The Gulf

Trendy laid back and chill place. Adorable outdoor eating areas with string lights and right on the ocean. Great atmosphere! Did not have a gluten free menu but the hostess was very aware of what was and was not gluten free. I had a shrimp rice bowl and it was very tasty. My son had crab legs, corn and potatoes. We also had some of my daughters French fries and my husbands cauliflower bites as they were gluten free too! Not sure about a separate fryer, we don’t require one so we didn’t ask. Would definitely go back!

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

This place was really neat! It’s literally on the beach and has all these lovely twinkle lights and picnic tables. It was a great spot to bring little kids, too, who want to run around during dinner. You order at a window and they deliver it and the food came fairly quickly. They had a lot of gluten free options. I got the crab legs and they were delicious.

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

— Very

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

When we arrived at The Gulf, we went to the bar where we were greeted by Nancy or Cas, sorry we can’t remember which one. Both were very nice and welcoming. They helped me with a list of what is gluten free and what can be made gluten free. Awesome place on the water, very laid back atmosphere. The music and vibe melted away stress, you can’t help but go into vacation mode. My husband is not gluten intolerant so it’s always a struggle to find a place where I can enjoy a variety of gluten free entrees, not just salad. This was a nice change. Can’t start vacation until you have yummy refreshing drinks, I had the Top Shelf House Margarita and my husband got The Surfs Up. I highly recommend both. Then appetizer, Tuna Dip with tortilla chips. Great compliment to our drinks especially when Nancy and Cas didn’t go light on the liquor. 😂 My husband had the gluten Swordfish Ruben sandwich, which looked amazing and he said tasted amazing. I enjoyed the GF blackened shrimp bowl which came with rice and black beans, let me mention that they didn’t skimp on the shrimp and they were perfectly cooked. This is definitely not a place you will want to miss when in Orange Beach. We will be going back.

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

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Separate gluten-free menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

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

— Excellent

Delicious Mahi Mahi taco bowl and shrimp taco bowl. Atmosphere is beautiful.

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

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

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

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for dairy-free
• Good for dinner
• Good for keto
• Good for kids
• Good for lunch
• Good for takeout
• Good selection of healthy options
• Good vegetarian options
• Offers outdoor seating

I had a great experience here! The owner (or manager I’m not quite sure what his role was) overheard me telling the cashier that I had a gluten allergy and he stopped what he was doing, asked me what I was ordering, and then PERSONALLY checked every sauce and seasoning to make sure it was safe for me to eat. He had the kitchen staff get new utensils, wash their hands, and put on gloves to limit exposure as much as he could. The food was also incredibly good and the atmosphere is so much fun!

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

— Very

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?

— Excellent

Good food and a little less pricy than some of the other local places. We had loaded fries, cauliflower bites, shrimp taco bowl, and the blackened chef special fish w/ salad. The people running the food ordering station have a list of gluten free options they can show you when you go up to order. The sides were the best part of the meal. The entrees didn’t have a ton of flavor but were still good. The kids enjoyed the pirate ship that drove by during diner and there is sand to play in, which could be a good or bad thing depending on how you frame it, haha. It’s also one of the only public EV charging places around orange beach, which is convenient.

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

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

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

— Good

Items were not marked GF on the menu, however the menu is largely seafood and able to be made GF. I ordered shrimp tacos in a bowl, it came with rice and beans. My food was marked GF when it was delivered to my table. Overall, neat atmosphere and enough food options available!

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

— Very

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

Had the lobster roll w/ no bun + the cauliflower and the guacamole. No problems! Staff was very knowledgeable about gluten and cross contamination.

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

— Very

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?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for dinner
• Good for kids
• Good for lunch
• Good with other allergies
• Offers outdoor seating

Bartender was very knowledgeable about celiac and gluten allergies. I had the tacos (no seasoning) in a bowl… it was great!

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

— Very

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?

— Excellent

The attendant was nice when I asked if there was anything gluten-free. She started naming off menu items. I had the shrimp taco bowl with the beans and rice. She also mentioned that they had a separate fryer for gf stuff so the fries and cauliflower bites would be safe. She did mark my items gluten allergy on the order. Food was really good. 😊

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?

— Excellent

This place is good and the atmosphere is really cool. No GF menu, but staff was knowledgeable and marked my order as an allergy on the computer when I ordered. Didn’t get sick. I’d definitely go back.

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

— Somewhat

Safety Feature Ratings

• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions
• Staff will clean kitchen space or change gloves if asked

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

Other Characteristics

• Good for dairy-free
• Good selection of healthy options

They have lots of gluten free options, and the food is delicious!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I had peel and eat shrimp. There is some type of seasoning that is too spicy for me but I was told it’s GF. I ate most and gave the rest to my husband. It’s nice to sit outside and enjoy the view but certainly not my favorite place on this trip .

I’m honestly bummed to leave this review. I sent them a message before coming down inquiring about gluten free options because I knew my family loved this restaurant and would want to eat here. I was told they have options and to ask the server when I arrived. When we arrived I stood in one line only to find out the other line was ‘better for gluten free.’ The kids working said that ‘I could probably eat a salad, that the rice definitely had gluten, and that the chips with the guacamole probably had gluten.’ After standing in the second line for a while, thinking about my earlier conversation, I gave up and decided to pass. There was only a mixed green salad on the menu and I didn’t even see an adult in either kitchen area who could field questions with knowledgeable answers. TL;DR I didn’t even eat and my stomach thanked me.

Celiac friendly?

No

When we got here we talked to one guy that said gf wouldn't be an option, when we went to order the staff acted very put out and insisted they couldn't even put foil on the grill for our fish. We turned around and left. Terrible experience, don't even try.