Pappasito's Cantina

After reading the other reviews, I was a little nervous and ordered cautiously, and had the salmon mango salad. The waiter had the manager talk to me and my son (who can eat gluten but not dairy) and we had a great experience. Those who are dairy free should know that the flour tortillas contain dairy.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Waitress and manager thought gluten free was an egg allergy. Nice to have options, but make sure your servers understand celiacs can’t have gluten!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Great menu! Great food! Good service!

This place is hit or miss when it comes to eating safely. The first time I ate here was great. My food came out with a "GF" label and the manager came to check on me when my food was served. The following two times I came here the staff didn't really seem knowledgeable or particularly concerned, they gave me the wrong tortillas from the grill, and nobody oversaw that my food was actually prepared properly. I've been sickened here twice.

very good food! the waiter said that they have a separate preparation space for gluten free food and take extra precaution to avoid cross contamination.

they have baked chips as a gluten free option!

i recommend the chicken fajitas which come with soft corn tortillas

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Waiter was knowledgeable and gave me confidence that they could handle my extreme celiac gluten sensitivity. I had the best Mexican food I have ever eaten. I ordered the enchiladas and baked chips. Really, really good. Big portion! I enjoyed my experience and did not get sick. Thumbs up!!!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Gluten-Free but Greasy This busy downtown location does have a separate GF menu, special handling in the kitchen and GF meals come marked with a little wooden stake. Know that their regular chips are NOT GF. They have baked chips that you have to ask for and they are different, not very delicious. There is variety on the menu. I had the enchilada meal with beans and rice, all of which were greasy and what I considered fast-food quality.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I have eaten here numerous times and never been sick. They have a gluten free menu and they have baked chips. the food comes with a little gluten free stick most times and if not i just confirm. i have eaten at other locations and been just fine and i am very sensitive.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Got very sick after eating here. Waitress didn't understand my request for gluten free menu items.

Celiac friendly?

No

Make sure to ask for a Gluten Free menu. The chips that are served to all customers are NOT gluten free. Ask a manager for gluten-free chips, salsa, and fajita meat. Don't assume the food is gluten free.

Great food and service to match.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Gluten free menu has a fair amount of options and my meal arrived with a little wooden marker that said "gluten free".

Better yet, the customer service here was absolutely incredible. I asked for my chicken enchilada to be prepared without onions but there must've been a miscommunication about just onions as topping vs. onions throughout the dish.

The manager came over and explained that that was the only chicken enchilada that was gluten free and that they would be able to send out another with the onions skimmed out but that onions were used in the base preparation throughout.

Everyone was very knowledgeable and helpful to ensure I didn't have a gluten reaction and that my distaste for onions were accommodated. At a Mexican restaurant! Great staff, beautiful location, and delicious food - what more could you ask for?!

My boyfriend ordered the beef brisket enchilada and said it was delicious. I'll be back.

The separate menu was very good and my shrimp fajitas were very good. Our server was knowledgeable and we had a very good dinner here.

They do have a gluten free menu with several choices although when my lunch arrived the tortillas looked very light in color - like flour. I asked the server to verify that my plate was GF and he had no idea. He called the manager over and she stated "yes, we put the a sauce on the side because it has tomorrow's in it".... Yikes! Eventually it was determined safe for me to eat. I can't speak to ill affects I took a glinted ease to clam my paranoia. Food was okay.

Celiac friendly?

No

The chicken fajitas were amazing! Prepared fresh with corn tortillas and did not get sick. I am very sensitive to cross contamination, so that was a big deal. This was a family favorite of mine before diagnosis, so I’m glad I can still eat there. Not as good as it was with gluten, but that’s kind of the case with everything. 4 stars because the baked chips were not as good as the normal ones used to be, but better than nothing and I appreciate that they had an option.

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

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Separate gluten-free 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?

— Good

The practices of each Pappasito’s location vary based on their kitchen space, so check with the cashier. Mine was VERY knowledgeable and helpful. Here is what she told me (Hobby airport location):

1) grilled chicken is good. you can do tacos, or fajitas but sub for corn tortillas (default is flour). That is what I did! 2) enchilada sauce has gluten and tortillas are dipped in flour... yikes 2) steak marinade is also NOT gf 4) rice and beans are fine 5) she claimed they don’t cross-contaminate the chips “any more” - I was reluctant to trust this so I passed on chips 6) they CAN flag it as an allergy for the kitchen, so ask them to do that. When I picked up the order the cook also confirmed it for me!

Oh and it’s Delicious!! Best airport food!

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

— Somewhat

Safety Feature Ratings

• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions

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

The server apologized that the food took longer (which it really didn't) because they wanted to make sure it was gluten free. They took my need to be gluten free seriously. It was nice to feel safe eating while traveling though DFW.

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

— 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?

— Some

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

— Excellent

My husband and I dine here once a month or so, and upon every visit, the manager comes out and explains the measures the kitchen takes to ensure my food is gluten-free. Tonight, our waitress, Vanessa, went above and beyond to ensure there weren’t any issues with my food. She was by far one of the best servers I’ve had.

This restaurant will bring baked chips since the main ones are fried in the same grease as meat. The shrimp tacos are GF, and they can make items with corn tortillas instead of flour.

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

— Very

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?

— Separate gluten-free 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 ordered chicken enchiladas based on other reviews and they were excellent! Though you can’t eat the chips and salsa, the enchiladas with rice and beans were perfect. Other options were chicken fajitas and salads.

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

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions
• Dedicated gluten-free space in the kitchen
• Staff will clean kitchen space or change gloves if asked

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?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for breakfast/brunch
• Good for kids
• Good for lunch
• Good for takeout
• Good selection of healthy options