Marinated, hand-breaded, and fried till perfectly crispy, the Golden Tenders are Golden Chick’s specialty. They’re used inside many sandwiches, salads, and combos that Golden Chick offers.
But does Golden Chick offer anything gluten-free?
Unfortunately, none of Golden Chick’s fried chicken products is gluten-free since they bread those pieces. The roasted chicken might be gluten-free but confirm with the server before ordering them.
So, what else can you order at Golden Chick, if not chicken? Before we discuss that, here is a word of caution. Most of the food items at Golden Chick contain wheat, so the possibility of cross-contamination is high.
If you’ve celiac or high gluten intolerance, avoid ordering food from Golden Chick. But if you avoid gluten as a dietary preference, here are some tips and gluten-free options to order at Golden Chick.
Golden Chick’s Gluten-free menu items
Golden Chick’s main menu has items such as yeast rolls, fries, fried catfish, chicken sandwiches, chicken salads, and fried chicken. Apart from this, they have side items like mac & cheese, some extras like corn nuggets, and cold beverages.
They also offer combo meals. It comes with fried or roasted chicken, side items of your choice, yeast rolls, and a 30 Oz. drink. Similarly, they’ve family meals and party packs.
Golden Chick doesn’t have a gluten-free menu. But there is an allergen chart on their website which shows items without wheat. Here’s the complete list of gluten-free items on Golden Chick’s menu.
Sides
#1. Coleslaw
Golden Chick’s coleslaw consists of shredded cabbage, carrot, and mayonnaise.
Nutrition Facts
A single serving or a 4 Oz bowl of Golden Chick’s Coleslaw contains:
- Calories: 134 kcal
- Fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 12.4 g
- Protein: 0.9 g
#2. Dirty Rice
Golden chick’s dirty rice that contains ground chicken, white rice, and spices is a crowd favorite.
Nutrition Facts
A single serving or a 4 Oz bowl of Golden Chick’s dirty rice contains:
- Calories: 200 kcal
- Fat: 12.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 15.2 g
- Protein: 5.3 g
#3. Mashed Potatoes
Golden Chick’s creamy mashed potatoes have butter, cream, salt, and pepper.
Nutrition Facts
‘A single serving or a 4.5 Oz bowl of Golden Chick’s mashed potatoes contains:
- Calories: 79 kcal
- Fat: 1.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 15.7 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
FIND MORE: 14 BEST Gluten Free Bakeries in Austin, TX
#4. Green Beans
Golden Chick uses fresh green beans that have pieces of bacon and simple spices added to them.
Nutrition Facts
A single serving or a 3.5 oz bowl of Golden Chick’s green beans contains:
- Calories: 47 kcal
- Fat: 0.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.5 g
- Protein: 2.2 g
#5. Lettuce Salad/ fresh salad
Golden Chick’s Lettuce salad contains fresh lettuce leaves, cherry tomatoes, carrots, and broccoli.
Nutrition Facts
A single serving of the Golden Chick’s lettuce salad contains:
- Calories: 81 kcal
- Fat: 4.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 5.9 g
- Protein: 5 g
Salads
#6. Garden Salad
Golden Chick’s Garden salad contains fresh lettuce, ripe cherry tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, and cheese. It comes in two sizes: main and side.
Nutrition Facts
A single serving of Golden Chick’s entree garden salad contains:
- Calories: 165 kcal
- Fat: 9.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 12.3 g
- Protein: 10.2 g
Other items
- Corn on the cob
- Fruit salad
Dressings
- Honey Mustard
- Fat-Free Italian
- Ranch Dressing
- Thousand Island
Drinks
- Iced Tea
- Raspberry Lemonade
- Fountain Drinks, except Beer.
RECOMMENDED: Gluten-Free Options at California Pizza Kitchen
Tips for ordering gluten-free at Golden Chick
Don’t order food online.
Ordering food online when you have a gluten allergy can be risky. It’s because the staff may neglect safety precautions while preparing your food.
When you’re around, you can see whether or not they’ve changed their gloves, cleaned the prep area, or used clean utensils.
You can also watch that they don’t accidentally add gluten items to your order. All of this won’t be possible with online orders. And you should also avoid drive-throughs for the same reasons.
Inform the server about your food allergy.
Ordering only from the list of gluten-free items is not enough. While placing your order, tell the staff that you have a gluten allergy, too. This way, they’ll take the necessary precautions while preparing your food.
Consult the Manager.
When you notice that the staff is acting clueless about your allergy, call the manager. The Mangers have better knowledge about how their restaurants function. So, they’ll give you better suggestions.
Sometimes, restaurants don’t have prior options for your needs, but when you talk with the manager, they try to understand your needs and make arrangements for you.
Guide them if they don’t know about gluten allergy.
Staff at some locations may not be aware of the term gluten allergy. So, guide them on how to prepare your food without cross-contamination. Ask them to clean the prep area, wear clean pair of gloves, use clean utensils, etc.
But do this only when you’re starving. Otherwise, choose a restaurant where the staff has some knowledge about gluten-allergy.
Ask them to repeat your order.
When the staff has taken your order, ask them to read everything to you. This way, you’ll know whether they’ve noted the gluten-free part or not.
Don’t order fried items.
All the fried items on Golden Chick’s menu are breaded and fried in the same oil, even the fries. So without a doubt, they’re not good for you.
