Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Is Eating Pizza At A Restaurant Safe?

Newbee

By Newbee
in Gluten-Free Restaurants

Recommended Posts

Newbee Contributor
Newbee
Posted

I'm going to visit family in Chicago and they told me they want to go out for pizza. They've suggested 3 places that offer gluten free pizza (in addition to the regular pizza they make). They've asked me to select the one I'm most comfortable. So I contacted the 3 restaurants to find out their pizza making practices and 2 emailed me back. One seemed extremely knowledgeable and even mentioned if I happened to be a very sensitive celiac that I might not want to eat there as while they have a separate place they prepare the pizza and separate equipment they also do regular crusts and they could not guarantee that there would be no cross contamination (I guess as flour gets in the air). So now I'm wondering if that isn't really true of any place that makes gluten free pizza and also regular pizza. I don't know if I'm especially sensitive or not. Do you think it is safe? Should I try it? I appreciate the input!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

I've had good luck with places that separate toppings, have a separate preparation area, and keep separate pizza boards for their gluten-free pizza. I'm sensitive enough to react to deep fryer CC but not ultra sensitive.

Newbee Contributor
Newbee
Posted
  • Author

Hadn't thought to ask about separate toppings. Just asked about a separate preparation area and dedicated equipment.

rosetapper23 Explorer
rosetapper23
Posted

Luckily, I haven't been cc'd yet with gluten-free pizzas that I've eaten at four different restaurants in California. I can't vouch for all such restaurants, but I've been lucky so far.

cait Apprentice
cait
Posted

I've had issues with the two places I've tried, but I want to try them again once I'm more consistently clean to make sure that it wasn't something else I was reacting to. I think it really depends on your level of sensitivity and the particular restaurant's practices.

krystynycole Contributor
krystynycole
Posted

Where in Chicago did they suggest? I am from the area and eat at Barraco's and Palermo's all the time without any issues. Like Skylark, I am not ultra sensitive, but cannot eat things from fryers because of cc. I've had no problems with Aurelio's, but I don't care for their type of pizza. It's a more fluffy crust and in my experience fluffy + gluten-free never works! The other two both serve a thin crust.

Newbee Contributor
Newbee
Posted
  • Author

Where in Chicago did they suggest? I am from the area and eat at Barraco's and Palermo's all the time without any issues. Like Skylark, I am not ultra sensitive, but cannot eat things from fryers because of cc. I've had no problems with Aurelio's, but I don't care for their type of pizza. It's a more fluffy crust and in my experience fluffy + gluten-free never works! The other two both serve a thin crust.

They suggested Pie Hole, Lou Malnati's, and Rocco Ranalli's. Any feedback on these places would be great. Thanks.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


krystynycole Contributor
krystynycole
Posted

They suggested Pie Hole, Lou Malnati's, and Rocco Ranalli's. Any feedback on these places would be great. Thanks.

The only one I know of that you listed is Lou Malnati's. I have not had their gluten free version...only the non gluten-free before I went on the diet. I am a Giradono's Fan personally but sadly Giradono's does not currently have gluten-free pizza. :(. In Chicago you are either a Giradono's or Lou's fan...never both :P Lou Malnati's is a higher class of restaurant as far as pizza places go so they may have knowledgeable chefs there who may cut down on cc, but that would just be a guess. My fav gluten-free is Barroco's though. Sorry I couldn't help more. In Chicago we have soooo many pizza places that no one could possibly know them all! There literally thousands of them!

GlutenFreeManna Rising Star
GlutenFreeManna
Posted

I had no trouble eating gluten-free pizza at Mellow Mushroom and Z-Pizza before I had to cut out dairy. Mellow Mushroom has a separate room and separate topping station only for gluten-free pizzas. Z-Pizza change their gloves, switch prep areas (it's open so I can watch them make the pizza) and makes the gluten-free pizza on foil.

If you want to find gluten-free restaurants check out the website glutenfreeregistry.com Not all gluten-free restaurants are on there but many are that have gluten-free menus. People can also write reviews so you can get an idea of how safe it is or if the food is any good.

GlutenFreeManna Rising Star
GlutenFreeManna
Posted

Sorry, double post.

Also try googling the restaurant name and gluten-free reviews to see if anyone has blogged about it.

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted

We get the Garlic Jim's pizza with no problem. I believe they make their crust elsewhere. They do roll it out but don't use wheat flour. I think it says on their website that they use rice flour.

Newbee Contributor
Newbee
Posted
  • Author

Thanks for the tip on glutenfreeregistry.com, didn't know that existed. I see they have 1 of the 3 places I was evaluating (Lou Malnati's). The reviews don't sound great. It is a crustless pizza and when I contacted them they told me they use the same pans as the regular pizza but make sure to wash them good so there is not an issue with cross contamination. Still sounds like a risk to me.

