QDOBA Mexican Eats

I eat regularly at the Q'Doba in Menomonee Falls on Appleton ave, near County Line road. I frequently ask for clean gloves, and ask them not to touch the flour burrito shell before they grab a bowl. The person who has clean gloves will frequently take my bowl all the way down the line, which is nice... Occasionally they will touch their spoons on the burrito shells, and workers who have just made burritos will grab the cheese with their contaminated gloves, BUT I have never felt "glutened" EVER from ANY Q'Doba at which I've eaten, and this makes it my "Go To" fast food joint.

Knowledgeable about gluten free options. Will change gloves if you ask

Great quick food that's tasty and on the healthier end of the spectrum. Never had a cross contamination issue here since just about all of it is naturally GF (Mexican- type food).

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I’ve never had a problem at this qdoba. Andy made my rice bowl and he was so kind about changing his gloves and taking my rice bowl all the way down the line himself to assure I got what I wanted in the safest possible way. I will be returning.

Celiac friendly?

No

I came in after seeing the positive reviews but was disappointed when the staff told me all the utensils touch flour tortillas. High-risk of cross-contamination, not Celiac friendly. Thankfully, the staff was kind and knew to steer me elsewhere so I wouldn’t get sick.

Excellent. Food tasted great. One of the staff went and washed and changed gloves and then spent the time to take our food down the whole line in order to minimize any risk of cross contamination. Not only did it taste great and feel good in our stomachs but it also was affordable.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Easy, reliable gluten free option during travels! Allergen info here: https://assets.ctfassets.net/qkbff05k1bjx/7oH8fegGCbJNauVmD1Kimc/222bc897305fcf19dd38938269b18dbb/Allergen_Chart_and_Ingredient_Statement_8.1.2019.pdf

Celiac friendly?

No

I am not sure how (or if) they train their employees to deal with customers with gluten issues. I told the employee I had a gluten allergy (technically I have celiac disease, but I find servers understand the severity better when I use the term “allergy”), and he didn’t seem to know what I was talking about. I had to ask him to change his gloves. Nothing I ordered had gluten in it but I still got sick afterwards so I am assuming I got cross-contaminated somehow.

Celiac friendly?

No

I have to eat gluten free due to a high sensitivity to gluten. I’ve eaten Qudoba MANY times at other locations without a problem when I order a burrito bowl. So, prior to our flight, I chose to order a burrito bowl with brown rice, black beans, chicken, Pico, lettuce, and guacamole. This is my standard order at Qudoba. However, within 15 minutes of finishing my food, I began to not feel well. My stomach began to hurt, I felt bloated, and had to find a restroom stat! We almost missed our flight due to how I felt. I was miserable on the flight, but thankfully made it to our destination with only one trip to the restroom while on the plane. I think that there was either gluten in something I ate or the food was contaminated with something else. Beware, that this Qudoba location is NOT safe!!!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Have never felt sick eating here! I just ask for a glove change before they prepare stuff.

Told the girl I was gf, she immediately took off her gloves, washed her hands and put on new gloves. The cashier was knowledgable in what I could/could not have. No tortilla, no chips and no spicy sauce. I was able to get a rice bowl with chicken and queso. Not much I could not eat. No reaction. Very good experience.

Celiac friendly?

No

The staff will prepare your food using fresh ingredients from new bins. Some staff will try to argue and say they are all trained to not touch the spoon to the tortillas. That may be true but I have seen them do cross contamination that way and with touching using their hands. One manager in particular will argue with you. It sucks but I love me a burrito bowl lol just stand your ground if you are celiac. Calling ahead is best because I have gone in before and waited in a very long line, only to get to the front and be told (by that same manager who always argues) that they would need to serve the other customers first. I ended up leaving. UPDATE: Just tried to come back here and was explaining how I needed the ingredients out of fresh bins because even the utensil touching the tortilla would make me sick. He then proceeded to throw every utensil from the bins to the side and throw in new ones and then asked what I wanted. I will never come back to this location, it was unprofessional and rude

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Over the past few years, this has become my go to for eating gluten free for around $10 at the airport. I do ask the person working to change gloves and be the only one prepping my bowl. I learned to ask from a different location's manager who is celiac. Only negative I've experienced is that each person is so different when portioning. Sometimes my bowl is quite full and other times it has lots of airspace.

The manager informed me that nothing was gluten free. I informed him we eat here weekly and I’m sorry I inconvenienced you by asking you to change your gloves and to get a few fresh items but I don’t appreciate being lied too.

