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Jimmy John’s Gluten-Free – Everything You Need To Know

Let’s take a closer look at some of Jimmy John’s gluten-free options and see if one of America’s most iconic sandwich chains is safe for celiacs.

Navigating fast-food chains as a celiac can often feel like walking through a culinary minefield, but don’t worry, I’ve got your back!

This time around, after exploring some of the more popular and well-known fast food chains in the US of A, let’s take a closer look at one of the more underrated ones, Jimmy John’s, and whether or not they have gluten-free options.

After three decades of living gluten-free, I’ve learned to dissect menus like a pro, but admittedly, even for me, Jimmy John’s offerings can be pretty hard to swallow –pun intended! – once you separate the safe bets from the gluten grenades!

Spoiler alert: You’ll be eyeing those lettuce wraps, but even these can be a bit risky for anyone suffering from celiac disease! 🥪🥬

In short, the only safe gluten-free options at Jimmy John’s include some of their sides and extras, such as their chips, as well as canned soft drinks and bottled water.

So, without further ado, let’s break down their menu to see just how much of it isn’t gluten-free.

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Disclaimer

As a celiac, it’s always important to double-check the allergen policies of any restaurant before dining out, as they reveal crucial information on how their food might be a risk for your allergies or celiac disease. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at Jimmy John’s allergen policy.

Here’s the lowdown:

• Jimmy John’s provides detailed allergen information for all menu items on their website, which I’ll link out to further below.
• They update this information pretty regularly, but they do advise checking each time you visit, as recipes can always change!
• They are quite upfront about the risk of cross-contamination in their kitchens and prep areas.

Now, here’s the important bit: Jimmy John’s is transparent about cross-contamination risks. While they provide detailed information, it’s up to you to decide based on your sensitivity.

If you want to check out the entire allergen policy list, here’s a 3-page PDF that outlines Jimmy John’s allergen policy. Check it out right here.

Oh, and if you’re curious, Jimmy John’s also has a 23-page PDF that lists out the nutrition guide for every single menu item and ingredient. You can read through it here.

Otherwise, should neither of those two PDFs suffice, Jimmy John’s has a lengthy and expansive 30-page PDF that combines their nutrition guide and allergen policy, including an expanded list of allergens for their dishes, as well as individual ingredients.

This one’s a bit out of date, but just for reference, you can check it out here.

Alternatively, if you ever find yourself crossing the border to visit our friends up North, Jimmy John’s has duly prepared an allergen policy and nutrition guide for their Canadian chains, too! You could check it out here.

This article was last validated on 14th April 2025.

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Jimmy John’s Allergen Policy (Gluten-Free)

So, what do I think about all this? Well, it’s good that Jimmy John’s is being transparent and trying to keep us safe, especially for celiacs seeking gluten-free options.

I can appreciate that they provide detailed data on allergens and nutrition and keep it updated.

However, the level of cross-contamination risk in both prep areas and stores means that even items marked as gluten-free might not be entirely safe for us. This is a huge risk that you have to consider! ⚠️

My take? Jimmy John’s allergen policy is thorough in providing information, but quite cautious when it comes to actually managing allergens.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to approach eating at Jimmy John’s with care. Always check the latest allergen information from their website, and keep that cross-contamination risk in mind.

You can look at and read up on the official Jimmy John’s allergen guide that I’ve linked out to earlier.

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Toasted Sandwiches, Favorites, & Originals

Unfortunately, Jimmy John’s traditional subs and sandwiches are not gluten-free. All sandwiches are made with wheat-based bread, making them unsuitable for celiacs. This includes some of their most popular menu items, including:

❌ #1 Pepe
❌ #2 Big John
❌ #3 J.J.B.L.T.
❌ #4 Turkey Tom
❌ #5 Vito
❌ #6 Veggie
❌ #7 Gourmet Smoked Ham Club
❌ #8 Billy Club
❌ #9 Italian Night Club
❌ #10 Hunter’s Club
❌ #11 Country Club
❌ #12 Beach Club
❌ #13 Gourmet Veggie Club
❌ #14 Bootlegger Club
❌ #15 Club Lulu
❌ #16 Club Tuna
❌ #17 Ultimate Porker

Let’s break this down a bit more:

#1 Pepe – Ham and provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Sadly, the bread makes this unsafe.

