Where to find the East Bay’s tastiest gluten-free food

When I discovered I had a wheat intolerance 25 years ago, the East Bay gluten-free landscape was decidedly barren; happily, it’s more verdant now, while still a bit quirky.

Nowadays, many people avoid gluten for a variety of reasons, but when those with celiac disease consume gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley), their bodies mount an immune response that attacks the small intestine. So, for them, the ability to enjoy eating out, while being certain to avoid any trace of gluten, is of primary importance. 

At most restaurants, even when a dish is listed as “GF” on the menu, those with celiac must pepper the server with questions to be sure there will be no cross contamination. For example, eating a supposedly “GF dish” that was fried in the same oil that was previously used to prepare a dish containing gluten, could cause an extremely painful reaction that lasts for hours.

For these diners, the rare restaurants that have dedicated gluten-free kitchens allow them to let their guard down slightly, as anyone with celiac or a wheat intolerance can enjoy everything on the menu.

Kitava’s owner, Bryan Tublin, at the restaurant’s newest location in Albany that opened its doors in mid-March on March 21, 2025. Credit: Florence Middleton

On March 24, the opening of Kitava Albany added a dedicated gluten-free kitchen to Solano Avenue. (This is Kitava’s third location after San Francisco’s Mission and Oakland’s Temescal.) 

Owner Bryan Tublin’s original motivation was trying to heal his own chronic pain. Food was one piece of that. After he studied for two years at Berkeley’s Bauman College, he started doing healthy pop-ups.

“Our philosophy towards allergens is important,” Tublin said. “We want to make real food that makes you feel good and that is accessible to as many people as we can. There are a lot of people who have gluten allergies or sensitivities. We want to make it so when they come into Kitava they don’t have to think about it. They can order everything here; gluten is not on the premises. Same with peanuts and soy. It’s not that those things are inherently bad, we just want to be welcoming to folks that have any dietary needs. Even if people have other kinds of allergies, we want to be the place that says, ‘let’s find something that will work for you.’”

Nosh has collected a handful of 100% gluten-free kitchens, mostly gluten-free restaurants, and some specific gluten-free dishes around the East Bay. Many more are out there to be tasted — let us know your favorites. 

Kitava’s owner, Bryan Tublin, takes a customer’s order at the restaurant’s newest location in Albany. Credit: Florence Middleton

Dedicated gluten-free kitchens

Kitava

All Kitava locations have 100% gluten-free kitchens, and also follow “clean eating principles,” which avoid the other most common allergens: dairy, peanuts, and soy, as well as unhealthy oils, refined sugar, and chemicals. 

Their newest eatery is bright, airy, and dotted with plants. It took over the former Boss Burgers, plus added space from an adjoining real estate office, with 50 seats and a parking lot in the back. This is a fast casual spot with build your own bowls from many options, including rice, veggies and salads. Vegan options are available, plus locally sourced chicken, pork, beef and tuna. Specialties include chicken or cauliflower in a crispy cassava coating and a black bean protein patty. Desserts include brownies, cookies and dairy-free soft serve.

Kitava: 1187 Solano Ave., Albany and 375 40th St, Oakland; both locations are open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. everyday with brunch service 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday through Sunday

Uptown Oakland Colombian restaurant Parche offers a gluten-free menu. Credit: Parche Credit: Parche

Parche

Paul Iglesias’ Colombian heritage influenced his decision to make his restaurant 100% gluten free. He realized that, traditionally, Colombian and other South American cuisines included no glutinous grains until the 1500’s when the Spanish arrived with wheat in tow. That fact, plus the reality that an increasing number of people are developing celiac and other sensitivities to gluten, made it an easy decision to totally eliminate it from the restaurant.

His creative Colombian cuisine includes arepas, empanadas, and smashed plantains. Yuca, maize and rice all make appearances topped or stuffed with flavorful stewed meats and veggies as well as artistic ceviche. My favorite ceviche combined trout with mango leche de tigre, squid ink aioli, basil oil, and coriander oil, and was topped with crispy salmon skin.

Parche: 2295 Broadway, Oakland; open Sunday through Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:30a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Mariposa Baking offers gluten-free pumpkin, apple, cranberry apple, and pecan pie. Photo: Mariposa Baking

Mariposa Bakery

Walking into Mariposa Bakery Cafe is like being transported to a gluten-free wonderland, where every cookie, croissant, cake, pie, pretzel, and pasta can be enjoyed without worry. Mariposa’s founder, Patti Furey Crane, is the godmother of gluten-free baked goods in the Bay Area. She opened her Oakland bakery and cafe in 2006 and creates gluten-free versions of every imaginable baked good, from cupcakes to cinnamon rolls, plus a half dozen different breads. Some of my favorites include her moist, fudgy “Penguino” cupcakes, homey chicken pot pie and gooey cinnamon rolls (tip: take them home, wrap lightly in foil and heat at 375 degrees until warm and melty). At their cozy cafe, for breakfast, you can choose from bagels, scones and muffins. Lunch features pizzas, sandwiches, quiche, pot pies, empanadas and much more. 

Mariposa Baking Co.: 5427 Telegraph Ave. d3, Oakland;  open Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Third Culture Bakery in Berkeley made its name on its signature mochi muffin. Photo: Wenter Shyu

Third Culture Bakery

Sam Butarbutar and Wenter Shyu opened their West Berkeley bakery in 2018 with a unique treat that quickly gained a huge following. The bakery went totally gluten free the following year. Their mochi muffins and donuts come in a range of flavors. The original mochi muffin features mochiko rice flour, organic French-style butter, a blend of pandan and coconut milk and is sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds. Other flavors include chocolate chip, black sesame, churro, matcha, chili crisp and, my favorite, ube. Baked butter donut flavors include mango passion, guava cheesecake and many more varieties. 

