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Gluten Free Portland: A Complete Guide for Celiacs (+ a Map)

Looking for a guide to the best gluten free restaurants in Portland, Oregon? You’re in the right place! We’re Matt and Alysha, and we live in Portland and spend a good chunk of our time exploring the gluten free food scene here. SPOILER: It’s not just restaurants, but also food carts, bakeries, breweries, and more.

Over the past few years of running this site and talking to friends, family, and random people we’ve met along the way, one of the first questions we get is generally some form of “what is the best gluten free city in the world?”

It’s a tough question to answer, because there are definitely standout cities around the world, and an even longer list of great gluten free restaurants or bakeries that are in a random place (like Nourish Sequim in Sequim, which is just outside of Olympic National Park in Washington State). 

After spending two years on the road, splitting our time between exploring places closer to home in the United States and further afield (we spent three months in Europe in 2021 and a few weeks in both London and Italy in 2022), we have a take about the gluten free food scene in Portland.

We can safely say that, based on our own experience, Portland, Oregon is the best gluten free city in the United States. And it’s in the top five in the world (Rome, Paris, Barcelona, and London are probably somewhere on that list). 

In 2022 we decided Portland, Oregon, was the city we wanted to make our forever home. And the number of amazing, safe gluten free restaurants in Portland is certainly one of the main factors behind that decision (along with the proximity to both the mountains and the coast).

If you’re looking for an exhaustive list of Celiac-safe gluten free restaurants in Portland, Oregon, you’re in the right place!

We love Portland’s restaurant scene because of its diversity, which is reflected in the restaurant options below (you’ll see a range of cuisines, including Vietnamese, Mexican, Haitian, Japanese, Indian, and more).

In this guide, we’ll go through our take on the best places to eat gluten free in Portland, Oregon. We live here, and we do a lot of exploring the food scene to inform our perspective (versus giving you a snapshot in time based on our experience visiting a city once or twice). 

We’ll give you a breakdown of the best gluten free restaurants and food carts, gluten free bakeries, and gluten free breweries (folks, there are FOUR within an hour of Portland).

95%+ of these spots also happen to be dedicated gluten free restaurants and bakeries, which means the risk of cross-contact in the kitchen is relatively low. 

At the end, we’ll give you a handy map so you can visualize where to find each place we mention (and how they might fit together).

Sound good to you? Let’s get into it. 

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%.

Gluten Free Portland, Oregon: A Complete Guide from a Local Celiac

And now, on to the gluten free food!

Well, not quite actually. First, let’s talk about how we’re going to organize this guide.

We’re going to have sections for gluten free restaurants, gluten free bakeries, and gluten free breweries. 

Importantly, all of the offerings in the bakery and brewery sections are 100% gluten free, so you don’t have to worry about cross-contact in an environment where flour and barley are potentially flying around.

Also, we don’t do gluten-reduced beer, and you probably shouldn’t either if you have Celiac Disease, so all of the gluten free breweries below are brewed with gluten free grains. 

If you’re curious what our process for discovering and vetting gluten free spots looks like, you can read our gluten free FAQ

At the end of the guide, we’ll answer the question “what is the best gluten free food in Portland?” with a top five list, and give you a handy map you can use to visualize where exactly all of these places are in the city. 

The Best Gluten Free Restaurants in Portland, Oregon

Note that every spot on this particular restaurant list is 100% gluten free, except for the last few which we’ve marked with “NOT 100% GLUTEN FREE” in the heading, and explained what is safe to order and what is not in the write up. 

We do our best to update this list as often as we can, but we also know that things in the restaurant industry change fast, and we don’t always catch them right when they happen.

Always make sure to double check directly with the restaurant (in advance, if possible) to confirm that they can still meet your needs. 

Also, if you happen to come across a place that’s closed or has changed, let us know either in the comments, or by email!

DesiPDX

DesiPDX is one of our first loves when it comes to gluten free restaurants in Portland. It’s in our favorite food cart pod – the Prost! Marketplace at the corner of Mississippi and Skidmore – and it’s a food cart that brings together Indian flavors and local ingredients. 

Deepak, the owner, was a software developer when he decided to quit his job and make cooking his full time gig, which was a dream he’d had for years. 

One of the things we like about DesiPDX (and their brick and mortar spot, Masala Lab, which is next on this list) is that they do a great job being inclusive with their menu, and making it easy for a group with multiple dietary restrictions (gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian/vegan, etc) to eat here. There are plenty of options for everyone, and the entire menu is gluten free. 

The first thing you’ll notice about everything at DesiPDX is that the food tastes FRESH. They do a great job sourcing their ingredients, and it shows. 

The menu consists of items that are served either as a bowl, which is the dish plus rice, or as part of a plate, which means you get all the fixings like pickled vegetables. 

The highlights of the menu are the cardamom chai chicken, which is excellent and a must-order if they haven’t run out. The masala pulled pork, which is braised in a sweet tamarind sauce (but it’s not overly sweet), is also great.

And last, but certainly not least, are the Methi Mirchi shrimp, which are perfectly seasoned with an herby, spicy seasoning. 

After being featured on an episode of Somebody Feed Phil recently (our favorite travel / food show, for what it’s worth), they’ve gotten super busy. They basically serve food until they sell out, so get here early for the best selection. 

Masala Lab

The chaat hash with housemade bacon is MAGIC

Masala Lab is one of our new discoveries here in Portland, and we take every opportunity to go there for breakfast or brunch.

It’s from the same group that brought us DesiPDX, a food cart that is another one of our Portland favorites (it’s also in this guide), and offers something a little different than your average brunch spot. 

