11. Outback Steakhouse
Outback Steakhouse, with hundreds of locations throughout the U.S., represents a real go-to restaurant for the gluten-free crowd, especially while traveling.
Although attention to the problem of cross-contamination can vary from location to location, for the most part Outback's staff is well-trained. Definitely talk to a manager before ordering, however, since most locations are busy at peak times, which means problems involving cross-contamination can occur.
Outback features an extensive gluten-free menu, filled with steaks, seafood, salads, sides and an excellent gluten-free dessert, the flourless Chocolate Thunder from Down Under brownie. There's also a gluten-free kids' menu, with smaller portions and a gluten-free sundae for dessert.
12. P.F. Chang's China Bistro
P.F. Chang's is another favorite go-to restaurant for those who eat gluten-free, and many gluten-free diners have had good success ordering off the chain's dedicated gluten-free menu.
The choices include a wide variety of appetizers, gluten-free egg drop soup, a noodle dish, plenty of entree options and even vegetarian options. You even can order a great dessert, P.F. Chang's excellent GF flourless chocolate dome.
All of P.F. Chang's gluten-free dishes are served on a special plate with the chain's logo so that you know you're getting a safe meal. The restaurant uses gluten-free soy sauce in its GF creations.
13. Ruby Tuesday
Ruby Tuesday has an extensive online allergen menu with multiple choices for the gluten-sensitive. However, the menu largely leaves your ultimate meal up to you — you'll need to order very carefully and ask your server to omit various portions of dishes that contain gluten.
For example, if you order Chicken Fresco, barbecued chicken or Chicken Bella, you'll need to leave off the garlic cheese biscuits along with the sauce for each dish. Some of the potential side dishes are safe, but many are not.
Each Ruby Tuesday also features an extensive salad bar with many fresh alternatives. Some of the prepared salads on the salad bar contain gluten, but many are safe — consult the menu, and beware of cross-contamination from other diners.
14. T.G.I. Friday's
T.G.I. Friday's offers menus with allergen information at participating locations. Using a system of icons ("G" for gluten), you can identify dishes that contain specific allergens so that you can avoid them.
The restaurant's menu doesn't offer the gluten-sensitive many choices — just a handful of main courses, including steak and shrimp scampi, plus some basic sides, such as a salad, steamed broccoli or mashed potatoes. There are no dessert options.
The menu also includes a disclaimer noting that all foods are cooked in a shared kitchen, using shared cooking spaces. If you want to have a good gluten-free experience at T.G.I. Friday's, you should consult with a manager before ordering to make sure the kitchen understands your needs.
15. Ted's Montana Grill
Ted's Montana Grill, a chain with 46 restaurants in 16 mainly eastern and midwestern states, offers an extensive gluten-free menu created by dietitians. The chain, founded by media mogul Ted Turner, serves burgers, steaks and fish dishes.
Many of the salads and entrees are naturally gluten-free, and you can make others safe by omiting one topping (such as crispy fried onion straws). Most of the side dishes also are gluten-free. The chain does not offer GF hamburger buns, so you'll need to order your burger without the bun.
Gluten-free desserts are limited to Haagen-Dazs ice cream and shakes, plus floats made with ice cream.
16. Uno Chicago Grill
Uno Chicago Grill routinely pleases gluten-free pizza lovers with its GF menu, which includes cheese, pepperoni and veggie gluten-free pizza options. But the chain, with 150 locations in 24 state plus Washington, D.C., also offers a large selection of other gluten-free foods.
When dining at Uno, you can choose from two gluten-free soups, burgers (without the bun) steak, salmon and chicken entrees, many gluten-free sides, several different salads (make certain to tell your server to omit the croutons and bread sticks, and to mix it in a clean bowl), and two different desserts, including bananas Foster.
You also can enjoy Redbridge gluten-free beer at Uno Chicago Grill, and five of their smoothies and freezer drinks also are safe.
