The Complete Buca di Beppo Gluten-Free Menu Guide 2025
With a variety of classic Italian dishes from pasta to lasagna, garlic bread, salads, pizzas, and more, our Buca di Beppo gluten-free guide is here to help!
Ah, Italian cuisine… Everyone loves Italian food! However, it’s unfortunately a very bitter pill to swallow if you’re a celiac, given that traditional Italian and Mediterranean cuisine relies heavily on the two things we can’t eat: wheat and gluten. 🍕🍝
Nonetheless, at least some Italian restaurant chains do try to offer celiacs something, and even if it isn’t much, I’ll take it! One such example is Buca di Beppo, which currently remains criminally underrated as far as Italian casual dining places go. 🥗
They feature a vast menu full of traditional dishes straight from Italy, just like how grandma used to do it, but as expected, much of their food is off-limits and downright dangerous to celiacs, as they’re filled to the brim with wheat and gluten. 🍲🥣
So, don’t expect to be sampling their pastas, salads, lasagna, pastry appetizers, breads, not to mention their meatballs, pizzas, and a bunch more anytime soon. They’re either breaded and battered with wheat or are made with wheat-thickened sauces. 🥪
On the other hand, you’re not completely without options as a celiac, in addition to anyone with a severe gluten intolerance or sensitivity, as they do have a gluten-friendly menu, with a small sampler of safe appetizers, entrees, salads, and sides, too! 🧀🍅
With that in mind, follow along with our Buca di Beppo gluten-free guide, as we’ll walk you through their mouthwatering menu to find any hidden traces of gluten that you need to be wary of, and see if we can find something safe for you to eat. 👀
Table of Contents
Disclaimer
Nevertheless, bear in mind that Buca di Beppo doesn’t have dedicated, certified gluten-free kitchen spaces, and because they prepare all their dishes in a shared environment, there’s a very real risk of cross-contamination, so you have to be careful. ⚠️
In other words, it means that even if you order something from their menu that’s naturally wheat-free, there’s no guarantee that it won’t come into contact with wheat in the kitchen, and is thus contaminated through trace gluten exposure. 👉🚫🌾
Moreover, it’s not just wheat that you have to worry about as a celiac, as you need to then be on the lookout for other glutenous components, including malt, barley, rye, and/or oats, all of which could expose even the “safest” menu items. 🍕🍞🍝
Then, there’s the “gluten-friendly” menu, which I’d personally still treat with an abundance of caution, and instead approach it more like “gluten-sensitive” due to the cross-contact risks, and even Buca di Beppo warns you about this, too:
Due to shared food preparation and cooking areas, it is possible for menu items to inadvertently come into contact with a food allergen from another menu item or food preparation materials. While we do take great care to try and prevent the presence of allergens in your menu item, we are not able to guarantee that your menu item has not come in contact with potential allergens. Please speak with a member of the management staff if you have special dietary needs or specific food allergies.
To add to that, as with most restaurants, Buca di Beppo doesn’t test its menu items to meet the FDA’s <20 ppm threshold for food and drink items to be officially certified and labeled as “gluten-free”, proving, once again, the need for caution. ❗❗❗
If you are planning to dine at Buca di Beppo, as they themselves remind you, please inform the staff about your celiac disease and ask them to take extra precautions like using clean utensils, wearing fresh gloves, and wiping down the prep area. 😷
Buca di Beppo Allergen Policy (Gluten-Free)
On the bright side, at least Buca di Beppo makes it super easy for you to filter through the brand’s extensive menus to figure out what dishes are safe for you to order, and what menu items you should be avoiding at all costs. 📑🖱️⌨️🖥️
It starts by heading over to their website, and once you’re on the Buca di Beppo homepage, scroll all the way down to the website footer, and finally, click or tap on the text that says “Nutrition”, which will now open a new tab. ✍📝
This is where you’ll find Buca di Beppo’s official “Nutritional Menus” page, and here, you’ll find 3 rather handy links that might help you figure out what you should be eating or even trying to avoid, which will open as PDF files in a new browser tab:
- Nutritional & Allergen Information – This combined PDF file is what we’re after, which also includes a detailed breakdown of the nutrition data for every single item on Buca di Beppo’s menu, but crucially, there’s a table that lists all the allergens that might be included in each item. For celiacs, avoid anything that has been marked as ❌ under the “Wheat” column.