Their tagline is “Local Fare, Indian Flair,” and they have done a great job taking brunch classics and adding a little twist to make it their own. 

Let’s take the chaat hash as an example (though you could easily do the same for their other dishes like fried chicken and waffles). The first time we went to Masala Lab, we asked the server what we should order and they immediately responded with “the hash.”

We looked at each other and were a little skeptical, because we make hash at home fairly often, and it doesn’t seem like the most unique thing in the world. 

We’re here to tell you how wrong we were. 

Their chaat hash is a masterpiece, and is by far our favorite thing on the menu. They take a mixture of crispy potatoes and spices, add cubes of their house smoked bacon (which is incredible, they also have a tempeh option for vegans and vegetarians), and two fried eggs. 

The twist? Pickled vegetables, fried curry leaves, and a curried ketchup for dipping that really takes the entire thing to a different stratosphere from your average hash. 

For toasts and bread, they use New Cascadia Traditional, which you’ll see in the gluten free bakery section below (spoiler: it’s our favorite). They also have a housemade baked good (usually some sort of cake) for dessert, and an amazing chai that is coconut milk based. 

It’s worth noting that it’s a small operation, and they do tend to run out of things as the weekend goes on (especially on Sunday afternoons). Go early, if you can!

Zilla Sake

Usually people are fairly surprised when I tell them that it’s actually surprisingly hard to find gluten free sushi (“isn’t it just rice and fish?”).

However, between cross-contamination issues stemming from fried tempura and soy sauce in the kitchen and cheap substitutions like imitation crab that may contain gluten, it’s actually kind of a nightmare. 

Enter Zilla Sake, which is 100% gluten free (they use gluten free tempura batter and exclusively tamari soy sauce). 

The other thing to know is that they have a female chef, Kate Koo, which is relatively rare as far as the sushi world goes. 

The Lobster Karaage is amazing
A spicy tuna handroll

There are two different ways to experience a meal at Zilla Sake: ordering a-la-carte, or putting your destiny in the hands of the chef and doing an omakase experience, where you don’t really order, they just start putting things in front of you and you do one thing: eat (and probably drink sake between courses). 

Alysha is a little picky about fish, so we haven’t done omakase yet, but I have plans to when a friend is in town this spring!

The other thing we love about Zilla Sake is that they have an incredible selection of sake. In fact, it’s one of the best in the country, with somewhere between 40 and 90 bottles at any given time. 

Now, if you’re like we were before attending Fuyu Fest put on by Sunflower Sake in Portland, you might not really know much about sake.

We were in that position on our first visit to Zilla, and we asked our server to help us put together a sake flight with three very different sakes. 

They were super enthusiastic, asked us questions to see what we were looking for, and delivered a flight of three sakes that they explained to us, and we loved it. 

Honey Butter Country Fare

Another place that is (was, now that they’ve moved) within walking distance of our first home in Portland! This is a food cart that serves 100% gluten free fair food. When was the last time you had a gluten free corn dog? Probably not recently. 

Their truck is currently operating outside of Mutantis Brewing, a gluten free brewery in northeast Portland (more on them in a section on gluten free breweries below).

They are only open for relatively limited hours -just on weekends for now – but it’s 100% worth prioritizing a visit here if you’re only in town for a short trip. The owners are super friendly, and the food is incredible and unique. 

The menu changes often, but there are two staples that are always on it: funnel cakes and corn dogs.

They have a variety of corn dog options, from your garden variety corn dog to what they call “zingers,” which are corn dogs topped with a few toppings (like Alysha’s favorite, the Linus and Lucy, with peanut butter, chili oil, and scallions).

They also have done fried chicken (or tofu) and funnel cake in the past, which is their take on chicken and waffles. It was excellent, especially with the cornmeal funnel cake and savory topping (we tried both sweet and savory to see which we preferred). 

The other cool part here is that they have a huge selection of vegan and vegetarian options. They have a vegan corn dog variant with a piece of fried tofu in place of the “dog” – which we order fairly often even though we’re not vegetarian or vegan.

They also have a dedicated vegan fryer, and their sauces are homemade and are either naturally vegan, or have a vegan variant available.

Portland Fish Market

After a dedicated gluten free fish and chips spot closed over the past few years, a lot of Celiacs in Portland were despondent. Where would you be able to get gluten free fish and chips now?

Enter Portland Fish Market, which is one block off of Woodstock in southeast Portland. They use a gluten free breading on all of their fish, so no contaminated fryers here. 

It’s mainly a place to buy locally sourced fresh fish, and if you walk into their storefront on Woodstock you’re likely going to be a bit confused. However, around the corner is a little window to paradise where you can order safe gluten free fish and chips.

Choose from a variety of fish types, which are served with tartar and perfectly cut and fried fries.

Kate’s Ice Cream

We used to live literally two blocks from Kate’s Ice Cream, which opened up a location on Mississippi Avenue in Northeast Portland a few years ago, and that is dangerous. We would go here a lot, and walk by it even more often. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it both open and empty. 

The reason? They do ice cream that is both gluten free AND vegan, and I’m not sure you’d ever be able to tell if you tasted them blind next to their dairy and gluten-full versions.

We’ve run into people here who have driven in from 30-45 minutes away just to get their hands on this ice cream! 

Yes, the cones are also gluten free (though see the note below – they do contain gluten free oats, if you avoid them). 

The best flavor they’ve ever made, in our humble opinion, is the peppermint patty flavor that they had around the holidays in 2022. Of their base flavors, we love the mint chocolate fudge and rocky road. 

