Gluten-Free at Tucanos Brazilian Grill

Love going to this chain. I had an awesome waiter. He would bring the fresh food straight from the grill before going to any other tables. First eating at this one. I will definitely be going back nest time I am in town. I didn’t have any issues with the salad bar either.

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

— Very

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

— Excellent

I've never spit out picanha before my meal today. Meat tasted old and unseasoned. I pretty much only ate pineapple from the skewers because the 4 meats I tried just weren't good. I would rather pay more and have better quality meat because it tasted off.

They don't serve chimichurri sauce. They do have a large salad buffet with labeled items that are gluten free. Some items are labeled gluten free on the buffet but aren't listed as gluten free (ex: pineapple, vegetables) on their online menu for this location. Not sure which to trust.

The restaurant smelled weird, like BO when we walked in. I don't know if the carpet is dirty or what but we should have left. There were two large parties with a toddler rolling on the floor with blankets and bottles almost tripping the waiters. Just know the clientele is the kind who let their kids wander around.

The hallway to the restrooms are lined with a ton of stacked chairs. Makes it feel like a storage unit rather than a restaurant. Also, I'm 5'9 and noticed that the toilet seat covers are located above my shoulder, even in the handicapped stall. I don't know how they expect someone in a wheelchair to reach the seat covers that are placed that high.

One star for the nice staff and the pão de queijo, but I absolutely would not recommend this place.

Visited August 2023

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

— Not at all

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much

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

— Poor

Very sick after eating here last night. Staff did not seem knowledgeable.

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

— Not at all

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much

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

— Average

Super sick after visiting here.

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

— Not at all

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?

— Below Average

Other Characteristics

• Offers outdoor seating
• Reservations recommended

I had an amazing experience. I had been there prior to my CD diagnosis so I knew what to do. On my reservation I put the need for gluten free items. My waitress was amazing and so were all the people bringing out the meats. They were able to tell me what to try and what to stay away from. The salad bar items and apps are also marked glutrn free. The one thing I noticed was the knives used to portion out the meats might be an area of cross contamination. I did not have a reaction and it's been about 30 hours since my visit.

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

— Somewhat

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

Never had a problem here, it's meat on a stick and the gluten options are clearly marked.

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

— Somewhat

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

Management actually told me that while things are listed as gluten free. The believe everything touches when cooking and when in the cooler

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

— Not at all

Safety Feature Ratings

• Food comes out flagged or marked gluten-free

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Separate gluten-free menu

Tucanos is a Brazilian eatery where they bring spits of meat around to your table and they offer you different meats until you stop eating!

I’ve been here twice and haven’t had an issue with cross contamination. Servers are always accommodating and can tel you if an item is gluten free.

Great salad 🥗 bar with lots of vegetarian 🌱 options

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
• Food comes out flagged or marked gluten-free

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?

— Good

Other Characteristics

• Good for dairy-free
• Good for keto
• Good for kids
• Good for lunch
• Good selection of healthy options
• Good vegan options

The best thing I did was I called ahead & made a reservation I had the receptionist make a note needed GF When I got to the restaurant, I was assigned my own personal meat server who only brought GF meats for me! I had an awesome experience.😊I'll be going again!

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

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main 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

Not much in the salad bar is GF. Most of the meat is listed on the menu as GF, but when I asked about the teriyaki beef(which wasn't even listed on the menu), they didn't know if it was GF, even the cook wasn't sure. They brought out two meats at a time, so they were touching, and one of the meats wasn't GF, but because it was touching the other one, we couldn't eat that one either! The knives they use to cut the meat off the skewer is the same knife they use all night for all the meats. When they finish one meat, they just dip the knife in a big bucket of water and then use it on the next type of meat. Lots of cross contamination going on here.

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

— Not at all

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?

— Good

Other Characteristics

• Good for lunch

They keep everything clean and orderly. Their gluten free items are delicious! Their food is fresh and appetizing to look at. Their meat selection offers many gluten free items too. Very highly recommended!