- Gluten Sensitive Menu – Alternatively, if you’d prefer to skip having to filter through Buca di Beppo’s entire menu and instead go straight to the point, this page is also where you’ll find their gluten-friendly (or gluten-sensitive) menu, which includes a modest list of menu items that’ve already been picked for you as being relatively safe, barring any cross-contact risks.
- Vegetarian Menu – This isn’t useful for us right now, as we’re more concerned about celiac disease, as well as folks who have a severe gluten intolerance or sensitivity, but it might be useful for you if you’re a vegetarian. In this PDF file, you’ll find an already-prepared list of all the items on Buca di Beppo’s massive menu that are compatible with a vegetarian diet.
Appetizers, Salads & Fresh Breads
For a light start before we move on to something a lot meatier and heavier, Buca di Beppo has a wide range of delectable appetizers, in addition to salads and freshly baked bread, as well! However, only a few of them are safe. 🍞🥗🧀🍅
❌ Buca Trio Platter
⚠️ Bruschetta
❌ Fried Mozzarella
❌ Fried Calamari
✅ Garlic Parmesan Wings
✅ Mozzarella Caprese
❌ Spicy Shrimp
❌ World Famous Meatballs
⚠️ Apple Gorgonzola Salad
⚠️ Caesar Salad
✅ Chopped Antipasti Salad
✅ Mixed Green Salad
❌ Garlic Bread
❌ Mozzarella Garlic Bread
To learn more about how you can navigate these dishes safely, let’s take a closer peek:
Buca Trio Platter: Share sampler that commonly combines fried and baked components such as mozzarella sticks, calamari, and crostini. The platter includes wheat by ingredient and is prepared on shared trays and fry stations, so it is not suitable for strict gluten avoidance.
Bruschetta: Tomatoes, basil, and olive oil are served on Parmesan crostini by default. To make this safe, make sure to order the topping without the crostini and request that the topping be plated separately with clean utensils and fresh gloves to reduce cross-contact from bakery items.
Fried Mozzarella: Breaded mozzarella sticks coated in a wheat crumb and deep-fried. The breading is an ingredient-level gluten source, and shared fryers and baskets increase cross-contact risk, so avoid this item if you require strict gluten-free handling.
Fried Calamari: Squid rings dredged in wheat flour or batter and deep fried. The coating contains wheat and shared fryer oil, and baskets create both ingredient and high cross-contact risk. As such, this dish is unsafe for people who must avoid gluten completely.
Garlic Parmesan Wings: Bone-in wings finished in garlic and Parmesan. The wings are typically not breaded and are lower risk by ingredient, but fryer and prep sharing can cause contamination, so ask for isolated prep, fresh gloves, and separate tongs when ordering.
Mozzarella Caprese: Fresh mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, and basil with olive oil. Ingredients are naturally wheat-free when served without bread. Remember to ask for no bread on the side, request a sealed dressing, and separate plating to minimize trace contamination from bakery stations.
Spicy Shrimp: Shrimp tossed in a spicy coating or breading that commonly contains wheat. Because of the breading and shared fryers, this is an ingredient-level gluten source. Avoid this dish if you follow a strict gluten-free diet.
World Famous Meatballs: Traditional meatballs often include breadcrumbs and are plated with bread or crostini. The recipe includes wheat in the ingredients list, and the dish is prepared in shared kitchen areas, so it should be avoided by celiac diners unless a confirmed wheat-free version exists.
