Gluten Free Chicago: Restaurants, Bakeries & Deep Dish for Celiacs (2026)

Chicago is one of the best big cities in the US for eating gluten free. It has 100% gluten-free restaurants serving Cajun, Mexican, and Korean food, two dedicated gluten-free bakeries, and a pizzeria that makes gluten-free deep dish with its own dough.

Here’s where to eat, where to find gluten-free bakeries in Chicago, and the honest answer on deep dish.

Photo: John Picken, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Table of contents

100% gluten-free restaurants in Chicago

CheSa’s Bistro & Bar

3235 W Addison St, Avondale. A 100% gluten-free Cajun-Creole restaurant from chef CheSa Rollins, who has said a shared kitchen can’t eliminate cross-contamination, which is why hers is fully gluten free. Expect gumbo, crab cakes, hush puppies, and mac and cheese made with rice and potato pasta. It’s a sit-down dinner spot with a full bar and limited days, so check hours before you go. It turns four this October, and a second location is in the works.

Kite String Cantina

1851 W Addison St, North Center. A Mexican bar and restaurant where, in the owner’s words, the kitchen does not use “any gluten ingredients in any of our food or in our kitchen ever.” It’s also nut free, and it’s listed in the National Celiac Association directory. Taquitos, chips and dips, and agave cocktails. Some drinks at the bar may contain gluten, so ask before ordering beer.

SEOULSPICE

20 N Michigan Ave, the Loop. A fast-casual Korean chain with a 100% gluten-free menu, listed in the National Celiac Association directory. Celiac diners note that even the soy sauce is gluten free.

Possibly closed: Brightwok Kitchen. The Loop stir-fry spot was 100% gluten free, but DoorDash now lists it as temporarily closed, a celiac diner reported it closed in May, and its website is down. Call before you go.

Gluten-free bakeries in Chicago

For every dedicated bakery in the city and suburbs, see our full guide to gluten-free bakeries in Chicago.

Defloured

1477 W Balmoral Ave, Andersonville. Chicago’s best-known dedicated gluten-free bakery. It started in 2010 and opened its shop in 2016, and it’s the top-rated gluten-free bakery in the city on Yelp. Cakes, cookies, pies, and pastries. Hours vary, so check the website.

Wheat’s End Cafe & Bakery

543 W Diversey Pkwy, Lincoln Park. A 100% dedicated gluten-free café and bakery with roots going back to 2013. It’s carry-out and delivery only, with no seating, Tuesday to Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Gluten-free deep dish pizza in Chicago

This is the question every celiac visitor asks. The short answer: you can get gluten-free deep dish, but not at a dedicated gluten-free pizzeria.

Chicago’s Pizza (3114 N Lincoln Ave, Lincoln Park) is the best-documented option. Time Out reports it may be the only pizzeria in Chicago offering gluten-free pizza in all three Chicago styles: thin, stuffed, and deep dish, all with its own gluten-free dough. Celiac reviewers describe a separate prep area, a dedicated oven, and different-colored boxes for gluten-free delivery orders. Confirm the setup when you order.

Lou Malnati’s offers a gluten-free crust, and the company says its gluten-free pizzas “are prepared in a sterile environment, but are finished in our kitchen where wheat and wheat products are present.” It also has a “crustless” deep dish with a sausage patty for a base. Celiac reviews are mixed.

Giordano’s reports vary by location, including whether gluten-free deep dish is available at all. Don’t count on it without calling ahead.

Bottom line for celiacs: If you want deep dish, call Chicago’s Pizza and ask about the oven and prep area. If you’re very sensitive, a shared pizza kitchen is a risk you’re choosing, not a safe default.

Shared kitchens rated well by celiacs

These kitchens handle gluten, so always say you have celiac disease:

• Sunda (River North) and Crepe & Bean are rated highly by celiac diners on our map.
• Doc B’s Fresh Kitchen is also rated well by gluten-free diners on our map.

Planning a special-occasion dinner? Oriole and Kasama, both with two Michelin stars, can adapt their tasting menus for celiacs. See our guide to gluten-free Michelin star restaurants.

Tips for eating gluten free in Chicago

Check hours before you go. Several of the best gluten-free spots, including CheSa’s and Wheat’s End, keep limited hours or are takeout only.

Ask about the oven, not just the crust. A gluten-free crust baked in a shared deep-dish oven isn’t the same as a dedicated setup.

Stock up at the bakeries. Defloured and Wheat’s End are the safest places for bread and treats for the rest of your trip. At the grocery store, GF Scanner can check a barcode in seconds.

Quick Reference: Gluten Free Chicago

For more, see our Chicago gluten-free restaurant directory and our guides to Minneapolis and New York City.

Sources

• CheSa’s Bistro turns 4 (Rolling Out) and CheSa’s Bistro & Bar (ABC7 Chicago)
• Kite String Cantina and Seoul Spice (National Celiac Association directory)
• Defloured, and Wheat’s End Café (official sites)
• The 5 best gluten-free pizzas in Chicago (Time Out Chicago)
• Gluten-Free Deep Dish Pizza in Chicago (Find Me Gluten Free)