#2 Big John – Roast beef, lettuce, and mayo. Again, the bread is the culprit.

#3 J.J.B.L.T. – Bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. The bread contains gluten.

#4 Turkey Tom – Turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. This would be great as an Unwich (more on that later), but not on their bread.

#5 Vito – Salami, capicola, provolone, onion, lettuce, tomato, oil & vinegar, and oregano-basil. Nope, can’t have this with the bread!

#6 Veggie – Provolone, avocado, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and mayo. The bread makes it unsafe.

#7 Gourmet Smoked Ham Club – Smoked ham, provolone, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Bread is a no-go.

#8 Billy Club – Roast beef, smoked ham, provolone, Dijon mustard, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. The bread contains gluten.

#9 Italian Night Club – Salami, capicola, ham, provolone, onion, lettuce, tomato, oil & vinegar, and oregano-basil. It cannot be eaten with the bread.

#10 Hunter’s Club – Roast beef, provolone, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. The bread contains gluten.

#11 Country Club – Turkey, ham, provolone, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. The bread makes it unsafe; a familiar theme repeated below.

#12 Beach Club – Turkey, provolone, avocado, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. But, the bread!

#13 Gourmet Veggie Club – Double provolone, avocado, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, mayo.

#14 Bootlegger Club – Roast beef, turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mayo.

#15 Club Lulu – Bacon, turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mayo.

#16 Club Tuna – Tuna salad, provolone, lettuce, tomato, and cucumber.

#17 Ultimate Porker – Ham, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. The bread contains gluten, once again.

It’s worth noting that Jimmy John’s uses shared prep spaces, which means that cross-contamination is a significant concern even if you remove the bread. 😔

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Unwiches (Lettuce Wraps)

Speaking of, how about Jimmy John’s ‘Unwiches’ (aka Lettuce Wraps)? Surely, these are gluten-free, right? Well, the Unwich is where things get interesting! Jimmy John’s actually lets you swap out wheat bread from some of their regular sandwich offerings that we looked at earlier, for iceberg lettuce wraps:

⚠️ #1 Pepe Unwich
⚠️ #2 Big John Unwich
⚠️ #3 J.J.B.L.T. Unwich
⚠️ #4 Turkey Tom Unwich
⚠️ #5 Vito Unwich
⚠️ #6 Veggie Unwich

Let’s break these down further:

#1 Pepe Unwich – Ham and provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo in a lettuce wrap.

#2 Big John Unwich – Roast beef, lettuce, and mayo in a lettuce wrap.

#3 J.J.B.L.T. Unwich – Bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayo in a lettuce wrap.

#4 Turkey Tom Unwich – Turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mayo in a lettuce wrap.

#5 Vito Unwich – Salami, capicola, provolone, onion, lettuce, tomato, oil & vinegar, and oregano-basil in a lettuce wrap.

#6 Veggie Unwich – Provolone, avocado, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and mayo in a lettuce wrap.

So far, so good, right? Well, not really, as you have to keep in mind some risk of cross-contamination! The staff at Jimmy John’s use shared gloves and surfaces for regular sandwiches, as well as the Unwich.

Now, if you do want to experience some Jimmy John’s subs while also keeping it gluten-free, your safest bets are to stick with simpler Unwich builds. For example, you could go for the #4 Turkey Tom Unwich or #6 Veggie Unwich, and avoid add-ons like pickles and sauces.

It might also help to let the Jimmy John’s staff know that you’re a celiac, so this way, the staff might take some extra precautions to prevent cross-contamination. 🧑‍🍳

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Little Johns

Little Johns are smaller versions of the regular subs, but they still use the same wheat-based bread. In other words, unfortunately, these Little Johns aren’t safe for celiac, so avoid them like the plague:

❌ Little John #1
❌ Little John #2
❌ Little John #3
❌ Little John #4
❌ Little John #5
❌ Little John #6

Let’s break down what each Little John has ingredient-wise:

Little John #1 – Ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo – but on gluten-containing bread! 😔

Little John #2 – Roast beef, mayo, lettuce – not safe due to the bread!

