Los Bagels

Gluten free bagels available, but stored right next to regular products. Definitely not safe for coeliacs.

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

— Not at all

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main 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?

— Average

Me and my family went here and we all got bagels. But unfortunately when they were putting the toppings on, they switched me and my moms bagels so Mine was not gluten free and i spent the rest of the trip throwing up.

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

— Not at all

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?

— Poor

I love Los Bagels I need to come here a lot as a college kid. Sad news though Celiac friends this IS NOT SAFE OR GLUTEN FREE. I’m so disappointed with the previous reviews. This is not yelp. This app should be strictly for people who are trying not to get sick from their disorder. So yes there is one gluten-free bagel but I half of it and my stomach turned for two days. I still go here with friends but I only get a drink out of the refrigerator. Again I love Los Bagels but if you are a celiac you will get sick from eating here. I know the owners and you know they’re a bagel place they’ve made a little effort or room for gluten-free folks as they are slammed busy every day they’re open. When you’re in a town like arcata and actually has amazing gluten-free options don’t waste your time eating here. Again you can get a drink out the refrigerator but sadly this is not a place for anyone with Celiac. I do believe the owners themselves would echo my review. The staff the friendly and accommodating rarely are over the age of 20. Not a default but we all know 20 year olds are not knowledgeable about celiac disease unless they have it and if they did they would not be working here! I can highly suggest nearby Wildflower Café or Renata‘S Crêperie for your Celiac friends. As a celiac it is heartbreaking but I avoid bagel places for sure, just not worth it!

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?

— Poor

Yes, they were great about offering their gfree toaster without us having to ask. I don't know what the bad reviews are talking about, the coffee cake and cookie were also fantastic. I had an awesome experience and my partner has been coming here for more than 20 years and has never had a bad experience. It's a must visit if your not a full blown celiac, my partner is very intolerant and had no problems. They do their best to keep it all separated.

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?

— Some

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

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for breakfast/brunch
• Good for dairy-free
• Good for kids
• Good for lunch
• Good for takeout
• Good selection of healthy options
• Offers outdoor seating

GF Bagels come from the reliable and safe “Arise Bakery.” They are stored separately. If you ask for “super gluten free” and instruct need for clean knife, clean counter, no toaster and no grill they will cheerfully comply.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

They have a pretty good gluten free everything bagel. It’s a popular place.

The restaurant itself has a cool vibe but definitely not a good place for those with Celiac!!! The bagel was pretty good but the server touched my GF bagel with bare hands directly after touching a "real" bagel. I didn't feel safe having them toast it or put on any spreads so I opted for grabbing honey for myself from their side area where they keep the lids for the to-go cups.

Celiac friendly?

No

When Los Bagels first started offering "gluten free" bagels in 2011, they described this on their blog (http://losbagels.blogspot.com/2011/06/gluten-free-for-people.html) as a "victory for gluten intolerant people." They then elaborated on this by saying they wanted their customers to understand that they are a traditional bakery and could not promise that they weren't cross-contaminated.

Since the original posting, they seem to have added language that suggests they are at least now trying to produce them with separate cooking water and pans, etc, but they've left in the warning that they were educating their staff and customers that the bagels might be cross-contaminated: "...since some people do have an extreme allergic reaction to gluten. (But) so far, it seems a large majority of our customers are only mildly allergic or not eating gluten for other health reasons".

"Mildly allergic"? What the heck? In other words, they jumped on the "gluten free" bandwagon and are offering a product that is not safe for people with Celiac or a real medical gluten intolerance.

I would certainly never eat their "gluten free" bagels, but this is also one of the few places where I won't even have a coffee. The last time I got a cup of coffee here (and nothing else), I wound up violently ill because, it turned out, the server had handled my cup with crumb-covered hands after making someone else's bagel. The staff here seem to have no understanding (nor do they care) about safe practices to avoid cross-contamination.

Celiac friendly?

No