Whatever your reason for eating gluten-free, it’s no secret that it can be a struggle to find new and exciting dishes and restaurants to accommodate your needs. The good news is that more and more Charlotte restaurants have become inclusive to all dietary restrictions.
If you’re looking for your new favorite gluten-free meal in the Queen City, this list has you covered for any occasion.
Date Night Spots
Puerta
1961 E 7th St
Puerta is one of the best spots in the city for gluten-free eaters because the entire menu is gluten-free! The only exception is the empanadas, which can still be made gluten-free upon request. For a delicious date night feast featuring dishes like guacamole, queso, mole chicken, chipotle short ribs, and a wide selection of tacos, Puerta can’t be missed.
Coquette
400 S Tryon St #101
Coquette is the perfect uptown date night spot to dress up and indulge in a gluten-free meal. To start, try their charcuterie and fromage with no bread, the salade du jardin, or oysters. For your main course, you can’t go wrong with the halibut a la sauce provencale, coq a vin blanc, or duck a la orange. Plus sides, like the pomme frites and haricots verts, are gluten-free, too.
Margaux’s Wine, Pizza & Market
316 Main St, Pineville
Margaux’s is an awesome, casual date night spot with gluten-free options. To start, check out the tomato bisque without croutons and Margaux’s house salad. Then, move on to a pizza — any pizza at Margaux’s can be made on a gluten-free crust which tastes just as good as the house crust (plus there’s vegan cheese, too)!
Rosemont Market & Wine Bar
1942 East 7th Street Unit 107
This Elizabeth eatery has a menu that is clearly marked for dietary preferences, including what is gluten-free. Start your meal with the yellowtail crudo or octopus carpaccio, then try a gluten-free entree like bone-in pork chop, chilean sea bass, or scallop risotto.
Sea Level NC
129 E 5th St
If you’re looking for a restaurant with delicious seafood and gluten-free options, Sea Level NC is definitely your place. Start your night here by splitting the seasonal ceviche, bubbles & brine, cast iron seafood dip, or mussels. Then, there are plenty of gluten-free mains to choose from at Sea Level, like the paella, fried flounder, scallops & risotto, blackened grouper, bone-in pork chop, and short rib. You won’t leave this date night hungry!
Muraya
200 E Bland St
This new South End spot has quite a few gluten-free dishes on their Columbian inspired menu. When dining at Muraya, gluten-free options include the pulpo cartagenero (octopus) without yucca chips, salmon risotto, tuna tartar, snapper risotto without yucca chips, and sushi like the agua dulce and veggie roll.
Link & Pin
155 New Bern St
This elegant restaurant is perfect for date night and full of gluten-free options. Begin your meal with the sushi grade salmon & tuna plate, the candied jalapeño bacon, or ceviche. For your main, indulge in their selection of steaks & chops, like the filet mignon, Kansas City strip, or ribeye, with sides like truffle fries, mashed potatoes, and asparagus. Finish your meal with the nutella budino, a gluten-free dessert made with chocolate-hazelnut, raspberry, salted caramel, and whipped cream.
Drift on Lake Wylie
315-M Lanyard Ln, Belmont
Enjoy a date night on the water with a menu that has gluten-free options clearly marked at Drift on Lake Wylie. Start your meal with a shrimp cocktail or Al’s blackened oysters. As for entrees, almost all of the meat and seafood options at Drift are gluten-free, so you’ll have plenty to choose from — like the filet mignon, ribeye, braised lamb shank, salmon, mahi-mahi, and pan seared scallops. Add a gluten-free side like asparagus, mashed potatoes, or broccolini to complete your meal.
Girls Night Spots
The Garrison
314 Main St, Pineville
Enjoy a girls night out at The Garrison in Pineville for some delicious gluten-free food. Start with the shrimp cocktail or deviled eggs, then move on to a burger (all of which can be served on a gluten-free bun), cheerwine short ribs with celery root, collard greens, caramelized heirloom carrots, and a cheerwine demi, or pan-seared scallops with butternut squash risotto, apples, and a cider gastrique for your main.
Catalina Kitchen & Bar
1942 E 7th St #106
Catalina Kitchen & Bar serves up coastal comfort food — much of which, is gluten-free. It’s easy to see what dishes are gluten-free on the Catalina menu, because they’re marked with a “GF” symbol. Some favorites include the sonoma chicken salad, roasted vegetable protein bowl, crispy brussels sprouts, and fresh fish tacos.
Barcelona Wine Bar
101 W Worthington Ave Ste 110
At Barcelona Wine Bar, the staff is incredibly accommodating to gluten-free customers — when you tell them you’re gluten-free, they’ll circle everything on the menu that doesn’t have gluten. Order some wine and gluten-free small plates, like the charcuterie board (without bread), patatas bravas, and cheese dip, to share with your girlfriends. If you have room after dinner, the flourless chocolate cake is a must try gluten-free dessert.
Room Service
701 Keswick Ave #105 (Camp North End)
Newly opened in Camp North End, Room Service is a a boutique cocktail lounge serving up small plates and sandwiches along with their drinks. Many food items are gluten-free, like their street corn chips, fries, loaded fries, and any sandwich with pita substituted for bread. Happy munching!