Apple Gorgonzola Salad: Greens with apple, gorgonzola, and spiced walnuts by default. To make this safe, remember to order this without the spiced walnuts to remove the wheat element, ask for a sealed dressing and separate plating, and confirm no croutons or breadcrumb toppings are added.
Caesar Salad: Romaine with Caesar dressing and roasted garlic croutons by default. Just remember to order this without the croutons and request the dressing be poured from a clean container, and you could also ask the staff to prepare the salad away from crouton bins and bakery stations to reduce cross-contact.
Chopped Antipasti Salad: Cured meats, cheeses, olives, and vegetables tossed together. By ingredient, this salad is typically wheat-free when ordered without bread or croutons. Of course, make sure to confirm that no pre-mixed dressings contain wheat and ask for separate utensils and clean prep surfaces.
Mixed Green Salad: Simple greens and seasonal vegetables with optional dressings. The ingredients are naturally wheat-free when you skip croutons and packaged toppings. Request sealed dressing portions and a clean prep area to minimize trace contamination from nearby bakery items.
Garlic Bread: Oven-baked bread brushed with garlic butter. This is an ingredient-level wheat source and is prepared on shared bakery trays and ovens. Do not order this item if you require strict gluten-free handling.
Mozzarella Garlic Bread: Mozzarella melted over wheat-based bread. The item contains wheat and is handled in the bakery area. However, shared trays and cutting boards mean a high cross-contact risk, so avoid this if you must follow a gluten-free diet.
Alas, you won’t find much here that isn’t made with wheat and/or gluten, though a couple of Buca di Beppo’s appetizers and salads could be modified to be safe, mainly by removing the wheat-based breaded add-ons like croutons. 🍤🍎🧄🥬
Entrees & Pizzas
That said, if the salads and appetizers from earlier aren’t enough to satisfy your craving for Italian food, Buca di Beppo has a huge selection of protein-based (mostly chicken) entrees, and of course, being an Italian chain, there’s pizza, too! 🍕🍅🧀🥩
❌ Margherita Pizza
❌ Pepperoni Pizza
❌ Pizza con Formaggio
❌ Spicy Arrabbiata Pizza
❌ Sausage & Mushroom Pizza
⚠️ Chicken Limone
❌ Chicken Marsala
❌ Chicken Parmigiana
❌ Eggplant Parmigiana
❌ Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken
⚠️ Salmon Sorrento
❌ Meatball Sandwich Smash
To make sure we know what to look out for in the future, let’s see what these are made of:
Margherita Pizza: Classic pizza with tomato, fresh basil, and mozzarella on a wheat crust. The crust and any dusting or handling in the pizza kitchen are ingredient-level gluten sources, and ovens and cutting boards are shared, so avoid if you require strict gluten-free handling.
Pepperoni Pizza: Tomato sauce and pepperoni over a wheat pizza crust. The dough contains wheat and is prepared on shared surfaces. Moreover, cross-contact from ovens, peels, and slicing boards makes this an ingredient-level gluten hazard for celiac diners.
Pizza con Formaggio: A cheese-forward pizza served on standard wheat dough. Cheese toppings do not remove the crust’s wheat content, and shared prep makes cross-contact likely. This item is not suitable for strict gluten avoidance.
Spicy Arrabbiata Pizza: Spicy tomato sauce and cheese on a wheat crust. Because the crust contains wheat and sauces may be finished on common counters, this is an ingredient-level gluten source and should be avoided by anyone needing strict gluten-free meals.
Sausage & Mushroom Pizza: Sausage, mushrooms, and cheese on a pizza crust. As with the other pizzas here, this one’s made on a standard wheat-based pizza dough and crust, and sadly, Buca di Beppo has no option for gluten-free crusts just yet.
Chicken Limone: Pan-seared chicken finished in a lemon-butter style sauce. Make sure to request that the entree isn’t dusted with flour to remove the primary wheat component and make this safe, and ask that it be prepared on a clean pan with fresh utensils to limit cross-contact.
