Gluten free pizza chains

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Are you wondering which pizza chains have gluten free pizza crusts? Or maybe you want to learn about which pizza chains have good allergen protocols in place to prevent cross contamination when they make gluten free pizzas? Well either way, you are in the right place! In this article, we tell you everything you need to know about gluten free options at popular pizza chains.

For each pizza chain that we describe in this article, we will provide information on a few characteristics like the location and the type of pizza that is served to help you decide which pizza chain is best for you. We start out this article by describing those characteristics. After that, we will describe the rating system that we will use to categorize these pizza chains based on their gluten free options. Finally, we go through a list of popular pizza chains and describe the offerings that they have for gluten free foodies.

Note. In this article, we will focus on chain restaurants that specialize in pizza. We will not discuss restaurants that specialize in other types of dishes and also happen to have pizza on their menu. We will focus on pizza chains that are located in the United States.

Characteristics of gluten free pizza chains

We will start out by describing the characteristics that we will use to provide information on each of the pizza chains listed in this article. These characteristics will help you decide which pizza chain best suits your tastes and preferences.

Location. First, we will discuss the location of each of these pizza chains. Some of these pizza chains are nationwide chains that have locations all over the United States. Others are regional chains that are concentrated in one area of the United States.
Type of restaurant. After that, we will discuss what type of restaurant each pizza chain is. Some of these pizza chains are full sit down restaurants, whereas others are casual takeaway spots. We will also call out the level of formality for each of these pizza chains.
Type of pizza. We will also discuss the type of pizza that is served at each pizza chain. Most of these pizza chains serve traditional Italian or Greek thin crust pizza. Others serve Chicago style deep dish or Detroit style pizza.
Allergen protocols. After that, we will discuss any allergy protocols or precautions that are taken to prevent cross contamination when making gluten free pizzas. Some of these pizza chains have separate ovens or food prep areas for gluten free pizzas, whereas others prepare all of their pizzas in the same area.
Other dietary restrictions. Finally, we will call out whether there are any other food allergies or dietary restrictions that each pizza chain caters to. Some of these pizza restaurants cater to multiple allergens and dietary restrictions, whereas others only have gluten free options.

Ratings for gluten free pizza chains

We will group all of the pizza chains that we discuss in this article into one of four categories based on the offerings that they have for gluten free diners. These ratings are calculated entirely based on the availability of gluten free pizza and the measures that are taken to prevent cross contamination when making gluten free pizza. They are not based on other factors like the service or the quality of the pizza.

Here are the rating tiers that we will categorize each gluten free pizza chain into. For each tier, we will describe what kind of pizza chains fall into that tier.

Great. Pizza chains that we rate as great consistently provide gluten free pizza crusts across most of their locations. In many cases they provide gluten free pizza crusts across all of their locations. In addition, their restaurants consistently take precautions to prevent cross contamination when preparing gluten free pizzas. That means that they have things like separate food prep areas for gluten free food, separate pizza ovens for gluten free pizzas, or trays that they bake gluten free pizzas on so that they do not touch an oven that has been used to cook regular pizza. These are pizza chains that we would recommend to someone who is sensitive to cross contamination.
Good. Pizza chains that we rate as good consistently provide gluten free pizza crusts across most of their locations. They have allergy protocols in place to prevent cross contamination, but these allergy protocols may be inconsistently followed across different locations. Some locations may follow allergen protocols very closely, whereas others may not. These are pizza chains where some locations are suitable for someone who is sensitive to cross contamination, whereas others might not be.
Okay. Pizza chains that we rate as okay are chains that have pizza crusts, but do not take many precautions to prevent cross contamination. Even if they have allergy protocols written out somewhere, they may not be closely followed in practice. These are pizza chains that we would recommend to someone who eats gluten free as a preference, but is not sensitive to cross contamination.
Bad. Pizza chains that we rate as bad are pizza chains that do not offer gluten free pizzas or inconsistently offer gluten free pizzas. They may have gluten free offerings at some locations, but most of their locations do not. These are pizza chains that we would not recommend to anyone who maintains a gluten free diet.

Pizza chains by rating

Now that we have outlined the rating system that we will use for these pizza chains, we will take some time to discuss the gluten free offerings at each of these pizza chains. Note that these pizza chains are listed roughly in order of preference, with the pizza chains that have the best gluten free offerings appearing higher in the list.

Great gluten free pizza chains

We will start out by describing pizza chains that offer great options for gluten free diners. These are pizza chains that consistently take precautions to prevent cross contamination.

