Caroline's Cafe

Two managers informed me that I was in good hands, and they even talked about how they use separate pots, water, etc. to prevent cross contamination. I got the peel and eat shrimp and catch of the day, and it was incredible!! The cocktail sauce wasn’t gluten free, so he made me my own!!

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

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most

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

— Excellent

I preferred the catch of the day and the manager personally came to my table a d assured name not to worry. They take gluten free and other allergies very serious. Food and service were great. No issues.

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

— 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

Other Characteristics

• Good for dairy-free
• Good for kids
• Good for lunch
• Good for takeout
• Good selection of healthy options
• Good with other allergies
• Offers delivery
• Offers outdoor seating

Very good restaurant with helpful and knowledgeable management. GF can eat safely here. 3 stars only because the options were pretty limited. Would be nice if they kept a small inventory of GF buns. Had the pork bowl without plantains. It was good.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Lettuce wraps were good w the adjustments. I added some hot sauce. Nice way to people watch. Got 4/5 due to the stale booze/bar smell

Great experience. The manager sat with us and helped us determine what we could have that’s gluten and soy free. Great food and service.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

What an amazing experience here!!! The customer service was simply exceptional. I have a severe paprika allergy that makes eating out hard/scary. However, from the front hostess to the manager and chef the checked my options, thoroughly communicate what was available and provided compromises for the dishes we wanted. The shrimp appetizer was delish. Highly recommend this place. Chickens walking around is entertaining too! Clean bathrooms! And if you are a southern who love sweet tea, you won't be disappointed. It's on point!!!!!!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

My husband has celiac, NO issues eating here. Nice dinner w/ large portions.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Wonderful! Magic Mike the manager went over everything with us and accommodated our request. No GF bread or dessert. Everyone was pleasant. Manager was very knowledgeable about Celiac disease.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Came in with friends not sure what to expect. They don’t have a gf menu but the waitress was very willing to review the menu with me. Ordered the chicken Cesar salad without croutons - she notes it was an allergy and the manager came mover right after I ordered to confirm it was gf and the chicken was prepared on the spot. They also brought my food out first so it wouldn’t touch any of the other orders - great experience!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I picked this for lunch based on others’ recommendations and was not disappointed. The manager walked me through a number of options and personally checked that my cocktail and jambalaya was done right. Right in the heart of the fun on Duval.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Personalet hadde god kunnskap. Ikke så mye å velge i. Spiste en god salat. Ok beliggenhet sentralt.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Manny and the manager Big Mike are amazing. They walked me through every item that was GF or could be GF, very attentive to cross contamination and super kind about everything. The regular tartar sauce isn’t GF and they made me one that was. I didn’t feel like a pain at all, I will def be back.

I asked immediately upon entry at hostess stand if they could accommodate celiac. The manager happened to be there and told me yes. Once seated manager came over again and showed me every single item on the menu that could be modified to be GF. Nothing is marked GF but I felt he had a clear understanding. I had the pork bowl with rice and broccoli (no plantains as he told me the we’re contaminated in the frier). I tested these items with my Nima Sensor and all tested gluten free. Manager also brought my dish first and said he didn’t want it sitting on the line waiting for a chance of contamination. He said they pride themselves on accommodating allergies. All salads and sandwiches can be made GF (no GF buns available). Good safe experience in key west. Highly recommend.

excellent! the manager came over and told us everything that we could eat on the menu and listed us as an allergy to the cook to avoid cross contamination. such good food. we had the pork bowl with no plantains (unless you’re okay with them going in the fryer, they don’t have a dedicated one) the boston lettuce wraps with house made ranch dressing instead of the regular and the jambalaya is gluten free!!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I was amazed by the service and attention we received here. The hostess discussed gluten-free options with us before she seated us. She told us they have a dedicated fryer for their fries. I ordered the mahi-mahi sandwich on a bead of lettuce instead of a bun. When I asked to verify that the fries were cooked in a dedicated fryer, the server said no but there were gluten-free options. I ordered beans and rice which were the best beans and rice I ever had...really! The mahi mahi was great also. Two separate managers came out and checked on us, me specifically. The first was very knowledgeable about Celiac disease and even made a special gluten-free cocktail sauce for me which was delicious. I can't say enough about Caroline's!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Food was average to poor and place is kinda dirty. Pigeons and chickens running around since it’s all open. On the plus side the server was knowledgeable and there are plenty of gluten free options.

