Gluten-Free Restaurant Cards

Restaurant Cards contain descriptions of the gluten-free diet in a variety of languages. They are designed to be carried in a pocket or purse and given to restaurant personnel to help explain the needs of the celiac patron. Restaurant cards are essential if you are not fluent in the local language. Make copies to give to the chef at each restaurant you visit.

Restaurant cards are included in several books and sold by a variety of vendors. The explanations and translations vary in detail. Listed below are a few sources; visit their websites and read their translations in your native language to determine whether they would be right for you.

1. Celiac Travel

Celiac Travel offers free restaurant cards in 38 languages: Arabic, Argentinian, Brazilian, Bulgarian, Chinese (Mandarin), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Lithuanian, Maltese, Nepali, Norwegian, Polish, Portugese, Romanian, Russian, Serb, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Urdu.

2. Special Gourmets

From the Special Gourmets website you can print out free restaurant cards in English, Spanish or Portuguese for gluten-free diets as well as for people with allergies to any of the following: milk, eggs, soy, wheat, shellfish, peauts, and tree nuts.

3. Triumph Dining Restaurant Cards

Triumph Dining sells laminated cards in English, Chinese, French, Greek, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Thai and Vietnamese. Their cards list hidden sources of gluten specific to national cuisines.

4. Dietary Card (U.K.)

Dietary Card sells individual cards as well as UKPacks, EuroPacks, EastEuroPacks, and MedPacks. Their cards are available in Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese, Czech, English, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Thai and Turkish.

5. Allergy Translation

Allergy Translation sells customized downloadable restaurant cards that warn about single or multiple allergies (for example, peanuts, soy, milk, wheat, milk, shellfish, eggs). This company also offers free “Chef Sheets” with cross-contamination warnings. Languages include Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Croatian, Czech, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi. Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish.