The Birchmere

The Birchmere is an music institution in Alexandria where you're forced to have dinner befit a concert. Considering that there are not a lot of options nearby this is not a bad idea. The food is average.

Gluten-free considerations clearly don't exist. The website has the words gluten-free but there is no gf menu. When I asked the waitress, she had no idea, so I had to guess that the nachos were gf. "Sure", she said. Couldn't care less. They do indicate vegetarian options.

Concerts can be amazing.

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/None

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

— Below Average

The Birchmere is an amazing concert venue, but eat beforehand. Despite advertising a gluten free menu it is not even gluten “friendly” let alone celiac safe.GF Menu listed fries, homemade chips, tortilla chips as GF but they use a shared fryer. Chili on GF menu was made with beer. Spoke to chef before it was busy and he confirmed server can handle GF requests and the menu had many meat/vegetable offerings that are GF. Meals came out with cornbread and sauce. When I questioned the sauce, server said it was au jus, not gravy, and GF. 5 minutes later she took the meal and brought out another one without the sauce. That being said, this one is on us. The warning signs were there but we were eager to enjoy an amazing show with dinner. If you plan to attend a show there I recommend not eating there. But the bar has wine, mixed drinks, hard cider on tap and bottles of Redbridge.

Celiac friendly?

No