Important note: They do use gluten free oats in certain flavors, which we personally avoid unless they are purity protocol oats. However, every time I have asked, they have been more than happy to bust out the ingredient binder and double check the ingredients for me. Also, you can see all of their flavors and ingredients on their website in advance.

Pollo Norte

Pollo Norte is one of our go-to spots for a simple, delicious meal. They do a few things, and they do them really, really well. The main dish here is Mexican-style rotisserie chicken, which is juicy and succulent, and is paired with a variety of different sides. 

Alongside the chicken, you’ll get handmade corn tortillas, roasted cabbage soaked in the juices of the chicken (yum), and your choice of super fresh salsas (mild to spicy – get the green one) and pickled vegetables. They also have a nice variety of sides, like beans, rice, and potatoes, which are a good accompaniment.

We go here fairly often, and basically walk away happy and satisfied every time. It’s a simple concept, but they execute it flawlessly. 

Oh, in the winter, they do pozole, and it’s really, really good. If they have it, you should probably order it. 

Everything except the beer on draft / in bottles is gluten free.

Kann

Kann is a gluten free and dairy free restaurant from Gregory Gourdet (of Top Chef fame) that recently opened in Portland.

They have cleaned up in terms of 2022 awards, with places like Esquire and the Oregonian naming them the best new restaurant in the country / in Portland in 2022. 

The draw here is the wood-fired cuisine inspired by Gourdet’s Haitian heritage.

As you’re sitting in the restaurant, which features an open kitchen, you’ll see the wood fire at the back of the kitchen, with chefs maneuvering whole chickens and fish in and out of the fire. 

We tried to get reservations here for a few weeks before deciding to just show up at opening and see if they had anything available. We managed to snag a table for two after about an hour of waiting, and it was magical. 

Now, after all the accolades, reservations are even more competitive.

However, we’ve noticed that if you look in the early morning, there are occasionally reservations available for the same day (usually they’re at off peak times, early or late). 

Definitely order the cauliflower main, which was the standout dish for us.

The rub is sweet and spicy, and we were this close to ordering a second one (or asking the people next to us, who tragically didn’t finish theirs, if we could have it). If Alysha ate beef, we would have ordered the smoky beef rib. 

The other thing to know here is that we enjoyed the sides and small plates equally, if not more than the main dishes.

We asked our server to help us figure out what to order, and ended up with a wide array of different, interesting dishes. 

The sides, in particular, are worth exploring, because they feature flavors and ingredients that we don’t usually encounter in our day-to-day lives, like the peanut creamed greens with peanuts and tomatoes, or the Diri Ak Sos Pwa, which is a stew of red kidney beans served over rice. 

Oh, and just order all of the desserts. We split two of them, including the banana upside down cake, and they were also unique and delicious (that salted caramel ice cream is excellent).

Tierra del Sol

If you know us, then you know we love Mexican food. Like, real Mexican food. Fresh corn tortillas (or any other shape that masa can be made into), fresh grilled (or stewed!) meats, pickled onions, you get the idea. 

However, in the United States, we’ve found it fairly hard to eat at most Mexican restaurants for one very specific reason: burritos. 

Any place that serves burritos made with flour tortillas is basically immediately off of our list because cross-contact with gluten is nearly impossible to prevent.

Either the cooktop is shared between corn and flour tortillas (and sometimes rolls for tortas), the topping and condiment containers are shared, or – and this is the case for most places – both.  

If you made us choose a regional cuisine from Mexico that would be the only thing we could eat for the rest of our lives, we would immediately choose Oaxacan food. 

While we haven’t been to Oaxaca yet, a mountainous region in southern Mexico (that produces some of the country’s best coffee, too!), when we see Oaxacan food, we are immediately intrigued. 

Tierra del Sol is a food cart – really, two food carts – serving up Oaxacan specialties like tlayudas and tetelas (two different shapes of masa that hail from Oaxaca), along with Oaxacan specialties like various moles (which are thickened with masa, not flour or breadcrumbs). 

And we’d say this is the best – and most authentic – Mexican food we’ve ever had in the United States (which is a relatively short list because of the aforementioned issue with burritos). 

Our favorite thing we’ve eaten is the tlayuda, which is a huge corn tortilla grilled until it’s crispy and then topped with beans, oaxaca cheese, greens, and your choice of meat or veggies (we like the chorizo as a topping/filling for basically anything they make).  

It’s MASSIVE. Like, two full meals for two people. It comes in one of those giant takeout pizza boxes!

Your Side Chicks

If there was one gluten free food item that illustrates the prolific nature of the gluten free food scene in Portland, it’s probably gluten free fried chicken. 

In other cities, it’s relatively rare to find gluten free fried chicken made in a dedicated gluten free kitchen, and when you do it’s basically a must-order because who knows when you’re going to find it next. 

In Portland, there are at least three places that serve gluten free fried chicken (and probably more that I’m forgetting) made in a dedicated facility. 

After extensive testing (read: stuffing our faces full of fried chicken), we think that Your Side Chicks is the best of the bunch. 

The chicken is SO juicy, and the breading is crispy. I’m always flabbergasted when I bite into the chicken here because anytime I make fried chicken at home, it’s either juicy and soggy OR tough and crispy. 

I guess that’s why Daniel, the chef, owner, plater, dishwasher, and salesman is the expert and not us. 

This is a food cart at Hawthorne Asylum in the Central Eastside (where the bar serves Mutantis Beer, which is great gluten free beer made in Portland). If there’s one thing you should do in Portland, it’s eat at a food cart. 

The menu is pretty simple. It’s fried chicken tenders, fries, kale slaw, or a combination of all three. Plus, they have chicken nuggets too (which I really like for the higher breading to chicken ratio). 

The other thing that’s really fun is the combination of sauces (the black garlic ranch and BBQ sauce are great) and rubs for the chicken (the Honey Habanero is our favorite). 

Yes, there are some unexpected quirks like the fact that it’s an extra dollar for a to-go container (which reflects the cost of the container, silverware, etc), and the good sauces cost extra (they also cost extra to make!).

But it’s a small business (read: at the time of writing, it’s quite literally a one man show), and they can’t absorb those extra costs as easily as a huge multinational corporation. 

Sousòl

If you’re unable to snag a reservation at Kann (which isn’t surprising – they’re probably the most hard-to-get tables in the city at the moment) but you still want to try Gregory Gourdet’s food, then this is the next best option. 

Kann is open and bright, with high ceilings and an open kitchen. Sousòl – the bar underneath Kann run by the same team – is dark and sexy, with an air of romance. 

Note: It’s so dark inside that I had real trouble getting good pictures, so this section shall be pictureless!

It is worth noting that this place definitely leans more heavily towards the bar end of the spectrum, but they do have a relatively large menu of shareable dishes that offer a taste of the style of food that has made Kann a sensation over the past couple of years. 

Rather than focusing exclusively on Haitian food, they’ve expanded that purview to include inspiration taken from other Caribbean countries like the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago (among others). 

Reservations are still somewhat competitive – especially for Portland, which isn’t a particularly reservation-heavy city – but they’re decidedly easier to get than Kann itself (we booked ours a week or two in advance for a Saturday night, and there was plenty of availability). They’re available on Resy

The cocktails and mocktails – something we’re seeing more of recently, and we’re here for it – are the highlight here, we think. 

They’re inspired by Caribbean flavors, and feature inventive flavor combinations that top the list of the most interesting cocktails I’ve had in 2024 (which, admittedly, is not a terribly long list given the fact that one cocktail means a four day hangover these days). 

The Heron Vèt – a combination that includes pisco and salted plum that is shaken with an egg white like a pisco sour – was the highlight of the evening, at least for me. 

The food, though, is definitely not something to dismiss.

The accra – saltfish fritters – are excellent (at least partially because the sauce is marvelous), and you should absolutely save room for dessert to get their house banana split. 

Crave Crêperie

Having spent some time traveling around France, I (Matt here) am a big fan of savory galettes, which hail from northwest France and are traditionally made with buckwheat, which is gluten free. 

The only problem that you usually run into is the fact that the sweet crêpes are generally made with a batter that is NOT gluten free, and they’re all cooked on the same surfaces with the same utensils, which makes them not safe for Celiacs. 

Not so at Crave Crêperie, a dedicated gluten free food cart slinging both savory and sweet crêpes, all of which are gluten free!

It’s very much a one person show here – I’ve only ever seen the owner, Alana, working – and it can take a second to get your food during rushes. But it’s worth it. 

We like the Figgy Piggy and the Besto Pesto best, but all of their savory options are great (we’ve never actually had their sweet options yet).

Bastion PDX

Bastion PDX is a gluten free restaurant down in the Sellwood neighborhood.

We’ve only ever been here for brunch, which is served all day Friday to Sunday, but they also are open for breakfast and lunch (which is basically brunch, right?) Wednesday and Thursday with a slightly different menu. 

A couple of things stand out here at Bastion. 

First, they have beer on tap, and they’re ALL GLUTEN FREE. Which is pretty unique – many of the places on this list have gluten free food and regular beer, and we love that they’ve fully committed. They usually have beer from Bierly and Mutantis, though it rotates. 

Second is the fried chicken and waffles, which are grain free (though you’d never know it). The chicken is crispy, the cashew cheese sauce adds a much-needed savory hit, and the waffles soak up the syrup and sauces perfectly.

It’s a brunch item, which means you can only get it Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

They have a fried chicken sandwich on other days that is also delicious, but not quite as unique, we think.

Tacovore

Tacovore is a Mexican restaurant up on NE Fremont Street that is 100% gluten free, and has a nice indoor and outdoor setup that makes it a solid year round dining spot. 

Their tacos are made with locally sourced ingredients, coming from Oregon farmers and producers, and they have some really fun flavor combinations going on.

Our favorite, though, is a classic that reminds both of us of the tacos we had growing up – the Old E – which is an elevated take on the hard shell beef taco. 

Other than that, we usually go with one of their taco specials, which are constantly rotating and are piled high with various toppings.

You can also get a fried fish taco, which is fairly uncommon when it comes to gluten free tacos, and they have plenty of non-meat taco fillings that are equally creative. 

They’ve also got locations in Eugene and Corvallis if you happen to find yourself in one of those nearby places (IMPORTANT NOTE: The other two locations ARE NOT dedicated gluten free).

Schilling Cider House

Schilling Cider is one of my favorite gluten free places in Seattle, but at that location they don’t serve food.

At their Portland Cider House, just east of the river, they have 50+ taps of cider, and a 100% gluten free kitchen that serves up unsophisticated bar food – and I mean that in the BEST possible way. 

Think corn dogs, chicken wings, fully loaded tater tots, risotto balls, and more. It’s AMAZING.

I love cider, and think you will too. Their menu is color-coded to help you pick a cider to suit your tastes, and the staff is super helpful in that regard too. From bone-dry, to sickeningly sweet (in my opinion, anyway), there’s going to be something for your tastes.

Mestizo PDX

We tried Mestizo – 100% gluten free – for the first time when we lived in Portland for a month during the winter to see if Alysha could handle winter in the Pacific Northwest, and it was pretty solid.