California Pizza Kitchen

California Pizza Kitchen is without a doubt one of the best options out there if you are looking for a pizza chain that offers safe gluten free options. They are one of the only restaurants that we have been to that carries items that are certified gluten free by the Gluten Intolerance Group. That means that the protocols they put in place to prevent cross contamination have been formally reviewed and approved by an outside group. California Pizza Kitchen is a nice sit down restaurant that pairs classic Italian-style pizza crusts with many innovative topping combinations.

Location. California Pizza Kitchen is a nationwide chain with locations across the United States.
Type of restaurant. California Pizza Kitchen is a sit down restaurant that generally has a variety of indoor and outdoor seating options. California Pizza Kitchen is a relatively nice spot. It is not excessively fancy, but it has a more formal atmosphere than the average pizza chain.
Type of pizza. California Pizza Kitchen serves California style pizzas. A California style pizza is basically a pizza with an Italian style crust that is piled high with many unique topping combinations. The topping combinations are inspired by the fresh produce and flavor combinations that are popular in California.
Allergen protocols. California Pizza Kitchen takes many precautions to ensure that their dishes are safe for those with gluten intolerances. Notably, they are one of the only chains that offers dishes that have been certified by the Gluten Intolerance Group. This certification means that they have strict protocols in place to help prevent cross contamination. For example, these pizzas are generally made in a separate food prep area with separate toppings. They are also made with ingredients that are sourced from suppliers that are careful to prevent cross contamination. California Pizza Kitchen also has allergen menus that provide information on which items are and are not gluten free.
Other dietary restrictions. California pizza kitchen has allergen guides available that provide information on which of their dishes contain common allergens. Specifically, their allergen guide labels dishes that contain nuts, soy, dairy, fish, eggs, and wheat. Items that contain wheat have a separate label from items that contain gluten (which may contain grains other than wheat). Some of their pizza offerings can be made gluten free when ordered without cheese, but most locations do not offer vegan cheese.

Mellow Mushroom

Mellow Mushroom is a casual sit down restaurant that is known for its colorful and whimsical decor. This is a socially conscious chain that uses recycled materials and has an array of plant-based offerings. Much like California Pizza Kitchen, Mellow Mushroom has also had their process certified by the Gluten Intolerance Group.

Location. Most Mellow Mushroom locations are located in the eastern half of the United States. That being said, they do have some locations in the western portion of the country. Specifically, they have a location or two in Colorado and Arizona.
Type of restaurant. Mellow Mushroom is a casual sit down restaurant. While Mellow Mushroom is a full service sit down restaurant, it also operates a large takeout business. It is much more common to get takeout from Mellow Mushroom than California Pizza Kitchen.
Type of pizza. Mellow Mushroom serves thin crust pizza that is made with some non-standard ingredients.
Allergen protocols. Some of Mellow Mushroom’s most popular pizzas can be made using a process that has been approved by the Gluten Intolerance Group. That means that these pizzas can be made with ingredients that have been verified by the suppliers to be free of gluten. It also means that precautions are taken in the kitchen to prevent cross contamination.
Other dietary restrictions. Mellow Mushroom is particularly well known for their vegan offerings, as they have a variety of vegan cheeses and vegan meat substitutes available.

Emmy squared

Emmy Squared is another pizza chain that is well known for its gluten free offerings. Emmy Squared serves Detroit style pizza. Their gluten free pizzas are also served Detroit style, which means that Emmy Squared has some really unique offerings for gluten free foodies. This is the perfect spot to go when you are tired of being limited to thin, Italian style crusts.

Location. Emmy Squared is primarily an East Coast chain and most of their locations are situated in the eastern portion of the United States. That being said, they do have a few locations in Southern California. Most of these locations are situated in the Los Angeles area.
Type of restaurant. Emmy Squared is a sit down restaurant. Much like California Pizza Kitchen, this is a nice restaurant that is more formal than the average pizza chain.
Type of pizza. Emmy Squared serves Detroit style pizza. For anyone who has not had Detroit style pizza, Detroit style pizza has a very thick crust that is crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The style of the crust makes the pizza at Emmy Squared very unique and very different from the traditional thin crusts that are offered at most pizza chains with gluten free options.
Allergen protocols. Emmy Squared has a standard set of allergen protocols that are followed when creating gluten free pizzas. Gluten free pizzas are cooked on separate trays that are only used for gluten free pizzas and cut with separate cutters that are only used for gluten free pizzas. Gloves are also changed when working with gluten free products.
Other dietary restrictions. Emmy Squared also has a comprehensive allergen matrix that can be used to determine which dishes contain common food allergens. Their allergen matrix labels items that contain common allergens such as soy, dairy, eggs, nuts, and fish. It also calls out items that contain less common allergens such as sesame, nightshades, citrus, and mushrooms. Emmy Squared also has vegan cheese available.