Chicken Marsala: Breaded or flour-finished chicken in a Marsala sauce. The standard preparation uses wheat in the coating or sauce thickener, creating an ingredient-level gluten source. Avoid this dish if you must follow a strict gluten-free diet.
Chicken Parmigiana: Breaded chicken cutlet topped with sauce and cheese. The cutlet’s breading contains wheat and is usually fried or baked on shared trays, so this dish is an ingredient-level gluten hazard and not safe for celiac diners.
Eggplant Parmigiana: Breaded and baked eggplant layered with sauce and cheese. The breading and bakery-style prep introduce wheat by ingredient, and shared ovens and utensils increase cross-contact risk, so avoid this item for strict gluten-free needs.
Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken: Chicken stuffed with prosciutto and possibly rolled in a flour-based coating. The stuffing and any exterior dusting or sauce may include wheat. This preparation is flagged as unsafe and should be avoided by celiac diners.
Salmon Sorrento: Salmon finished with a light coating or flour dusting and often served with a lemon-butter sauce. To make this safe, request that this entree not be dusted with flour and ask for isolated prep, separate tongs, and a clean pan to limit cross-contact.
Meatball Sandwich Smash: A traditional meatball sandwich served on a roll and frequently made with breadcrumbs in the meat. The bun and breadcrumb binder contain wheat, and the sandwich is assembled on shared counters, making it unsafe for strict gluten avoidance.
Unlike some of the pizza places that I’ve checked out before, Buca di Beppo doesn’t offer a gluten-free crust, putting these out of the running, but at least there are a couple of entrees here that can be modified to be gluten-sensitive and safe. 🍄🍗🍆🥪
Pastas – Stuffed, Specialty & Traditional
One of Buca di Beppo’s specialties is its pasta selection, with a unique variety of different types of pasta dishes, from traditional pastas that have remained unchanged for decades to newer, fresher, and more unique fusions and twists. 🍝🍅🧀🍖
❌ Cheese Manicotti
❌ Chicken Cannelloni
❌ Quattro al Forno
❌ Ravioli al Pomodoro
❌ Ravioli with Meat Sauce
❌ Stuffed Shells
❌ Baked Rigatoni
❌ Chicken Carbonara
❌ Lasagna
❌ Penne San Remo
❌ Penne Basilica
❌ Shrimp Fra Diavolo
❌ Spicy Chicken Rigatoni
❌ Baked Ziti
❌ Fettuccine Alfredo
❌ Spaghetti Marinara
❌ Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
❌ Spaghetti with Meatballs
❌ Creamy Pesto Penne
❌ Pappardelle Bolognese
❌ Spicy Sausage Pappardelle
❌ Penne alla Vodka
❌ Frutti di Mare
Just so we’re sure that these pastas aren’t safe for celiacs, let’s see how they’re made:
Cheese Manicotti: Large pasta tubes filled with a ricotta and cheese mixture, baked in sauce. The pasta shells contain wheat and are boiled in shared pots. Fillings or gratin toppings sometimes include breadcrumbs, so avoid them if you need strict gluten-free handling.
Chicken Cannelloni: Pasta tubes stuffed with shredded chicken and cheese, then baked in sauce. The pasta itself is made from wheat, and the baking and filling processes use shared utensils and trays, producing both ingredient and cross-contact risks for celiacs.
Quattro al Forno: Oven-baked pasta layered with multiple cheeses and often a mixture of sauces. The dish uses wheat pasta and shared ovens and utensils, which further raises cross-contact risks. Because of the pasta base, this is not safe for strict gluten avoidance.
Ravioli al Pomodoro: Stuffed ravioli served in a tomato sauce. The ravioli wrapper is wheat pasta and often contains breadcrumbs or binder ingredients. Shared boiling water and preparation surfaces mean this item carries a clear ingredient-level gluten hazard.
