Top 7 Gluten-Free Dining Spots in Laguna Beach

When you have to eat gluten-free, whether to manage celiac disease or reduce the symptoms of gluten sensitivity, it can be challenging to find good restaurants that serve good gluten-free food. We want to make it easier for you to find places to eat in and around Laguna Beach, so we’ve put together a list of some of the best gluten-free dining spots. Take a look.

Celiac Heaven

You’ll have lots of options at Celiac Heaven on the South Coast Highway in Laguna Beach. The entire menu is gluten-free, with options for you, no matter what you like. The menu features new rice bowls made with rice, cilantro, avocado, and a side of jalapeño sour cream dressing. You can get the bowls with battered fish, chicken, steak, shrimp, and veggies. The appetizer menu features eggplant dip, hummus, and grape leaves. You can also get your favorite seafood, including king salmon, calamari steak, and Chilean sea bass.

Celiac Heaven is the place to go when you want pasta. Their gluten-free pasta dishes are delicious. You can get spaghetti Bolognese, Alfredo chicken pesto, and pasta primavera. At this place, you don’t have to skip the bread either. They serve a fantastic gluten-free version.

Oak Laguna Beach

Oak serves creative California comfort food with a modern twist. The menu features a wide variety of dishes from tacos to sandwiches, Cajun salmon, and more. You’ll have several gluten-free items to choose from, including sandwiches and tacos, and the servers are also knowledgeable about gluten sensitivities and can make recommendations. The menu clearly states the gluten-free items to make it easier.

GG’s Bistro

GG’s Bistro on South Coast Highway has a dedicated gluten-free menu in addition to the regular menus. Some of the popular items include their Ali Nazik. This dish is a seasoned minced lamb on top of a roasted eggplant puree served with garlic yogurt. It’s all topped with GG’s tomato sauce and then served with gluten-free rice.

The charbroiled calamari steak is also a popular dish, and the cioppino is delicious. It comes with shrimp, squid, mussels, sea bass, and clams in a tomato and garlic broth. You can get pasta at GG’s as well. They have gluten-free spaghetti Bolognese, chicken Alfredo spaghetti, and pasta primavera.

GG’s Bistro also has several salads, Mediterranean grilled salmon, a steak filet mignon, and skewers. The skewer options include Adana, chicken, and beef filet mignon. They’re served with rice pilaf, yogurt dressing, and gluten-free bread.

Romeo Cucina

Image via Flickr by SanFranAnnie Licensed CC BY-SA 2.0

Stop by Romeo Cucina on Broadway Street to fill up on pizza and pasta without the gluten. The menu offers gluten-free versions of their pasta dishes, such as homemade tortelloni with braised rib-eye and their housemade pappardelle bosciola with caramelized onions, heirloom mushrooms, guanciale, and a creamy demi-glace. You can also get rigatoni, spaghetti Pennello with fresh shrimp and scallops, or primavera vegana with lots of veggies, caramelized onions, and an arrabbiata sauce.

The pizza is also offered with a gluten-free crust. You can get your favorite toppings such as pepperoni, sausage, and olives, or try their la Bianca pizza with mushrooms, ricotta, truffle oil, and arugula. Romeo Cucina serves wood-fired pizza with a thin crust.

Nirvana Grille

The menu at Nirvana Grille has several gluten-free options. This restaurant and co-op grocery market is ideal for when you want to grab a bite to eat and even get some things to bring home. If you’re going to sit down and enjoy a meal, you can request the gluten-free version of their roasted stuffed poblano chili made with fresh spinach, artichoke hearts, cream, Parmesan cheese, and shallots. They also serve blue-lip mussels and a gluten-free house soup of the day.

The salads at Nirvana Grille are always a good, gluten-free choice. Choose from the organic heirloom tomato salad, grandpa Michael’s kitchen sink salad, butter lettuce salad, and the grille treviso.

The large plate menu options give you plenty of choices. There’s basil aioli roasted steelhead salmon, cioppino fish stew, sea bass, blackened scallops, and coffee dusted filet mignon. If you are a vegetarian and gluten-free, the plant-based menu includes the Nirvana vegetable plate.

Mozambique Steakhouse

You’ll have lots of options for dinner when you dine at Mozambique Steakhouse. To start, you can feast on fresh oysters or peri-peri chicken. These chicken skewers come on a grilled pineapple slice and are topped with vegetable slaw and peri-peri sauce. The Portobello stack is also a great choice. It has fresh grilled mushrooms with alfalfa sprouts, tomato, avocado coulis, and hummus.

The Mozambique Steakhouse gluten-free signature favorites include their Peri-peri prawns, blackened salmon, and Chilean sea bass. You can also get a seared tuna steak and their Atlantic lobster tail.

Dining at Mozambique Steakhouse is always a fun and elegant event. It has three levels, including a roof deck with panoramic views. There’s also a live music stage and a beautiful garden patio. Tucked away under all of this, you can find the speak-easy lounge and piano bar.

Splashes

Splashes is the restaurant at the Surf & Sand beachfront hotel. It sits on 500 feet of pristine California sand and is perfect for a seaside dining experience. All the gluten-free items on the menu at Splashes are clearly marked, and there are options for all courses.

You can start with the crisp octopus or oysters and then enjoy the tableside lobster bisque. The artichoke and truffle velouté is also a gluten-free option. The main menu features dishes, such as the Icelandic cod in brick dough, king salmon, and roasted pheasant. If you want to dig into a steak, you can get the prime NY steak pave or the five-hour short rib. All the sides are gluten-free too. Add wild mushrooms to your dish, get the whipped potatoes, charred romanesco, or choose the roasted winter roots.

Do you have a favorite Laguna Beach restaurant that serves gluten-free options? Stop by Teak Master and tell us about it. We’d love to check it out and add it to our list.