Strong Hearts Cafe

Menu labels many items as gluten free and even celiac, but after talking to workers we learned that the friers and preparation spaces, etc. are shared. Was told only some of the shakes would be definitely gluten free. This is after hearing items are gluten free from another worker. Workers don't seem to know about cross contamination and they should not label as GF or celiac safe if it's not.

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

— Not at all

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?

— Below Average

Food was good but the front counter person knew nothing about Celiac. Told me I would be safe with a salad which set me off. I asked several questions about gluten free options and ordered a sandwich on a gf roll with a shake. For some reason she didn’t hear that I ordered a shake. When my food was ready I asked where the shake was? It took 15 minutes more to get the shake after my food arrived and THEN they proceed to tell me after I took 3 sips that the shake had gluten in it! I was furious at this point. Their base for all of the shakes is COOKIE DOUGH ice cream so They made me a new one w chocolate ice cream and didn’t charge me but I was left with a not so good opinion at this point. Also the fries are labeled gf but aren’t, as they are made in the same fryer as gluten. The gf side option had an up charge of $2.50 which they don’t tell you about and the gf roll also did. Overall, I don’t know if I would return here. IMO service was slow on top of everything else. Not impressed.

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

— Not at all

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?

— Good

Other Characteristics

• Good for dairy-free
• Good for lunch
• Good for takeout
• Good selection of healthy options
• Good vegan options
• Good vegetarian options

Feb 2022: Cute little vegan cafe with a few gluten free options. I had the bacon and brussels salad minus the “bacon” which is tempeh (I’m sensitive to soy). Absolutely delicious! Staff was very helpful and understanding despite the growing line of customers. Definitely worth trying even if you’re a meat eater like me. Plus with it being a vegan place I didn’t have to ask about dairy!

May 2023 update: still very good. I’ve been here multiple times this past school year (my daughter just finished her first year at SU). The biggest difference now is when I tell them I need gluten free the staff now asks if I’m celiac. Also my oldest daughter has been a couple times with me and she has allergies to peanuts, tree nuts and sesame seeds. The staff pulled out an allergy chart to check if what she wanted was safe for her. They indicated the allergy on the order and requested gloves to be changed. My daughter really enjoyed her sandwich and there have been NO trips to the hospital. I’ve really been enjoying the sandwiches; yes they have gf buns. Now if only they can get a few gf desserts on the top shelf of their yummy looking dessert case it would be perfect!

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

— Somewhat

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?

— Some

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

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for dairy-free
• Good for dinner
• Good for lunch
• Good for soy-free
• Good for takeout
• Good selection of healthy options
• Good vegan options
• Good with other allergies
• Offers online ordering
• Offers outdoor seating

Nice little spot. Has gf buns and wraps a variety of options some vegan. Decent food good lunch stop for the hospital area. Friendly staff.

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?

— Good

Super tasty! Menu labeled clearly w Gluten free symbols, and i was asked if I had any allergies, and Celiac was put on the meal tag. I ordered the Thai Tofu salad, which was labeled as gf, and it was very yummy. One thing though: I did request no cilantro, and the meal came out with cilantro, which I picked out. Otherwise, 10/10!

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?

— Good

Other Characteristics

• Good for dairy-free
• Good for dinner
• Good for kids
• Good for lunch
• Good for takeout
• Good selection of healthy options
• Good vegan options
• Good vegetarian options

This place was great! However the items they list as gf on their menu are cooked in a combined deep fryer and their flat top is also contaminated. The staff is knowledgeable and was great however the selection was very limited for a true celiac. Hopefully they get dedicated deep fryer going forward we would love to return.

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

— Somewhat

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?

— Not Much/None

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

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for dairy-free
• Good for kids
• Good for lunch
• Good for takeout
• Good selection of healthy options
• Good vegan options
• Good vegetarian options
• Offers delivery

Amazing place with amazing food. The online ordering allows you to put in any allergens you have. They take care to make sure the food is made for your needs. My go to place for lunch in the area right now.

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

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Dedicated gluten-free space in the kitchen
• 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 dairy-free
• Good for dinner
• Good for keto
• Good for kids
• 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
• Offers outdoor seating

Crave worthy. I'm not vegan, and I love it here. The staff know to ask if it's an allergy or celiac, and they will steer you away from certain items that have cross contamination issues but are inherently gf.

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?

— Most/All

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

— Excellent

Not celiac safe

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

— Somewhat

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?

— Good

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

Other Characteristics

• Good for breakfast/brunch
• Good for dairy-free
• Good for lunch
• Good for takeout
• Good selection of healthy options
• Good vegan options
• Good with other allergies
• Offers outdoor seating

Knowledgeable about ingredients and careful. Ate here probably 7 times in the last two weeks with no ill effects.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I had the Thai tofu salad and a peanut butter milkshake for dessert. When I placed my order the staff member said that although the salad was noted as GF on the menu, they are not a GF kitchen and cannot 100% guarantee there won’t be any cross contamination. The milkshake I ordered is not gluten free, so they left an ingredient out to accommodate me. The food was excellent, as always! Even without the guarantee I did not have any Celiac symptoms. I do wish they had a gluten free bread or wrap choice, as the Sweet Sassy Molassy is my favorite- the staff member did offer to serve it over greens - but that just isn’t the same.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Some delicious GF options, but they are limited. It is more focused on vegan foods, but many are GF. They make awesome vegan milkshakes (huge variety of flavors) - be sure to mention if you want it gf, as some of the ice creams have cookie dough in them. They do not offer GF bread for sandwiches, but salads and soups are generally safe. Have some GF cookies and packaged snacks.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

There are milkshakes and some GF treats that are good! But this is really more of a vegan/vegetarian hotspot, but they have a couple GF options, mostly salads. I wish they had GF bread on hand to offer some more variety.

Wow! This place is excellent. Many gluten free options. We got the loaded tofu scramble and milkshakes and we were satisfied for hours. I would definitely recommend, to those both vegan and not!

Just stopped here on a mini-golf trip because the gf options are pretty limited elsewhere. food was excellent (non gf party members agree).

The cashier informed me that all of their tofu scrambles and salads were gluten free. I got the green scramble and it was delicious. They also made me a mocha latte gluten free.

one thing to note is that most of their lunch options are sandwiched and they don't have gluten free bread. And there are tantalizing pastries that obviously contain gluten and may cause a certain if-only-i-could-eat-this sadness.

I'm writing this about a half hour later with no sign of sickness, so I highly recommend this place! It has a comfortable cafe with a nice atmosphere!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Vegan and gluten free options! Salad dressings are all gf