Waffle House Gluten Free Hack (Tell Server This to Get GF Hidden Menu)

Is Waffle House gluten free or do they have gluten free menu items?⁸

Those with a gluten sensitivity will be pleased to know that Waffle House has plenty of gluten free menu items so their lip-smacking breakfast delights aren’t completely off limits. And a sure fire hack to ensure they’re careful to not cross contaminate your order is to tell the server you have celiac disease.

However, Waffle House does not guarantee nor advertise any of their gluten free options so those who actually have celiac disease may want to choose a restaurant alternative that’s more accommodating such as IHOP, Denny’s, Cracker Barrel, and more seen below.  

Therefore, those with a minor sensitivity can eat off of Waffle Houses’ hidden GF menu seen below, but those with an extreme intolerances should dine elsewhere since cross contamination is always a risk, especially at an establishment like WH who doesn’t advertise GF.  

Does Waffle House Have Gluten Free Waffles?

Unfortunately, diners who are wondering, “does Waffle House have gluten free waffles?” would be disappointed to know that they do not have gluten free waffles. This is because waffles are prepared using either dough or batter, which are both made from wheat flour that doubles as a form of gluten found in wheat and other grains, such as barley.^{1 2}

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash⁶

With that being said, waffles at Waffle House should be a no-go for anyone sensitive to gluten or have celiac diseases simply because of the ingredients that go into preparing conventional waffles.³

Does Waffle House Have Gluten Free Eggs?

Waffle House has gluten-free eggs solely because eggs in themselves do not contain gluten. There is, however, no guarantee that there is no danger of them being contaminated by items that do contain gluten. Typically, all the meals prepared at the restaurant are cooked on the same pan, which introduces the risk of cross-contamination.

Depending on the order, the eggs may also be served with gluten items such as toasted bread, grits, and biscuits. The toppings that go with the breakfast may also contain gluten, and diners should be on the lookout for these.

Waffle House Gluten Free Hash Browns: Are Waffle House Hash Browns Gluten Free? 

Diners would be pleased to know that tasty hash browns do not typically contain gluten. Hash browns are prepared from potatoes that have been finely chopped and then fried until they attain a brown color which makes them gluten free.⁴

Are waffle house hash browns gluten free? Mostly yes—however, there is still the possibility of cross-contamination from other items cooked on the same cooktop. Toppings may also contain gluten contaminating this tasty staple that is the cornerstone of any hearty American breakfast.

Waffle House Gluten Free Menu (Gluten Free Waffle House Items)

Diners with gluten allergies or celiac disease would be pleased to know they are not completely locked out of enjoying a meal as there are Waffle House gluten free options. Even though Waffle House does not market gluten free meals, patrons may want to tell server this to get GF hidden menu—informing them of their condition and the need to avoid wheat-laden items such as bread, grits, or sauces.

Diners should not despair about getting gluten free meals akin to dieters giving up on weight loss may do as where there is a will, there is a way. Even If you are someone following a keto lifestyle, a Waffle House keto menu is also available.

GF Breakfast Items at Waffle House

Even though Waffle House does not have items dedicated to the gluten free dieter, a number of savory items can be found on the waffle house gluten free menu. These include hash browns, eggs, sausages, and ham.

Here is a list of gluten free Waffle House breakfast items:

