Gluten Free Philadelphia

We recently did an awesome roadtrip on part of the US East Coast and Philadelphia was our first stop. People had told us not to bother, to just skip straight through, but we were so glad we didn’t listen to them! Philadelphia is a great city to explore and, as a coeliac (celiac) I was delighted to discover it is a very gluten free friendly place.

I ate SO WELL, including freshly fried gluten free doughnuts, funnel cake and soft pretzels, and below I’ve rounded up the places we tried so you can too. I’ve also included details of other eateries that were recommended to me by readers.

Philadelphia is a great place to stay, especially if you are landing in NYC and want to avoid the high NY accommodation prices by driving straight down after landing, as we did. Philly hotels are much more reasonably priced and you can stay centrally.

If you’ve kids like me, my top “to do” recommendation is the Please Touch Museum – an amazing kid-focused museum with playscape after playscape. My 6 and 3 years absolutely loved it and it was a lovely break for them after a long travel guide. I would advise you book tickets in advance, as it can sell out.

Gluten Free Philadelphia

There are lots of gluten free goodies to discover, so below I’ve divided the list into gluten free bakeries, dedicated gluten free spots and coeliac friendly eateries. If you’ve any additions or changes, please do pop me an email [email protected].

I have tried to ensure the information in this guide is as accurate as possible, but it is your responsibility to check with the eatery/bakery before you order to ensure the food is safely gluten free. Menus and processes do change and I am only one woman trying to keep up! Remember to ask questions about food preparation and to always tell your server if you are coeliac.

Gluten Free Bakeries in Philadelphia

Flakelys

A fully gluten free bakery with a wonderful array of products, but do check opening times before you visits as they are only open at certain times. Owned by a coeliac pastry chef who used to work for Wolfgang Puck, we sadly didn’t manage to get there while there were open but I’ve heard good things from other gluten free visitors.

Note, they don’t have fresh items, everything is frozen to be baked at home. However, the wwner kindly told me about a local bagel shop that stocks their gluten free bagels and is able to prepare them safely – Kismet Bagels in Penn Valley (801 Montgomery Ave), with a dedicated toaster and prep space (this branch only). A good lunch spot to combine with the Please Touch museum.

In June 2024, Flakelys opened a frozen gluten free pastries vending machine (selling various gf goodies including croissants, bagels, cakes and pop tarts) – it’s located in Salt & Vinegar store ont 905 S. 9th St. in the Italian Market. A good option if you are self catering and able to rewarm those frozen goods at home.

Okie Dokie Donuts

A MUST VISIT, open from 8am with freshly fried gluten free doughnuts. And while I popped it in the gluten free bakery section of this guide, they do offer lunch options too (takeaway only).

Everything we had from Okie Dokie was great – the maple glazed doughnut was absolutely amazing, warm and fried to order. The Boston cream doughnut special was raised but not as freshly fried (as it had to cool in order to be filled). It was very good but not as elite as the other one – if I went again I would order A LOT of the ring donuts.

We also had popcorn chicken and twice cooked french fries – both excellent with house made dips.

Fully Gluten Free Eateries in Philadelphia

Fox & Son

Located inside the Reading Terminal market (a sprawling food market, which is a wonderful place to explore), this fully gluten free stall is a great place to try foods that are normally out of bounds for us coeliacs.

We tried a funnel cake, which we loved and I would say is like a fried pancake doughnut swirl, very sweet but we all enjoyed it. I also had my first ever corn dog – quite a novelty item, but enjoyable enough – a Heinz style Frankfurter sausage with soft corn coating, like corn bread then crisp and scrunchy on the outside.

Fox & Son also have fries, fried cheese curds, onion rings, battered Oreos and hot dogs. A great speedy lunch or dinner spot.

Sparrow’s Gourmet Snacks

This is the other fully gluten free spot inside the Reading Terminal Market. They focus more on baked goods, popcorn and candyfloss, and have a little grocery store section with some fun products.

We tried the OG pretzel and pretzel sticks, both were pretty good but not as amazing as the reviews made out. Things aren’t freshly baked there, but brought in from an external bakery.

Note Sparrows is located next to Fox’s (round the corner), not where Google maps shows it to be.

Great selection of margs and cool interiors. Speedy food and service, a brilliant spot for dinner.

Other Coeliac Friendly Eateries in Philadelphia

Some other gluten free Philadelphia options – eateries that can reportedly cater well for coeliacs, but that I have not tried personally:

Jay Steak & Hoghie Joint – North of Philly (on the drive down from NYC), my fellow coeliac travel blogger and friend Rachel @thesightseeingcoeliac recommended this to me for gluten free Philly cheese steak. I was sad we didn’t get to try it ourselves but I fully trust Rachel’s recommendations – she told me they have a dedicated prep area and measures to prevent cross contamination.
Kaiseki – a tiny sushi bar that also offers pickup and delivery. Their menu is mainly (if not all) gluten free and the chef is apparently very knowledgeable and able to cater safely for coeliacs.
Giorgio on Pine – a good spot for coeliac friendly Italian food, with lots of gluten free choices including pasta.
SouthHouse – generally very positive reviews for this spot (with a couple less so), so make sure you stress that you are coeliac when you order. They stock bread from Flakelys, have a big gf menu and have processes in place to avoid cross contamination, including a dedicated prep area.
Kalaya – a majority gluten free Southern Thai menu including gf dumplings and gf soy sauce, reviewers are very positive about it being safe for coeliacs.
Doro Bet – Ethiopian fried chicken with a dedicated gf prep area, the chicken is coated in teff flour, making it gluten free. They also have other traditional ethiopian dishes, which are gluten free.
Front Street Cafe – recommended as a great spot for gluten free brunch in Philadelphia. Lots of gf options, including mac n cheese and brisket and gf bread, with safe processes for coeliacs and a dedicated fryer.