In addition to being 100% gluten free, they have tons of options for vegans and vegetarians too. 

We got the lunch specials – banana blossom tacos and fish tacos – which are a solid deal and come with two tacos and some yucca fries. There’s also a bowl on the lunch menu, but we opted for the tacos. 

The funny part was that after biting into them, we could not, for the life of us, tell which one was the vegan taco and which was the fish. Which is generally a good sign (we figured it out eventually, but it took a solid minute or two of examining the fried items). 

The yucca fries and plantains are also fantastic, because of course they are. 

The dinner menu has far more options, including some delicious looking vegan options and fun cocktails. 

El Pilón

If you know anything about us (or have followed us for a while), you know that arepas are essentially our favorite food group. 

If you’re not sure what an arepa is, let us explain – it’s basically a sandwich, with some sort of filling (usually braised meet, cheese, avocado, and sauce) stuffed inside a corn cake that is cooked to perfection on a hot griddle.

One of the first things we look for when we’re traveling is places making arepas because they’re usually gluten free, and they’re almost always delicious. 

El Pilón is a food cart serving up delicious Colombian food, including arepas, empanadas, and patacones. And it’s all gluten free! 

We spent six weeks in Colombia a few years ago, and fell in love with the country.

However, it wasn’t the easiest place to navigate with Celiac Disease, so we were ecstatic to find this cart that serves up some of the foods we fell in love with, without having to worry about whether or not things were safe for Celiacs. 

We’re big fans of the arepa El Pilón, which is stuffed with chicken, cheese, and spicy sauce, and the veggie empanadas, which have a herby potato filling. 

Celiac Note: On their website, they say that everything is gluten free, but do acknowledge that they work with flours that might be processed in the same facilities where gluten is present. This is pretty common, and most places don’t bother acknowledging it, which we think is a good sign! We eat here often, but wanted to give you all the information to make an informed decision. 

Bang Bang

We got takeout from Bang Bang (which according to readers, was a mistake, and we’ve been meaning to go back ever since!) and it wasn’t the best thing we’ve ever eaten. 

Some of their small plates are creative and pretty good, but it was fairly hit or miss. 

They do have good cocktails and a nice cider and wine selection, so my suggestion would be to focus on small plates and drinks. The drunken wings were good, and so was the cauliflower. 

Harlow

Harlow has a few locations around Portland now, and they’re all 100% gluten free and vegetarian, with lots of vegan options. 

They serve things like grain bowls, juices, smoothies. Honestly, though, while the food is safe and is fine, we’ve had a couple of experiences with the food that were pretty “meh.” We probably wouldn’t prioritize going here if you’ve only got a short trip, but it is nice to have a safe option on either Hawthorne or NW 23rd Ave. 

If you do go, get the vegan mac & cheese and biscuits and gravy!

Verde Cocina

Verde Cocina has a bunch of different locations in the city and surrounding area (three, to be exact) and they blend local Northwest ingredients with classic Mexican flavors and dishes.

It’s not the best, or the most authentic Mexican food we’ve ever had, but it’s pretty good, and worth a stop if you’re craving pozole or enchiladas. 

Oh, and they’re a 100% gluten free restaurant – no gluten in the kitchen, although they do serve beer. 

I’ve been to the one in the Pearl District, which is probably the one you’re going to end up at too. A little on the expensive side, but the food is good.

The Whole Bowl

Pretty simple food here! It’s essentially one dish, with a few possible customizations. It’s a rice bowl with a tomatoey bean stew, avocado, cilantro, olives, cheese, and sour cream topped with their signature sauce. 

It’s not fancy. It’s not going to blow your mind. But it’s gluten free, pretty delicious, and relatively affordable, which makes it a good option for a quick lunch. 

Taquería Los Puñales (NOT 100% GF)

We love all kinds of Mexican food, and absolutely hate that basically every taco spot in the country these days also makes burritos, which essentially means that every flour tortilla is cooked on the same grill as the corn tortillas, and the food is unsafe for Celiacs. 

No burritos at Taquería Los Puñales! They focus on tacos, specifically tacos de guisados, which feature fillings that are stewed and braised, rather than grilled or roasted. Which is our favorite style of tacos after our brief foray into the taco scene in Mexico City. 

They’re on Belmont St between 33rd and 34th, which is a fun stretch with a couple of good bars nearby.

They opened in 2020, which was undoubtedly a hard time to get into the restaurant business, but they pulled through (in part thanks to the patio out front, which allows for outdoor dining). 

The menu is 99% gluten free, with the only things to stay away from being the mole tacos (the sauce is prepared in a separate pot from others) and the tres leches cake (which is made offsite).

Everything else, from drinks to tacos to sides, is gluten free – though you should double check with them on arrival, they’re very friendly and happy to help. 

Usually, the menu consists of tacos (or bowls, if you don’t want the handmade to order corn tortillas), sides, and beverages (the horchata is great), but on weekends they also add a few brunch items to the menu that rotate, like chilaquiles and pozole.

Tamale Boy (NOT 100% GF)

The tamales at Tamale Boy are the only thing that they could confidently say are safe for Celiacs, with everything else being cooked and prepared on shared equipment with the tortas (sandwiches) and flour tortillas.

The tamales, though, are made and steamed with special equipment, and wrapped in a non-edible container, so they should be safe. 

I’ve heard people say that they’ve eaten here “without getting sick,” but that doesn’t mean it’s safe – they don’t have the processes in place in the kitchen for items other than tamales.