• Two scrambled eggs with hash browns and a choice of bacon, sausage, and city or country ham
• Two scrambled eggs with sliced tomatoes and a choice of bacon, sausage, and city or country ham
• Sausage egg and cheese hash brown bowl including 2 slices of American cheese
• Bacon egg and cheese hash brown bowl including 2 slices of American cheese
• Ham egg and cheese hash brown bowl including 2 slices of American cheese
• Two scrambled eggs with a choice of hash browns or sliced tomatoes
• Two scrambled eggs with a choice of hash browns or sliced tomatoes
• T-Bone steak and 2 scrambled eggs with a choice of hash browns or sliced tomatoes
• Sirloin steak and 2 scrambled eggs with a choice of hash browns or sliced tomatoes
• Country ham and 2 scrambled eggs with a choice of hash browns or sliced tomatoes
• Grilled chicken and 2 scrambled eggs with a choice of hash browns or sliced tomatoes
• Grilled pork chops and 2 scrambled eggs with a choice of hash browns or sliced tomatoes
• Kid’s scrambled eggs and choice of hash browns or sliced tomatoes with kid’s bacon
• Kid’s scrambled eggs and choice of hash browns or sliced tomatoes with kid’s sausage
• Egg cheese omelet with choice of hash browns or sliced tomatoes
• Ham and egg cheese omelet with choice of hash browns or sliced tomatoes
• Cheesesteak omelet with choice of hash browns or sliced tomatoes
• Egg fiesta omelet with choice of hash browns or sliced tomatoes

Gluten Free Lunch & Dinner Menu at Waffle House

What makes Waffle House a favorite among diners is that they not only offer breakfast all day long but are open 24 hours a day— in addition, they serve lunch and dinner, including gluten-free options. Menu items that are gluten free include salads and hash brown bowls. 

Below is a list of gluten free lunch and dinner menu at Waffle house:

• Garden Salad
• Grilled chicken salad
• Cheesesteak melt hash brown bowl, which includes hash browns, cheesesteak, grilled onions, and 2 slices of American cheese
• Cheese melt hash brown bowl, which includes hash browns, grilled chicken, grilled onions, and 2 slices of American cheese

Waffle House Gluten Free Sides

Patrons should not despair as there are several Waffle House gluten free sides that are available. These include sausage and bacon.

Below is a list of gluten free sides at Waffle House:

• Hash browns (regular, large, and triple size)
• Sliced tomatoes
• Bacon
• Sausage
• City ham
• Country ham

Toppings That Are GF at WH

Toppings often render certain meals to be non-gluten free—fortunately, a number of toppings can be added to the meal at Waffle House without this concern. These include jalapeno peppers, grilled mushrooms, pecans, and chocolate chips.

A complete list of gluten free toppings at the Waffle house include:

• Chocolate chips which are toppings for waffles
• Pecans which are toppings for waffles
• Peanut butter chips which are toppings for waffles
• Grilled tomatoes
• Sautéed onions
• Melted American cheese
• Hickory smoked ham
• Jalapeno peppers

Waffle House Gluten Free Drinks

Surprisingly, many drinks are gluten-free—patrons should rest easy knowing they can slake their thirst and drink beverages that would complement the meal they are having. These include tea, milk, sprite, and iced tea.

The list below summarizes gluten free drinks at the Waffle house:

• Coffee
• Chocolate milk
• Hot tea
• Unsweetened and sweetened Alice’s iced tea
• Monade Alice’s iced tea
• Minute maid orange juice
• Apple juice (regular and large size)
• Milk (regular and large size)
• Dark roast coffee
• Decaf coffee
• Coca-cola soda
• Diet coke soda
• Sprite soda
• Pibb-Xtra soda
• Barq’s root beer
• Hi-C fruit punch
• Minute maid lemonade

Advice to Eat Waffle House While Gluten Free & Avoid Cross Contamination

It is clear that this chain does not market itself as a Waffle House gluten free restaurant; however, several tips can be followed to ensure patrons enjoy gluten free meals. These include informing the waiter or the manager of their concerns, minimizing exposure by ordering simple items, and avoiding cross-contamination.

Knowledge Is Power

As a diner who is sensitive to gluten, informing oneself by researching on what kinds of find to stay away from would go a long way to ensuring a gluten free meal. Foods prepared using wheat flour are the biggest contributor to glutens in restaurants because wheat is an ever-present ingredient in the food industry.⁵

Source: Gabbie Lee via Canva.com⁷

Shying away from foods such as breads, grits, biscuits, and buns prepared from wheat ensures no exposure. Conversely, tomatoes, meat, and eggs all receive a green light. It is imperative to educate oneself on what foods to avoid and what foods are acceptable to consume.

