Hi Friends! Next up for my gluten-free travel guides is our nation’s capital – Washington D.C! Keep reading to find the best of gluten-free restaurants in Washington DC.
There is so much to see and do in D.C., from seeing some of the most famous landmarks in the US to enjoying art and the nightlife! D.C. is also a fantastic place if you’re a foodie lover.
Especially, if you’re gluten-free!
There are plenty of dedicated gluten-free restaurants and bakeries throughout Washington DC as well as other gluten-free friendly restaurants.
If you have celiac disease, there are enough dedicated gluten-free restaurants that you could spend your long weekend eating only 100% gluten-free!
I know with celiac disease it can be scary eating out at restaurants that are not dedicated gluten-free. If you’re looking to learn more about eating out with celiac disease check out this post on “Safety Tips for Eating Out with Celiac Disease!”
Let’s explore eating in the heart of the USA together! 🇺🇸✨🍕
Getting Around
To get around D.C. you’ll want to use the Metro! The Metro is Washington D.C.’s underground subway and it is fantastic! I was able to get from the airport to center city in 20 minutes and the cost of the fare is only $2.
If you’re spending a few days in D.C. I highly recommend getting an unlimited Metrocard! A Metrocard is really useful if you’re gluten-free because you’ll need to get around the city to reach the different gluten-free restaurants around town.
I got an unlimited 3-day Metrocard for $27.
100% Gluten Free Restaurants in Washington D.C
Washington D.C. is home to a number of dedicated gluten-free establishments throughout the district!
I was delighted to find a few of them were quick-service restaurants that are perfect for lunch! (I miss being able to grab a quick meal like Chipotle for cheap.)
Little Beet (Dedicated Gluten-Free)
Little Beet is a 100% gluten-free quick-service restaurant located near the Convention Center and Union Station.
The Little Beet describes itself as being “Vegetable-Forward.”
“Using all-natural ingredients, the Little Beet is committed to cooking up plant-inspired, veggie-forward food that gives people the nutrients they need to live well. Visit or order from one of our vegetarian-friendly restaurants in New York City, Jersey City, Westchester County, Long Island & the DC Area today”
The Little Beet
I definitely agree that Little Beet is very “Vegetable-forward” and “healthy.” But at the same time, I left Little Beet feeling full and satisfied!
The Food
I LOVED my meal from the Little Beet and I will easily be returning any time I am nearby.
Little Beet is similar to Chipotle where you order your Base, Protein, Toppings, Sauce, and Garnish.
I ordered Quinoa, Roasted Chicken, Broccoli, Sweet Potato, and a side of Tahini sauce ($15).
My husband ordered Basmati Rice, Pork, Cold Noodles, Roasted Carrots, Sweet Chili Garlic sauce garnished with Pickled Ginger.
I was surprised at how flavorful my bowl was without the sauce. I figured since everything was roasted it would not have much flavor but they seasoned everything very well!
The Tahini sauce was a nice light addition to the bowl. It did not have a ton of flavor and it was not spicy, but it did add a fresh, light extra taste to my bowl.
My husband doesn’t love “healthy” food as much as I do, but he was happy with his purchase. His bowl had a nice kick to it from the sweet chili garlic sauce and the pickled ginger gave a nice hint of extra flavor.
I was thrilled at how much food I got for the price. They do not have a gluten-free upcharge because the ENTIRE restaurant is gluten-free!
They even had two different gluten-free dessert options from Le Pain Quotidien – a gluten-free chocolate cookie and a rice cake.
We will 100% be returning any time we are in D.C!
SeoulSpice (Dedicated Gluten-Free)
Seoulspice is a 100% Gluten-Free restaurant in Washington D.C. There are 7 different Seoulspice locations in the D.C./Virginia Metro area (with 2 new locations coming soon as of Summer 2023).
We visited the location in Penn Quarter which was only a short train ride from the Convention Center.
The Penn Quarter is 2 blocks from the Capital One Arena which makes it a great option for safe, gluten-free food if you are attending an event at the Capital One Arena!