This place is amazing! Staff is very friendly and the management is great. A lot of options and most items can be modified. Will be going here again!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I saw the reviews and thought ok let’s try this. The manager came out and gave me my options and how she can modify. She said mostly everything is made from scratch in house including amazing dressing. Did not get sick and I’m super sensitive celiac. Very pleased and the food is delicious. I had chef salad-portion size is generous! Non celiac friends enjoyed their meals as well. Felt safe!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Great knowledgeable staff. Had a great meal and manager delivered gluten free delicious cheeseburger no bun. Others enjoyed great food as well.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Super friendly. Manager came out to speak to me and was very knowledgeable. Food was yummy too!

Amazing staff!!! Robert came and spoke with me about my allergy. His exact words “you can eat here with complete confidence”. So thankful to find this place on vacation and a knowledgeable staff to boot - plus food is amazing!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Manager came out and talked about the menu and the precautions they take. He personally went back and talked to the chef. I had the hamburger with a lettuce wrap. It was amazing. Think I may go back for jerk chicken tomorrow.

The staff had good knowledge about celiac disease and gluten. The Food was prepared in separate areas. The food was delicious and I would definately come back

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Limited gf items but extremely accommodating.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

This place looked promising because supposedly most items could be made gluten free. It says so on their menu. I went there precisely because of this, since to me "most" of a menu means the majority, unlike "some" that would only mean a few. Since almost all of their menu items had wheat (sandwiches, pasta, fried foods and soy sauce based sauces), I figured if most of their menu could be made GF, that they would have either GF bread, GF pasta, GF flour for fried items, a dedicated frying station for GF items or tamari. I know this is a lot to ask for, and I wasn't expecting all of it, but hey..they were the ones claiming most of their items could be made GF. Well I got there and they only had 2 GF options (jambalaya and a salad) only cause all the ingredients are naturally GF. The only way of making very few of their other items GF, was removing whatever had gluten in them so any fried component and most sauces. That makes very few of the items GF, not most. The vast majority had gluten and were not subject to modifications. Very disappointed.

Great food, great selection for celiac. Friendly service.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Excellent! All food is cooked to order so they will amend as necessary AND are happy too do so. Ate here 4 times in 8 days and did not get sick. They have a varied menu of good food. No GF menu, but they understand GF and cross-contamination. Talk to your server and if they are new and don’t understand, follow up with the manager. They will take care of you. If you want, ask to be seated in Ally’s section; she gets it.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Not too many GF options on their menu, but waitstaff was incredibly conscientious and knowledgeable about allergens and cross contamination. I ended up ordering a salad with their gluten free ranch with some Pinot Grigio. (Never got sick)

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Limited GF options since most of their sauces and marinades contain gluten. However, staff is very educated. If you say you have an allergy, the manager will come to your table and help you navigate the menu.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Very good! Friendly staff... Bathrooms lost them a star. Eww. Jambalaya was perfect!!!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Staff knew a lot about the different options and gave us a good feeling about eating there. The kids loved it.

Staff was very knowledgeable of the GF options on their menu including salad dressing. The jambalaya is even GF!

I ordered the fresh catch of the day, mahi....it was fantastic! Scott, our waiter, was knowledgeable and very accommodating! The manager came out to talk with me, she even went over the ingredients list. When she was not sure about a specific ingredient, she whipped me up a fabulous cocktail sauce. Thanks so much!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Great spot! I had the fresh catch (grilled mahi, rice, broccoli) and it was great. We had lettuce wraps as an appetizer- the soy sauce is gluten free but the peanut sauce is not, my husband kept that for himself. Manager Mike was AWESOME!! He came out and spoke with me about my entree. The wait staff weren’t as knowledgeable as the manager but did pretty good. Recommend this location!

