Taco Mama

Just spoke to the manager, who also has celiac disease. She told me that the chips and the taco shells are gluten-free and are fried in a dedicated fryer. She also told me that everything is safe, except for the chicken, which is cooked with beer. She is very knowledgeable.

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

— Somewhat

Safety Feature Ratings

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

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

Two celiacs in our home and they made ordering difficult even though they said it in a friendly way. They refused to clean a spot on the grill to heat up my corn tortillas. My younger daughters burrito was made wrong, my oldest daughter- the other celiac in our home- was given flour tortillas for her tacos due to laziness and disregard. The manager acted pike it wasn't a big deal and refused to do anything but stand there instead of fix the issue. She was ignorant and a pain in the ass since she learned of the differences in our food prep needs.

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

— Not at all

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

Other Characteristics

• Good for takeout

They've always been very kind and careful when I mention I have celiac and I have never gotten sick after eating there. I trust them and love tacos!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

This was an excellent restaurant! We asked a few questions and when the person we asked wasn’t sure, she immediately found plenty of knowledgeable people including the cooks of course. Chips are in a dedicated fryer so they are safe. They seemed to exercise caution. On top of that—it was just delicious!!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Manager was awesome and honest about potential of cross contamination with chips and hard shells. Recommended soft corn tortillas for beef tacos and the rice. No signs of gluten exposure following meal!

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

The chicken is NOT gluten free, but every other meat is. Make sure you tell them you have celiac! In Gardendale specifically- they know what it is! When I tell them, I don’t get sick. I always order the nachos with ground beef and almost everything on it. I don’t ask for anything grilled just because I want as little to touch the grill as possible!

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

— Somewhat

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 dairy-free

They are very knowledgeable. You can only get a bowl if your are cross contamination sensitive. Been a 3 times and never been sick and able to change it up each time

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

— Very

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

The cashier at Taco Mama was SO knowledgeable. I guess I had looked at the GF menu of a different Taco Mama so I said I had celiac and wanted the Nachos and she immediately corrected me and said that this restaurant is the only one in the chain that has a shared fryer so the chips are not gluten free. I ordered the chicken tacos and she made sure I got the chicken NOT cooked in beer. When she put in the order she said “ok let me go tell everyone to change their gloves” without me asking her to. So sweet! I have very sensitive celiac and didn’t have an issue.

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

Went here and they are gluten friendly. They are not, however, dairy free friendly. So if you are like me and have trouble with gluten and dairy I do not recommend this place. The chicken, ground beef, retired beans, and guac all have dairy in them.

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu