Are you someone who can’t consume gluten? Are you taking gluten off your diet but finding it hard to locate french cafes that accommodate your dietary needs?
This article will look at everything you need to know about eating and drinking gluten-free at La Madeline Country French Cafe. Do they provide enough gluten-free options? Let’s find out.
La Madeline provides lots of gluten-free options. They have a dedicated gluten-free menu, so you don’t have to make all the selections yourself. Don’t worry a lot, but remember to stay away from anything you’re not sure of.
If you have extreme gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, it’s best to avoid La Madeline though. Because it is a bakery, there’s always a risk of cross-contamination despite the most rigorous measures.
Let us fill you in on everything good at La Madeline. What they serve, potential gluten-free choices and which menu items are listed as gluten-free, and what their customers are saying.
Keep reading to learn more about all you can eat at La Madeline on a gluten-free diet.
La Madeline Gluten-Free Options
Patrick Esquerré, a businessman born and raised in the Loire Valley, established La Madeleine Country French Café in February 1983.
His mother, Monique Esquerré, opened his first bakery on Mockingbird Lane in Dallas, Texas, close to Southern Methodist University, with the assistance and counsel of renowned retail tycoon Stanley Marcus, of Neiman Marcus fame. Shortly after, the bakery turned into a café.
Esquerré quit in 1998, and four investment firms purchased La Madeleine.
The business was once more sold in 2001 for an unknown sum to Groupe Le Duff, a French restaurant chain owned by Louis Le Duff, and co-buyers Lapointe Rosenstein and Cadigan Investment Partners.
Due to rising wheat prices, the company made headlines in 2008 when it ended the free side of bread after 20 years and began charging 49 cents.
Additionally, the restaurants only provided sourdough bread with the entrées, soups, and salads that customers purchased.
However, three days later, La Madeleine apparently received “a couple of hundred responses…mostly complaints,” and as a result, the discontinuation was reversed with the advice to consumers not to throw away the meal.
Every meal, including breakfast, lunch, and supper, is provided cafeteria-style. The structures are made to look like the eateries that dot the French countryside.
The restaurants are renowned for keeping a fire going in the winter, and farm tools and impressionist paintings display on the walls.
However, a contemporary ordering station system replaced the cafeteria style in March 2010 at the Preston Rd/Forest Ln site in Dallas.
Gluten-free options at La Madeline include:
Breakfast
- Fresh Fruit Salade Bowl
- Fresh Fruit Salade Cup
- Granola With Strawberries
- Oatmeal Bowl
- Oatmeal Cup
- Potato Galette
- Two Eggs Any Style
- and Yogurt Parfait
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Breakfast Egg Options
- Eggs and Egg Whites
Breakfast Meat Options
- Side of Bacon
- Side of Sausage
Oatmeal Toppings – Bowl
- Almonds (Oatmeal Bowl Toppings)
- Blueberries (Oatmeal Bowl Toppings)
- Brown Sugar (Oatmeal Bowl Toppings)
- Pecans (Oatmeal Bowl Toppings)
- Raisins (Oatmeal Bowl Toppings)
- Strawberries (Oatmeal Bowl Toppings)
Oatmeal Toppings – Cup
- Almonds (Oatmeal Cup Toppings)
- Blueberries (Oatmeal Cup Toppings)
- Brown Sugar (Oatmeal Cup Toppings)
- Pecans (Oatmeal Cup Toppings)
- Raisins (Oatmeal Cup Toppings),
- Strawberries (Oatmeal Cup Toppings)
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Salade Sampler
- Fresh Lentil and Kale Cup
- Fresh Fruit Salade Cup
- Mediterranean Kale & Quinoa Salade – Cup
- Petite Cranberry & Pecan Wild Field Salade
- Petite Strawberry & Bacon Spinach Salade
- Strawberries Romane Cup
- Tomato Basil Cup
Entree Salades
- Cranberry & Pecan Wild Field
- Mediterranean Kale & Quinoa
- Strawberry & Bacon Spinach
Salade Add – ons
- Side of Chicken
- Side of Shrimp
- Side of Salmon
Homemade Soups
- French Lentil & Kale Bowl
- French Lentil & Kale Cup
- French Lentil & Kale Large
- Tomato Basil Bowl
- Tomato Basil Cup
- Tomato Basil Large
Cafe Sampler
- French Lentil & Kale Cup
- Mediterranean Kale & Quinoa Salade – Cup
- Petite Cranberry & Pecan Wild Field Salade
- Petite Strawberry & Bacon Spinach Salade
- Tomato Basil Cup
Sandwich Sides
- French Lentil & Kale Cup
- Fresh Fruit Salade Cup
- Salt & Pepper Chips
- Tomato Basil Cup
Children’s Menu
- Blueberries (Oatmeal Cup Toppings)
- Children’s Oatmeal
- Raisins (Oatmeal Cup Toppings and Strawberries (Oatmeal Cup Toppings)
Children’s Sides
- Fresh Fruit Salade Cup
A La Carte
- Fresh Fruit Salade Bowl
- Fresh Fruit Salade Cup
- Green Beans Almondine
- Grilled Entree Chicken
- Potato Galette
- Red-Skinned Mashed Potatoes
- Salmon Fillet
- Salt & Pepper Chips
- Side of Bacon
- Side of Sausage
- Steamed Broccoli
- Strawberries Romanoff Bowl
- Strawberries Romanoff Cup
Coffee and Tea
- American Roast
- Decaf French Roast
- Double Café Americano
- Double Café Latte
- Double Café Mocha
- Double Cappuccino
- Double Caramel Macchiato
- Double Espresso
- Double Hot Chocolate
- French Roast
- Hot Tea
- Iced Coffee
- Iced Te
- Mango Iced Tea
- Single Café Americano
- Single Café Latte
- Single Café Mocha
- Single Cappuccino
- Single Caramel Macchiato
- Single Espresso
- Single Hot Chocolate
Tips For a Gluten-Free Meal at La Madeline
There are further steps you should take on your own end especially if you have extreme gluten sensitivity to ensure that you don’t consume anything that contains gluten.
