Trip Report: Gluten Free in Siesta Key!

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My family and I recently took a Spring Break Trip to Sarasota Florida and the Siesta Key Beach area.  I was very pleased with the gluten free options in the area.  Here’s a rundown of some of the highlights…

  1. Island Gluten Free Bakery – This dedicated gluten free bakery is filled with a couple things… 1. Extremely nice people and 2. Awesome gluten free baked goods.  Chatting with the folks here, I learned more about gluten free options in the area and I learned that they are great people.  We made this a daily stop before the beach for coffee and breakfast.  Everything I had here was good, but in particular, I would recommend the cinnamon rolls.  Everyone in my family including my gluten eating kids agreed that these were great and couldn’t tell that they were GF.  Island Gluten Free also has a pamphlet with gluten free options in the area that serve their products under the Stellar Gluten Free Label.  This place is a must-stop.
  2. Beckham’s on the Trail – The restaurant has a great gluten free menu and takes the issue of gluten seriously.  It’s my understanding that they have a separate gluten free prep areas and they do have dedicated fryers.  I had the deep free fish and it was amazing.  Really great place and Celiac friendly.
  3. Fresh Kitchen – This place is a dedicated gluten free restaurant.  You pick a bowl size and pick your bases, proteins and veggies.  My food was nutritious and straight up delicious.  For what you get, I also think it’s a great value.
  4. Carrabba’s on Stickney Point Road – Part of the Carrabba’s chain.  They offer a gluten free menu chain-wide.  I talked with the manager here about cross contamination and they seemed to understand the issue well.  They were friendly and the food was great.  I had the grilled salmon.  Our server was a delight.  She indicated that some of the cook’s here have been at this location for a long time and that it was one of the best Carrabba’s restaurants around.
  5. S’macks Burgers and Shakes – They offer a gluten free bun (Stellar from Island Bakery) and were very friendly.  If you are a celiac you need to talk with them a bit about your situation.  I had a good experience and the food was tasty.  It was nice to have a burger on a good gluten free bun.  Some frozen custard options are also gluten free, but you need to be careful on toppings and mix-ins.  I spoke with the manager and had a dish of vanilla from a machine they don’t use very often.
  6. Baja Boys Grill – This is a dedicated gluten free food truck serving fresh Mexican.  This is owned and operated by a celiac.  Really great food and nice people.  It was a little difficult to track the truck down.  I have a suspicion they are only open on Wednesdays at the Phillipi Farmer’s Market.  My only complaint is it would be nice to see them open more often.  Great food!
  7. Earth Origins Market – This is a chain of health food grocery stores that has a couple locations in Sarasota.  Great selection of gluten free food and reasonable prices

This was my first big trip after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease.  Sarasota and Siesta Key are great places to visit if you’re looking for a beach getaway.  I was very happy with the gluten free options.  I highlighted the ones I tried, but even more are available.  It was a great trip!

Got a trip report?  Let us know, we’d be happy to share!

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