El Loco Mexican Cafe

They had a dedicated GF menu and knew the difference between GF vs losing GF status in a shared fryer. I had chicken and portabello quesadillas. And I'm taking home the flourless chocolate torte. They had 3 safe desserts to choose from!

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

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• 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 dinner
• Good for takeout
• Good selection of healthy options
• Good vegetarian options

Nice staff, great with kids. Boring, bland Mexican food. I had enchiladas and a cider and I got sick

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?

— Some

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

— Average

After multiple attempts to order the GF tacos, staff insisted I get the fajitas ‘because they look better and the tacos fall apart’. Most of the meat choices have gluten in the seasoning so I was told Only chicken or veggies. When the fajitas came the tortillas were flour. I didn’t realize until I took a bite (after all the fuss over my order I figured they HAD to be corn tortillas. No way could they be flour.) I asked the staff to confirm they were corn and they were indeed flour. They promptly apologized and brought my dish back to the kitchen-they replaced the tortillas and lettuce but did not replace the rest of the meal which is no bueno for celiacs and I’m pretty sure is against sanitary guidelines. The food wasn’t spectacular and I was sick for three days. Oh, and the fajitas fell apart bc obviously it was the same tortillas as the tacos would have been. I’ve never given such a slamming review before but it was a bad experience. At least staff were very nice and they took my meal off the bill.

Celiac friendly?

No

Food was great. Service was awesome.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Love the chips and quesadillas!!!!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

This place is so cute. Gluten free menu available with many options. Great food, no cross contamination.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

The food is delicious and the gluten free menu is large and varied.

So disappointing. They seated us, handed over a gf menu, but when I ordered they told me they were out of chicken. The whole gf menu was either chicken, or marinated in cilantro. We left.

Awesome food and knowledgeable staff! A true gem in Albany!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Celiac friendly?

Yes

GF Menu, knowledgeable staff. Very fresh food, extremely drool worthy. Will go again A+++

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Good for gluten-free with a large gluten-free menu. Food was fresh but small, I left still hungry. If you order gluten-free the meats will not be spiced because they say they’re not sure if the seasonings are safe. Still the food is good but sparse.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

We stopped here on a trip and their food was great (shrimp fajitas for the win)! Our server was VERY knowledgable. We highly recommend.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

My boyfriend is GF and now we've started coming here weekly. Recommend the gluten free nachos fantasticos as well as the GF chicken fajitas! Dedicated GF! The staff is amazing to top it all off!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Very knowledgable staff.. gluten free menu...delicious...!!!!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Our server was absolutely fantastic. She made sure we had gluten free chips and she double checked that everything was right with my food before bringing it out. Both my non-GF husband and I absolutely enjoyed our meal and we plan to return.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Loved loved this place! We were passing through Albany on our way home to MA and saw the great reviews on here. Decided to stop in and am so glad we did. I got the nachos- which were amazing. It was my first time having Mexican food at a restaurant since I got diagnosed with celiac and it was worth the wait. Wish I lived closer!!!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

The food is awesome. I love coming here for the margaritas and all the different GF options. The staff is super knowledgeable and accommodating. It's a great place for a special occasion, dinner or just drinks and chips!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Lots of options for gf. Had tamales with black bean soup - very good.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Waiter was very responsive when I ordered a GF beer.. Food was great!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

The food isn't that great but the staff is super gf knowledgable and the ambience is relaxed and fun. I'm a super sensitive celiac and I've never gotten sick here I recommend the nachos (they open a fresh bag of certified GF chips for you) and the margaritas.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Good food, nice space, seemed to pay attention to GF needs

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Wonderful night. When ordered chips and salsa and was brought a whole bag that was closed.OMG! The staff have almost no turnover and they truly care you don't get sick. When we visit Albany again this will be the first trip to eat. Wish I could pack them up and bring them home with me.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Small little place right on madison. Went fro linch with my husband, 3 yr old and 5 yr old. We all ate from the GF menu. Ordered 2 quesadillas and chicken fajitas (only get 3 small sized shells) 2 kids drinks and 2 sodas. The bill came to $50! The all food was delicious, just a bit pricy for lunch. Fyi: The tacos do not come with meat, only beans for the GF menu and only soft shell.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Completely obsessed with their nachos, but everything else is good too. Always a pleasant experience, never been sick.

WONDERFUL GF dining experience! Staff extremely understanding and accommodating. Everything delicious, especially the frijoles and the salsas. I did not dare try the GF corn tortillas because they were produced off-site by a third party. No problem, they said. They noted celiac a often forego the tortillas and so they serve entrees in a bowl. If you can tolerate items certified GF at a 10ppm level, the chips (provided in an un-opened bag) make the salsa even more enjoyable. The neighborhood is funky, the restaurant is tiny, the prices are great. If you are in Albany, venture away from downtown for a fabulous, safe, and tasty GF meal here.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Great food, although menu wasn't detailed enough so I didn't get what I thought I ordered (I'm not an expert on Mexican food).

Celiac friendly?

Yes

This was one of the best GF dining out experiences I have had yet. They were VERY knowledgeable and careful and had an extensive separate GF menu. The food was fantastic. They even serve GF chips in an unopened bag. Excellent job El Loco. Thank you so much.

This place is amazing! Absolutely delicious and staff was incredibly accommodating.

Great restaurant - very GF friendly, with a GF menu, special GF chips for salsa, and very aware staff! The food is delicious as well! One of my favorite spots!