Gluten-Free at El Chico

I don’t think I’ve written a review since 1973… but after your Dale Carnegie explanation (well done, sir!). THEN the fact I did not know what gluten was for 30 years got me a criminal misdiagnosis (T4 - for EARLY stage Hashi’s with NO symptoms) by my Doctor Sexter... IN 2001!! Thus NOW my Golden DREAM years are delayed, maybe in jeopardy? Bottom line: Sorry, I do not EVER buy iOS apps. I AM Generation X..! it saddens me how kids don’t know telephones were once for making calls’ BUT, there is NO doubt this same “tech” has infinite capability for good. SO??Personally I hope you manage the app on a BEACH in Thailand for 2 hours / day, MAX… I AM serious!!TWO! Hold the line brother… P.S. El Chico is of course a large, chain Mexi Restaurant and it is NOT bad. The 21st location in Tulsa, OK is a great lunch spot. It’s been awhile - so I’m due and eager to check out their GF menu! MUCH THX,, -TIII P.S.S. I realize I have not actually reviewed the GF food. But a good friend I once met here damn near weekly, & ya couldn’t wrong!

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

— Somewhat

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

— Good

Not celiac. Just a sensitivity. Staff was wonderful. Told kitchen about allergy.

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

Always the best !!! Service is great. And food is yummy

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

— Very

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

Always excellent service. I’ve never gotten sick there and we have gone weekly-monthly for years. Skinny ‘ritas and shrimp tacos are my favorite but also the Fajita Nachos, queso (without meat), and fajitas are all great. More can be made with small adjustments, like Fiesta Nachos with steak instead of chili.

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

Manager went out of his way to find a find safe meal for me.

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?

— Not Much/None

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

— Excellent

This is one of our very favorite restaurants. My wife can't eat gluten and she's never had a problem with the chips. The white queso has gluten. The yellow is gluten free. Other than that, if you can't eat gluten, you know what to do from there.

Pro tip: ask for relish and corn tortillas. The relish consists of pickled onions, peppers and jalapeños. The corn tortillas are steamed and they're free as are , of course, the chips and salsa.

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

The Gluten Sensitive menu looks just like the GS menu link found online. They really do offer GS options.

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?

— Not Much

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

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for dinner
• Good for lunch
• Good for takeout
• Offers delivery

The manager sat meticulously reviewed the GF options with us, noting how frequently menus and supplies can change, in order for us to make an informed ordering decision. Very helpful, kind, and professional!

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 dinner
• Good for kids
• Good for lunch

We had fajitas with corn tortillas. The service and the food was excellent

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

Asked about a gluten free menu because of the previous review. Asked manager and they said NO GLUTEN Free

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

Once I notified my waitress she told me that they have a separate prep area and fryer for GF food. They wear gloves when preparing and change for GF diners food.

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
• Other dedicated kitchen equipment (oven, toaster, pots, pans, utensils, etc.)
• Staff will clean kitchen space or change gloves if asked

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Separate gluten-free 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 breakfast/brunch
• Good for kids
• Good for lunch
• Good for takeout

Asked the waiter about gf and the manager came out to go over options with me and told me which items have a risk of CC (ex: chips are gf but there is cc). Great place. Delicious food and nice people. I got the chicken fajitas. I am celiac and was nervous, but it was great.

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?

— Good

My son and I ( both Celiac's) have always left feeling great! It's delicious and a place I trust. They do have a gluten free menu! Just ask!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Love them! We usually go for fajita special but they offer other gf items as well

Celiac friendly?

Yes

My table spoke to the manager and his wife has celiac. He said the kitchen is very unsafe for those with celiac due to the cooking methods, essentially nothing is safe.

Celiac friendly?