Investigation and Due Diligence

Before visiting the restaurant or even deciding to dine at Waffle House or any other restaurant, patrons should always research the menu items and what options may be gluten free. It is not a rarity for restaurants to have menus posted online including any allergen information on meals, sides, sauces, deserts, and even beverages. 

Waffle House has a nutritional information document that provides detailed information on its menu and allergen information. Reading up on reviews and experiences from other customers with the same concerns before deciding to dine at Waffle House would be helpful.

Informing Manager / or Waiter of Allergy and Celiac Disease

Once at the restaurant, diners should not be afraid to speak their heart out; after all, as the common saying goes, the customer is always right. It would be prudent to inform the waiter and, if necessary, the manager of the concerns and dangers the meals may pose.

By doing so, they can physically verify the meal being ordered is gluten free and not by going by the menu alone from their research. Doing so before the meal is ordered is equally important as it saves time and resources for both parties.

Establishing Preparation Methods and Equipment

Finding out how the food is prepared is crucial because even if the meal ordered does not contain gluten— if it is prepared on the same grill, the risk for cross-contamination increases. Gluten can also easily be transferred through surfaces that have not adequately been cleaned.

It would be a good idea to check to see if it is possible to have the meal prepared separately or if there could be a dedicated use of utensils. This will go a long way to almost guarantee gluten free nutrition.

Keeping it Simple

Gluten tends to hide in the least expected places. A patron may order a meal that does not contain wheat or gluten but still experiences an allergic experience or a bout of celiac disease—this is because the sauce that the meal came with had gluten. To minimize exposure, it is recommended to keep the meal as simple as possible. Shying away from sauces and toppings will minimize the risk of getting sick.

Weighing Cons and Pros

Even after implementing the above techniques, diners should ask themselves if the meal is worth the risk of exposure. Since Waffle House does not market itself as gluten-free, this is not its priority, and it is not necessarily looking to take the measures necessary to ensure the same. 

If someone still has qualms about eating a meal at Waffle House, they should weigh this in their decision to eat at the restaurant, no matter how enticing and mouthwatering the meal may be. There are plenty of fish in the sea, as the adage goes—many other restaurants can offer equally savory delights while ensuring a safer eating experience.

Gluten Friendly Restaurants Instead of Waffle House

The delightful news is that a number of restaurants specifically offer gluten-free meals on their menu. This is a relief because of the assurance that not only are the ingredients gluten free, but the restaurant takes an effort to ensure they remain so during the preparation and serving of these meals. 

Craving for waffles and cereal may sometimes have diners wonder why am I craving cereal. Therefore, having the right place to get a gluten free breakfast would ensure a healthy experience.

These restaurants have gluten free options on their menu, which means patrons don’t have to scour the menu searching for them—they include:

IHOP—if a diner is craving a waffle, the delightful news is that IHOP serves gluten free waffles and gluten free pancakes, burgers, sides and dressings. 

Denny’s—Denny’s caters to a large crowd and has a large menu to mirror that; they specifically mark their menu items that are gluten free with the symbol ‘GF,’ which should provide peace of mind.

Cracker barrel—Cracker barrel does not market itself as gluten free but does have a gluten free menu and has over 600 locations in the U.S.

Egg harbor café—Egg harbor café serves organic food and has a menu section dedicated to the gluten sensitive diner.

Hell yeah gluten free—Hell yeah gluten free is a bakery that prides itself in providing completely gluten free treats.

Bantam and biddy—this restaurant is located in Georgia and has gluten free bread that can be requested. 

Diners with gluten concerns would be pleased to know that Waffle House gluten free options are available, and all they need to do is voice their concerns of allergies to gluten and tell server this to get GF hidden menu.