Cross-contamination risk at Golden Chick
Golden Chick is not a dedicated gluten-free facility. A lot of Golden Chick’s food items contain wheat, such as all its chicken products, sandwiches, and even fries. They also use a shared cooking & prep space, equipment, and utensils.
So, even food items without gluten may come in contact with items with gluten. In addition, Golden Chick’s staff may not follow allergy protocols or have the training to prevent cross-contamination.
Therefore, you should be extra careful when ordering food from Golden Chick on a gluten-free diet.
What do people say about the gluten-free options at Golden Chick?
Surprisingly, there aren’t many online reviews about Golden Chick’s gluten-free options. It shows that this place is not that popular among the gluten-free community. And for obvious reasons.
A reviewer with celiac said, “ the staff is a hit or a miss in knowledge about allergies, but the manager is helpful.” You’ve to keep an eye on them while they prepare your order so that they don’t put a roll into your box.
Here’s what people with celiac and non-celiac gluten sensitivity ordered at Golden Chick without getting sick:
- Roasted Chicken
- Coleslaw, and
- Green Beans.
Gluten-free alternatives to Golden Chick
Hey! Golden Chick might not have Gluten-free options for you, but these fast food restaurants do! Check em’ out.
Five Guys
Five Guys is a fast-casual restaurant chain. It sells food items such as burgers, hotdogs, sandwiches, fries, and milkshakes.
Five Guys doesn’t have a dedicated gluten-free menu, but their main menu has quite a few gluten-free options. Here, you can order a variety of burgers wrapped in lettuce or inside a bowl, fries, and milkshakes.
Five guys handle allergies very well. They use a separate fryer for their fries.
And if you tell the staff that you have a gluten allergy, they’ll follow their allergy protocols and change their gloves, clean the prep area, take veggies from a different container, etc.
Wendy’s
Wendy’s knows what it’s doing when it comes to burgers. They offer a variety of burgers, sandwiches, salads, fries, and hot & cold beverages on their menu.
Wendy’s doesn’t provide a gluten-free menu, but you’ll find many gluten-free options on their main menu.
You can order their burgers without a bun, fries, salads (without croutons), frosty, chili, baked potatoes, etc. Some Wendy’s use a separate fryer for the fries but confirm with the staff each time.
The staff at Wendy’s are very accommodating to people with gluten allergies. Tell them you are allergic to gluten, and they’ll wipe the grill, change gloves, and use clean utensils while making your order.
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A has an extensive menu with items ranging from a variety of chicken burgers, fries, chicken nuggets, and salads to biscuit sandwiches and milkshakes.
They also have plenty of gluten-free options. You can order their grilled chicken burgers on a gluten-free bun or wrapped in lettuce. Their fries, grilled chicken nuggets, salads (without chicken), and milkshakes are also gluten-free.
Chick-fil-A’s staff are well trained about allergies and follow allergy protocol. Flag your order for gluten allergy, and they will change gloves and clean the cooking area and equipment before making your order.
Chipotle
Chipotle is a Mexican fast-casual restaurant that sells items like burritos, quesadillas, tacos, nachos, bowls, and salads. Chipotle doesn’t have a gluten-free menu.
Instead, they have an allergen chart on their website with a list of gluten-free Ingredients.
On that list, except flour tortillas, everything is gluten-free. So, you can order items such as custom tortilla bowls, salads, tacos on corn tortillas, chips, etc.
The only issue here is cross-contamination. But the staff at chipotle is knowledgeable about allergies. So, if you tell them that you’re allergic to gluten, they will take the necessary steps to prevent cross-contamination.
In-N-Out Burger
In-N-Out Burger is a fast-food restaurant chain located in the southwest. As the name suggests, they specialize in burgers. They offer cheeseburgers of up to four layers, hamburgers, fries, shakes, and cold drinks.
In-N-Out burger doesn’t have a dedicated gluten-free menu. However, the burgers are gluten-free if you order them wrapped in lettuce. Their fries, shakes, and beverages are also gluten-free.
Cross-contamination can be an issue here. However, the staff at In-N-Out burger are knowledgeable and well-trained to handle allergies.
When asking for the lettuce-wrapped burger, tell them you’re allergic to gluten. Then, the staff will follow the allergy protocol to prevent any cross-contamination.
Boston Market
Boston Market is a casual-dining restaurant chain that mainly sells rotisserie chicken meals. On their menu, they’ve entrees, sides, soups, salads, sandwiches, desserts, drinks, etc.
Boston Market also has a gluten-free menu. Most of the chicken products on their menu are guaranteed gluten-free, and their white gravy is also gluten-free. However, their sandwiches, soups, and desserts are not gluten-free.
While placing your order, remember to tell the staff not to add cornbread into your box that they put by default. Boston market is very conscious of gluten allergies.
Their staff is knowledgeable and well-trained to handle cross-contamination.
Zoe’s Kitchen
Zoe’s Kitchen serves Mediterranean cuisine such as falafel, kabob, pitas, sandwiches, salads, etc. They don’t have a dedicated gluten-free menu. However, on their main menu, gluten-free items are marked.
At Zoe’s, you can order kabobs, soups, salads (without pita), and plenty of side items on a gluten-free diet. However, there is always a chance of cross-contamination.
The staff at some locations may be more knowledgeable and cooperative than others. So, If you doubt that they know about allergies, call the Manager. The Manager will be able to make proper arrangements for you.