Las Vegas was my first real vacation after being diagnosed with celiac disease. As can be expected, I was extremely nervous about eating while traveling with celiac. I was afraid that I would be contaminated on day one and spend the rest of the trip sick. What fun would Vegas be if I was sick the entire time?
It turns out I had nothing to worry about. There were tons of places on the strip that had gluten free menus. Hell, there was plenty of places inside our hotel that had gluten free options. I also loved how when you requested gluten free it was taken very seriously. Most places assumed autoimmune or allergy or they asked. In Phoenix, everyone thinks “diet”.
We even managed to get one buffet in, even though I almost had a mini panic attack while waiting. I had read the Chef at the Aria Buffet has celiac disease and will come out and show you what you can eat. We decided to go to Aria and test it out. Besides being completely stuffed, I had no issues.
The Chef did come out and show me around. He made sure to point out what was safe and what to avoid. It was a little overwhelming, but I remembered most everything he told me. If I couldn’t remember I avoided it. I did feel bad at the desserts… I had to use my hand to grab one because there were no tongs and I didn’t want to just grab one! I made sure to only touch the one I was taking. The food was what you would expect at a buffet, nothing earth-shattering.
Border Grill – We stopped here since it was in our hotel. It was a wise choice. The margaritas were tasty and strong, just how I like them. The ceviche was one of the best I’ve had. And pork belly tacos? YUM.
Lupo by Wolfgang Puck – They offered one gluten free pasta, but you could get it with any sauce. It’s hard to go wrong with Wolfgang Puck. I had the gluten free pasta with bolognese.
Veranda is in the Four Seasons, next door to Mandalay. I had the gluten free quattro, a mini waffle, egg whites and panna cotta. It was slightly disappointing. The mini waffle was about two bites. I would have liked a bit more. The egg whites were surprisingly tasty. I usually prefer whole eggs to egg whites. I wish it had been a bit more food. I got hungry again soon after.
Shake Shack – I finally had a chance to try Shake Shack. It was tasty and I love anywhere I can have fries!
Stack – Oh. My. God. This was probably the best meal we had in Vegas. We did the steak for two and it was the best steak I have had plus it came with two delicious sauces, a red wine pepper sauce and a chimichurri sauce. It also came with whipped potatoes, which were also excellent. It was the perfect amount of food. We also split the cherry vanilla creme brule, another excellent choice. I would highly recommend Stack. Highly.
Mon Ami Gabi – I enjoyed Mon Ami Gabi as well. They have gluten free bread for us gluten free people. We don’t have to just sit and watch others enjoy crusty bread before the meal. I had the grilled chicken paillard and, of course, creme brule for dessert. I would definitely go back and try other gluten free items as the chicken was great.
Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab – This was a close second to Stack. We started with ceviche (we have a thing for ceviche). I had the filet and tail, both of which were excellent. I also had the sweet potato with praline pecan butter. I am drooling just thinking about it! And they had my favorite dessert as gluten free… BROWNIES! I tried so hard to finish the brownie, but it was so much food.
Nine Fine Irishmen – I had the shepherd’s pie. It was tasty and huge. Huge. I can’t say shepherd’s pie is exciting or special. It’s traditional comfort food and Nine Fine Irishmen did a great job with their dish. This is another place that I would go back to.
Burger Bar – Our last stop before the airport was the Burger Bar. This place probably was my least favorite, not that it was bad. I did the build your own burger on a gluten free bun. It was just a burger, nothing I here I went I have to have this again! I was able to have one variety of fries here.
There is no shortage of gluten-free in Las Vegas. The strip is littered with restaurants with gluten-free menus online plus we asked a few more and they either had gluten free options or had suggestions on what was or could be made gluten-free. I am already planning a trip back to Vegas and know I have nothing to worry about. I could go several times and never have to repeat a restaurant, although I would go back to most of the ones on this list.
