San Chez a Tapas Bistro

Used to be one of our go-to spots in town but unfortunately cannot say that anymore.

Gluten menu was an ingredient allergy chart - did not correlate to any dish on the menu. Took ages and tons of back and forth to figure out something that appeared safe (omelette with side of fruit). However, still ended up getting gluten’d by what I can assume is cross-contamination.

Would NOT recommend coming here.

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

— Not at all

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Separate gluten-free menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much/None

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

— Good

Update: 2023 Got a very delayed gluten reaction, probably very little cross contamination. They are now way overpriced. We eat Tapas regularly in San Francisco and this restaurant was double the price for the same portion size. Disappointing.

Previous review: We ate here twice, we thoroughly enjoyed it. Because it was just the two of us we wanted to try more of the tapas. Love this app for helping us find amazing food, especially when traveling. Wish we had more time to explore GR!

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

— Not very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Separate gluten-free 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 service and good options. The server was knowledgeable and very helpful. Great food! Lots of info available about any kind of allergies.

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

Service was great, once I told our server I had Celiac Disease she told me that she would handle it and make sure everything brought to the table was GF. We had a big group so she made sure that only plates I could eat were brought out. Any needed substitutions were done for me. Their allergen menu is very detailed in what dishes are GF or can be made GF.

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

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions
• Food comes out flagged or marked gluten-free

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 vegan options
• Good vegetarian options
• Good with other allergies
• Reservations recommended

Staff was all very knowledgeable about their items, as far as leaving gluten free dishes off of a cast iron skillet they are usually served in and serving them in other dishes to avoid any cross contamination. Lots of attention to detail! I felt very confident in their ability to serve a great meal with no hidden gluten, a super tasty one at that!

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

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Other dedicated kitchen equipment (oven, toaster, pots, pans, utensils, etc.)
• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Separate gluten-free 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 breakfast/brunch
• Good for dairy-free
• Good for takeout
• Good with other allergies

Really yummy and lots of options

Celiac friendly?

Yes

San Chez is amazing about allergies. I have celiac disease and a shellfish allergy and in many visits over 4+ years, I’ve never had any problems. Plus—it’s delicious food!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

They serve gluten-free food alongside bread and other gluten products. I have gotten sick eating there.

Celiac friendly?

No

Amazing! They have a gluten free menu as well as a menu for most common allergies too. The gf toast points were great. Made me want cry because of how good it was. Worth every penny

Celiac friendly?

Yes

We love San Chez but their gf options are so limited we cannot take my mom there to eat. She has celiac.

Celiac friendly?

No

Excellent food and very well informed on their extensive list of allergy menus. The GF bread was super good. Definitely a place worth a visit, we definitely plan to come back!

Absolutely fantastic. Very knowledgeable staff and the best GF bread I’ve ever had. Try the bread with gf roasted garlic cloves...felt like real bread!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I love the concept of Roam by San Chez, the decor, and the atmosphere. What fell short, was their knowledge on food sensitivities. Having gluten allergies/celiacs is not about what level you can tolerate or have. GF people beware! Substituting the bread for GF and then leaving all other components like beer and sauces with gluten is not validating to label a menu item GF! These should be corrected as they are not truly GF. I could explain my whole experience but basically the above is what I wanted to share and address.

Celiac friendly?

No

This place is amazing! They have so many gluten free options & gluten free bread to go with all the apps. They are very accommodating! The trout dip & stuffed mushrooms are yummy 😋

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Very tasty food with knowledgeable staff. Very sensitive celiac and never had issues.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

This was the first place I ever ate in Grand Rapids on my first visit. I fell in love with it and made it a point to stop everytime I was in the area. After I moved here it became a mainstay. I don't get there as often as I'd like but they have a wide variety of gluten free options fand a GF friendly staff

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Exceptional! loved everything, great knowledgeable and sweet staff. I'm very a sensitive celiac and everything was perfect! we ordered paella, salmon tapas, chicken and chorizo tapas, and there were plenty more choices. Their menu as well descriptive for alerting any possible contamination and how to order each dish

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Good GF options and great service. The two items we ordered were odd, like the ingredients didn't quite blend right. But we didn't get sick and you can't argue with that.

Awesome place! They take allergies seriously. Fanciest GF menu I've seen, usually use to a binder with pages or loose leaf paper ls but they have separate menus for allergies just like their original menus. They are very respectful!

I've eaten here several times and I always feel safe as well as welcome. The staff go out of their way to make sure they understand your needs. Since this is Tapas, my server explained which foods ordered by my table mates were gluten free and brought GF bread or crackers on the plate while putting regular bread on the side, to prevent cross-contamination. This helped me feel like I didn't have to be annoying to my friends about what my needs were.

This place is amazing. Robust flavors, huge gf menu, great bread, great everything. The gambas asadas all fuego is to die for.

Sanchez is great about allergies and food sensitivities. Their food is delicious. Goat cheese dip and heart of palm salad are fabulous! They also have locally made sodas

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Quite a few options that are GF. And the food is amazing. Staff is knowledgable.

This place is great! They have a separate full menu dedicated to GF with many choices. The wait staff is very accommodating and knowledgeable. And the food is amazing! We have been here twice so far and both experiences have been excellent. Make sure to try the Goat Cheese Pavlova Cheesecake; it is to die for!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Immediately after landing in Grand Rapids, we headed to San Chez. I ate here in 2013 and discovered their gluten free bread and welcoming atmosphere, and it was the first place I wanted to visit on my return.

They have a really kind and well educated staff on celiac disease. I ordered off of their separate gluten free menu, and our server (Tyler) circled back to check in with me about the tostones because they are made in a shared fryer. I didn't order them as a result. I did have the pollo y chorizo dish, the gf bread loaf with the quince butter and salsa verde. All were fantastic! I also tried the whole garlic and red pepper appetizer, but didn't love it.

I can't wait to eat here again!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I have never been so sick after eating here. Like an extra for the exorcist movie. I was comfortable with my waitress however different people bring out your food and I don't think she communicated my gluten allergy.

Celiac friendly?

No

Very knowledge staff, great menu. this place never disappoints! Be sure to have anything with goat cheese, if you can tolerate dairy, and never leave without having the chocolate flourless cake with hand made truffles and raspberry sauce. San Chez is my favorite place in GR!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

My gf hubby really loves this place. Likes how knowledgeable the staff is, and their flexibility with gf options. Was also able to buy from them a bag of the gf hoagie buns they use. Very nice.

Great gluten free brunch options, staff is very helpful and knowledgable. Most of their menu is flexible so it can be altered to gluten free!

This place is unbelievable! The GF bread is great and the GF menu is quite extensive.