Gluten Free Traveller Newbie
Gluten Free Traveller
Posted

You definitely can find some good places where eating gluten free pizza is safe but be very careful about where you choose to go. Almost every restaurant which does both gluten free and non gluten free options will tell you that they cannot 100% guarantee that no cross contamination will occur.

In my experience asking the right questions to ensure you get a safe pizza is your best bet. Don't just go with a place just because they say they do gluten free options. Really find out if they have procedures in place to deal with issues of contamination...

Explain to staff that you are coeliac. This way the restaurant will be aware just how important it is to keep your meal safe and contamination free. If they look at you like they’ve never heard the word coeliac before find a member of staff who does or you may want to re-think your choice of restaurant. Normally if I say I’m coeliac they give me a ‘Ok, I understand, we will take the necessary precautions to keep you safe’ face.

Ask about how they deal with issues of cross contamination. Something like ‘How do you deal with preventing cross contamination?’ is likely to be more effective than ‘Do you prepare gluten free dishes separately’ because they have to explain the process rather than just answering with ‘yes’. This way you will be able to better gauge whether they know what they’re talking about or not.

Stay safe! Hope you get your gluten free pizza!

Laura

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens. I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium. I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells. When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly. This is safe...
    2. Jane02
      - Jane02 replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency. I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently...
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Hello, @Jane02, I take Naturewise D 3. It contains olive oil. Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets. Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking. Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the...
    4. Scott Adams
      0

      Penobscot Bay, Maine: Nurturing Gluten-Free Wellness Retreat with expert celiac dietitian, Melinda Dennis

      until
      Hello! Join me and treat yourself to a four-day, three-night restorative gluten-free retreat in a peaceful, private coastal retreat setting near Penobscot Bay in Maine. Dates: April 10-13, 2026 Enjoy engaging classes...
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product.
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,329
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    klkarius
    Newest Member
    klkarius
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens.  I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium.  I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells.  When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly.  This is safe and nontoxic.  Vitamin D level should be above 70 nmol/L.  Lifeguards and indigenous Pacific Islanders typically have levels between 80-100 nmol/L.   Levels lower than this are based on amount needed to prevent disease like rickets and osteomalacia. We need more thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally and mentally stressed, and if we exercise like an athlete or laborer.  We need more thiamine if we eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates.  For every 500 kcal of carbohydrates, we need 500-1000 mg more of thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  If there's insufficient thiamine the carbs get stored as fat.  Again, recommended levels set for thiamine are based on minimum amounts needed to prevent disease.  This is often not adequate for optimum health, nor sufficient for people with absorption problems such as Celiac disease.  Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like their gluten containing counterparts.  Adding a B Complex and additional thiamine improves health for Celiacs.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine helps the mitochondria in cells to function.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins.  They are all water soluble and easily excreted if not needed. Interesting Reading: Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/ Safety and effectiveness of vitamin D mega-dose: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34857184/ High dose dietary vitamin D allocates surplus calories to muscle and growth instead of fat via modulation of myostatin and leptin signaling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766160/ Safety of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31746327/ Vitamins and Celiac Disease: Beyond Vitamin D https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857425/ Investigating the therapeutic potential of tryptophan and vitamin A in modulating immune responses in celiac disease: an experimental study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40178602/ Investigating the Impact of Vitamin A and Amino Acids on Immune Responses in Celiac Disease Patients https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814138/
    • Jane02
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Jane02 · Posted

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @Jane02,  I take Naturewise D 3.  It contains olive oil.   Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets.  Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking.  Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the jar, and thus may be irritating to the digestive system. I avoid supplements made with soy because many people with Celiac Disease also react to soy.  Mixed tocopherols, an ingredient in Thornes Vitamin D, may be sourced from soy oil.  Kirkland's has soy on its ingredient list. I avoid things that might contain or be exposed to crustaceans, like Metagenics says on its label.  I have a crustacean/shellfish/fish allergy.  I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  I take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which helps the intestines heal, Life Extension MegaBenfotiamine. Thiamine is needed to activate Vitamin D.   Low thiamine can make one feel like they are getting glutened after a meal containing lots of simple carbohydrates like white rice, or processed gluten free foods like cookies and pasta.   It's rare to have a single vitamin deficiency.  The water soluble B Complex vitamins should be supplemented together with additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and Thiamine TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) to correct subclinical deficiencies that don't show up on blood tests.  These are subclinical deficiencies within organs and tissues.  Blood is a transportation system.  The body will deplete tissues and organs in order to keep a supply of thiamine in the bloodstream going to the brain and heart.   If you're low in Vitamin D, you may well be low in other fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Have you seen a dietician?
    • Scott Adams
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product. 
    • trents
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By trents · Posted

      Contact them.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.