Gluten-Free at Matador

I’ve been here a few times with no issues. The first time I came here, several years ago, the server told me the fajitas were the only reliably safe thing on the menu, so that’s what I always order. They still have only one fryer, so the tortilla chips aren’t safe.

Good food but ask questions. Waiter sad the tortilla chips are GF but cooked in fryer with breaded products—so not GF.

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

— Somewhat

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

Looking online it looks like there are a lot of gf options which is great. But anything fried (even corn tortillas and chips) are not gf. So that limits the possibilities but it was still good. I got the matador bowl without tortilla strips and it was pretty good. Waitress knew what she was talking about.

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?

— 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?

— Good

Other Characteristics

• Good for dinner
• Good for kids
• Good for lunch
• Good vegan options
• Good vegetarian options
• Offers outdoor seating

The tortilla chips are NOT gluten free even though listed as gluten free. They are fried in a shared fryer. Food was just okay. Will not return. Service was horrible.

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

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

— Somewhat

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?

— Good

Other Characteristics

• Good for dinner

We have eaten here a dozen times with no adverse reactions. Happy hour cuts the food prices drastically. Recommend the Brussel sprouts and goat cheese jalapeños.

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

Went here and the menu has many items labeled as gluten free but these items are NOT actually gluten free. For example the nachos are labeled as GF but they are fried in the same fryer as wheat/gluten items. The waiter said they would not be able to serve me because the kitchen it too small and they were too busy. I didn’t even ask for anything special just what would have the least amount of cross contamination. I wasn’t able to eat anything safe there.

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/None

Server and hostess were very knowledgable on Celiac /cross contamination, and made me feel more safe than almost any restaurant I have been to. Food was very tasty and I was happy with the price

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?

— Most/All

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

— Excellent

I’ve eaten here a lot and never been sick. Several GF options listed on their regular menu. The wait staff can’t seem to decide if the chips are fried in a dedicated fryer. I repeatedly get different answers, back and forth on their cross contamination. I eat them and haven’t gotten sick from them. In addition to the GF marked items, some stuff can be made GF. Tacos for example are not labeled GF because they come on flour tortillas but can be GF if you get corn tortillas.

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?

— Most/All

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

— Excellent

Really good food and drinks and good gluten free options! Awesome late night happy hour with good GF free tacos.

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

— Somewhat

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

Loved my experience here! Very unique flavors for Mexican food. But in a good way. Our server was very knowledgeable about what was/wasn’t GF- bless her. Enchiladas and the tortilla soup were delicious. Did not get sick!

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

Ordered the carne asada and it was delicious! Items are clearly marked gf on the menu and the wait staff was knowledgeable about celiac- didn’t have any issues.

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?

— Most/All

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

— Excellent

Amazing food! Eaten here many, many times with no issue. Was told chips are in a dedicated fryer. Lots of gf sauce options. My favorite place!

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

— Somewhat

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

Really good food! The fryers aren’t gf though so stay away from the nachos and chips. Otherwise the server was really knowledgeable and the menu is clearly labeled. One star deducted because the nachos were labeled gf, but they aren’t celiac safe.

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

— Somewhat

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

There is food labeled gluten free but when I asked the server, who checked with the kitchen, it’s all cross contaminated with the other foods. I had to only drink wine. Don’t go here unless you’re not hungry.

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

— Not at all

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?

— Some

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

— Poor

Servers are knowledgeable. Although items on menu are marked gluten free—make sure you let the server know you have issues. Corn chips are NOT 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?

— Not Much

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

— Excellent

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 naturally 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.

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

— Not at all

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?

— Not Much/None

I am gluten sensitive, not celiac, so normally cross-contamination isn’t as big of a concern for me. But I keep having reactions and giving it another try because their menu is labeled. Don’t eat here or believe the labels if you are very allergic.

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?

— Poor

Please note, they said everything was cross contaminated so we didn’t actually end up eating here. I would avoid if celiac

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?

— Poor

Server was very helpful with ensuring no cross contamination.

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?

— Some

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

— Excellent

I like when I say celiac and they know exactly what I mean. Many item are gf or can be made gf Menu has good labeling

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

— Somewhat

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

Other Characteristics

• Good for lunch
• Good for takeout
• Good vegan options
• Offers delivery
• Offers outdoor seating

The do have GF options here, and my server was helpful and knowledgeable. However many of the items on the menu that are noted as GF are NOT GF because the shared fryer. My server helped me pick out items that are actually GF and double checked with the kitchen. Food was pretty good.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Labeled menu for GF and staff is knowledgeable about celiac. There are many great options. For celiac - stay away from the chips. They’re made in a shared fryer.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

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.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

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).

Celiac friendly?

Yes

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.

Celiac friendly?

No

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?

No

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.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

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.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

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.

Celiac friendly?

No

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

Celiac friendly?

No

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.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

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!!!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

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.

Celiac friendly?

No

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

Celiac friendly?

Yes

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

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Celiac friendly?

Yes

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!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

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!