Flatbread Company

Flatbread Company is a regional chain that is located in the Northeastern portion of the United States. They serve thin flatbread-style pizzas that can be made with gluten free crusts upon request. They have one of the tastiest gluten free pizza crusts that we have had at any pizza chain.

Location. Flatbread Company has multiple locations that are scattered across New England. They also have a few stores that are located outside of the New England area in areas such as Hawaii and British Columbia.
Type of restaurant. Flatbread Company is a casual sit down restaurant.
Type of pizza. Flatbread Company serves thin flatbread-style pizzas. They have a unique crust that is different from most other gluten free pizza crusts we have had. Their pizzas are relatively light, so this is a good place to go when you are looking for something a little lighter.
Allergen protocols. Flatbread company takes multiple precautions to prevent cross contamination when making gluten free pizzas. Their gluten free pizzas are prepped in a separate kitchen space than regular pizzas. They also wrap gluten free pizzas in foil before cooking them to minimize the chances of cross contamination in the oven.
Other dietary restrictions. There are also vegan options available at flatbread company. All of their crusts are dairy free and most of their sauces are dairy free. Most locations have vegan cheeses available as well.

Good gluten free pizza chains

Next, we will talk about gluten free pizza chains that we rate as good. These are pizza chains that consistently offer gluten free pizza options, but only sometimes take appropriate measures to prevent cross contamination. For most of these chains, there are some locations that employ excellent allergen protocols and others that do not. If you have celiac disease or a severe gluten intolerance, you should look into the specific location you plan to visit before deciding to eat there.

Chuck E Cheese

Chuck E Cheese is an arcade, playground, and restaurant that is a popular spot for those with children. Most Chuck E Cheese locations stock gluten free pizzas that are made in a separate facility that only processes gluten free food. These pizzas can be cooked in the packaging they come in to further reduce the chance of cross contamination. That being said, things can get a little chaotic when there are many children running around and many parties to coordinate. That means that cross contamination can happen at locations that have more lax standards.

Location. Chuck E Cheese is a national chain with many locations across the country. They have locations in all corners of the United States.
Type of restaurant. Chuck E Cheese is an arcade and sit down restaurant. The restaurant is geared towards children and has all kinds of playgrounds and jungle gyms to keep children entertained.
Type of pizza. Chuck E Cheese serves thin crust pizza.
Allergen protocols. Most Chuck E Cheese locations have gluten free pizzas that are made in a dedicated gluten free facility then shipped to that location to be cooked. These pizzas come with packaging that they can be cooked in to further reduce the risk of cross contamination.
Other dietary restrictions. Chuck E Cheese has detailed allergen menus available that explain what ingredients are used in each of their dishes. They also have allergen matrices available that show which common food allergens are present in each dish.

Uno Pizzeria & Grill

Uno Pizzeria is a sit down restaurant that specializes in Chicago style deep dish pizza. This is another great place to go if you have had enough of thin crust pizza and you are looking for something a little different.

Location. Most Uno’s restaurants are located in the eastern portion of the United States. There are a limited number of locations that are further out west in states such as Colorado. That being said, the vast majority of their locations are in the eastern or central United States.
Type of restaurant. Uno’s is a sit down restaurant that is on the nicer side of casual. Most people who want to enjoy their pizza choose to dine-in.
Type of pizza. Uno’s is known for serving Chicago style deep dish. This is one of the most popular chain restaurants in the United States that specializes in deep dish pizza.
Allergen protocols. Uno’s has a gluten free menu that shows what can and cannot be made gluten free. Dedicated gluten free utensils are used when possible when preparing gluten free items. Precautions are taken to prevent cross contamination, but all pizzas are cooked in the same oven so there is always a chance of cross contamination. In general, some of their locations have better reputations than others.
Other dietary restrictions. There are also vegan options available at Uno’s. There is vegan cheese available for those who maintain a vegan diet.

Woodstock’s Pizza

Woodstock’s Pizza is a popular pizza chain that is located in California. This is a smaller chain with a few locations that are a few hours away from one another. The protocols that are followed at different Woodstock’s Pizza locations are not as standardized as those of larger chains. That means that the measures that are taken to prevent cross contamination can vary from location to location. If you are at a location with good allergen protocols, Woodstock’s Pizza has massive gluten free pizzas that are absolutely loaded with toppings.

