Have you ever felt frustrated when trying to decide if a restaurant or bakery is worth your time, only to find that they don’t offer many gluten-free options? This is why I created a five-star review system that I will use going forward to evaluate any restaurant, bakery, or food truck. This will save you time on your search, so you can quickly determine if it’s worth your time to go.

BGF Five-Star Review System

The basis of my system will be to review each restaurant, bakery, or food truck based on their gluten-free options, ease of understanding the menu, cross-contamination issues, knowledge of gluten-free items, and online ordering capability.

My focus is to help you make quicker decisions when deciding where to go out to eat, and saving you time so you can focus on the great gluten-free food options!

Below is a more detailed explanation of what each star will represent:

1 – Star

• A small amount of GF items.
• Staff not trained well on what gluten intolerance is.
• No information/little information about possible cross-contamination.
• The menu does not list if items are GF or not.
• No online ordering.

2 – Stars

• Several GF items, a few staples that are naturally gluten-free.
• Staff not trained well on what gluten intolerance is, but willing to talk about it.
• No real information about possible cross-contamination on menu or from the staff.
• Menu items that are gluten-free are not marked on the menu.
• Possible online ordering of food.

3 – Stars

• Many gluten-free items available.
• Staff somewhat aware of what gluten intolerance is.
• Staff may have knowledge about possible cross-contamination issues or it may be listed on the menu.
• Gluten-free items are marked on the menu, or the ingredients of each item are listed to make a better decision.
• Possible online ordering of food.

4 – Stars

• Mostly gluten-free items or the ability to create your dishes to accommodate gluten intolerance.
• Staff are aware of what gluten intolerance is.
• Staff are aware of ways to prevent cross-contamination, and they may have this listed on the menu.
• Gluten-free items are marked on the menu, and the ingredients of each dish are listed to help you make a more informed decision.
• Possible online ordering of food.

5 – Stars

• All gluten-free items only.
• Staff are educated on what gluten intolerance is.
• Staff are taught about cross contamination, the importance of it, and how to prevent it.
• Items are marked on the menu as gluten-free, and they provide details of the ingredients in each of the dishes. They may discuss ways they prevent cross-contamination on the menu.
• Online ordering of food is an option.

And that’s it! So look for upcoming reviews of restaurants, bakeries and food trucks to evaluate their gluten-free options, as well as how well they mark the items and how educated their staff is on gluten intolerance and cross-contamination. Hope this helps save you time when you are out and need to eat!

If you are looking for other gluten-free resources click here! Enjoy!