Little John #3 – Turkey, lettuce, tomato, mayo – a smaller portion, but still not GF!

Little John #4 – Turkey, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo – avoid due to gluten.

Little John #5 – Salami, capicola, cheese, onion, lettuce, tomato, sauce – gluten everywhere!

Little John #6 – Cheese, avo, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, mayo – unsafe due to bread.

Nothing much I can say here, as each Little John isn’t offered alongside gluten-free bread. So, just like their regular subs, this is a no-go.

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Plain Slims

These are just the meats and cheese, without the veggies, and you can make it an Unwich, too! However, it’s still not the best option due to potential cross-contamination with regular, non-gluten-free bread and wheat, though it’s a possibility with an abundance of caution:

⚠️ Slim #1 Ham & Cheese
⚠️ Slim #2 Roast Beef
⚠️ Slim #3 Tuna Salad
⚠️ Slim #4 Turkey Breast
⚠️ Slim #5 Salami & Capicola
⚠️ Slim #6 Double Provolone

Here’s the detailed breakdown of each one:

Slim #1 Ham & Cheese – Just ham and cheese – cross-contamination is a high concern due to shared prep areas.

Slim #2 Roast Beef – Roast beef only – risky due to kitchen prep alongside bread.

Slim #3 Tuna Salad – Tuna salad – cross-contamination is a big risk.

Slim #4 Turkey Breast – Just turkey – risk remains high, even as an Unwich.

Slim #5 Salami & Capicola – Salami and capicola only – shared spaces are problematic.

Slim #6 Double Provolone – Double provolone cheese – the safest option, but still not entirely free from risk.

The risk of cross-contamination makes the Plain Slims a “proceed with caution” item rather than a safe bet. Nevertheless, if you opt for an Unwich, and if you let the kitchen staff know that you’re a celiac, it might be something that you could consider. Again, though, depending on how sensitive you are, be very careful! ⚠️

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Wraps

Unsurprisingly, once again, all of Jimmy John’s wraps contain gluten and aren’t gluten-free, which is a bit of a shame, because I love me a good wrap:

❌ Kickin’ Ranch Chicken Wrap
❌ Chicken Caesar Wrap
❌ Tuscan Italian Wrap

Now, let’s break down their ingredients:

Kickin’ Ranch Chicken Wrap – Grilled chicken, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and Kickin’ Ranch sauce in a wrap.

Chicken Caesar Wrap – Grilled chicken, parmesan cheese, lettuce, tomato, and Caesar dressing in a wrap.

Tuscan Italian Wrap – Salami, capicola, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, oil & vinegar, and mayo in a wrap.

To keep things simple, these wraps are all unsafe for consumption for celiacs due to the wheat wraps, and alas, there are no other options for swapping out the wraps. 😔

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Sides & Extras

Some sides and extras available at Jimmy John’s are safe and gluten-free, while others need to be avoided:

✅ Regular Jimmy Chips
✅ BBQ Jimmy Chips
✅ Salt & Vinegar Jimmy Chips
⚠️ Giant Pickles

Regular Jimmy Chips – These are typically gluten-free, so they should be safe.

BBQ Jimmy Chips – Be sure to check the label for hidden malt vinegar.

Salt & Vinegar Jimmy Chips – Another safe choice, so add that to your list!

Giant Pickles – These are usually gluten-free as individual ingredients, but they sit in shared containers, risking cross-contamination.

While it’s great to have some gluten-free sides, always be cautious about cross-contamination risks in the kitchen. 🍟🌽

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Drinks

Good news! All the drinks are gluten-free, which might sound silly, but there’s always the risk of cross-contamination! At Jimmy John’s, here are the celiac-safe and gluten-free drinks that you could order:

✅ Soft Drinks (Coca-Cola, Sprite, etc.)
✅ Iced Tea
✅ Bottled Water

Drinks are typically a safe bet for celiacs at most restaurants, and Jimmy John’s is no exception. Here’s a more detailed look:

Soft Drinks – All carbonated beverages are gluten-free.

