Basil Leaf Cafe

While there are gluten free options and I ate here safely, I have to say it was some of the worst pasta I’ve ever had and the meatballs were dry and hard. Could have been an off night, but I wouldn’t go back based on the food.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Poor

Lots of GF and vegetarian options and they respect gluten allergies. Highly recommend

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Completely dedicated gluten-free kitchen
• Dedicated gluten-free space in the kitchen
• Dedicated gluten-free fryer
• Other dedicated kitchen equipment (oven, toaster, pots, pans, utensils, etc.)
• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions
• Staff will clean kitchen space or change gloves if asked

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for dinner
• Good for lunch
• Good for takeout
• Good selection of healthy options
• Good vegan options
• Good vegetarian options
• Good with other allergies
• Offers delivery
• Offers online ordering
• Reservations recommended

My Celiac partner loves it bc of its dedicated gf fryer and other various gluten free menu options. It’s just perfect for date night❤

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Amazing gluten free pasta and sides! I have always felt very safe eating here as a celiac and they are very attentive to cross contact and all the little details. Would highly recommend if you are in the area or seeking out a good Italian place!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Great food! Great service. They can make almost anything gluten free. Plus some dishes like gnocchi are already gf.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

This place was so good, but I got sick 20 minutes after I ate here :/

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Came here for my birthday and it was amazing. Most everything on the menu can be made GF. I had the calamari and the butternut squash ravioli, and my husband got the regular ravioli with extra meatballs. Soooooo delicious, please grab all your celiac friends and drag them here!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Dedicated gluten-free fryer
• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for dinner
• Good selection of healthy options
• Good vegetarian options
• Reservations recommended

We’re regulars here and have never gotten sick! The staff is knowledgeable about GF and has a dedicated fryer - the calamari is great! They have fettuccini, penne, and ravioli and most of their pasta dishes can be made GF. Servers are amazing and super accommodating!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Lots of GF options! Staff was knowledgeable about cross contamination. There is a dedicated fryer. I had the fried calamari and the tortellini with GF fettuccine noodles. Everything was delicious and service was excellent. Will be back!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Dedicated gluten-free fryer
• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for lunch
• Good vegetarian options
• Good with other allergies

Very clear about their GF pastas and other options. Food was very good and affordable.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

We had the best experience here. Had celebratory dinner here after my engagement and the wait staff couldn’t have been more amazing. They explained what was in each dish I was thinking of and how it was prepared. I rarely can get an appetizer anywhere (gluten and dairy free), so to have somewhere where I could basically have everything was great. They just need to get gluten free bread for the table!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Had dinner here the night before the Chicago marathon to carbo load and it was excellent. They were knowledgeable about GF and cross contamination, had plenty of choice especially since you could sub-in the GF linguine for most dishes. I was happily surprised they had GF meatballs too! Had the gnocchi and a side of meatballs and was full and happy. Nice environment in a cute neighborhood too!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Dined at Basil Leaf last night. Chicken piccata with GF fettuccine in lemon wine sauce was so delicious! Staff is clearly accustomed to dealing with food allergies and is very accommodating. Highly recommend this restaurant.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

I had a delicious GF creamy pesto chicken pasta. Server was very knowledgeable.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for dinner
• Good with other allergies
• Offers outdoor seating

A lot of GF options. Our server was very knowledgeable and the food was great. If you crave GF pasta I recommend the Butter Nut Squash Ravioli and the Cheese-Filled Ravioli

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Dedicated gluten-free fryer
• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Dog friendly
• Good for dinner
• Good for lunch
• Good selection of healthy options
• Good vegan options
• Offers online ordering
• Offers outdoor seating

Majority of Menu is Gluten Free (including fantastic Italian pastas) with some minor exceptions, staff is incredibly knowledgeable about contamination and helpful. Can’t recommend enough.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Lovely restaurant. Staff is wonderful. I always look forward to eating here and have never gotten sick. I just tell them I have Celiac’s.