Tamale Boy started as a catering company, evolved into food trucks, and now is a full-on empire in the Portland metro area. They have three brick-and-mortar locations with two in northeast Portland. 

Their tamales are both excellent and HUGE – it’s plenty of food for one person, and possibly two.

They come in two varieties – Oaxaqueño, a style from Oaxaca that is wrapped in banana leaf, and Norteño, which is wrapped in a corn husk (this is the type you usually encounter in the U.S., at least in our experience). 

We gravitate towards the Oaxaqueño versions, and the cochinita pibil is, by far, our favorite. Mutantis, a 100% gluten free brewery, is next to their Dekum location, and I’d highly recommend grabbing a tamale and a beer and hanging out with the people over at Mutantis!

Bamboo Sushi (NOT 100% GF)

I first discovered Bamboo Sushi up in Seattle when I was visiting family, and only when we moved to Portland did we realize that they have a bunch of locations here, too. 

The menu here is a little perplexing, but it IS safe for Celiacs because they use tamari, gluten free tempura batter, and the only items that contain gluten are not sushi, so all of the sushi is prepared in a safe environment. 

I say perplexing because the only items that are not gluten free are things that don’t feel like they should be on the menu in the first place, namely the burger and the steak. Weird choice, but you do you Bamboo!

Teote (NOT 100% GF)

Teote serves up delicious Latin American street food, like Arepas and plantains. Their original location in southeast Portland is a very cool spot with an upstairs back patio with fire pits, a full bar, and a 100% gluten free kitchen.

However – it is worth noting that they call their menu gluten friendly and say that some ingredients may contain gluten. Avoid the chorizo, which is brought in and it’s unclear whether it is gluten free or not.

NOTE ABOUT THE LOCATION DOWNTOWN IN PINE ST. MARKET: They have a location inside Pine St Market downtown, but they serve burritos made on flour tortillas. Don’t order the tacos, which are grilled on the same surface. The arepas are made in a separate part of the kitchen, but they do handle gluten in that facility.

Overall, this is a great spot for gluten free travelers in Portland (aside from the Pine St Market location). Arepas are one of our favorite food groups, and Teote is a great place for you to be introduced to them.

Plus, mezcal.

They have a second location called the Mezcaleria up on NE Alberta with a limited food menu. And a huge menu of Mezcals. Cool spot to try some of the smoky Mexican spirit.

The Best Gluten Free Bakeries in Portland, Oregon (All Dedicated Gluten Free)

Portland is on another level in terms of the gluten free bakeries here. Seriously. In most bigger cities, there are a couple of bakery options, some good, some not so good. 

In Portland, there are AT LEAST three or four gluten free bakeries that would immediately catapult into just about any city’s top two or three gluten free bakeries. 

Los Angeles and New York City are the closest comparisons we can think of in terms of the number of excellent gluten free bakeries, and those two cities are roughly six and eleven times bigger in terms of population. 

It’s great, and it’s part of the reason we moved here permanently. 

We have an entire guide to the gluten free bakeries in Portland. That’s how good they are.

New Cascadia Traditional

Look, we’ve been to our fair share of gluten free bakeries, both in the United States and around the world. New Cascadia Traditional is up there with the best of them.

We’d put it in the top three, tied with Boulangerie Chambelland in Paris (read our guide to gluten free Paris for more!) for the top spot. 

The thing that New Cascadia is world class at is baking gluten free bread. Their bread products are incredible. Their Farmhouse Bread is our go-to everyday bread, and their Rustic Italian loaf is a special treat. 

We’re not saying that their pastries aren’t good – their brioche donuts and cheddar chive biscuits are also great – but the bread is where we think they stand out. 

Their expertise in bread also carries over to their pizza crust, which makes sense because, as we’ve learned through our recent experiments baking our own bread, is essentially bread. Their pizza crust is phenomenal. We remember the days when they used to have pizza nights and stay open at night and make big pizzas in their wood-fired oven. 

Due to staffing, they pulled back for a year or two and took pizza off the menu, but it has recently come back!

If you’re into pizza, we’d say that you should time your visit to when they’re offering pizzas on their menu (at the time of writing, it’s lunchtime from 10:30 am – 1:30 pm – updates here).

Petunia’s Pies and Pastries

Petunia’s is a dedicated gluten free AND vegan bakery in downtown Portland, a few blocks away from Powell’s Books and Pioneer Courthouse Square (if you find yourself down there). They recently celebrated their 13 year anniversary, and have consistently been one of the best gluten free options in the city. 

Now, a quick note at the top here. Usually, when we see “gluten free and vegan,” we immediately set our expectations lower because, in our experience, it can be difficult to get the texture right. 

While New Cascadia are experts at bread, we think Petunia’s is an expert in sweets (though their vegan breakfast biscuit sandwiches are pretty great too). 

The highlight at Petunia’s, at least for us, is their doughnuts on the weekends.

If you have never had a real fried gluten free donut, you should make it a priority to go to Petunia’s at opening on a Saturday or Sunday.

They’re legitimately in our top three gluten free doughnuts of all time. Crunchy on the outside, doughy on the inside. They’ve nailed the texture (especially when you consider they’re also vegan), and we’re here more than we’d like to admit. 

They only do them on the weekends, and they DO sell out, so get there around the time they open if you want them. 

They also do cakes (whole or slices), cookies, pies, muffins – the list goes on, and you’ll find them all in their beautiful display case.

Blue Moon Bakery

Blue Moon Bakery operates a little differently than the other places on this list, and it might not work if you’re traveling to Portland for just a couple of days.

However, if you’re a Portland resident (or a resident of the Portland metro area), we’d highly recommend checking them out. 

