Exploring a local food scene is one of the best ways to enjoy a new city or town. Not only do you get to try new foods, but you get to experience the sights and sounds of wherever you are. That being said, if you have a gluten allergy or intolerance, it can be a lot harder to enjoy these local eats. You end up frantically trying to find the menus of local restaurants, searching endlessly to find gluten-friendly alternatives, and it’s a lot harder than it sounds. However, as someone with this allergy who also grew up on the north shore of Lake Superior, I know the Thunder Bay area has many incredible restaurants that offer these gluten-friendly options. So, to help you out, I’ve compiled a list of local restaurants that make up a gluten-free Thunder Bay.
In the immediate area of Thunder Bay, since it is a city, many restaurants offer a ton of gluten-free options. For starters, many chain restaurants in Thunder Bay will have gluten-friendly alternatives in their menu. However, if you’re looking to eat local, here are a few incredible options for you to choose from!
If you’re in the mood for a homemade pizza, Both Hands is the place for you! With their many topping choices for a build-your-own masterpiece or creative topping formulas from the chefs of Both Hands, anything you choose will be an unforgettable chow-down. The best part? If you eat gluten-free, especially if you have an allergy, Both Hands takes extraordinary precautions to ensure the most delicious experience possible. Of course, they have a tasty gluten-free pizza dough, but they also use separate gluten-free trays for both making the pizza and to put in the wood-fired oven to ensure no cross-contamination happens in the process!
If we’ve got any brunch fans, look no further than Roosters. With creative brunch sandwiches and poutines on the menu, they also have your favourite good old bacon and eggs in many variations. Each meal has gluten-free options for waffles, pancakes, toast, and more. Either way, whatever you choose will be so delicious you won’t even be able to tell it's gluten-free!
Next on the Gluten-free Thunder Bay list is the township of Nipigon, just east of the city. Though Nipigon is smaller than Thunder Bay, don’t let that fool you. The local restaurants are wonderful at ensuring gluten-friendly options on their menus. Here are a few:
With a menu full of your favourite diner foods such as burgers and fried chicken, Ducky’s Diner takes these classics and creatively turns them into a meal you will not soon forget. The coolest part of Ducky’s Diner is that they have gluten-friendly options, like gluten-free flour for their famous fried chicken, for example, which they fry in a gluten-free fryer. This means gluten-friendly people can enjoy fried chicken and fries free of cross-contamination. They also have GF buns for those craving a tasty burger.
Located in Nipigon’s community centre and arena is the small but mighty restaurant FryWay 11. This little gem has all your classics, of course, and they also make sure to have gluten-friendly customers in mind. With a gluten-free frier for those crispy fries, they also have GF gravy, burgers, and taco in a bag!
Further into the Thunder Bay region, you’ll find two beautiful communities: Schreiber and Terrace Bay. Some locals run delicious places to eat here with amazing gluten-free options. Here are a few:
If you’re in the mood for some delicious Italian cooking, Rosie and Josie’s is where you want to go while in Schreiber. Firstly, it has all the pasta you could dream of, from classic spaghetti and meatballs to fettuccine alfredo. Not only that, but they also have an extensive list of pizzas you can choose from and even a build-your-own option! All of these menu items have gluten-free options available, with GF pasta and cauliflower crust for your pizza, you can enjoy it all.
Much like Rosie and Josie’s, Drifters in Terrace Bay also has delicious Italian food. From pasta to pizza, the flavour of their food is incredible, and they offer all gluten-friendly options! Not only do they have GF pasta and pizza crust, but for their classics like burgers, sandwiches, or wraps, they also provide gluten-friendly alternatives for all! Their menu is extensive regarding labelling gluten-free, so all GF customers have nothing to worry about and can enjoy their food with ease.
As someone with a food allergy who loves to indulge in the local culinary scene, these establishments all offer a delicious way to enjoy my favourite foods safely. I hope you love these restaurants as much as I do! Bon Appetit!
For more gluten-free restaurants in the Thunder Bay area, here are a few more to check out. Call ahead or ask a friendly staff member for more information about their gluten-free offerings.