This was really er good experience. My son, who has celiac, really wanted pasta today, but they did not have it on the menu. We asked if they would boil some if we came with the pasta. They did and they were very knowledge about celiac. The service was fantastic, and I really want to recommend this place.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

The manager came over to assure me my meal would be gluten free. They were knowledgeable and helpful. Highly recommend!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

My 9-yo is gluten and dairy free due to dr recommended diet for Hashimotos. I do the same. We had the best experience here. The manager Robert was extremely knowledgeable and reassuring. He came out several times and went over ingredients with us to ensure we were able to have a safe meal (side note - they use GF La Choy soy sauce - yay!). We come to Key West often so I wish I knew about this place sooner!! Oh and the key lime margaritas are amazing!

Manager came over to tell me how my food will be prepared in separate area. I had the chicken lettuce wraps and it was delicious

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Robert, GM, came to the table & asked me what I would like to eat. We talked it thru and then he said “Listen, eat with confidence. We will use separate gloves, pans everything . He even told me my husband’s entree would be gf if I wanted to taste it. . 10 stars!!! And it was so delicious

Celiac friendly?

Yes

The restaurant was very attentive to Gluten Free and the Manager came out and chatted with me. Only 4 stars for having a limited menu of it.

Server immediately said a manager would be out to help go over the menu to accommodate me. She went over the menu with me.. I ended up with the Southwest Chicken salad. Very tasty. make sure to order without the tortilla strips because they are fried in the *community fryer* Manager and server said they take allergies very seriously! Didn't get sick!

No gf menu but manager was very knowledgeable and walked my meal thru kitchen. Delicious. Manager will let you know what you can have and his they will modify if needed

Ended up getting just a chef salad but it was HUGE! They have a list of gluten free dressings and were willing to work with me if I wanted anything else.

No separate menu, but manager was knowledgeable and talked with me after I ordered.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Manager came to my table to ask what I wanted. He was willing to have the kitchen custom make for my tastes. He was conscientious of cross contamination and assured me that they took the allergy very seriously, changing gloves and using separate utincils in the kitchen. I had the jumbalia, which was loaded shrimp, chicken and sausage. Impressed!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

They acomodated my Celiac needs. The manager (Brice) came to my table to explain to me that what I order may not be good for Celiac in comparison to Gluten fee. Kimberly our waitress was good and helpful as well. Good Job!!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

As others have said, no menu but a knowledgeable manager gets involved. This is a Key West "joint" so it's a tiny kitchen so I'm pretty confident that there's just one prep area. My brother in law has cd and had the jambalaya the day before me with no issues. We both had it the following day (I have cd) and both were fine (It's really good). I can't call this place cd friendly, but I would return and just have the jambalaya.

Celiac friendly?

No

Fun atmosphere. When I walked in, I asked for the gluten free menu and they confirmed that they don't have one and don't have reference to GF items on the menu. They sat us and the manager came right over to review what they could make for me that was safe. He was very knowledgeable about GF foods and alcohol. He kept checking in also throughout the meal. My food was excellent and I had no issues. I would definitely go back.

I am usually hesitant to give five stars when a restaurant doesn't mark the menu with GF items but I make an exception here. If you ask for options the manager comes to the table and gives you a run down on what is available. I had excellent blacked yellow tail with GF rice and vegetables .

The menu is not specifically marked for GF but staff knowledgable and in general the menu states that they take great care for special needs diets. After a hiccup about bruschetta (yes bruschetta - bread for me, my husband brought his own GF corn thins) things were fine - we had ordered bruschetta and asked to have the bread completely separate from the toppings - the waitress seemed to understand but apparently it didn't quite register with the kitchen - when it was brought to our table (not by the waitress, by someone else) the tomato topping was in the center, pieces of bread were arrayed around it and touching the topping and with fresh mozzarella on the bread. Our waitress noticed us staring at it it and came over, saw the state of affairs and immediately had it redone - the chopped tomato topping was delicious with a really nice smooth balsamic flavor. My husband had the day's catch grilled and it came with a mountain of broccoli and a yellowish rice - the manager had been by to assure us that the rice was OK - nothing contraband in how it was cooked. His fish was good and he had no issues. I had the chicken broccolini pasta which was delicious with a creamy sauce but was an enormous portion. I recommend Caroline's as a GF dining destination in Key West - as in any restaurant, you just have to be diligent.

Celiac friendly?

Yes