Bowls with everything minus chips are safe

Celiac friendly?

No

Service was rude, bowl was gross! Waste of $15 They didn't even ask if it was an allergy. Totally not impressed

The burrito bowl seems to be the safest thing here, and it’s not bad. Based on the items in their assembly line there seems to be a relatively low chance of cross-contamination (the tortillas aren’t kept near open food). I didn’t get glutened. Just FYI, there isn’t really anything GF after security in Terminal A (other than candy).

They didnt know what had gluten and what doesn't. The waiter literally told me: this only has flour, so I guess you can eat it"...

Celiac friendly?

No

I had to ask the server to change his gloves, which he did, but only put salad in the bowl and passed it down the line to the next person without saying a word to her about my celiacs or anything. Her hands were all over my salad after touching the flour tacos in line in front of me. Not safe for celiacs. Better off going just down the hall toward terminal to floret, where they have premade food in the deli case marked gluten free or several gluten free options on the menu

They have a nutritional facts sheet if you google it and it lets you know what you can eat. I enjoy eating here often!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

The food is good, and most options are gluten free. They were helpful to me and changed gloves, and I had a good experience! The allergen info is also easily accessible online.

Not bad, didn't get get sick, but the employees weren't knowledgeable, however they were helpful, changed gloves and cleaned prep area when asked. They have Impossible 2.0 which is gluten free as well.

Celiac friendly?

No

I just went in and asked if they knew anything about gluten free. No one behind the counter even knew what that meant. So I had my answer and left without ordering!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I ate here two times while I was delayed for eight hours and it was great! The food tasted good! I asked for ingredients from the back that hadn’t been touched yet. The staff was very knowledgeable about my needs. They had an allergen guide that was very helpful! I ordered 3 Tacos. I did NOT get sick and felt fine after!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Safe GF option as always. Burrito bowl with double meat. Yum.

Several of the menu options are gluten free.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

The man who helped me was phenomenal. I explained that I have celiac disease and asked him to tell me if anything I chose was risky. He handled my order from start to finish. When I asked for guacamole, he explained that it is next to the fried tortilla strips so he got mine out of the back. So nice! And no glutening!! So thankful!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Kind of like a Chipotle. Folks behind the counter seemed gluten aware.

Love this place and I never had any issues

The staff member who tried to help us must have been new. We went during a slow hour (2:30pm) and she seemed really put out when I asked for a hand wash and glove change after she'd been resting her hands on the flour tortillas. The manager confirmed which items on the bar were GF but she didn't step in to assist as the staff member put multiple corn tortillas on the tortilla warmer. She really didn't understand what I was asking her to do. The staff member at the other end of the line by the salsas let her know she needed to see that dish to the end of the line, so somehow she knew allergy procedures. All I can guess is the member who helped us was so new she didn't know, but she seemed really annoyed with us and that was most off-putting.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

As long as you make your requests known for them to follow their gluten-free procedures my daughter, who has celiac, has never had an issue.

Staff understood about cross-contamination. They changed gloves and brought out new food containers just to be safe. It was a great experience.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Staff changes gloves and washes hands. Advised me what item was not safe. Labeled ordered and even explained to staff member to pick order up front bottom of basket- avoid contamination. Had the burrito bowl with chicken, black beans, rice, pico. Tasty and felt safe. Thanks!!

Celiac friendly?

No

Corporate has an allergen list, but this particular location has a very tight kitchen that is filthy. The staff was touching the burrito wrappers with the utensils as she served. I didn’t eat here.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Qdoba has a detailed allergen list on their website. I usually order online for pickup, and there’s a special notes section where I can tell them I’m celiac. I love the Impossible Bowl (vegetarian “meat”).

Celiac friendly?

Yes

No dedicated kitchen space but when I told the staff I was GF one of them changed her gloves and walked through all the choices with me. Great tasting food too . Brisket, rice, veggies, salsa, guacamole, cilantro, black beans, and GF queso sauce for $9.25.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

When I got off of my plane with a long layover at EWR, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to find anything but salad to eat. I did some searching online and found that QDOBA had gluten free options. The best bet is the burrito bowl, but there are some taco options too. The girl working there changed her gloves automatically, I didn’t even have to tell her about my celiac. It was prepared right in front of me so I know there was no cross contamination. It is the best (if not only) way to eat GF besides a salad without spending a fortune. My meal was only $13

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Washed hands, new gloves, etc. Lots of choices, even the queso was safe and delicious.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

