Bustin' the Glutes

Where to find the best wheat-free options in Portland.

Andina: Luckily for Portlanders, Peruvians naturally forgo most things wheat. Though they do love their meat, the gluten-free, vegan and veggie menus are pages long; bigger than the full menu at some specialty restaurants and decidedly better-seasoned.


 

Bete-Lukas: This Ethiopian restaurant doesn't add barley to its teff-based injera bread. 

 

Brooklyn House (3131 SE 12th Ave.): The former German restaurant Berlin Inn makes Euro-inflected plates that are entirely gluten-, soy- and peanut-free (bottled beer does, however, contain gluten.) Their menu notes that they accommodate "gluten-, soy-, egg-, nightshade-, allium- and peanut-free as well as paleo, SCD-legal, [and] vegan" diets.


Dar Salam: Vegan and gluten-free items are noted on the menu, and there are many.

 

Departure (525 SW Morrison St.): Chef Gregory Gourdet at Departure is gluten-free—which means he's constructed a menu very sensitive to those needs.

 

DJK Korean: Glutens are in short supply except the trace amounts contained in soy sauce and the deep-fry breading.

IMAGE: Kyle Key

Ground Breaker (2030 SE 7th Ave.)The former Harvester Brewing opened in 2011 as the nation's first dedicated gluten-free brewery. It's since expanded to include a taproom with gluten-free food options. The base for most brews is chestnuts, locally sourced from a farm in the Willamette Valley. 

 

Harlow (3632 SE Hawthorne Blvd.): The bowl-focused eatery is gluten-negative, right down to the Harvester beer and the onion-bread burger.

 

Holy Mole (Southeast 33rd and Hawthorne, back alley): Juan Fernando Otero runs an entirely gluten- and peanut-free cart, with vegan options on almost every dish in his Pueblan Mexican menu, from scratch-made mole to some killer tacos dorado stuffed with potatoes. 


Hokusei: Although the focus of the sushi menu is fish, the vegetable tempura is light and airy. And if you're down with fermented soybeans, the natto's funk can't be beat.

 

Maharaja: No wheat is used in any of the curries, so celiac disease sufferers can feast to their heart's content.

Mi Mero Mole : Just avoid the albondigas and flour tortillas—most everything else has no gluten.

Mirakutei: Gluten-free items are marked "gf" on the menu. One of the best is the black Alaskan cod marinated in a rich miso sauce and grilled. It's like delicious molten silk.

 

Natural Selection: The tasting menu at this vegan spot always has a gluten-free option on each of the four courses.

Olympic/Olympia Provisions: Avoiding gluten? Good, OP's salami has none of it.  


Pok Pok, Sen Yai, Pok Pok Noi: For sensitivities and special needs, including gluten-free diets, an annotated "allergies" menu is available.

 

Teote: Completely gluten-free. Have at it.


Correction: The print version of this article did not reflect that Brooklyn House's kitchen is entirely gluten-free (aside from bottled beer).


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