My Favorite 918 Gluten Free Restaurants

It’s in vogue—this fanaticism for a gluten free lifestyle. Not for me, though… it’s a matter of wheat vs. Carol, and wheat wins every time.

by Carol Sokolsky

It’s in vogue—this fanaticism for a gluten free lifestyle. Not for me, though… it’s a matter of wheat vs. Carol, and wheat wins every time. ‘Gluten free’ was probably not in Webster’s dictionary in the 1950s (yes, I’m dating myself). But whatever the terminology, I was sick all the time, and finally, after a day of hospital testing, my parents were told that I was allergic to wheat. No wonder the pieces of toast never settled my stomach after such a horrible few days of migraines and—well, you can figure out why they fed me toast!

The only problem with being wheat free, is that, for years, it was almost impossible to eat in many restaurants since every sauce or soup is thickened with flour. Pizza was out, pasta was out, and sandwiches were not nearly as much fun without a bun. And why do they put bread crumbs on everything? Have they no heart?

Enter in the dawn of Gluten Free. In 2017, almost every restaurant offers at least one gluten free item and many have their own gluten free menus. Of course, gluten free is always more expensive, but I guess it’s just because I’m worth it! I’m so worth it…

I’ve spent 2 1/2 years in this fabulous city of Tulsa that I now call home, and these are my favorite places to eat, drink, munch and hang—all with wonderful gluten free options. If you have a favorite place to add to the list, please let me know!

918 Favorite Gluten Free Places

Specialties:

The best ever Gluten Free desserts are at Coffee House on Cherry Street. And always eat dessert first—just in case. By far my favorite coffee shop just because CHOCS, as it’s known, had me at hello…

Do not miss Barbee Cookies, 8393 S. Memorial and now in the Atlas Building. Best cookies, wonderful employees, best of the best. A little ice cream parlor—the ambience is priceless. Best Snickerdoodle cookies and, of course, the snickerdoodle coffee, because I’m a snickerdoodle girl.

Old School Bagel, both in Brookside and at 68th and Yale, are two places I crave on a Saturday morning. Always a choice of three gluten free bagels, so sandwich choices are limitless!

Pizza:

East Village Bohemian Pizza is so much more than pizza. It has the best outdoor patio—bar none—at least in my mind. The inside is intimate and perfect but you just need to experience the patio. Oh, and the food is to die for, almost…

Andolini’s Pizzeria, Cherry Street, has probably the best gluten free pizza I’ve ever tasted. I don’t eat much pizza, but so many of my favorite gluten free restaurants feature pizza and so much more. I’m seeing a pattern here.

Upper Crust, 91st and Yale, is too close to home for me, so I stop…

Hideaway Pizza, all over Tulsa, can make any of their specialty pizzas gluten free.

Mediterranean:

Taziki’s Mediterranean Café, Cherry Street or 71st and Yale, can hold me captive for hours. But then, I love Mediterranean anything.

Luffa, in the Brady District, is a perfect Mediterranean and Middle Eastern choice, and offers amazing options and a wonderful patio for First Friday Art Crawl!

Sushi/Asian:

In The Raw, Brookside and 61st and Sheridan: Sushi and everything yummy makes my stomach happy.

Yokozuna: Both locations, 309 E. 2nd Street and 91st and Yale, are high on my list. And they have sushi happy hour!

P. F. Chang’s, Utica Square, for the times when you just want chopsticks and no gluten.

Just Good Food:

Napa Flats, 9912 Riverside Parkway, has not only a great gluten free menu, but one of best patios on the river, amazing sunsets, and an inviting wine bar.

Cosmo Cafe & Bar, Brookside, 3334 S. Peoria, a hang-outside-all-day place with an entire gluten free menu.

Jason’s Deli, Cherry Street, knows how to make gluten free taste delicious. Every.single.time.

Everything Mexican!

Café Ole in Brookside is my personal favorite—for so many reasons, including the jalapeño margarita. It’s my happy place. Café Ole will substitute wheat for corn and keeps me going back for the best queso in Tulsa… oh, and that patio…

Now you know where you can find me at any given time, relaxing with family and friends, enjoying a fabulous lunch, dinner, or just wonderful hang time.

Carol Sokolsky is a regular writer for the918. She’s also a foodie and loves to spend time on a fabulous outside patio, sharing stories and laughing with friends and family. Because of her wheat allergy, she seeks out the best that Tulsa has to offer for gluten free eating. If you have found a great place that offers gluten free, please let her know… she’s always looking for new places, and if it has an outdoor patio and a great sunset, you may just have found a new friend.