The staff is amazingly knowledgeable especially for a chain restaurant

Great food, staff pulled from new containers for me when it wasn’t busy.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I love Qdoba you can get everything in a bowl. They also have hard shell corn tacos. One thing I love about this location is they use tongs for even the cheese and lettuce reducing cross contamination significantly. I have yet to get gluten'd at this location or any others.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I had a great experience. I said I needed to be GF and the gentleman immediately took his gloves off and washed his hands and forearms. The other guy switched gloves as well. I thanked them both and said that I’m newly diagnosed. To which the first man replied, “My kids have allergies, I get it.” That made me happy and made me not feel like I was bothering them. I got a steak bowl and felt fine. I would go back!!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I told the young man behind the counter that I had Celiac. He immediately removed his gloves, washed his hands and put new gloves on. He told me everything I could eat, and then each item I chose, he opened a brand new container of and used a clean spoon. I could not have had a better experience!!!

Good Mexican fast food chain with lots of gluten free items, except the flour shells.

Really good food. They will show you the allergen list and change gloves if you ask.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Fourth experience (Jan 2019): I had a burrito bowl with double meat. I did not get sick. Prior to my other dining experiences here, they did not change gloves or spoons at my request. I was very unhappy about this, however I did not get sick and I'm pretty sensitive to cross-contamination. Third experience: Same as first, see below. Excellent awareness and desire by staff to accommodate gluten issue. My overall suggestion is to be very straightforward with your server and insist they respect your gluten issue. They do a good job, but you need to also be assertive (if needed). A safe and delicious place to eat! Second experience: Not nearly as gluten friendly. Lady at counter had no idea what Celiac, gluten, or wheat allergy were or the issues they cause. No change of gloves or utensils. I know what to eat to stay GF and safe at Qdoba. I doubt I'll get sick, but this experience was no where as good as my last at this location. My advice would be to be insistent about the need for GF. First experience: Fantastic experience. Told the girl at the counter that I had Celiac's and needed strict GF. She immediately changed gloves and got new serving spoons. The entire staff took this very seriously. The Qdoba website is also quite informative, but you need to spend some time looking around and clicking miscellaneous links to find it. Thanks SEA-TAC Qdoba.

The bowls appear to be GF, depending on what you put in them, but lots of opportunity for cross contamination

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I had visited this location many times before being diagnosed with Celiac Disease. After my diagnosis, I asked the person making the corn tortillas after I ordered corn soft tacos if their queso was gluten-free. He asked me if I had a gluten intolerance. When I told him I have Celiac Disease, he took off his gloves as well as the rest of the staff on the line, washed their hands and put on fresh gloves to make my order. All of them smiled while doing this and did not seem bothered at all. They were all trained to understand and it showed. He started the order over using a paper bowl never sitting it down on the counter. I cried because it was my first time in four months of visiting several restaurants after being diagnosed that any restaurant took precautions. I highly recommend Qdoba.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

The staff at Qdoba are highly trained and knowledgeable about cross contamination. The manager took over and went out of his way to make sure it was done correctly. The only things that are not gluten free are the BBQ sauce, tortillas and cookies and brownies. I was very impressed with my steak bowl loaded with queso and guacamole! Highly recommend!

Gluten free menu on their website. Soft corn tortillas for tacos or bowl options.

Celiac friendly?

No

When asking the person working what was gluten free she replied oh just about everything except for the flour tortillas. I asked about the chips and she said they are corn. I asked if I could see a nutritional guide and it took about 5 minutes to find the only copy with stains all over it. The chips were marked as gluten. I also noticed a basket of chocolate chip cookies sitting with all the toppings. I let her know about the chips. She didn’t seem to care and we left.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I've never had a problem here even though I always have chips and queso and the chips may be fried in common oil. But do not ask for shredded cheese or lettuce, as they grab it with their hands and therefore it's always contaminated. Not sure if they will take it from a fresh container and new gloves if you ask them (like Chipotle will). They are not as knowledgeable or careful as Chipotle is, but Qdoba's queso is WAY better.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Located in terminal A. At the front of the line, there’s a list of all their ingredients with each allergy (wheat, gluten, soy, milk, eggs, and nuts). It has symbols for contains the ingredient, and may contain it (aka cross contamination). For wheat and gluten, you can pretty much have everything except the tortillas, chips, brownies, and BBQ sauce (see photo). Get a burrito bowl. All the meat is safe. Taste: 5/5. Choices: many. Knowledge of gf: 3/5. Service: 5/5 very friendly.