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

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Dedicated gluten-free space in the kitchen
• Dedicated gluten-free fryer

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

Lots of gluten free options, very delicious. I called the manager beforehand to ask about safety for celiac. He said they’d never had an issue with cross contamination and that 95% of the meat was gluten free. They also have gluten free items marked on the menus, and items at the salad bar are also marked as gluten free. The only gluten free salad dressing was Italian, but it was good. Good fruits, vegetables, mashed potatoes, meat, and Brazilian lemonade. Wonderful flavored lemonade! The drinks aren’t marked as gluten free on the menu, which is kind of annoying—just the main foods. Some servers were more knowledgeable about gluten free options than others. I just kept the menu open on my phone as they came around with meats. So delicious and lots of variety. Basically all the beef was safe. Please note that sometimes they bring around a few skewers at the same time, and they use the same knife to push down the meat from all the skewers. I just avoid those if any of the skewers they’re holding had gluten. But it was delicious, and although it’s pricey, if you are a member of their club, you can get a birthday meal for free with another paying adult. It will be my go to for special occasions.

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

— Somewhat

Safety Feature Ratings

• Food comes out flagged or marked gluten-free

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 lunch

their online menu does have gluten free items marked, but they did absolutely nothing to prevent cross contamination. I got so so so sick!! the establishment has already been contacted, will update on my next visit (sadly a Christmas tradition) I would recommend going to the SLC location if possible!

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

— Not at all

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main 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

Food is labeled and menu is labeled

All the meat you would want

If you are a veteran, you eat free with the Purchase of a meal. Same deal for your birthday if you sign up for their birthday club

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

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions
• Food comes out flagged or marked gluten-free

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

Very stingy with servings of meat. We had five in our party and they literally brought out five bite size pieces of three different types of meat every 15 minutes. It took an hour to each get 12 bites of meat. We requested our meat to be cooked at medium temperature and all of the meat came out well done except for one piece of meat and it was such a cheap quality of meat that it was very chewy. They brought out all of the different kinds of meat on the same platter and cross-contamination was a consistent concern.

Celiac friendly?

No

The staff was very knowledgeable, when asked a question they would make sure they were positive. Very helpful!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

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

— Somewhat

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much/None

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

— Excellent

Staff was very knowledgeable and their bar was labeled. I’ve eaten several times and never gotten sick. Lots of good meat choices and side choices!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I was excited to eat here because of the reviews but was disappointed. Though they did have signs on all of the food, their signs were not consistent. For example, the pell-and-eat shrimp did not say they were gluten-free. When we asked about it, we were told, “well of course that’s gluten free. You just have to use common sense” But their cheese was also not labeled gluten-free and when we asked we were told to assume it had gluten in it. Really?! The only salad dressing that was gluten-free was plain oil and vinegar, which I hate, so I skipped the entire salad bar, which I was sad about. The meats they bring to the table are not all gluten-free, but only one of the servers of the meat could easily tell us which ones those were, even though we asked a few of them. By the time we got a clear answer, my daughter had already eaten the pork sausage, which had gluten. By the end of the evening, I only ate the shrimp, the cheesy rolls, and some meats. Seemed like a very small selection for the cost of an all-you-can eat buffet.

Celiac friendly?

No

Their Salad bar had GF markings on all the things that were safe, which was most of it except bread and pasta. All the meats are safe except the things in Bbq sauce. The brisket and the pork.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Currently miserable after finishing lunch there. I should have known better based on our server’s lack of knowledge, but I ate there against my better judgement. Everything I ate was gluten free per their menu, but I clearly was exposed. I would not recommend them for anyone on a strict GF diet.

Celiac friendly?

No

Very easy to see which items were gluten free, everything on the menu and at the salad/side bar is clearly labeled. Server knew right away when I asked about gluten.

there was only 2 things that was in rotation I could not eat. very Celiac aware. one of my favorite places now. excellent service as well

This place was really good when it first opened but now poor management has made it go downhill. They no longer offer free refills on the flavored lemonade. And even though the Brazilian bread is gluten free the sign does not indicate it is. An indication that this place probably can't be trusted.