No

Gluten free options listed on the main menu. Just let them know you need it gluten free, and they’ll make sure you’re food is made properly. Awesome staff, amazing food, and no gluten reactions. Highly recommend!! :)

I had eaten here several years ago and it wasn’t Celiac friendly. It was awesome today. Manager visited the table and told me they change gloves, cutting boards clean work area. Chips aren’t gluten free, but ask for corn tortillas and relish plate! Several choices for entrees

Celiac friendly?

Yes

food tastes very considerably. My daughter and I had the same fajitas but one was fairly good the other pretty bad. there is no separate fryer for the chips, so although label gluten-free they are not. we all asked for corn tortillas, but one was wheat and it was given to my Celiac husband. Luckily we caught it before he ate it.

Celiac friendly?

No

Staff was great, very kind and understanding, but not a large selection. Chips and fajitas basically are your choice.

The restaurant is a real find in Muskogee because there are not many places you can eat where the staff even know what gluten is let alone eat a meal that is truly GF. I have eaten there three times in the last two weeks and every meal has been very tasty. The general manager is very knowledgeable about about Celiac Disease, takes your order and oversees the meal preparation. The GF item are identified on the regular menu. I ate the avocado, corn tortilla enchiladas with a green chilies sauce and black beans as a side. Some of the faitas are GF and tasty. The portions are adequate, service is good and prices are moderate with lunch and dinner specials. A good find in Muskogee, OK.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Lived in New Mexico for 20 years. This is the 1st decent salsa I've had in Florida. Ask for medium salsa. Joe is very attentive and made extra effort for dietary limitations.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Same as other reviews. Sherman store was very polite but nothing at this store was safe. The manager didn't seem to understand about the cross contamination but was willing to talk and even asked questions. Great place but not safe to eat if celiac

Celiac friendly?

No

Do not eat here if you have Celiac Disease.

Celiac friendly?

No

Before you sit down, make sure to let the server know you have Celiac or a gluten intolerance. The manager meets with any guest that has a food allergy to explain the menu options and answer any questions you may have. Be aware that food you may not expect may contain gluten, such as the red salsa and table tortilla chips that are brought out to you. The tortilla chips are NOT GF as they share a frier, but the manager will tell you his opinion that they'd be safe to eat due to the temperature they are fried in. Many of the items on the menu can be modified to be GF. I had the chicken fajita enchiladas with Verde sauce, which was super delicious. Several days later and I have not experienced any symptoms of gluten contamination so I'd say El Chico is a safe bet. Overall a good dining experience. I'd definitely be back for more.

Lots of gluten free items and manager came to table to answer any questions regarding menu. Server was very nice and seemed very concerned regarding making sure they did everything right. Not my normal place to go for Mexican but it will be from now on after my diagnosis. I felt very comfortable eating here. Plus, the Mexican martinis are gluten free. Win! Win!

great service!Just remember the rice isn't GF!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Very good! I'm straight up celiac and no problemo.

Generally good food. Need to make sure the wait staff understands your gf needs.

service was awful! Manager refused to come to the table and the server wasn't familiar with the menu or gf. I wanted enchiladas, but the only option was for avocado. Not even chicken. All beef products had gluten. My family was hungry so we stayed and i ordered chicken fajitas. Chicken was served hot,but the small side plate of guacamole and toppings was contaminated. It included shredded cheddar cheese and the cheese was covered in a white powder that looked like flour. I asked the server, but she just gave me the deer in the headlights look, took the plate and walked away. Aside from the gluten issue, she said, twice, she would be back with it, but never did. when we were finished eating and my Margarita still had not come, we cancelled it.

Celiac friendly?

No

I like the options they have available. Food was good and service was great!

The restaurant was dirty to start. When asked about a gluten free menu he asked what I wanted. He said the rice was obviously not gf(?). And they have no dedicated fryer. He said it was font to fry with the flour tortillas it makes no difference. Only got a 1 because 0 wasn't an option. We left and did not eat there.

Called ahead to see if my Killeen TX location had a GF menu. The reply was yes. My husband and I headed on over.