Salted Melon Market & Eatery
100 W Worthington Ave Suite 107
At the Salted Melon, gluten-free menu items are clearly marked, making for a stress-free dining experience. Gluten-free eaters can’t miss the fall harvest or what about cobb salads, truffle fries, or crispy brussels sprouts at this eatery.
The Waterman Fish Bar
2729 South Blvd Suite D
The Waterman has plenty of gluten-free options, clearly marked on their menu, so you can share seafood with friends on your girls night out. The main sea scallops, citrus salmon, blackened seafood platter, oysters, and ancho chili shrimp are all great gluten-free options at this spot.
Sixty Vines
1415 Vantage Pk Dr #100
Enjoy a wine night with the girls at Sixty Vines. This restaurant has lots of gluten-free dishes to pair with your wine, like the fried chicken and caviar, broccolini and potato pizza, pork chop, pan roasted chicken, and basque cheesecake. Plus, all pizzas can be made with a gluten-free crust and all pasta dishes can be made with gluten-free pasta upon request!
Special Occasion Spots
L’Ostrica
4701 Park Rd D
This recently opened Italian restaurant in the Montford area is the perfect place to celebrate a special occasion gluten-free style. L’Ostrica offers eight to ten course tasting menus that start at $175 and, with advanced notice, all courses can be accommodated for a gluten-free palette.
Counter-
2001 W Morehead St D
If you’re looking for a culinary experience that can accommodate all, Counter- in Wesley Heights is your spot. This restaurant focuses on all senses, combining music and performance with an intricate, rotational tasting menu. The best part? Counter- can adjust their menu for any dietary restrictions or allergies, with advanced notice, so all guests can enjoy the experience. In fact, Counter- has a frequent guest who is both celiac and vegan, and the chefs enjoy the creative challenge of adjusting their menu to fit the needs.
Supperland
1212 The Plaza
This Southern steakhouse located in a renovated church is a great place for a celebration dinner. Supperland has an allergen menu, making it very accommodating to people with dietary restrictions. For a gluten-free meal here, start with the sweet potato dip and seven layer salad, then get the wagyu pot roast as an entree.
La Belle Helene
300 S Tryon St Suite 100
Celebrate your special occasion at this gorgeous French restaurant in uptown Charlotte. Their menu is marked with items that are gluten-free, or that can be made gluten-free, and the servers and chefs are more than accommodating to dietary restrictions. Start your meal with the ratatouille, then enjoy the grand plateau seafood platter, crispy duck confit, or sea bass as your main course.
Napa on Providence & Napa at Kingsley
110 Perrin Pl & 1310 Broadcloth St, Fort Mill
Celebrate your special occasion at one of the Napa Restaurant Group’s locations. Both Napa on Providence and Napa at Kingsley have their menus clearly marked for gluten-free options. Everything here is delicious, but some of our favorite gluten-free items include the house cured salmon, crisp cauliflower, napa salad, seared scallops, braised short ribs, lemon risotto, and roasted carrots.
Take Out Spots
Curry Gate
630 W 24th St
If you’re craving Indian food in Charlotte, you have to check out Curry Gate. Most of their menu is gluten-free (but always double check before ordering). Our favorites are the tikka masala and the aloo gobi. Plus, you can pick your spice level from 1-10 on every dish, making for your perfect meal every time.
Ace No. 3
Multiple Locations
Ace No. 3 is a great casual spot that can accommodate gluten-free eaters. They offer a gluten-free bun or lettuce wrap that can be put on any of their burgers, and their sweet potato tots complete the perfect gluten-free, take-out, comfort meal.
800° Carolinas
6815 Phillips Pl Ct
For a delicious, gluten-free pizza, try out 800° Carolinas. This spot allows you to substitute a gluten-free cauliflower crust on any of their pizzas, plus they have other gluten-less menu options as well, like the truffle fondue fries, ribs, woodfired salmon, and wings.
Thai Orchid
4223 Providence Rd Unit 7
Thai Orchid offers authentic Thai food and menu that’s marked with gluten-free items, making it simple to grab a gluten-free meal. Try the chicken satay or thumka soup as a starter, then move on to the curry duck, pad preow wan, or shrimp curry for your main.
Sweet Spots
Raw Bites by Risa
3500 Latrobe Drive #300
At Raw Bites by Risa, all of the delicious treats are gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan. The menu rotates, so you’ll always have something new to try, but some current favorites are the vanilla caramel cheesecake bar, cookie dough cup, twix cake, and candy cane brownie. Keep in mind, orders must be placed in advance for pick-up or delivery, or you can snag some treats from a Raw Bites retailer.
Seemingly Overzealous
701 Keswick Ave, Unit 102 (Camp North End)
This ice cream spot in Camp North End serves up unique scoops that are always dairy-free, and egg-free, and largely gluten-free and nut-free, too. Plus, waffle chips and cones are gluten-free. Try a classic flavor, like birthday cake, coffee, chocolate, or butter pecan, in a waffle cone for a gluten-free sweet treat.
The Salty Donut
1515 S Tryon St #105
The Salty Donut always has at least one gluten-free sweet treat on their menu at all times. Currently, the chocolate chip & sea salt cake donut with cocoa glaze, sea salt, and pieces of chocolate chip cookie, is the gluten-free option.
Author’s Note: This article was written by Alex Maloney. You can find more of her Charlotte related content on Instagram, @slicesandsushi.
