Austin Gluten-Free Restaurants I Love and Trust (Where I Ate Safely With Celiac Disease)
Austin gluten-free restaurants where I ate safely with Celiac disease, including what I ordered, loved, and want to repeat.
These Austin gluten-free options are truly the best!
I Ate Gluten-Free in Austin With Celiac Disease and Loved Every Minute!
Austin, Texas, has been our home away from home over the years, and our summer 2026 adventure was another gluten-free success. Because I have Celiac disease, I have to avoid gluten strictly. But gluten-free is never going to stop me. I’m determined to find safe places to eat out whenever I travel, and Austin didn’t disappoint.
Since our latest trip was an extended stay for my daughter’s dance camp, we had three weeks to find Celiac-safe places to eat. With tips from locals and my own experience, I’m excited to share what we loved (and what can be tricky) about tacos and more.
Oh, Austin. Thanks for a great summer visit and for feeding us so well again. Until next time!
Our Favorite Austin Gluten-Free Restaurants
I can’t tell you how many times servers and fellow taco lovers assume eating gluten-free in Austin must be easy peasy. People think: corn, vegetables, cheese, and protein. How hard can it be? But when you have to avoid cross-contamination, success always comes down to the smallest of details.
While the ingredients are naturally gluten-free, many sauces and tortillas aren’t made in gluten-free kitchens. In fact, some of the best-looking tacos (from food trucks and restaurants) are cooked on a grill with both corn and flour tortillas. (I’m talking to you, Veracruz!) Because I’m very reactive and sensitive, I’m no longer willing to take any chances. The restaurants you see here are the ones I ate at safely with Celiac disease. Keep reading for a few past favorites I didn’t have time to revisit, and jump to the bottom for a couple of places my husband and daughter enjoyed without me. But trust me, I wasn’t deprived, and if you have Celiac, you won’t be either.
Nixta Taqueria
- WHY I LOVE IT: This place is the best Mexican food I have ever had. I tear up just thinking about it: the homemade tortillas, the sauces, the service.
- WHAT I ORDER MOST OFTEN: Chips and dips to start, always. These very thin heirloom chips come with duck fat refried beans. Need I say more? Every time we came, I had to have at least one of their duck carnitas tacos with salsa cruda and watermelon radish. I usually added one of their vegetable-forward options, too, like the cauliflower and pine nut taco or the carrot tostada with ricotta and hot honey. It’s as unreal as it sounds!
- GLUTEN-FREE NOTES: The entire menu is usually 100% gluten-free, but I always check, and Chef Edgar Rico usually came out to talk with us. The servers here always double-checked the fryer and menu situation and were always well informed. I felt safe from beginning to end.
- BEST FOR: Everything. We stop here on the way from the airport before checking in, and usually on the way to the airport before flying home, because we have to have it one more time. This year, it was brunch on both ends of our trip. But we came here twice for dinner too, because we can’t stop. Go here for all the brunches and dinners you can. You’re welcome.
When we weren’t eating at Nixta, we liked to hop into this old favorite, ATX Cocina, for happy hour, since we were often downtown picking up our daughter from camp.
ATX Cocina
- WHY I LOVE IT: First of all, it’s 100% a gluten-free kitchen, and I can’t tell you how comforting this is, always.
- WHAT I ORDER MOST OFTEN: Anything and everything off the happy hour menu. Our exact order for two this summer was a paloma and a margarita, guacamole with fresh chips/tostadas, a pescado taco, a ribeye taco, and the flautas. All of these plates were $10 each off the happy hour menu, and we were full.
- GLUTEN-FREE NOTES: No need to ask about swaps or fryers here. The whole menu is fair game.
- BEST FOR: Casual happy hour or small-plate dinner at the bar, or a date night for two. While we have gotten a table here, we like the service and the small plates that the happy hour menu offers more than our dining room experiences. If you decide to get a table, know that ATX’s suggested amount of food is way more than we’ve ever wanted. I suggest starting small and building, even if service prefers something different. Hint, hint.