When we came in we asked for one regular menu and one GF menu. She said oh okay, ummm hold on I'll have to check. We were left standing there, then she peaked around the corner and said come on, we were sat with NO menus.

The servers didn't know who's table we were.

After 2 servers (who ended up not being our actual server) came to tend to us and we finally had regular menus I asked again about the GF menu. She said she needed to go ask the manager. So she left and he came with a binder. Apparently, "the company opted to away with the GF menu since people who eat already know what they can and can't eat. So you just order what is reasonable and then we tweak things accordingly. Like the rice is made with soy sauce so we substitute vegetables for it."

I said okay, so your seasoning doesn't contain wheat? He barely glanced at his binder and said No it doesn't.

I said, "Is that the allergy list, can I just look at that since you don't have a menu."

He replied, "No, that's not allowed, it's kinda for our eyes only. I'm sorry"

I ended up having to search for GF listing for is on a 3rd party cite. Ended up getting fajitas just to safe- how boring!

The service was TERRIBLE She didn't substitute my rice for vegetables, didn't refill salsa/ chips, NEVER checked on us unless she was bringing something we ordered or the bill, my husband had to get up and ask a different server for assistance b/c our server was in the kitchen the ENTIRE time, also didn't bring me my box I asked for. Even had someone else to drop the check off.

She had 1 other table besides us, that came 1/2 way through; when we were done her 3rd table came. She was not double sat. The man that gave extra assistance was double sat. There were 3 servers on staff 1 manager/bar.

They no longer offer a GF menu. very disappointing. The food is mediocre at best anyway.

Great Mexican food with good gluten free options. Knowledgeable management.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

They didn't have a gluten-free menu but the manager brought out the allergen list and we went through everything together. He did make sure my food was separate from everyone else's. I felt like they cared and I didn't get sick. Would have given 5 Stars if they actually had a separate menu. Food was good.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

No GF menu, manager had a guide that he read to me. With that being said, they treated my meal with care, and I did not end up sick...which is a positive in my book. Manager brought my meal out separate, and service was very good. Probably better Mexican in town, but close to our hotel--and it was late and they were open.

Clueless staff. You will need to be knowledgeable and ask questions. Cross contamination could be an issue.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I wish there was a none star option. This place is gross. The most disgusting place I've ever been to. I went with my hubby two weeks ago. I ordered fajitas and they were gross. The place is dirty. The food was old. The services horrible. The prices very high. We spend $50 dollars and I felt like having old leftovers. No gluten free of course. I was sick for a week after going there. I tried to send an email to the restaurant manager and their website is so cheapy that it didn't allow me to send it. Don't go there.

Celiac friendly?

No

The hostess did not seem interested in seating us at noon. After that, the waitress had no knowledge about gluten-free. After 10 minutes, we got the gluten-free menu that basically said gluten-free offerings were minimal. No beef or shredded chicken gluten-free.

Celiac friendly?

No

One of my favorite places in Nashville to go for lunch

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Celiac friendly?

Yes

They do have a piece of paper with their gluten free menu. (insist because sometimes their staff is ignorant of it) It is not extensive but the food is good. I frequently get the beans and cheese nachos. I've never gotten sick and I've eaten there probably 5 times. I can't remember if the chips are gf, I think they are, but I always eat them.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Hubby and I shared a mixed grill fajitas for two with corn tortillas. This location usually isn't as good as the 41st & Yale location, but the food this evening was quite good. They have a limited GF menu. I didn't ask about their kitchen procedures for a GF customer, so I can't rule out cross-contamination. Rated 4 stars because this one good dining experience was out of the ordinary.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Fairly decent GF choices which excited me. Not a good DF place. Although I requested they ensure there was no cheese on my chicken fajita plate (my husband had a fajita plate smothered with cheese) mine still had a couple of cheese slivers on it. It took too long to get the food to start off with so I didn't bother and just ate the rest of my food instead of the chicken. It's not a place we will visit again.