Salads: the safety meal of gluten-free eaters. When dining at a restaurant, many celiacs find that the only “safe” option on the menu is a salad. Even then, there are still concerns about ingredients that warrant special requests. Urban Garden, part of the South Food District, recognizes this and caters accordingly.
Diners at Urban Garden begin by grabbing a container of a size of their choosing and gathering a base of lettuce. There are several option for mixed greens and spinach, all of which are allergen-free. From there, diners can layer different toppings on their bed of lettuce. Almost all of the ingredients are inherently gluten-free, allowing for a variety of combinations. This includes carrots, cucumbers, peppers, chickpeas, and so much more.
There may be some concern of cross-contamination with ingredients touching one another or spoons being passed, but this is minimized by the fact that all of the toppings are naturally gluten-free. Additional toppings that pose risks to celiacs, such as croutons or dressings, can be avoided in a separate section.
However, a more concerning element is the menu available online. The range of toppings are not explicitly listed on their site, reducing some of the comfort gluten-free eaters would find in Urban Garden. They confirm their chicken breast is gluten-free, which is a reliable option for celiacs, but the unknown details of other ingredients does bring some unease in making this a primary dining option.
Lastly, the snacking options available along with the salads are relatively safe. Sealed packages with visible labels and ingredients lists make it easy for celiacs to grab an easy side to their meal.
Because of the inherently safe ingredients, but some confusion in listings, I award the Urban Garden a 4.5 star GF rating.
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