Third Culture Bakery: 2701 8th St., Berkeley; open everyday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Wahpepah’s Kitchen

Crystal Wahpepah’s changing seasonal menu honors foods from Native producers both local and across North America. Everything at the restaurant is gluten free except fry bread and cornbread. Her signature dishes include Kickapoo chili in the winter, a medley of squashes in the fall, festive green salads in spring and a berry celebration in summer. I love her chewy/crispy wild rice fritters, which feature cranberries, corn, and zucchini and are topped with a pumpkin seed sauce, her blueberry-infused bison meatballs, and the salmon tostadas on blue corn tortillas.

Wahpepah’s Kitchen: 3301 East 12th St., suite # 133, Oakland; open Wednesday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Closed Mondays and Tuesdays

Marigold Indian Eats

Everything at this Temescal restaurant is gluten free except the breads. Their menu announces the central role of spices in their Indian dishes. Some standouts include aloo tikki chaat, (a crispy Indian potato patty flavored with spices and topped with Chana garbanzo masala), saag paneer (sauteed spinach with paneer cheese), chicken korma (which is cooked in a rich cashew cream sauce), baingan bharta (roasted eggplant, peas and tomatoes in a spicy sauce) and, for dessert, kheer (creamy rice pudding with cardamom). 

Marigold Indian Eats: 4868 Telegraph Ave., Oakland; open everyday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

5 Tacos and Beers serves a mostly gluten-free menu, except for its flour tortillas and churros. Credit: Anna Mindess

5 Tacos and Beers

Everything is gluten free, except for the flour tortillas in kids’ meals and the churros, which are cooked separately. Everyday, the restaurant features tacos with fresh ingredients, such as pork, beef, and chicken, plus veggie choices like mushrooms or cauliflower. I love the fresh fish tacos, their hearty pozole con pollo soup, sprinkled with crunchy radish shards, and their salad de la casa, which is festively topped with strawberries, pecans, cheese, raisins and pecans and dressed with a mango vinaigrette.  5 Tacos and Beers also features a selection of gluten-free beers.

5 Tacos and Beers: 1175 Solano Ave., Albany; open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Teni East Burmese

Teni East offers a modern twist on traditional Burmese cuisine. From their satisfying fermented tea leaf salad that features a mound of baby kale, to flavorful beef, lamb and chicken curries, with plenty of veggie dishes too, everything is gluten free except the breads. 

Teni East Kitchen: 4015 Broadway, Oakland; open Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 11am to 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., closed Mondays

Special gluten-free dishes

Lucia’s gluten-free pizza and pasta

Lucia’s special blend of rice and wheat starch flour produces puffy, fluffy pizza crusts, which are wildly popular (they sell 40-50 gluten-free pizzas a day.) They use rice flour on their counters  and everything is kept separate, (except the same oven is used for both gluten-free and regular pizzas). They also offer gluten-free pastas, appetizers (like a wonderful calamari fritti), and desserts.

Lucia’s: 2016 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley; open Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. to 9:45 p.m., closed Mondays and Tuesdays

Sailing Goat, which offers a gluten-free fish and chips, is known for its outdoor dining. Credit: Sailing Goat

Sailing Goat gluten-free fish and chips

This outdoor (dog friendly) restaurant on the water at Point San Pablo Harbor often features live music. It has a dedicated gluten-free fryer and serves locally caught, crispy battered fish which goes perfectly with their french fries and coleslaw. They also offer a weekly gluten-free chowder and a couple of gluten-free desserts.

Sailing Goat: 1900 Stenmark Drive, Richmond; open Friday, Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., closed Monday-Thursday

Bageltopia gluten-free bagels

Although most of the celebrated bagels at Bageltopia contain wheat flour, they have found a rather good gluten-free option from Odd Bagel in Richmond*, which makes half a dozen flavors. Bageltopia only carries their plain and everything varieties, but this conscientious spot allowed my gluten-loving husband and me to have a great breakfast together. While he enjoyed their regular poppy seed bagel with cream cheese and jam, I ordered a gluten-free everything bagel with lox which came topped with capers and the thinnest sliced red onions, just the way I like it. Servers are very conscious of respecting gluten-free protocols and keep a dedicated toaster and prep station. If you order spreads or toppings, they will take them from special reserves in the refrigerator which have not been previously touched.

Bageltopia: 1401 University Ave., Berkeley: open Tuesday through Sunday 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., closed Mondays

*You can find packages of Odd Bagels at both Berkeley Bowls and Alameda Natural Grocery and they are also served at Saul’s and Levy’s Bagel and Company.

Masse’s Pastries gluten-free cakes and cookies

Ever since Paul Masse started his bakery in North Berkeley 27 years ago, his focus has been on creating exquisite traditional European cakes and confections. Several of these are made with a base of only nut flours, like almond, hazelnut or pistachio, and thus are naturally gluten free. These include chocolate hazelnut sponge cake, almond pistachio raspberry sponge cake, and Viennese chocolate cake made with almond flour. All are beautifully adorned with chocolate flowers or other aesthetic touches. Other gluten-free treats are always available, including pot de crème, plus a slew of almond macarons in sophisticated flavors such as lavender, chocolate with wild orange, ginger with lemon, and salted caramel. While their cakes are not guaranteed 100% gluten free due to flour in the kitchen, I find them a great dessert to serve at parties where people with varying sensitivities may be present.

Masse’s Pastries: 1469 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley; open Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., closed Tuesdays