My favorite "treat yoself" restaurant in the springs! The meat servers are very knowledgeable about what you can and can't have, and the salad bar lists all gf options. That said, the salad bar has a chance of cc due to all the other people who don't think of things, and will stupidly use the same tools to grab food instead of putting it down and grabing the tongs or spoon for the specific item. I have occasionally had some reactions after, bit that's been my own doing for knowingly grabbing salad bar foods.

Lots of chances for cross contamination here, but staff are very helpful and willing to check on anything they don't know. The alcohol-free drink variety is very nice.

Not great and not exactly Celiac friendly. Servers bring the meats by on a skewer but sometimes there are issues with cross contamination as mentioned in another review. The meats were also very fatty but flavorful. The sides were served as a buffer which is not Celiac friendly but the server offered to plate me some from the back. The selection was fairly decent but I was bummed the pao de queijo was not gluten free. I've never seen it not gluten free at other Brazilian restaurants. The strawberry lemonade was good so my husband and I will likely make this our drink place.

Celiac friendly?

No

The food was great and everyone there was very helpful and knowledgeable. The gluten free foods were marked.

Love eating at this place. I would recommend it to any one. Great service and everything that is gluten free is labeled.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Absolutely delicious! The staff was very knowledgable about gluten free options and everything was labeled on the menu and at the salad bar.

Celiac friendly?

No

Everyone was knowledgeable about what my daughter could and couldn't eat. Lots of options available for her to eat.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I love the friendly staff and the many selections here. You WILL get cross contaminated if you don't make sure to let the manager know that you have Celiac. It's best if you go during non-peak times, and call ahead as well as talk to the manager when you get there.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Brazilian steak place. VERY knowledgeable, all items well listed. Salad bar had good separation, and every item labeled/separated appropriately. ate here multiple times with no issues!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Very good food. First time there, the process was a little confusing but the staff was great and food was continuously delivered to the table. It was a nice experience and will go back.

Pretty good option. Everything on the salad bar is marked GF, but then they have non GF food right next to it and so cross contamination for that item is very high....I opted not to eat those items. The servers are very knowledgable and are accommodating.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Everything is labeled, LOTS of options, staff is very knowledge. I have been multiple times and have been very happy everytime and have never been sick

Celiac friendly?

Yes

horrible tasting, cold, dried out or soaking wet, just yuck. Anyone who has any idea what real food is about would never return to this place

Celiac friendly?

Yes

My first time was great! The manager Casey took time to explain menu and allergen listings.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

This place has a sign in front of EVERY food on the huge salad bar that shares if the food has nuts, soy, or gluten. Due to the fresh, healthy food used, most is gluten free. Only 3 of the meats (main dish) are not.

Great GF OPTION for a special meal. Most meats, many salad options. I was stuffed!!!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Almost all meats are gluten free, and they are labeled on the menu and even the salad bar is all labeled.

I was a customer of the Colorado Springs Tucanos Brazilian Grill

recently. I have Celiac Disease an am on a strictly gluten free diet. I notified my waitress of this and she was great. The salad bar was great and well marked with the GF items. The meat service on the skewers was however less than desirable. The servers were not knowledgeable about if the meat they were serving was gluten free or not. I tried to refer to the menu which was marked but it was a futile effort. The servers would carry two skewers of meat at a time and often had a gluten free meat along with a meat that had either been basted or marinated with a sauce containing gluten. They would use the same knife to slice both meats and thusly cross contaminating the meats. I was hoping that I would be lucky but by the time I got home I knew that I had consumed gluten and sufferer the consequences. I think this could have easily been avoided with a little education and training for the servers. Otherwise the food was great and the staff was as well. They just didn’t know.

My kids have had no issues eating here. Waitstaff and servers are very knowledgeable about gluten.