Contrary to popular belief, full-time RVing is not really a vacation. For the most part, we primarily cook in the RV and don’t “go-out” too often. But our time in Boulder has been as close to a vacation as it gets, which for us means doing touristy things and eating out (a lot). Thanks to me having celiac, we searched out and tried some amazing gluten-free restaurants in Boulder.
From breakfast to coffee shops to lunch to happy hour to dinner, we tried it all. Here are our favorite gluten-free restaurants in Boulder:
Gluten-free Breakfast and Coffee Shops in Boulder
The Buff
If you have celiac and miss eating delicious carb-filled breakfasts, then you HAVE to go to The Buff for breakfast. You have to. We went three times.
Most importantly, they are celiac safe. The kitchen isn’t entirely gluten-free, but they have separate prep/cook areas.
Second most important thing: they have gluten-free Chicken and French Toast. I ordered it twice, and Luke, who can eat whatever he wants, thought it was great as well. That’s saying something. They have a ton of gluten-free options including pancakes.
Besides the food, the drink options themselves are worth going for. They serve great coffee and have a great list of coffee drinks. The White Buffalo looks like a dream, but I opted for the Dirty Hippie (Chia Latte with a shot of espresso – delish)! The Buff also has $1 Mimosas, Tequila Sunrises and Bloody Marys. Brunch win!
If you’re looking for a gluten restaurant in Boulder for breakfast, The Buff is the place to go.
Ozo Coffee
Speaking of delicious coffee, Ozo Coffee is a great spot to grab coffee and a gluten-free treat. They have a handful of pre-packaged, local gluten-free sweets. I went with an Americano and the Lemon Poppy Seed Bread – so good. Check them out; they know what they doing when it comes to coffee.
Alpine Modern Café
We planned to eat lunch here, but after eating breakfast at The Buff, we couldn’t fit one more thing in our stomachs until dinnertime. Instead, we decided just to grab drinks – cappuccino for me; IPA for Luke. The coffee was so good!
I did browse over their menu, and they have several gluten-free options that looked good. I was tempted to order something, but I was SO full.
The atmosphere is a perfect mix of mountain and modern with indoor and outdoor sitting located in the renovated Chautauqua cabin. It’s a great place to grab a drink and hang out or work. If you try the food, let me know how it is. It looked so good!
Gluten-free Restaurants in Boulder for Happy Hour
Given that we ate at The Buff for breakfast three times, we never felt the need to get lunch. So, on to Happy Hour… the best part of the day!
Arcana
We went to Arcana for Happy Hour and ended up staying for dinner. The upscale, farm-to-table American-style plates and craft cocktails were just what we were looking for. While dinner was amazing, their Happy Hour is something you shouldn’t miss while eating gluten-free in Boulder.
First off, the decor and vibe in Arcana is my dream.
The cocktail and wine list for Happy Hour didn’t disappoint. Having celiac, I don’t drink any wheat, barley, or rye based liquors – I know their safety for celiacs is up for debate, but I’m not willing to risk it. All that to say, they had gluten-free cocktail options (yay!).
More importantly, we ordered 3 apps that could all be prepared gluten-free. The server was extremely knowledgeable and helpful when ordering. We split a pork grilled cheese situation that I would eat every day if I could. Their gluten-free bread is so good, I was afraid for a second it was glutenness bread – but it was just that good!
Via Perla
Sunday afternoon, we were looking for a good Sunday Happy Hour before our dinner reservation and just happened to walk by Via Perla. With Happy Hour from 3-6:30 pm, it was the perfect place.
The upscale yet laid back atmosphere was perfect for a Sunday afternoon. The craft cocktails and wine list were great. I ended up ordering a Lavender Margarita, and Luke got something glutenness but said it was very good.
They have a few gluten-free app options, and we went with the Caprese. Fresh and delicious! We found out while we were there that they have gluten-free pasta options, but we already had dinner reservations elsewhere.
Gluten-Free Restaurants in Boulder for Dinner
Pearl Street has several restaurants with gluten-free options and trendy atmospheres. I use the Find Me Gluten Free app a lot on the road to narrow down our options. If you don’t have it, download it now (or as soon as you’re done with the rest of this list… you don’t want to miss this).
Next Door
We wanted something local, farm-to-table with a cool vibe but not too expensive. We walked by The Kitchen, and it checked all the boxes but was more than we wanted to spend that night. So we walked to the restaurant beside it – Next Door Eatery. It’s owned by the same people, but a bit more casual. Perfect!