Ravioli with Meat Sauce: Filled pasta in a hearty meat sauce. Both the pasta wrapper and any breadcrumb-stuffed fillings contain wheat. Shared pots, strainers, and sauce ladles create cross-contact possibilities, so this dish is unsuitable for strict gluten-free diets.
Stuffed Shells: Large pasta shells filled with ricotta and herbs, baked in tomato or cream sauce. The shells are made from wheat and are prepared alongside other wheat products on shared trays, producing ingredient gluten and a meaningful cross-contact risk.
Baked Rigatoni: Tube pasta baked with sauce, cheese, and sometimes a breadcrumb topping. The rigatoni contains wheat, and breadcrumbs are common finishing elements. Shared ovens and serving utensils increase the chance of trace gluten exposure, so avoid this one.
Chicken Carbonara: Pasta tossed with pancetta or bacon and a creamy egg-cheese sauce. The noodles are wheat-based, and the finished dish is prepared on shared griddles and pots. Sauces may have stabilizers or thickeners that introduce further cross-contact risk.
Lasagna: Layered sheets of pasta with meat, cheese, and sauce, baked until bubbling. Lasagna noodles contain wheat, and the assembly uses shared trays and utensils. Because of the multiple wheat components and shared prep, this is not safe for celiacs.
Penne San Remo: Penne pasta served with region-style sauce and proteins. Penne is wheat pasta, and sauces or finishing steps can include flour thickeners. Shared pots, strainers, and ladles make this an ingredient-level gluten risk for strict gluten avoidance.
Penne Basilica: Penne tossed with basil-forward sauce and cheese. The pasta itself contains wheat, and preparations often occur near other baked or breaded items. Shared utensils, pans, and service spoons create cross-contact hazards, so avoid this if you need gluten-free assurance.
Shrimp Fra Diavolo: Spicy shrimp served over wheat pasta. The pasta base contains wheat, and the seafood is finished in pans that also handle other wheat-containing ingredients. The combination of wheat noodles and shared prep makes this unsafe for celiac diners.
Spicy Chicken Rigatoni: Rigatoni with spicy chicken pieces and sauce. Rigatoni is wheat-based, and chicken may be seasoned or finished with thickeners that include wheat. Shared pots and service utensils raise cross-contact risk, so this is not suitable for strict gluten-free diets.
Baked Ziti: Ziti pasta mixed with sauce and cheese, baked with a browned top. The ziti contains wheat, and the baked preparation often involves shared ovens and scoops. Breadcrumbs or toppings can add wheat, making this dish unsafe for celiacs.
Fettuccine Alfredo: Flat egg noodles tossed in a rich cream and Parmesan sauce. Fettuccine contains wheat, and shared pots and ladles are used across many pasta dishes. Because of the wheat noodles and shared prep, this is not safe for strict gluten avoidance.
Spaghetti Marinara: Classic spaghetti with tomato sauce. Spaghetti noodles are wheat-based and are boiled in communal pasta water. Sauce ladles and strainers are shared across menu items, so cross-contact is likely, and this is not suitable for celiacs.
Spaghetti with Meat Sauce: Spaghetti served with a savory meat ragù. The pasta is wheat, and meat sauces may be finished with thickeners or include breadcrumb fillers. Shared preparation and serving tools create both ingredient and cross-contact risks here.
Spaghetti with Meatballs: Spaghetti with hand-rolled meatballs in sauce. The meatballs often contain breadcrumbs, and the pasta is wheat, so there are multiple ingredient-level gluten sources. Shared pots and serving utensils make this dish unsafe for strict gluten-free needs.
Creamy Pesto Penne: Penne tossed in a creamy pesto sauce. The penne contains wheat, and pesto bases can be mixed on shared surfaces with nut or breadcrumb additions. Shared pots and serving spoons increase the chance of trace contamination, so avoid this dish.
