The Matador

Loved their food before diagnosis however they list items as gluten free in their menu but then they share the same fryer as the breaded items. Even the non fried items that are naturallg gf such as street tacos can easily be cross contaminated. Staff was very knowledgeable about the kitchen and we both decided that it was not safe for me to eat there.

Celiac friendly for sure. Just not the best Mexican food I’ve ever had. Not a terrible place, but not my top 5 for Mexican food even.

Seemed celiac friendly with some options and the waitress was very knowledgeable about what to inform celiac customers but unfortunately they only have one frier so simple things like chips were not gf for celiacs (super sad bc the nachos looked great).

Our favorite things here are carnitas and the jalapeño poppers ordered with habanero sauce. Great margaritas. Good cal/Tex style mexican and fun for date nights. You might get.

Awful. Marked GF stuff all over the menu but no clarity as to what was actually GF, what was prepared on shared grill space/fryers, etc. Mixed messages from wait staff, was told chips were and weren't fried within 10 mins. Do NOT go here if you're celiac or gluten sensitive.

I have a husband who has celiac disease, and the kitchen here is not safe. They warned us multiple times that the kitchen will cause cross-contamination. DO NOT GO HERE IF YOU ARE CELIAC. The menu repeatedly says it's "GF," but please do not believe that as in their whole kitchen is contaminated. I can't believe they would falsely advertise that they have gluten free dishes. Also, the waitress we had was totally scattered-brained and didn't know what she was doing, and made us wait 33 mins for a simple margarita. DO NOT GO HERE.

Celiac friendly. The spicy Mexican shrimp in the habanero sauce with jalapeño polenta is amazing!!! Do not eat the chips. Not sure if they fry them there with other items in a shared fryer or what but I got sick from those. Other than that though, our visits have always been great. Also only the black beans are meat free.

I’ve always had good luck and haven’t ever gotten ill after eating here. The gf cocktails are great. Oh, and the food— it’s really, really good! Service isn’t always the most desirable, but it’s so worth it.

Limited menu, ask lots of questions. Had their chicken street tacos and chicken soup.

Not that many options for celiacs if you’re being careful about shared surfaces.

Waitress and manager were not put out from my questions but they treated me like I was someone who would go postal any second, even though I was being totally nice, as I was with on a work dinner with coworkers. The waitress said their fryer for chips was a shared fryer but I questioned how they could call their nachos gluten free (printed on the menu) as such. The manager was called over who treated me the same way...as if I was someone from a psych ward, that would freak out any second (so weird...never been treated like that before). He said it was NOT a shared fryer and ultimately, I did not get sick. But, I won’t be back. Food was just average...could have gotten that level of food from a food truck.

They do not have a seperate fryer. Things are clearly marked. I was not impressed with the quality of the food.

Not safe for celiac. Waitstaff point blank told me not to order with true allergies. Gluten free options on menu if not celiac.

Servers are knowledgeable about GF and are very accommodating. I’ve never had any problems. I usually order tacos and rice and beans, or a salad. Can’t speak for the rest of the menu. FYI, the chips are made in a shared fryer, so those are off limits for GF.

Let me start by saying I have Hashimoto's, not Celiac, so staying away from gluten is important, but worrying about cross contamination is not as big of a worry for me. That said, they have one fryer that is used for everything. ( As a regular, I'm going to try to change that by being a squeaky wheel). I have been a regular for 7 years and was only recently diagnosed, so I'm happy I can still hang out here. It is true their menu is limited, but it is labeled and can be easily customized to your liking. My favorite appetizer is the stuffed jalapeños, and right now ( it's summer) I am loving the Strawberry salad that I order with extra strawberry, and added shrimp and avocado! The wait staff and cooks are knowledgeable about the menu and can help you make safe choices. Might I also recommend their Margarita? 😉

OMG.......so delicious! Very celiac aware, lots of choices and fantastic service. Our server Abbey suggested the clementine arugula salad and the street taco sampler....... amazingly tasty! The chips are not made in a designated fryer so I couldn't have them but they allowed me to go across the street and buy some chips to bring in!!! The guac is to die for, fresh and tasty and salsas are equally yummy! Can't wait to come back!!!

Chips are not friendly cooked in same fryer as the calamari. West Seattle Matador uses a separate fryer. They only have one fryer in Tacoma, need to change the breading to gluten free on the calamari. Otherwise you have a few choices.

Everything is made with corn tortillas (even the quesadillas). Very good Mexican food, highly recommend.

soo good. server knew what to avoid

Sicker than a dog. Don't chance it if you have celiac.

Gluten free menu sucks as you can get a gluten free chip. Their gf sandwiches don't have bread or any substitute (shar buns?). Also udi's gluten free tortillas are amazing. Was very disappointed. This is not a gluten free friendly restaurant. Will be checking back for changes because the restaurant is very nice.

they are very knowledgeable about gluten sensitivity and their gluten free menu indicates items that are fried in shared oil

WOW! I ate here last night for the first time and I can't tell you how impressed I am with my server, manager and chef. All worked to make sure my food (I have celiac disease) was safe and delicious for me. I will definitely go back!

Love that they have many GF options on their menu. The GF quesadillas are delicious!

so very tasty!! absolutely a great spot will continue to go back.. GF menu is large, food is fresh and flavorful. They say they are Tex-Mex and I had avoided them for years because of it (not a tex mex fan!) i would never think of them as Tex Mex as much as just foodie/gourmet mexican. grab some friends and head over there now!