Uno Chicago Grill gluten free pizza
On March 21, Uno Chicago Grill in Bethesda, Maryland, donated 21 gluten free pizzas to the Washington Area Celiac Sprue Support Group (WACSSG) meeting. When the arrival of the pizzas was announced, everyone rushed to try the pepperoni or cheese pizza, the only two gluten free varieties available. Uno started offering gluten free pizza nationally at their over 200 locations in January 2009, after successfully test marketing it in the Northeast. The certified gluten free crust is premade by French Meadow Bakery, and Uno Chicago Grill takes every caution to prevent cross contamination. Their gluten free menu includes chicken, ribs, and burgers.
The crust is thin, soft, and bendable. The cheese, sauce, and seasonings taste like regular pizza. The pepperoni pizza was very flavorful, despite only a few pepperonis on each slice. It was messy and a little greasy, in a good real pizza way. I think it was too heavily seasoned with crushed red pepper, but that just might be the extra seasonings someone shaked on at the end before delivering. I have read other reviews that said the cheese pizza was too bland.
The slices are much smaller than a regular pizza, and one 10.5 inch pie has six slices. According to the nutritional information on the website, a serving is two slices. I had two slices, which was not at all filling. It was basically a light snack. If you are planning on eating the whole pizza and would like to know the nutritional information, it is available on the website.
I have read reviews by other gluten free bloggers who were disappointed with the crust and some referred to it as a cracker. It is definitely thicker than a cracker, not crunchy like a cracker, and does not taste like a cracker. However, I do not believe that someone who can eat gluten would be happy eating this pizza because of the crust, unless they like a very thin crust. For people like myself with celiac disease, this pizza is a wonderful option and a joyous gluten free milestone.
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I heard someone at the meeting say in a surprised way, “This actually tastes good.” Here are quotes from three people who tried the pizza at the meeting.
“I loved it! It tasted just like real pizza. I am so excited about it.”
“The crust was thin and the edge was crispy. The flavor of the sauce was fair. Overall I'd say it was edible but not great.”
“The pizza was excellent, and has been a great help in feeding my son at parties. The only thing I would change is that there is a bit too much oregano on top of the cheese.”
In order to prevent cross contamination, Uno Chicago Grill cannot add other toppings to the pizza. Lilit Café in Bethesda, Maryland has 12 inch gluten free pizzas available with the following toppings: pepperoni, chicken, and veggie. Zpizza also offers gluten free pizza with a variety of toppings.
I have heard about some people having reactions to the gluten free Zpizza, so be sure to contact Zpizza using their online form to obtain the gluten free toppings list before going and talk with other celiacs in your area to see if anyone has had a positive or negative experience at the location you wish to try. If you are looking for a gluten free pizza with a thicker crust, try making your own crust or adding toppings to the Whole Foods gluten free bakehouse crust.
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Comments
The crust needs to be crunchier, or just cooked longer. It is too soft and pliable. Fix that, and I think you've got a hit.
Cool, I think. I owned a pizza restaurant for 6 years (before being diagnosed!) and I cannot believe that a pizza restaurant can really prevent cross contamination. Flour in the kitchen literally flies *everywhere* all the time and is in every noook and cranny pretty much forever. Not to mention oven residue, pans, hands, utensils, serving counters, server hands and trays, airborne flour glutnium from throwing pizzas around, etc. Keeping one pizza gluten free in a pizza kitchen would be kind of like keeping a submarine dry at the bottom of the ocean. I would love to know more about how they will prevent cross contamination. I will write them and post whatever I find.
Thanks,
Tom
I know there are separate pans at Uno and it is prepared in the back of the kitchen. The crust actually comes premade on its own pan. I too was wondering about cross contamination, am extremely cautious, and only eat in a handful of restaurants. I do feel confident now in eating it at least at the Bethesda, MD location after hearing so many positive experiences of large groups of celiacs eating it, including myself. The gluten free menu isn't new at Uno, only the pizza, so at least they have experience in gluten free!
DC Gluten Free Examiner
I have a friend with celiac and she's often downhearted that there's so little she can eat. She'll be thrilled to know about Uno's.
Natalie, Organic Food Examiner
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