Review of Rita's On the River

I ate here twice and didn't get sick. The menu is clearly marked with gluten free options. However, the waitstaff aren't extremely knowledgeable, so I had to ask a lot of questions and they had to check with the kitchen about things like marinades and drink mixes. Here's what I learned: the chips are not fried in shared oil, they are not dusted with flour, and they are made from corn tortillas. I don't know if that means they're from a bag or fried in house, but either way, I didn't seem to have a problem. The beef fajitas are marinaded, but the marinade doesn't contain any flour. The sweet and sour mix used in a margarita on the rocks (frozen is a separate deal with its own mix) is gluten free. Across two visits I tried chips, salsa, queso, Rita's nachos with beef fajita meat and refried beans, and the margarita that is one step up from the basic (I can't remember the name). However, I did ask for the margarita NOT to be shaken, but instead just poured right into the glass and I stirred it myself (shakers are, at best, rinsed out between drinks).

I would say if you are EXTREMELY sensitive to cross contamination, you will probably feel as exposed here as you do everywhere else you eat. They didn't inspire extraordinary confidence, but they did ask go find out the answers to all the questions I asked. I would not eat here without asking a lot of questions. But I have Celiac Disease and did not get sick eating here.

Celiac friendly?

Yes