Inform your server of your dietary needs
You must let them know if you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance. They must be aware that even a small amount of gluten will leave you really unwell.
This would encourage them to take further safety measures to further avoid cross-contamination.
Avoid the pastry, pasta and bakery menu
The pastries, pasta and baked goods in La Madeline are not listed as gluten free. In fact, they are marked as a non-option for people with celiac. You must make it clear to your server that you can’t consume gluten menus. Consume what is safe for you to eat.
Avoid it if you have any doubts
If you have any reservations about any ingredient or dish on the menu, it is preferable to just order something else. A key component of preserving health is learning to compromise.
No dish is worth the suffering that follows from ingesting gluten when you have Celiac disease or severe gluten sensitivity.
Be prepared to discuss your dietary limits with others
It is typical for people to order shared meals when dining at La Madeline with coworkers, relatives, or friends. If they are unaware of your dietary requirements, don’t be afraid to let them know.
Tell them that in order to prevent getting sick, you must keep your food away from theirs.
Avoid placing hurried orders
The waiters and staff frequently work in a rush to take orders and deliver meals. As a result, they can mix up orders or put the wrong things in yours.
If you inform them that you have special medical needs and that they should take their time with your order, they could delicately prepare your gluten-free meal.
Cross Contamination Risk
Gluten cross-contamination at La Madeline can occur in a number of ways.
First, if La Madeline uses shared cooking equipment to prepare both gluten-containing and gluten-free items, there is a risk that gluten-containing items will come into contact with gluten-free items.
This can happen if, for example, a gluten-free item is cooked in the oven that has not been properly cleaned after cooking a gluten-containing item.
Second, suppose La Madeline uses shared utensils to prepare both gluten-containing and gluten-free items. In that case, there is a risk that gluten-containing items will come into contact with gluten-free items.
This can happen if, for example, a gluten-containing item is prepared with a knife that has not been properly cleaned after being used to prepare a gluten-free item.
Also, suppose La Madeline uses shared food storage containers to store both gluten-containing and gluten-free items. In that case, there is a risk that gluten-containing items will come into contact with gluten-free items.
This can happen if, for example, a gluten-containing item is stored in a container that has not been properly cleaned after being used to store a gluten-free item.
Finally, if food items that contain gluten are not properly labeled or separated from other food items, cross-contamination can occur.
For example, if a pastry that contains gluten is placed on the same countertop as an item that is gluten-free, the item can become contaminated with gluten.
What People Are Saying
We have sourced some public views of gluten-free options at Giordano’s from all over the internet along with some personal interviews.
“The staff was friendly and accommodating, but their list of allergens, which included gluten-free options, was incomplete. They have a little selection for a build-your-own choice with a side of fruit, but the tomato soup was marked as GF so I bought that with no issues.
I also requested a salad cooked in a clean bowl with lettuce, strawberries, dried cranberries, and tomatoes. I’d love to see them include a gluten-free alternative as bread is their mainstay and is provided free of charge with all meals.”
“I adore this location, but eating here requires extreme caution. The salads can be prepared without croutons in a clean bowl. Strawberry Romanovs and tomato soup have never given me any trouble.
Due to the possibility of cross-contamination, I stay away from anything cooked on the flat top, but I’d really like to know if the potato galette is something I could consume right now.
Before we discovered what was wrong with my gut a few years ago, I used to adore it. Excellent cuisine overall, but use caution and good judgment while choosing.”
“They indicate Gluten-free foods on their menu, but they don’t have much experience with Gluten free. I chose the fish with mashed potatoes and green beans with a balsamic glaze.
They delivered my food with a sizable piece of French bread laying across everything, despite having previously informed me that they would have to remove the glaze because it is not gluten-free.
I’ve looked, but I can’t locate a commercial or recipe for a gluten-free balsamic glaze. They don’t even try to familiarize themselves with the ingredients; they simply remove the sauces as a precaution.”
“They have so few gluten-free products. For breakfast, they get oatmeal and fruit. They don’t specify their eggs as GF, and they are a pre-made mixture.
I persuaded them to break an egg. It’s presumably on the same grill as the toast, I realized.”
Gluten Free Alternatives to La Madeline
If you want to try other gluten-free French cafe spots, there are some options to choose from.
French Meadow Bakery & Cafe
French Meadow Bakery & Cafe offers a gluten-free menu. This menu includes a variety of delicious items such as sandwiches, salads, soups, and more.
All of the items on the gluten-free menu are made with fresh, gluten-free ingredients and are clearly labeled.
Whether you’re looking for a quick snack or a full meal, you’re sure to find something on the gluten-free menu at French Meadow Bakery & Cafe that satisfies your hunger.
The Classic Cup Cafe
The Classic Cup Cafe offers a gluten-free menu. This menu includes a variety of breakfast, lunch, and dinner items that are all free of gluten.
Some of the breakfast items you’ll find on the gluten-free menu include pancakes, waffles, eggs, bacon, and sausage. For lunch and dinner, there are a variety of sandwiches, burgers, salads, pizzas, and pastas to choose from.
And, of course, no meal is complete without dessert! The gluten-free menu at The Classic Cup Cafe features a variety of cookies, cakes, and ice cream.