Location. Woodstock’s Pizza is a regional pizza chain that is primarily located on the western coast of the United States. In particular, most of their restaurants are located in California. Many of them are located in small to medium sized college towns near large public universities.
Type of restaurant. Woodstock’s Pizza is a fast casual spot that does a lot of takeout. That being said, they also have a good amount of seating available in their stores.
Type of pizza. Woodstock’s Pizza sells thin crust pizza that is similar to Italian style pizza.
Allergen protocols. The allergen protocols that are used at Woodstock’s Pizza locations can vary from store to store. Some of their locations are careful about employing allergen protocols like using fresh toppings, washing prep areas, and changing gloves for gluten free pizzas. Most of their locations have allergen menus readily available where they provide information on exactly what ingredients are used to make their gluten free pizza dough and which toppings are gluten free.
Other dietary restrictions. Woodstock’s Pizza has vegan options available and most of their pizzas can be made with vegan cheese. They also label dishes that contain ingredients that are unpopular among certain health-conscious circles such as GMOs, nitrates, and MSG.

Okay gluten free pizza chains

Now, we will discuss some popular pizza chains that we rate as okay. As a reminder, these are pizza chains that offer gluten free pizza crusts, but do not take many precautions to prevent cross contamination. Many of these restaurants recommend that those with celiac disease or serious gluten intolerances do not eat their pizzas.

Blaze Pizza

Blaze Pizza is a fast casual pizza joint that has many locations across the United States. This is another spot where the adherence to allergen protocols can vary a lot across different locations. They follow some protocols to limit cross contamination, but there are some situations where cross contamination is difficult for them to avoid.

Location. Blaze Pizza is a national chain that has locations all throughout the United States.
Type of restaurant. Blaze Pizza is a fast casual spot that has both take out and dine-in options.
Type of pizza. Blaze Pizza offers multiple different types of crust, but most of their crusts are thin crusts that are reminiscent of Italian style crusts. They offer regular crusts, gluten free crusts, vegan crusts, and keto crusts, among other options.
Allergen protocols. Some locations take precautions such as using separate baking pans and pizza cutters for gluten free pizzas. Staff at these locations will also change their gloves before handling gluten free items. Other locations are not as good about sticking to allergen protocols. Most locations use a shared piece of equipment to flatten the pizza crust, so the chances of cross contamination are relatively high. They make note of this on their website.
Other dietary restrictions. Blaze Pizza also provides information on which items contain common allergens like eggs, dairy, fish, nuts, and soy. Their allergen tools also provide information on which items contain animal products. They have vegan cheese available.

Dominos

Domino’s is a casual fast food restaurant that does a large portion of its business via takeout and delivery. While Domino’s does offer a gluten free crust, there is a high risk of cross contamination in their kitchens. Domino’s does not recommend that customers with celiac disease or severe sensitivities eat their gluten free pizza.

Location. Domino’s is a nationwide chain that has locations across the country. They also have many locations in international markets.
Type of restaurant. Domino’s is a casual fast food restaurant. Most people order takeout or delivery from Domino’s, but they usually do have some seating in their stores for those who want to dine in.
Type of pizza. Domino’s serves thin crust Italian style pizza.
Allergen protocols. Domino’s does not take as many precautions to prevent cross contamination as some of the other restaurants we have discussed in this article. The one good thing about Domino’s is that they toss their pizzas in corn flour rather than wheat flour. That means that there is not as much wheat flour coating the countertops.
Other dietary restrictions. Domino’s has an allergen matrix that provides information on what common allergens are in each of their dishes. Their allergen matrix labels dishes that contain allergens like milk, eggs, nuts, wheat, fish, and soy. Domino’s does not have many vegan options available and most locations do not carry vegan cheese.

Little Caesars

Little Caesars is another casual fast food chain that has large takeout and delivery businesses. Little Caesars is another place that offers a gluten free crust, but is transparent about the fact that there is a lot of cross contamination in their kitchen.

Location. Little Caesars is a nationwide chain that has stores in all 50 states in the United States. They also have many international locations.
Type of restaurant. Little Caesars is a casual fast food restaurant.
Type of pizza. Little Caesars primarily serves thin crust pizza, though some of their locations also offer Detroit style pizza. Their gluten free crusts are all thin crusts.
Allergen protocols. Little Caesars does not take as many precautions to prevent cross contamination as some of the other restaurants that we have described in this article. For this reason, they do not recommend that people who are sensitive to cross contamination eat their pizzas.
Other dietary restrictions. Little Caesars has a nutritional information handout that labels items that contain common allergens like eggs, dairy, wheat, and soy. Little Caesars does not offer vegan cheese and has limited offerings for vegans.