In 2008, they started as a tiny operation, baking out of a home kitchen and selling at farmers markets around the Portland area.

Today, they operate out of a kitchen in Hillsboro (just outside of Portland), and do pop-ups at specific days and times all over the region. 

The key here is that you HAVE to order in advance (by Wednesday at 11:00 am), and select a pick up time and location.

Then, you have to be there within 15 minutes of your pickup time because they have to move on to the next pickup spot. They have a list of pickup times and locations on their website. 

We’re telling you that it’s worth jumping through the couple of hoops to get your hands on their baked goods, which are excellent. We’ve never ordered something that we’ve been unhappy with, and we order from them often. 

The highlights for us are the doughnuts (especially apple cider, which is in the fall), the biscuits (which are always in our freezer), and the savory galettes (the Greek galettes with olives are YUM).

Berlu Bakery

Berlu is the brainchild of Vince Nguyen, a ridiculously talented (and acclaimed) chef who has worked in some of the most prestigious restaurants around the world, including Noma in Copenhagen.

He has taken those experiences, along with flavors, techniques, and combinations from Vietnamese cuisine, and created both a restaurant (which we’ll add to the list once we actually get a chance to try it) and a bakery. 

If you don’t believe us when we say he’s talented, you might trust James Beard (who made him a semifinalist in their 2022 James Beard Awards) or Portland Monthly (who named him best chef of the year in 2022). 

Every time they’re open, which is usually Sunday mornings (at the time of writing, they’re on hiatus focused on the restaurant), we make it a priority to go here. We’ve been here for baked goods many times, and also for an impromptu ice cream pop up over the summer. Every time, we walk away with a smile on our face and satisfied stomachs. 

There are two things we really – and we truly mean this – love about Berlu. 

First, Vince and his staff, which occasionally includes his mother, who chats with the patrons lining up for her son’s baked goods like we’re part of the family, are incredibly warm and friendly.

He remembers us – and many of the other repeat customers before and after us – almost every time we’re in. Which, we think, is special. 

Second, we love Vince’s creative approach that is all about experimenting and trying things that most other chefs would likely never even think to try.

It’s a testament to his background and experiences that he’s able to find the boundaries and push on them to move into new territory. 

The baked goods at Berlu Bakery are truly unlike anything else that’s offered in Portland (or anywhere else on the west coast that we know of). Specifically – and we should clarify this – anything that’s offered gluten free and safe for Celiacs. 

Our first time here, we got a “one of everything,” which is where we fell in love with their Bánh Khoai Mì Nướng (a cassava cake with a really interesting texture) and the fruit/5 spice cake (the fruit rotates seasonally, and the cake is sweet and spicy, but in a baking spices way, not a spicy peppers way). 

Whatever you order, you’re going to love it because it will be a combination of flavors and textures that are fairly uncommon, especially in the world of gluten free baked goods. 

Everything here is both gluten free and dairy free.

Mikiko Mochi Donuts

Mochi Donuts! We love mochi donuts, which are definitely a different genre of donuts than the other donuts on this list.

They’re flatter and chewier, and at least at Mikiko, they come in fun , expressive flavors like Peach Green Tea Boba and Ube. 

Mochi donuts are something that we’ve seen more and more here in the United States over the past few years, and we’re here for it.

It’s unlike a fried donut, which we’ve covered above with Petunia’s (and New Cascadia) – it’s more chewy and doughy, and that’s not a bad thing. They use rice flour, and it’s baked – not fried. 

The best thing we’ve eaten here is their mochi donut breakfast sandwich, which is two unflavored mochi donuts, an egg patty, ham, cheese, and a delicious katsu sauce. YUM. 

All of their donuts are gluten and dairy free. If you’re avoiding dairy, their breakfast sandwich contains dairy.

The highlight, at least for us, is their mochi waffle fried chicken sandwich. It’s Saturdays only, and it usually sells out by noon or so (sometimes earlier).

It’s worth the detour to get your hands on it, though! It’s the perfect blend of sweet, salty, and a little spicy. 

Gluten Free Gem

Gluten Free Gem is in the Lloyd District on Broadway. 

It is a little bit out of the way for visitors to Portland (there’s not really a whole lot to do and see nearby if you’re a tourist), but is well worth a visit.

They have certified gluten free (by GFCO) baked goods, including donuts (and brownies, cookies, custom order cakes and pies, coffee cake, scones… the options are seemingly endless!). 

Their savory scones and coffee cakes are pretty good, as is their gluten free quiche. You can also find their baked goods at New Seasons Market, a local grocery store chain, if you can’t make it out to the bakery itself.

The Best Gluten Free Breweries in and Around Portland, Oregon

You know what else Portland is world-class in? Gluten free beer. Again, there is usually – at best – between zero and one gluten free brewery in cities of Portland’s size. And usually, it’s zero. For example, Seattle has exactly one, and it’s a bigger city than Portland. 

There are four dedicated gluten free breweries in Portland. More accurately, four within an hour of the city (three of them are inside the city limits). 

If you’re into delicious gluten free beer, Portland might be the best city in the country for you. 

Groundbreaker Brewing

Groundbreaker is one of the OG gluten free breweries in the country – they started brewing way back in the early 2000’s, and haven’t stopped since. You can find their beer in stores across the country, but they have them all (including the hard to find seasonals) at their pub in Portland. 

Plus, they usually have a fun experimental beer or two on tap. A few times back, I got their “Ginger #5” which is their IPA no. 5 brewed with a “sh*t ton of ginger” according to the bartender. It’s probably my favorite beer from them. 