About
Seoulspice is a Korean-comfort food restaurant that is 100%, dedicated gluten-free.
AT SEOULSPICE,
OUR MISSION IS TO SHARE
THE VIBRANT AND DELICIOUS CULTURE OF KOREA
WITH THE WORLD.
SeoulSpice – About
You can immediately feel the soul they put into their food!
The Food
All I can say is WOW! Seoulspice easily was the most flavorful dedicated gluten-free restaurant I have been to.
Just like Little Beet, SeoulSpice is a quick-service restaurant that follows a Chipotle-style ordering.
I went all out at SeoulSpice!
I ordered a Noodle Bowl, with Triple Down Protein (Chicken, Spicy Pork, and Bulgogi Beef), Cucumbers, Carrots, Bean Sprouts, Green Onion, with a side of the Ginger Carrot and the Creamy Siracha sauces. All of that only cost me about $15!
The food was incredible and full of flavor.
I’m not a huge fan of Bulgogi, but it was still very flavorful. The chicken did not have much flavor, but the spicy pork was JAM PACKED with flavor.
The spicy pork was not incredibly spicy – I would rank it slightly above mild. But it was incredibly flavorful. I finished every bite of it!
The vegetables complimented all that protein well, but the star of the show was the noodles.
The gluten-free noodles are made from sweet potato starch, tossed with carrots and kalewere and soaked in a tangy, sesame-ginger-soy marinade. They were absolutely delicious.
I was not able to finish all of this food! I easily could have had my leftovers for lunch the next day.
This makes it a great option to bring back to your hotel room and save for the next day if you know you will not be near any gluten-free restaurants while sightseeing.
I will jump on any chance to return to Seoulspice and I hope they put a location near me soon!
We did not eat at the following places but these are also 100% gluten-free in Washington D.C.!
Chaia Tacos
This is a vegetarian, dedicated gluten-free taco spot located in Chinatown and Georgetown.
Rise Bakery
I was so disappointed we didn’t get to this dedicated gluten-free bakery! It’s located in the northern part of D.C. in by Reed Cooke.
Taqueria Al Lado
Another taco spot that is dedicated gluten-free with locations by Reed Cooke (not far from Rise Bakery!) and the H Street Corridor.
Bibibop Grill
Bibibop is another quick service restaurant similar to SeoulSpice and Little Beet located in Dupont Circle. You are able to make your own bowl by choosing a base, protein, and toppings!
Olivia Macaron
This dedicated gluten-free bakery is also dedicated to Macarons! You can even have them shipped to you after you fall in love with them near Georgetown.
Gluten-Free Friendly Restaurants in D.C.
Busboys and Poets
This was one of the most unique restaurants that we’ve been to and I absolutely loved the vibe it was a dive-bar meets coffee shop and bookstore!
Busboys and Poets
Cultural hub where racial and cultural connections are consciously uplifted. Full-service restaurant, bar, coffee shop, bookstore with events spaces.
You can tell how important community is to Busboys and Poets. I was blown away by their outreach and ties to the community. They give back a ton their community and use their platform to raise awareness to social justice causes like mass-incarceration.
“Shut up and take my money!“
Gluten Aware
Busboys and Poets has their own dedicated gluten-free fryer! One of their most popular gluten-free items is their Gluten-Free Fried Chicken – a rare find!!
When I told my waitress I had a “gluten-allergy” she said there is a possibility of cross-contamination but she would make sure to let the chef know to be careful.
Funny enough, I actually trust restaurants that warn me that cross-contamination is possible more than restaurants that don’t, haha.
I had no issues eating here!
The Food
The food was pretty good! It did not blow me away, but I didn’t order their gluten-free fried chicken – a fan favorite!
I wasn’t starving when we went for dinner and it was National Chicken Wing Day so I ordered the chicken wings and brussel sprouts.
We ended with the Flourless Chocolate Cake. It was delicious!
Bartaco
Friends, I LOVE Bartaco! Everything about this place is an A+ for me.
The entire menu is ala carte. If you want 1 taco, you can order 1 taco. If you want one of everything on the menu, you can order one of everything!