Papa John’s

Papa John’s is another casual takeout chain that has locations across the United States. Like most of the other casual fast food restaurants we have discussed in this article, they do not take many precautions to prevent cross contamination in their kitchen. That means that while they offer gluten free pizza crusts, their gluten free pizzas are generally not safe for those with celiac disease or a severe gluten intolerance.

Location. Papa John’s is a national chain that has locations all across the United States. They also have locations in other countries around the world.
Type of restaurant. Papa John’s is a casual fast food chain.
Type of pizza. Papa John’s primarily sells thin crust pizzas.
Allergen protocols. Papa John’s does not take as many precautions to prevent cross contamination as some of the other restaurants we have discussed in this article. They do not recommend that those who are sensitive to cross contamination eat their pizzas.
Other dietary restrictions. Papa John’s has an allergen matrix that labels items that contain common allergens. Specifically, they label items that contain nuts, egg, fish, soy, wheat, and sesame. Papa John’s does not offer vegan cheese and their vegan options are limited at most locations.

Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut is another national chain that is known for takeout and delivery. Like most of the other fast food chains we will discuss in this article, there is a lot of potential for cross contamination in their kitchens. They only offer gluten free crusts at some of their locations, so make sure to check whether the location near you offers gluten free crusts.

Location. Pizza Hut has many locations across the country, and even some locations in other countries.
Type of restaurant. Pizza Hut is a fast food restaurant that primarily serves takeout and delivery. That being said, some of their locations do have seating options available. In the past, there were some pizza hut locations that operated as dine-in restaurants. Most of these locations have been closed or converted.
Type of pizza. Pizza Hut primarily serves thin crust pizzas.
Allergen protocols. Pizza Hut does not take as many precautions to prevent cross contamination as some of the other restaurants mentioned in this article. They do not recommend that those with celiac disease eat their pizzas.
Other dietary restrictions. Pizza Hut offers allergen guides that can be used to identify items that contain common allergens like eggs, nuts, wheat, soy, sesame, and fish. Pizza Hut has experimented with offering vegan options like vegan meat substitutes and vegan cheese in the past, but they currently do not have these options available at all of their stores.

Round Table Pizza

Round Table Pizza is a large chain that is popular in the western portion of the United States. While they do a great job of identifying all types of allergens that might be present in their pizzas, they do not employ strong protocols to prevent cross contamination when they are making gluten free pizzas. They only have gluten free crusts available at some of their stores.

Location. Round Table Pizza is a chain restaurant that has most of its locations in the western portion of the United States. Many of their locations are in California, but they also have spots in other states like Washington and Nevada.
Type of restaurant. Round Table Pizza is a fast food chain that offers both carry out and dine-in options. They generally have more seating and encourage dine-in more than some of the other fast food chains we discuss in this article.
Type of pizza. Round Table Pizza primarily serves thin crust pizza.
Allergen protocols. Round Table Pizza does not employ strong allergen protocols to prevent cross contamination, especially when compared to some of the other restaurants mentioned in this article. They caution customers with severe gluten sensitivities against eating their pizzas
Other dietary restrictions. Round Table Pizza provides an allergen matrix that labels items that contain common allergens like nut, fish, wheat, egg, and soy. They also provide information on less common allergens like celery, seeds, mustard, and sulfites. Round table does not offer vegan cheese, so vegan options are limited.

Bad gluten free pizza chains

Finally, we will talk about some gluten free pizza chains that we rated as bad. As a reminder, these are pizza chains that do not offer gluten free pizza crusts at all.

Sbarro

Sbarro is one of the only pizza chains that does not offer any options in terms of gluten free pizza crusts. They may have a few locations where they test out gluten free options from time to time, but this is the exception and not the rule.

Location. Sbarro has hundreds of locations that are scattered across the United States. They tend to have more locations o the east coast, but they do have a fair number of west coast locations as well.
Type of restaurant. Sbarro is a fast food restaurant that primarily serves takeout. That being said, most locations do have at least a few tables for those who would like to dine in.
Type of pizza. Sbarro serves thin crust Italian style pizza.
Allergen protocols. Sbarro does not carry gluten free pizzas at most of their locations.
Other dietary restrictions. Sbarro has an allergen guide that labels items that contain common allergens like soy, dairy, eggs, and wheat.