The last time we were there, we were lucky enough to have one of the brewers pouring beer, and I got to ask all sorts of fun questions and learn about both their operation, and gluten free brewing in general.

She was super happy with her carrot cake cream ale, which they had just released and was nothing like what I was expecting (it was not sweet at all!). 

At the time of writing, they have Salvi PDX – an El Salvadoran pop up / food truck (all the food they make at Groundbreaker is gluten free) – operating out of their kitchen making things like pupusas, a loaded hot dog (“the Salvi Dog”), and gluten free fried chicken.

It’s delicious, and is a good accompaniment to their beers.

Mutantis

A relative newcomer to the Portland scene, Mutantis was started by a former Ghostfish Brewing (a highlight of eating gluten free in Seattle) head brewer who moved to Portland and started Mutantis to do small batch, more experimental beers for a more local audience. 

Their location is up in northeast Portland, a few blocks north of Alberta, where they do both the brewing and the pouring. 

Not only do they make fantastic beer (the Guava IPA and Vanilla Stout I had were great, and Alysha liked the Passionfruit Sour), but they also have a tap for each of the other gluten free breweries in Oregon, along with their beer in bottles and cans. 

I would say that this is a must-stop for gluten free beer lovers, because you can get all of Oregon’s gluten free breweries in one place.

Moonshrimp Brewing

Moonshrimp is more of a small-batch, experimental gluten free brewery in southwest Portland. They have a “beer window” where you can pick up their beer, or you can find it at places like New Seasons Market and Market of Choice.

Bierly Brewing

We’re going to cover Bierly, which is over in McMinnville about an hour outside of Portland, in a second because their food is top notch and 100% gluten free.

However, I wanted to touch on them here in the beer section too, because it’s also a 100% dedicated gluten free brewery within an hour of Portland.

They have a range of staple beers, and a rotating cast of two to three seasonal beers at any given time. You can find them on tap at the brewery, or in cans at various places around the state. 

If you’re in Portland and not planning on heading out to their brewery, you can find them at Mutantis or at John’s Marketplace, which is the best bottle shop I’ve ever been to in terms of gluten free beer and cider selection, I think.

Other Great Gluten Free Restaurants and Bakeries Just Outside of Portland

Within an hour or so of Portland, there are a few other spots that we want to put on your radar in case you find yourself nearby. 

Bigwig Donuts (Salem)

100% gluten free donut holes fried fresh-to-order. Need I say more? They are truly excellent when they’re right out of the fryer. 

Bigwig Donuts is in downtown Salem, which is a bit of a trek, but it makes a great stop on the way back from Silver Falls State Park or the Willamette Valley. 

They have rotating flavors of their donut holes, so you’ll have to check the menu the week of your trip. They generally have a few staples – like cinnamon sugar – and some more adventurous flavors like the amazing lavender earl gray.

You get to mix and match flavors, so you can try them all if you’d like! 

You buy them by the dozen, so come hungry!

Columbia Gorge Bakery (White Salmon / Hood River)

If you find yourself out near Hood River, there’s a great 100% gluten free bakery across the river in White Salmon that you should definitely pay a visit to. We’ve stopped here multiple times, and while the baked goods aren’t quite at the same level as some of the Portland bakeries, it’s a good option to have out in the Gorge.

Bierly Brewing (McMinnville

Bierly is one of FOUR dedicated gluten free breweries in Portland, but that’s actually not the reason they’re on this list. 

They’re here for the donuts, which are a weekend-only thing they do at their location in McMinnville, a small town about an hour west of Portland (another good day trip!). 

They have three flavors every weekend – the old fashioned is the best, especially straight out of the fryer! – and a rotating flavor that changes by the week. When we were there last, it was a birthday cake donut celebrating the birthday of the founder, JP. 

Since that first incredible donut experience, they’ve grown up, opening a taproom in McMinnville on Third Street (the main drag), where they have a more extensive food menu that includes onion rings, corn dogs, pesto grilled cheese, and donuts on the weekends. 

Get your donuts (they also have soft pretzels) and enjoy one of their great beers in their taproom.

We have driven there from Portland for the day, and we’d do it again in a heartbeat. The donuts and are that good, as is the other food.

Kyra’s Bakeshop (Lake Oswego)

Kyra’s Bakeshop is a 100% gluten free bakery started by a four-time winner of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars – and she did it with gluten free cupcakes!

Similar to a lot of gluten free entrepreneurs, she was fed up with the lack of good baked goods out there, so she started making her own. 

Their cupcakes are phenomenal and the flavors rotate roughly every week. Which is no surprise, given her credentials. We really enjoyed the Raspberry Cheesecake cupcake we tried – the frosting was perfect.

They also make donuts, cinnamon rolls, and plenty of other baked goods. But the cupcakes are the highlight, at least for us (we’ve heard good things about their cinnamon rolls too). 

They used to have a location in Portland, but it recently closed and now Lake Oswego is their only location.

Gluten Free Portland Restaurants, Mapped


3 Comments

  1. Sadly Prasad has closed (both NW and SE locations – Harlow is still open though).
    Haven’t been to Zilla Sake but Bamboo Sushi is great (using sustainably and eco-consciously caught fish) and they have fried things like tempura that is a joy to get to have because you’re at a 100% gluten free place.

    1. Hey Hannah!

      Thanks for the heads up – we will update in the next week or two.

      We’ve been to Bamboo Sushi in Seattle, we will add it to the Portland guide too! We stayed up in the Alberta Arts District recently, and it was on our list but for whatever reason we just never made it up there.

      Thanks for the note – we appreciate it!

      Cheers,
      Matt

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