They take great precaution with their kitchen if you have celiac, so just let them know! Also, the menu is clearly labeled, and their online menu is interactive, so just click GF to see your options.
We ordered the Chorizo Bacon Dates & Red Pepper Sauce as our starter. They were so freaking good; we’ll be making a version in the RV. Sweet, spicy, savory all wrapped in bacon!
Needing some veggies in my life, I ordered the Roasted Veggie Salad, and it was filling and delish. They have plenty of non-salad gluten-free entree options as well.
Blackbelly Market
When you’re ready to spend some money and eat one of the best meals of your life, drive over to Blackbelly Market in Boulder. We made a reservation here for our anniversary, and I’m so glad we did.
The mission at Blackbelly is that food will always start with seasonal, local Colorado-grown ingredients, and pasture raised, sustainable animals.
The restaurant and butcher next door are owned by the same people and source local meats.
Luke and I both ordered small plates to start with. We decided to split the Berkshire Pork. Yall, I have never had a more tender piece of pork. I’m not usually a big pork person (besides bacon), but I would order this again. At this point, we were stuffed, BUT they had a gluten-free dessert option.
Gluten-free dessert can’t be passed up. We split a coconut parfait situation with a gluten-free cookie in it. Definitely recommend it!
Gluten-Free Dessert in Boulder
We didn’t seek out dessert while in Boulder, but we couldn’t pass up this fancy gelato shop on Pearl Street.
Fior di Latte
Fior di Latte makes their gelato from scratch with local dairy. After training in Italy, the owners brought this delicious gelato to Boulder. The majority of their flavors are gluten-free, so just be sure to ask before ordering.
After a few tasters, I did half Chia and half Dark Chocolate. Decadent! For your non-gluten-free friends, they have mini waffles you can have your gelato on.
Gluten-Free Restaurants in Longmont, Colorado
The majority of the time we were in the Boulder area we camped in Longmont. Not knowing much about the area, we decided to explore downtown Longmont a bit.
Jefe’s Tacos and Tequila
I mentioned we ate at The Buff three times; well, we also went to Jefe’s three times. Pretty much all of their tacos are gluten =-free. The chips are unfortunately not fried in a separate fryer, but it’s still worth going to… even from Boulder.
Let’s start with the Margaritas. They have a kombucha margarita – if you like kombucha, you have to order it! They have a special margarita. When we went, it was Apple Spice – the perfect marg for a fall day. Bonus: Jefe’s house margarita uses Hiram Walker Triple Sec, which is gluten-free. Order away!
If you can go to Jefe’s on a Tuesday, do it. They have $1 Street Tacos and $5 margaritas. The Street Tacos are so good, but you’ll probably want to try at least one of their other tacos.
Aime’s Love
I almost missed this place. We were walking back to the car from Jefe’s on Tuesday, and Luke saw the sign on the window that said “100% Gluten-Free Bakery.” We had to go in!
It’s a whole bakery of just gluten-free baked goods – cupcakes, cakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls… I was in shock and in-awe.
I ordered a cinnamon roll to-go because that’s one thing I don’t find too often. Luke got a cookie, which was also very good, especially to be gluten-free.
As we were heading back to the RV, I tasted the cinnamon roll. Oh. My. Goodness. It was so good. Had we not gotten it to go, I would have ordered 10 more. After only having gluten-free baked goods for the past however many years, Luke doesn’t always trust my reviews. But this was so good I had to give him a taste. I think he was shocked at how good this gluten-free cinnamon roll is.
So if you have celiac and are visiting Boulder, go to Longmont and order as many cinnamon rolls as possible. If you try something else, let me know how it is. I was so impressed (and so was Luke) by how good this place is.
La Bella Vita
So this isn’t necessarily specific to us gluten-free people, but La Bella Vita is the place to go for coffee in Longmont. They carefully source their beans and make great coffee. The downstairs vibe of the coffee house makes it a great place to hang out. I wish we would have found this place before our last day in Longmont!
They do have macaroons that are gluten-free, but in a shared case, so I passed. Luke tried it, and said it was good – they looked great! Probably a good option if you don’t have celiac.
What are your favorite Gluten-free Restaurants in Boulder?
Hi, I'm Laura. Former Full-Time RVer with a passion for adventure. Real mom to one boy. Dog mom to two pups. Sipping on coffee or kombucha. Experiencing God's goodness wherever we are.