Leoncito

Had New Years Eve Brunch at Leoncito at Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas. This place is GORGEOUS.

Unfortunately, I was told by our female server that as a Celiac, I can't have ANY dish with meat as they all contain gluten and the chips are cooked in a shared fryer, so they're cross contaminated.

Luckily we had a cool busser, Jaelen, who went above and beyond and went and asked the kitchen what I could eat prior to ordering certain dishes and checked on us the most during the meal!

I ended up eating the $16 Cotija Caesar salad without garlic crumbles and shared the $16 queso fundido with my husband. ($4 extra for 3 more tortillas.) My husband, who can eat anything, had the $18 breakfast chimichanga and he loved it.

--- I'll say it a zillion times - not having gluten-free options or a separate gluten-free menu (because people are weird about seeing gluten-free on the menu, I get it) is LEAVING MONEY ON THE TABLE.

--- As a Celiac, Las Vegas casino resorts generally do not have microwaves in their rooms and almost none have mini refrigerators. If you have a medical dietary restriction, not only can you not bring your own fresh food to your room because there's no way to store or heat it, the restaurants on property can't accommodate you either! Should we just not come and spend our money here?

--- Wheat, barley and rye (all of the gluten grains) came from the Old World. It didn't exist in the Americas until European contact - and yet no Vegas Mexican restaurants can accommodate gluten-free due to massive cross-contamination and marinades containing these Old World ingredients.

--- Celiacs, people with wheat allergies, EoE, Crohn's, Hashimoto's, and rheumatoid arthritis all need to follow a gluten-free diet. Nevermind the amount of people without a diagnosis that are actively seeking foods that don't contain gluten (it takes on average 7 years to finally get a diagnosis of Celiac.)

--- @wishyouwereheregroup That's a lot of business to turn away over the cost of a second, dedicated fryer and using gluten-free options for your marinades. Help us spend money at your restaurants by having safe, marked, gluten-free options!

Visited: December 31, 2023

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

— Not very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Staff will clean kitchen space or change gloves if asked

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?

— Good

Other Characteristics

• Good for breakfast/brunch
• Good for dinner
• Good for kids
• Good for lunch
• Good selection of healthy options
• Good vegetarian options
• Offers outdoor seating