Pappardelle Bolognese: Wide ribbon pasta served with a slow-cooked Bolognese sauce. The pappardelle is made from wheat, and the sauce assembly often shares pans and utensils with other wheat dishes. Ingredient-level wheat in the pasta makes this unsuitable for celiacs.
Spicy Sausage Pappardelle: Wide noodles with spicy sausage and tomato-based sauce. Pappardelle contains wheat, and sausages sometimes include fillers that may have wheat. Shared pots, strainers, and prep stations raise cross-contact risk, so this dish is not safe for strict gluten avoidance.
Penne alla Vodka: Penne in a vodka-cream tomato sauce. The penne is wheat pasta, and some cream sauces use stabilized thickeners that can include wheat. Given the wheat base and shared prep, avoid this if you must follow a gluten-free diet.
Frutti di Mare: Mixed seafood served over pasta. The pasta contains wheat, and seafood may be finished in pans that also handle breaded items. Shared pots, ladles, and plating stations create a meaningful cross-contact hazard for anyone avoiding gluten.
Unsurprisingly, there’s not a single celiac-safe pasta here, and Buca di Beppo doesn’t offer a gluten-free pasta noodle. Plus, the wheat-based noodles are then prepped in shared spaces with common pots, strainers, ovens, and utensils. 🌶️🔥🥩🍜
Sides, Dessert & Kids Menu
Whether you’re after a small and light add-on to accompany your entrees, or if you want to order something for your kid, or if you’d like to end your trip down to Buca di Beppo with a sweet treat, there are ample delicious options here! 🍕🍝🧀🍅🍟
✅ Brussels Sprouts & Prosciutto
✅ Green Beans
✅ Italian Broccoli Romano
✅ Italian Sausage
❌ Meatball
❌ Chocolate Chip Cannoli
❌ Colossal Brownie Sundae
❌ Double Dark Chocolate Cake
❌ Homemade Cheesecake
❌ Italian Creme Cake
❌ Tiramisu
❌ Red Velvet Cake Slice
❌ Rainbow Cake Slice
❌ Confetti Cake Slice
❌ Chocolate Fudge Cake Slice
❌ Black & White Cake Slice
❌ Kids’ Cheese Pizza
❌ Kids’ Chicken Parmigiana
❌ Kids’ Fettuccine Alfredo
❌ Kids’ Macaroni & Cheese
❌ Kids’ Pepperoni Pizza
❌ Kids’ Spaghetti with Meatball
❌ Kids’ Spaghetti Marinara
For comparison, let’s break these dishes down one by one to see what they’re made of:
Brussels Sprouts & Prosciutto: Roasted Brussels sprouts paired with crisp prosciutto for a salty, caramelized side. Neither ingredient contains gluten, and the dish is usually finished in a clean sauté pan. Ask for fresh utensils to reduce cross-contact risk.
Green Beans: Lightly cooked green beans prepared with simple seasoning. They’re naturally gluten-free and usually handled in dedicated vegetable pans. Request clean tongs and no breadcrumb garnishes to keep preparation as safe as possible.
Italian Broccoli Romano: Broccoli sautéed with oil, garlic, and Romano cheese. All the components are naturally gluten-free, though pans and utensils may be shared with breaded dishes. Asking for fresh gloves and clean cookware helps reduce cross-contact.
Italian Sausage: Grilled or sautéed Italian sausage links. Most versions used here are gluten-free by ingredients, but sausages can vary by supplier, so it’s smart to confirm that no breadcrumb fillers are used. Prepared on shared grills, so request a clean pan when possible.
Meatball: House meatballs typically contain breadcrumbs or wheat binders and are simmered in shared sauce pots. Because of the ingredient-level gluten and shared prep, this item isn’t safe for gluten-free diners.
Chocolate Chip Cannoli: A classic cannoli shell made from wheat flour and filled with sweetened ricotta and chocolate chips. The shell is the main gluten source, and preparation often involves shared surfaces. This dessert is not gluten-free.