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

This is the only place I’ve found with gf ravioli and it is sooo good! I live in the south suburbs with my husband and we’ve come here twice now within 2 1/2 months. The only thing that prevents me from giving them 5 stars is there is no gf bread. Gf options are clearly marked on the menu and they were great in accommodating my soy intolerance, also.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Basil leaf has new owners. They no longer have GF bread, GF breading (so no chicken parm), the pasta used to be rice based, now it’s corn (so we celiacs who are intolerant to corn are out of luck), and they no longer have GF ravioli. Waitress said she “totally gets it and has a cousin who has celiac,” then said, “so what does celiac mean you need to stay away from? Are you vegan?”

I was told, after she talked to her manager, and I quote, “you can have angel hair pasta without the pasta.” We left. It’s so disappointing that an amazing, consistently safe restaurant completely changed.

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Poor

Very nice place, nice staff, amazing and delicious food

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Separate gluten-free menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for dairy-free
• Good for takeout
• Offers delivery

Almost all of their dishes can be made gluten free, and the food is delicious. I feel totally safe here and look forward to my next visit!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Such a great find! Great food and options with a very knowledgeable staff

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Excellent service, delicious food, and wheat-sensitive waitress who recommended the salmon cakes after asking if I was allergic or celiac - they were delicious!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Just an amazing place. I’ve been here 4 or 5 times, never any issue! The creamy pesto is the most amazing thing I’ve ever eaten- highly recommend. Sometimes they have gf bread, sometimes they don’t, but I’d recommend you ask your waiter and not the man who brings the bread, because although he is extremely kind, he doesn’t speak English very well. Go here!!!!!!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Super delicious- 98% of menu can be made gluten free. Had caprese and mussels and gnocchi- delicious! Note: their GF bread company went under, so no GF bread rolls for dinner.

Update 6months later: they no longer have GF gnocchi, but they have GF pasta and GF butternut squash ravioli. The waiter was knowledgeable and kind. Also be careful- their default straw is a pasta straw.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Very gluten-free friendly. Nice salads. They have a rice based GF pasta that makes most of the menu choices options. They take food allergy seriously.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

SO many gluten free options including ravioli!! Staff was wonderful, they bring you gf bread if you ask and they even brought me my own olive oil for dipping without me saying anything! Got fried calamari and pesto gnocchi. We got two glasses of wine, two entrees, and an appetizer for under $70. Great place!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I didn’t have a great experience here. But I did have a GF meal without sickness. Came on NYE so it was a special menu. They do have GF bread but were unable to provide me with the ingredients (I’m allergic to other things too) so I could not eat it. Same with the GF noodles. They throw away packages so there’s no way to know. Waitress was impatient. Another place catering to the GF fad dieters. Upsetting since I chose this place for the GF food on a special night yet ended up with plain chicken again. A lot of people w Celiac are sensitive to other ingredients too. Knowledgeable restaurants keep ingredients lists.

Celiac friendly?

No

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Awesome GF menu. GF fryer. Crab cakes. Wow! Mouth is watering already. 2 celiacs and eaten there many times without issue.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Wonderful dining experience. Lots of menu choices and large portions! Had fried calamari appetizer which was plenty for 3 of us. Ravioli and meatballs was very good. Even g-free bread with my own dipping oil. Never had an empty glass and used dishes were quickly cleared. Definitely coming here again!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Had an excellent lunch!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Great gluten free options and very accommodating for Celiacs. The gnocchi was amazing!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

2 thumbs-up. ...way up. best GF bread and salmon

Awesome experience, wonderful food! I have celiac and am so happy to have found this gem! So many choices, staff and kitchen very aware of cross contamination issues! And most importantly I did not get sick after eating there! Definitely going back!!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Wonderful gnocchi, which was GF. More, it was better than the glutenful gnocchi at Da Luciano's.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I wouldn't exactly call this a gluten free restaurant. We had to double check each item. I believe that they use corn products to substitute because I also react to that. I had to ask for gf bread. The dessert list just has two items. They describe their salads as gluten free, which I think is ridiculous because that's obvious. The main courses are incredibly rush that we ordered.

Best GF dining experience I have had in a long, long time! So nice to be able to enjoy bread at the table & Italian dishes!!! Wonderful & delicious! Not to be missed when in Chicago

Celiac friendly?

Yes

the only gluten free Italian restaurant in the city

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Delicious food! They said 98% of their menu is able to made gf! I had the stuffed spinach gnocchi and a non-gf had gf ravioli and said it was delicious. Highly recommend!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I haven't eaten here yet but they have a gluten free menu!