Nômadé Cocina in South Austin was such a happy surprise. Their website calls it the “best happy hour in South Austin,” and we completely agree. Walking into this open-air restaurant with cushy seats felt like a vacation in Mexico, even without the ocean view. We only stopped here once before heading home, but if we lived in Austin, we’d be regulars.
Nômadé Cocina
- WHY I LOVE IT: Comfy seats, windows and doors open but in the shade with fans, great cocktails, and delicious tacos.
- WHAT I ORDERED: Margaritas, chips and guacamole, and street tacos with layers of flavors, sauces, and garnishes. We loved the margaritas and the tacos; the happy hour options were delicious.
- GLUTEN-FREE NOTES: Everything is gluten-free and Celiac-safe, as we confirmed with our server, who asked about all ingredient preferences.
- BEST FOR: We came for happy hour because of the timing, but we’d definitely come back for dinner. What a delight we discovered right before leaving. Do you Austinites love Nômadé? Tell me! I say, put it on your list, and if you are near South Austin, you have to pop in for a margarita and a couple of tacos, all for $10.
Because we were in Austin for weeks, I wanted to try some other recommended gluten-free options on my researched list. I found Weladee, a Thai food truck, in a part of Austin I had never been to. What I didn’t plan on was rush-hour traffic in 110° heat on my way to the burbs. But the food was so good, we actually made the trek twice. If you can swing a pickup order at this gem and you want something other than tacos, do it. It’s really worth it!
Weladee
- WHY I LOVE IT: This Thai food truck is 100% gluten-free and gave us something to seriously wrestle with when it came to the question of wanting tacos or Thai for takeout dinner.
- WHAT I ORDER MOST OFTEN: Weladee makes a couple of menu items a day and does pickup by appointment. We ordered a day ahead to get on the list and ordered one of each: Pad Thai Chicken and Pad Ka Prow Beef, both times.
- GLUTEN-FREE NOTES: Everything is 100% gluten-free and fresh, and loaded with vegetables and flavor.
- BEST FOR: When you are on the north side of Austin or have time to get there and back before or after heavy rush-hour traffic, this food truck is worth the extra effort in my opinion. We really wish we had this Thai food truck back home!
De Nada
- WHY I LOVE IT: It’s an “if you’re going to be hot, let’s be hot together” kind of vibe. I felt like we joined a party here on the weekend. While we sat inside, the doors were open, and the energy was flowing with guests and the food. This place takes careful ordering, but it was worth it.
- WHAT I ORDERED: I tried and loved the pescado a la plancha (fish taco), the camarones pibil (shrimp taco), and the verduras (mushroom) taco. The margaritas were just how I love them. On ice, a touch of sweet but mostly tart, and with a salty rim. My family chowed down on the chips and guacamole, but I played it safe. (See notes next.)
- GLUTEN-FREE NOTES: I talked with the manager, Raquel, ahead of time. De Nada’s tortillas are made on-site from organic heirloom blue corn, and all other menu items made on-site are gluten-free. However, some proteins are prepared in an off-site kitchen where gluten is present, so cross-contamination is possible. Lastly, they do use crispy corn taco shells and corn tortilla chips from a facility that also makes flour tortillas. For extra caution, I avoided most meats and the chips.
- BEST FOR: Weekend afternoons or evenings with friends. It’s not a quiet place; it’s more social, fun, and fluorescent, if you can catch that vibe.
Gati Cafe
- WHY I LOVE IT: When you want a sweet treat that’s 100% Celiac-safe, this dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan cafe hits the spot.
- WHAT I ORDERED: We tasted many of their 40 rotating ice cream flavors but landed on the peach, snickerdoodle, mango, and chocolate. I also came back for a great matcha while I was in the area.
- GLUTEN-FREE NOTES: The entire cafe is 100% gluten-free, so you can order anything without worry.
- BEST FOR: Ice cream, cookies, and lattes. My iced matcha latte was perfect, and so were our coconut-based ice creams. The scone and small plate I grabbed on my second visit weren’t made fresh, and I could tell. I’d try them again and see if that was a fluke. I’ll be back for creamy, delicious ice cream on my next visit to Austin.