Colossal Brownie Sundae: A layered brownie and ice cream dessert. The brownie contains wheat and is baked on shared trays. Because the main component uses wheat flour, this dessert is not safe for gluten-free guests.
Double Dark Chocolate Cake: Rich chocolate cake made with wheat flour. It’s assembled and sliced on shared surfaces, so gluten is present both in ingredients and prep. Avoid this if you require gluten-free options.
Homemade Cheesecake: Traditional cheesecake with a wheat-based crust. Even if served without the crust, it’s cut on shared surfaces and stored near wheat items, so cross-contact risk remains. This dessert isn’t suitable for gluten-free needs.
Italian Creme Cake: A layered cake made with wheat flour and frosted with sweet cream. It’s baked and prepared on shared trays, creating both ingredient-level and preparation cross-contact risks. As such, it’s not safe for gluten-free diners.
Tiramisu: Coffee-soaked ladyfingers layered with mascarpone cream. Ladyfingers are wheat-based, and assembly surfaces are shared with other desserts. This makes this sweet treat unsuitable for any gluten-free diet.
Red Velvet Cake Slice: A classic red velvet cake baked with wheat flour and layered with frosting. Because of its wheat base and the shared dessert prep area, this cake slice is not gluten-free.
Rainbow Cake Slice: A colorful layered cake made with wheat flour. The cake and frosting are handled on shared surfaces, creating unavoidable gluten exposure. Avoid this if you need a gluten-free dessert.
Confetti Cake Slice: A festive cake that uses wheat flour and sprinkles. Like the other cakes here, it’s prepared and sliced on shared equipment. Consequently, this item is not safe for gluten-free diners.
Chocolate Fudge Cake Slice: Dense chocolate cake prepared with wheat flour and cut on shared trays. However, the ingredient-level wheat makes this unsuitable for gluten-free diners.
Black & White Cake Slice: A layered chocolate and vanilla cake made with wheat flour. Nevertheless, the shared prep surfaces and common storage increase cross-contact, so this dessert isn’t safe for gluten-free guests, regardless.
Kids’ Cheese Pizza: Wheat crust topped with cheese and sauce. The crust contains gluten, and pizzas are prepared in shared ovens. As such, this option is not gluten-free, just like the adult-sized pizzas from earlier.
Kids’ Chicken Parmigiana: Breaded chicken topped with sauce and cheese, served with pasta. The breading and accompanying noodles contain wheat, making this dish unsafe for gluten-free diners.
Kids’ Fettuccine Alfredo: Wheat-based fettuccine tossed in Alfredo sauce. The pasta itself contains gluten, and it also shares boiling water with other wheat items, so this is not a safe choice.
Kids’ Macaroni & Cheese: Macaroni noodles made with wheat flour in a cheese sauce. Shared pots and utensils add further cross-contact concerns. This dish is not gluten-free, either.
Kids’ Pepperoni Pizza: Wheat-based crust topped with pepperoni and cheese. Pizzas are cooked and sliced with shared tools, and this dish also contains gluten from the wheat-based pizza crust.
Kids’ Spaghetti with Meatball: Wheat pasta served with a meatball that typically contains breadcrumbs. Both the noodles and the meatball contain gluten, so this dish isn’t safe, either.
Kids’ Spaghetti Marinara: Wheat spaghetti served with marinara sauce. The noodles are cooked in shared pasta water and contain wheat by default. This is not suitable for gluten-free diners, either.
