’t necessarily take precautions necessary to consistently serve a safe gluten free meal. So I didn’t include any of them on this list. 

Anyway, here’s those two gluten free restaurants in Los Angeles that aren’t 100% gluten free, but deserve to be on your list of stops on your trip. 

Guisados

We LOVED Guisados. We’re big fans of pretty much any gluten free taco on a handmade corn tortilla that we’ve ever met. Guisados is a little different than most because of the style of taco they’re making.

A lot of tacos are filled with grilled meat – carne asada, for example – but the tacos here are filled with delicious slow-braised stewed meat that is incredibly tender and flavorful. And it’s served on a handmade corn tortilla. No flour tortillas here!

Most of the menu is gluten free with a couple of exceptions, which you can find below. 

They have all sorts of filling choices for you, from mole poblano, which is chicken stewed in a complex and nutty mole sauce, to my personal favorite cochinita pibil, which is a specialty of the Yucatan peninsula and is an incredible melding of achiote, peppers, and pork stewed for hours until the pork essentially melts in your mouth. There are tons of other options, including fish and vegetarian tacos. 

What’s not gluten free? Watch out for the shrimp, which contains a bit of teriyaki sauce, and the vegan taco, which also contains soy sauce. I’d also avoid the specials, one of which had gluten in it when we were there. The staff was super helpful and informative, so tell them your needs and they will help you out. 

Pikunico 

This place is in The Row DTLA, which is in the Arts District near downtown and is worth a visit in its own right. Pikunico serves up gluten free fried chicken – Japanese style. Otherwise known as “karaage.” The fried chicken itself is gluten free – no shared fryers to worry about here (just make sure to check this hasn’t changed). The only thing to watch out for is the bread on the sandwiches. 

Now for the sad part – they were temporarily closed when we were in town, so we actually didn’t get to eat here, which we were both very sad about. We were 100% prepared to eat the family basket between the two of us in one sitting. 

Final Thoughts: The Best Gluten Free Restaurants in Los Angeles

Because LA is such a big city, you can basically find anything you’re looking for. Comic store that also serves beer? Thai food and natural wine? LA has you covered. There are tons of gluten free restaurants in Los Angeles, which puts it on the list of best gluten free travel destinations.

One thing is for sure – you’ll be eating well in LA, even if you need to eat 100% gluten free.