Where to Find Gluten Free Food Options in Champaign-Urbana and Beyond
Your Guide to all things Gluten Free in Champaign-Urbana: Gluten Free Restaurants, Desserts, Grocery Stores, and Catering Options for your family.
Most of us know someone who is on a gluten-free diet, whether friend or family member. Choosing a Champaign-Urbana restaurant area where gluten-free friends and family can feel comfortable eating can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be.
We turned to the hive mind of chambanamoms.com readers to find out where they feel comfortable eating, and have the following suggestions for those with gluten-free palates.
Please note this information comes from chambanamoms.com readers, and has not been independently confirmed in most cases. Our recommendation: Always ask to receive first-hand information regarding dietary needs and restrictions, please!
Our reader recommendations and tips for eating gluten-free in Champaign-Urbana restaurants:
Dancing Dog Eatery & Juicery, Urbana: “Has many options and makes deep dish gluten free pizzas on Saturday evenings!” See our Mom Review of Dancing Dog Eatery Juicery here.
Monicals Pizza, multiple locations: “Monicals has a gluten free pizza. I’ve never had it but heard it’s really good.” “Monicals uses the same oven but will use a clean cutter if you tell them you have an allergy.”
Friday’s, Champaign: “Friday’s has a great gluten-free bun for their burgers.”
Houlihan’s Champaign: “Houlihan’s has been getting a lot of press lately for offering spiralized veggies in place of noodles.”
Destihl, Champaign: “Destihl has the gluten-free options marked.”
Old Orchard Lanes, Savoy: “Old Orchard gluten-free pizza is very good!”
Original Pancake House, Champaign: “Original Pancake House has gluten-free pancakes.”
Common Ground Food Co-op, Urbana: CGFC “has a deli where you can have a sandwich made on GF bread and they also make daily soups that are delicious and frequently GF.
Biaggi’s, Champaign: “Biaggis has a gluten-free menu.”
Silvercreek, Urbana: “Silvercreek’s gluten-free menu is great.”
Jupiter’s, Champaign locations: “Jupiter’s gluten-free pizza is the best.”
Five Guys, Champaign: “Five Guys are very good about asking if it’s due to allergy and will prepare it properly if allergy and not dietary preference.”
Portillo’s, Champaign: “You can get Italian beef in a cup, their chili and their fries and cheese sauce! I being able to eat there. I am super sensitive with my celiac, and never have issues there.”
Blaze Pizza, Champaign: “I love the Gluten Free pizza at Blaze Pizza on Prospect.” However, one reader notes: “Unfortunately, the Gluten Free Pizza at Blaze is not cooked separately from the other pizzas, so it’s not truly GF, and those who suffer from celiac disease can’t eat it.” See our Mom Review of Blaze Pizza here.
Strawberry Fields Cafe, Urbana: “Strawberry Fields Cafe has a variety of fresh baked gluten free goods. They also have freshly made sandwiches on gluten free bread. Their hot food section almost always has two or three options that are GF. As a celiac, Strawberry Fields is the place to go!” “I second Strawberry Fields Cafe! Rice dishes available daily, plus soups, sandwiches, desserts, and more!
Olive Garden, Champaign: “Olive Garden has GF rotini.”
CoreLife Eatery, Champaign: “Corelife has a great GF menu.” See our Mom Review of CoreLife Eatery here:
Chili’s, Champaign: “Chili’s has a menu you can ask for that gives all their nutrition info. Their wings are GF.”
Scotty’s Brewhouse, Champaign: “Scotty’s Brewhouse has several Gluten Sensitive options.” See our Mom Review of Scotty’s Brewhouse here.
Maize, Downtown Champaign and Campus: “Maize is almost totally Gluten Free.” See our Mom Review of Maize Downtown here.
Culver’s, Champaign locations: “Culvers has GF buns.”
Red Robin, Champaign: “Red Robin has a GF fryer, so you can eat the fries and have them truly be GF. They also have a number of bun substitutes like a GF bun and lettuce wraps.”
Other mentions: Za’s Italian Cafe, Dos Reales, the Courier, Watson’s Shack & Rail, Humble Hog, Meatheads, Jimmy John’s, Texas Roadhouse, Baxter’s, Mexican Food (in general), Rosati’s, Dominos, Casey’s Pizza.
General Tips: “In my experience most places will help you if you tell them.”
Desserts, Cakes, Donuts:
Hopscotch, Champaign: “Their Gooey Butter Cake!”
RegCakes, Pesotum: “RegCakes is Awesome!” “The best tasting and prettiest GF cakes and cupcakes!
Pandamomium, Champaign: “Pandamonium has a GF donut on Saturdays. I’ve had both chocolate and funfetti.”
Art Mart, Champaign: “Art Mart has only one GF pastry, but it is delicious!”
Pekara, Champaign: “Pekara has GF desserts that rotate.” See our Mom Review of Pekara here.
Cold Stone Creamery, Champaign: “Not necessarily a restaurant but Cold Stone has a lot of gluten free options for dessert!”
Yo-yo’s, Mahomet: “The fro-yo shop in Mahomet has GF options.”
Strawberry Fields, Urbana
Gluten Free Catering Options in Champaign-Urbana:
Dish Passionate Cuisine
Hendricks House Catering
Piato Catering
CoreLife Eatery
Drummer Creek CAtering
Julie Bliss
Michael’s Catering
Pan and Cake Catering Co.
World Harvest
Strawberry Fields
Caribbean Grill
Bergie’s Place
Baldarotta’s Porketta & Sicilian Sausage
The Best Grocery Stores for Gluten Free Shopping:
Beachy’s Bulk Foods, Arthur
Health Food Store, Arthur
Schnucks on Mattis, Champaign
Meijer on Prospect, Champaign
Harvest Market, Champaign
Walmart, Locations in Savoy, Urbana, and Champaign
Target, Champaign
Aldi, Locations in Savoy, Urbana, and Champaign
Common Ground Food Co-Op, Urbana
Valucheck, Champaign
County Market, Champaign