You order through their website and for each item that you order you can add any allergy that you have to that particular item.
I also like that you are able to see every single ingredient in each item and can have them modify and remove different ingredients!
Their entire menu is naturally gluten-free except for their desserts. So the risk of cross-contamination is very low! Unfortunately, only the gelato is gluten-free and it’s not the best so I usually skip dessert.
The Food
If you go to Bartaco, order the Pork Belly. It will change your life! I recommend getting the Pork Belly Tacos. The flavor is incredible.
My usual go-to’s at Bartaco are:
- Esquites (corn)
- Large Chips and Guac (I use the extra guac for my tacos too!)
- Pork Belly Tacos
- Chicken Verde Bowl
I promise you if you’re a taco fan you will love Bartaco!
The Capital Grille (Washington D.C.)
Cost
As always with expensive restaurants, I start with the cost. This is the most expensive restaurant we have ever eaten at.
We (usually) LOVE The Capital Grille. It is by far our favorite steakhouse chain and we have had some of the best steaks of our lives here.
Unfortunately, this location did not live up to our expectations and this time the price tag was NOT worth the meal at all.
Atmosphere
The last time we ate at The Capital Grille was in Baltimore, Maryland. That location was fantastic!
Unfortunately, this location did not meet that standard.
The inside of the D.C. location was outdated, small, loud, and worst of all, cramped.
We heard every conversation of the 3 different tables near us the entire night.
It was far from the intimate and personal date night we had planned.
Gluten Aware
The Capital Grille is very gluten aware! I feel confident eating at any of their locations.
They have a gluten-sensitive menu which includes almost all of their items off of their regular menu. The one annoying part about the gluten-sensitive menu is that they do not list their prices on it. So you have to look back at the regular menu for prices.
Fortunately, there is no up-charge for items off of the gluten-sensitive menu!
The Food
We love having an appetizer for our meals so we started with the Pan Fried Calamari with Hot Peppers (without breading) for $21.
This appetizer is great if you are a squid lover, not if you’re a calamari lover.
Calamari is not the same without the breading. Without the breading, this appetizer was just squid with spicy peppers.
For a first course I ordered the Spinach, Goat Cheese, Mixed Berries, Toasted Almonds with Citrus Vinaigrette salad ($15).
This was a nice, light and fresh start before my entree. The salad was quite good and the berries complimented the flavor of the salad dressing nicely.
I would definitely recommend it on a hot summer’s day!
The Capital Grille has some of the best steaks you will have in your life – when they’re cooked properly.
Both of our steaks were underdone with mine being Rare instead of Medium Rare, and my husband’s still “Moo-ing” instead of Medium Rare.
I ordered the 10 oz Filet Mignon ($59) while my husband ordered the Steak au Poivre ($67) with a Maine Lobster Tail ($40).
My Filet Mignon was juicy and tender – a beautiful cut! It did not have enough seasoning on it for my liking so I also asked for a side of the shallot butter which was fantastic.
The highlight of the night, however, was the Maine Lobster Tail that accompanied my husband’s steak.
I have not had Lobster Tail before so I was excited to try it! It was incredible.
The Lobster Tail was light, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. It was a very generous size which was important because of the price on it.
It has turned me into a Surf ‘N’ Turf lover! However, I’m afraid ordering it anywhere else will be a complete let down.
Finally we ended the night with Creme Brulee which was subpar. It was overdone and did not have much flavor to it.
Overall Review of Capital Grille (D.C.)
Unfortunately, we will not be returning to this location. This location was very Gluten Aware and careful handling my food, but the quality was not up to par.
Considering the price as well as the service we have experienced at other locations we will not be returning to the D.C. location.
However, I do HIGHLY recommend checking out Capital Grille, Baltimore.
Is Washington DC Gluten Free Friendly?
Yes! If you’re wondering if Washington D.C. is a safe destination for gluten-free families the answer is definitely yes! There are so many dedicated gluten-free options in D.C. that even celiac families will find plenty of options to enjoy!