Review of Mochas Coffeehouse & Bakery

My husband read the reviews and we chose to drive from Crested Butte to pick up sandwiches. Celiac Friends - this is a reminder of how you must continue to be vigilant about asking about chances for cross contamination. There was not a GF menu- only that gf bread and bagels were available . I told the woman who took my order that I read good reviews about eating safely gluten free here and that I have celiac disease and my digestive system is sensitive. She assured me they use separate ingredients and use a separate prep area and separate toaster. Then I asked if they use the same herb cream cheese on regular gluten bread as they do the gluten free bread, she paused and said yes … so I said that there is a risk that the knife that was used in the cream cheese on gluten bread goes back into the cream cheese and can leave some crumbs… and she said yes. Then the woman who took my order volunteered that they use the same pesto so I probably shouldn’t order any sandwiches with pesto.. so I decided to clarify some more and I asked if they use squeeze bottles of mayo and mustard and she said yes, and so I felt safe having mayo on my sandwich.

Unfortunately when my husband and I ordered an everything bagel, the sandwich was made on a plain bagel :(. So another vote that they may make mistakes …. I choose not to bring it back … it looked like an Udi’s bagel -and was labeled gf and had a stick in it - so I didn’t bring it back. It was a treat to eat a sandwich “out in the world”.

I also asked about how often they clean their milk shake machine and was reassured that they hadn’t made any cookies and cream milk shakes recently but she would make sure it was clean.

They offer gluten free baked goods that are wrapped individually in plastic and I’m told are baked in a dedicated space by someone who is Celiac, so I bought a slice of red velvet cake and it was moist and yummy :)

Having lived with Celiac Disease for almost 2 decades, I am grateful to have this app with reviews … and this place had 100% positive and safe 5 heart and 5 star reviews, so I don’t like leaving 4 stars and 4 hearts … But based on my experience I think it’s worth showing others to ask questions to stay healthy eating out here… and that each time you eat a place that has great reviews, especially if there are less than 10 or 20, you should take the time to still ask the important questions about cross contamination risks.

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

— Somewhat

Safety Feature Ratings

• Dedicated gluten-free space in the kitchen
• Other dedicated kitchen equipment (oven, toaster, pots, pans, utensils, etc.)
• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions
• Staff will clean kitchen space or change gloves if asked
• Food comes out flagged or marked gluten-free

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the 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?

— Good