Gluten Free Restaurants Glendale

Brand Blvd between Colorado St and Broadway is the spine of Glendale's dining scene. Raffi's Place, Carousel Restaurant, Phoenicia, Nareh Persian, and Epique are all within a few blocks of each other — park once on Brand or in one of the side-street lots and you can cover the best of this stretch on foot. Raffi's has been the neighborhood anchor since 1993: the lule kebab, shish kebab, and khorovats (charcoal-grilled meats) are all naturally GF. Rice pilaf and stuffed dolma (rice filling) are also safe. Avoid manti (wheat dumplings) and lahmajoun (Armenian flatbread pizza). Reservations recommended on weekends via OpenTable.

Carousel Restaurant on North Brand is a cornerstone of Middle Eastern dining in LA, open for decades. The mezze spread is where GF diners need to pay attention: hummus and baba ganoush are safe; tabbouleh contains bulgur (wheat) — skip it. Grilled meat platters, lamb chops, and rice dishes are safe. Same setup at Phoenicia on Central Ave, the neighborhood's most upscale Lebanese option — grilled proteins and rice are the moves, same tabbouleh caveat. Both take OpenTable reservations.

For T2 Armenian in a more casual setting, Old Gyumri on San Fernando Rd runs traditional kebabs, stews, and grilled meats with rice — predominantly GF, low-key atmosphere. Ararat Restaurant on Central Ave is similar: rice, kebabs, stews with a generous poured portion. Greek Bistro on Artsakh Ave applies the same framework to Greek cuisine — gyro plates can be ordered without pita, grilled proteins and salads are naturally GF. Ask about sauces.

Tarme Mediterranean Grill on South Glendale Ave is the one restaurant in Glendale with an explicitly labeled GF menu — T1, the strongest designation in this directory. If cross-contamination is a real concern rather than a preference, Tarme is the safest kitchen in this neighborhood. Vegan, vegetarian, and GF options are marked on the menu; the rice bowl and grilled meat format keeps ordering simple.

Why Each Restaurant Makes the List

Brand Blvd has metered street parking and paid lots on the side streets — more manageable than most LA corridors. The Brand Blvd strip from Colorado to Broadway is walkable; Raffi's, Carousel, Phoenicia, and Nareh are all reachable without moving the car. Carousel, Phoenicia, and Raffi's take OpenTable reservations; weekends on Brand fill up, especially Raffi's. Most other restaurants in this guide are walk-in. At every table in Glendale, the bread basket — lavash or pita — arrives automatically and without asking. Decline it immediately when you sit down. That's the primary GF hazard at every restaurant in this guide.

Raffi's Place for the quintessential Glendale Armenian meal — tell the server no bread basket at the start. Tarme Mediterranean Grill for the safest GF kitchen in the neighborhood (explicitly labeled GF menu). Carousel or Phoenicia for group dinners with OpenTable reservations.