Iced Tea – Their iced tea is safe.

Bottled Water – A safe and hydrating option.

Remember, while these drinks are gluten-free, be cautious about ice if you’re particularly sensitive, as there’s a small risk of cross-contamination in ice machines. 🥤☕

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Desserts

Jimmy John’s doesn’t typically offer a wide variety of desserts from my last visit, but here’s what they have right now:

❌ Chocolate Chip Cookies
⚠️ Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
❌ Fudge Chocolate Brownie

Let’s break these down a bit further:

Chocolate Chip Cookies – While these might seem like a pretty sweet treat to have, they’re typically not gluten-free due to shared baking spaces.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies – These may contain gluten due to cross-contamination with wheat products.

Fudge Chocolate Brownie – Unfortunately, once again, this dessert contains gluten and should be avoided by celiacs.

In short, even if you’re planning on just having desserts at Jimmy John’s, they’re not safe for any celiac and definitely not gluten-free!

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To Sum Up

In summary, Jimmy John’s isn’t a celiac’s paradise, but it’s not a complete no-go either, as there are a handful of gluten-free options. The Unwich provides a viable option for those who are willing or can accept minor cross-contamination risks.

As is the case with ordering at any restaurant when you’re a celiac, there are some ways you could try to minimize the risk, such as:

• Ordering your food and drinks in person to kindly explain your needs to the staff.
• Politely ask the staff for glove/surface changes when preparing your food.
• When ordering, make sure that you stick to the more basic ingredient combinations.

While I’ll never turn down a good lettuce wrap, I’m more likely to hit up dedicated gluten-free spots when possible. Remember, your health isn’t worth the Russian roulette, but if you’re in a pinch, Jimmy John’s can work with a bit of careful maneuvering. 🥬💪

In the meantime, be sure to stay tuned to me here at Great Without Gluten for even more gluten-free eating guides and some delicious recipes thrown in, as well!

Or, if you’re hungry and starving for safer gluten-free alternatives besides Jimmy John’s, you might want to check out my other dining guides, covering other popular fast food chains such as Subway, Pizza Hut, KFC, McDonald’s, Burger King, Red Robin, Outback Steakhouse, Waffle House, Firehouse Subs, The Cheesecake Factory, Panda Express, Applebee’s, Chick-fil-A, Krispy Kreme, IHOP, Taco Bell, Buffalo Wild Wings, Olive Garden, Panera Bread, Denny’s, Sonic, Popeyes, Dunkin Donuts, Texas Roadhouse, Five Guys, Chipotle, Starbucks and more! 🍔🍟

Stay safe and gluten-aware, my celiac friends! 💖🥗

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Frequently Asked Questions

With that out of the way, while researching Jimmy John’s menu items and figuring out whether they’re gluten-free and safe for celiacs, here are some of the common frequently asked questions that I’ve found:

Can I get gluten-free bread at Jimmy John’s?

No, Jimmy John’s does not offer gluten-free bread. The Unwich is your only substitute, and even then, there’s a risk of cross-contamination, so be careful!

Are Jimmy John’s meats certified gluten-free?

While their meats don’t contain gluten ingredients, they’re processed in facilities handling wheat, and cross-contamination risks exist.

Should celiacs eat at Jimmy John’s?

It depends on your sensitivity. If you’re okay with potential cross-contact, the Unwich offers a quick meal. For highly reactive celiacs, it’s better to pack a lunch.

What ingredients should I avoid at Jimmy John’s if I have celiac disease?

If you have celiac disease, it’s crucial to avoid all bread items, as they contain gluten. Be cautious of condiments and toppings that might be cross-contaminated. You can always ask the staff about preparation methods to minimize risks.

How can I minimize the risk of cross-contamination when ordering an Unwich?

To minimize cross-contamination, order during off-peak hours when the kitchen is less busy. You can kindly request that staff change their gloves and wipe down the preparation area before making your Unwich. Also, stick to simple orders with fewer toppings.

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