Join my list for gluten-free restaurant finds, travel tips, and my free starter checklist with 12 easy gluten-free swaps to help you eat with confidence.
Where to Get Gluten-Free Bakery Treats, Coffee & Matcha in Austin
My Grab-and-Go Favorites
- Maaribu Cafe: This gluten-free bakery was a favorite breakfast spot. The egg bites, donuts, muffins, and scones were all delicious. They also had ceremonial matcha for the perfect matcha latte, plus a full espresso coffee bar. We came here multiple times. Seating is limited, but it was the ideal grab-and-go drink and bakery stop on our way to the farmers market.
- Palomino Coffee: My first iced matcha stop for this trip was just perfect. Ceremonial matcha with Celiac-safe oat milk, iced in a tall glass cup. This place was full of plants and people, mostly at a long communal seating area. A couple of Austin weather die-hards took calls outside on a hot patio, but I found a spot in the AC among the greenery.
- Medici: Spacious seating inside and out, pebble-ice matchas, and a mean cortado, according to my husband, Tim. You can count on Celiac-safe milk options and a friendly and chill staff. Plus, the sweetest stationery shop is across the street from the Springdale Medici. Win-win.
Austin Favorites I’d Revisit, Including Gluten-Free BBQ
You’ll notice that I don’t have any BBQ restaurants in my favorites above. For several reasons, we didn’t get back to some of our past places in summer 2026. It’s been about four years since I’ve tried these places or checked their protocols, but I used to find Celiac-safe options at Lamberts and at The Salt Lick out in the Texas Hill Country, where we have memories with family and friends. We’ve often made a day of it, stopping at wineries or distilleries.
If I spent more time in Austin, I would also want to revisit Oseyo (Korean BBQ) and Suerte (Mexican) after checking on current protocols, because an epic birthday trip in 2022 had us enjoying them both.
Let me be clear: the following places looked amazing, and I even ate at one of them years ago when I was first discovering my Celiac diagnosis. I no longer take gluten risks, knowing cross-contamination is possible.
Austin Taco Trucks My Family Enjoys Without Me (Not Celiac-Safe!)
I reached out to the following food trucks, and either they didn’t get back to me with their gluten-free protocols, or they were honest enough that I knew the protocols weren’t safe enough to try. My husband and daughter ate at both, and the food looked so good. If gluten-free is a preference or you don’t need to worry about cross-contamination, visit these amazing food trucks!
La Santa Barbacha: The tacos my family brought back from this food truck had the most vibrant presentation I’ve ever seen in a to-go box. Look at those avocados! My family loved this breakfast adventure. I did not partake, but I was close to trying. Perhaps if they tighten up some of their protocols, it could be an option down the road.
Veracruz All Natural & Radio Coffee: This one hurts. I LOVED this place years ago, and to my knowledge, it didn’t make me sick. But they use a shared grill for corn and flour tortillas, so I have to skip this family favorite for now. Grab a kombucha or coffee at the shared Radio Coffee shop while your people indulge in this Austin favorite. If your family or friends are ordering, tell them to get the migas tacos and don’t let them skip the unmatchable green sauce.
Handy Tip: Know What to Ask!
If you’re gluten-free or navigating Celiac disease while eating out or traveling, I answer the questions I get asked most often in my Minneapolis gluten-free guide, and they apply anywhere you travel. Check out these questions and answers!
Eating out or eating gluten-free at home can feel overwhelming. I put together a simple starter checklist I use myself and with clients. It covers 12 easy swaps with the brands I currently trust, where gluten hides in your pantry, fridge, and freezer, and what to ask at restaurants, so you have a solid place to start, from someone who has been there.
Get My Gluten-Free Starter Checklist
I’ll help you keep eating with confidence.
Do you have a gluten-free restaurant in Austin you trust? Comment below! I’d LOVE to hear about it.
Last Updated on October 10, 2026 by Heather Bursch
