Review of Barrio

I was so disappointed in my experience at Barrio in downtown St. Paul. My dinner there ended up being one scoop of guacamole, a baggie of chips I brought from home, raw veggies and a margarita. That was all that I felt comfortable eating (and basically the only things I was offered).

The menu denotes “gluten friendly” items and I researched beforehand on this app for other reviews so I felt comfortable enough that I would be able to find something to eat there. I looked over the menu when I arrived and thought a shrimp and quinoa dish sounded safe. Our server, Amber, was very nice and said that she understood that Celiac was serious and would talk with the kitchen and her manager. The manager never came over, even though Amber said she kept asking her to. In the end I was basically told that they were not able to accommodate me and didn't even want to try. At least they're honest. I was told there was “flour in the air” in the kitchen and they couldn’t guarantee that anything would be safe enough for me to eat. I was offered raw veggies.

The only pass that I will give them is that it was a busy Saturday night. I do feel that good customer service would have included the manager coming over and maybe offering for someone in the kitchen to handle my meal a little more carefully, like they do at other restaurants that are not 100% gluten-free. Most are at least somewhat helpful. They just didn’t want to try to help me. I won’t be back to any of the locations here in Minneapolis/St. Paul. I think they should just remove the notation of “gluten-friendly” options from their menu. I absolutely would NOT recommend this restaurant for Celiac diners.

Celiac friendly?

No