As you can see, most of these dishes aren’t safe for celiacs, and are made with wheat and gluten in mind, leaving you only a mere handful of relatively safe sides, though be sure to skip out the glutenous desserts and the kids’ dishes. 🎂🧁🍰🍪
Drinks
As with most other restaurants, beverages are usually quite safe gluten-wise, and the same could also be said with Buca di Beppo, with their fairly modest selection of canned drinks, in addition to plain bottled water and teas, as well. 🥤🧃☕🍵
✅ Pepsi Can
✅ Diet Pepsi Can
✅ Starry Can
✅ Mountain Dew Can
✅ Bottled Water
✅ Sweet Tea
✅ Unsweetened Tea
✅ Lemonade
Just to be extra sure that these are safe, let’s take a closer look at each of these beverages:
Pepsi Can: A standard canned soft drink with no wheat or gluten ingredients. It’s sealed and served straight from the can, which removes most cross-contact concerns. You can keep it as one of the safest drink choices here.
Diet Pepsi Can: This zero-sugar cola option is also packaged, factory-sealed, and then opened at the table once you’ve ordered it, so there’s no shared kitchen handling that could introduce gluten cross-contamination.
Starry Can: A lemon-lime soda offered in a sealed can. It contains no gluten ingredients and avoids prep-area contact, which makes it a reliable pick if you need something light and refreshing.
Mountain Dew Can: A citrus-based soda with no wheat or gluten components. Like the others here, it arrives factory-sealed and avoids all the shared food-prep contact, keeping it safely gluten-free.
Bottled Water: Completely gluten-free and the lowest-risk beverage available. It’s sealed, handled minimally, and poses no cross-contact concerns at all.
Sweet Tea: Prepared in the drink station rather than the kitchen, which is a bit safer. It contains no gluten ingredients, but the dispenser spouts can occasionally be touched by hands or cups, so make sure that these are cleaned.
Unsweetened Tea: The unsweetened version is also gluten-free and dispensed from its own container. It’s a low-risk option with no wheat-based additives used in brewing, but be wary of any cross-contamination risks at the drinks dispenser.
Lemonade: A gluten-free drink made from a syrup mix and water. It’s dispensed from a dedicated container, and there’s no wheat in the ingredients, so it’s a safe choice, as well.
If you prefer the lowest-risk option of all, you should ideally opt for factory-sealed canned or bottled drinks in place of ones that are poured from a drinks fountain, as there’s always a cross-contact risk with shared dispensers and nozzles. 🍋🧊
To Sum Up
In conclusion, Buca di Beppo really doesn’t have a lot of options for you if you’re dining here as a celiac, which is expected, given that their menu is filled with traditional Italian dishes, which are built on the backs of wheat and gluten ingredients. 🍕🍝
This essentially means that you’re left out of enjoying even the most basic staple foods on Buca di Beppo’s menu, let alone signature items like their unique pasta creations, pizzas, in addition to special appetizers, hearty entrees, and fresh bread. 🥗
Heck, don’t even bother looking at the kids’ menu or the dessert selection, as they’re made with a lot of wheat and gluten, too! With that in mind, I do appreciate that Buca di Beppo does have a gluten-sensitive menu, no matter how tiny it is. 🧀🍅🥩
By offering a bespoke gluten-friendly menu, at least this makes it a lot easier and quicker to order from their menu without having to look around too much, and you can go straight into the menu itself and be confident that you’re ordering something safe.
Still, I wished that their gluten-friendly menu were a tad bigger, because as-is, it’s a bit hard for me to recommend going to Buca di Beppo. If you happen to be there, you could make it work, but if not, there are other Italian restaurants out there to pick from.
In the meantime, if you want recommendations on other restaurants with plenty of gluten-free items, make sure to stay tuned to us here at Great Without Gluten for even more celiac-friendly and gluten-free eating out guides! ✍📝
And, while you’re here, you might also want to check out my other gluten-free menu guides and some tasty gluten‑free recipes!
If you’re craving other fast-food or casual dining chains and gourmet meals, do check out my other celiac-friendly, gluten-free dining out guides to Del Taco, Noodles and Company, California Pizza Kitchen, Raising Cane’s, Baskin-Robbins, El Pollo Loco, Zaxby’s, Rainforest Cafe, Bojangles, Smashburger, Golden Corral, Perkins, Dave and Buster’s, and more! 🍔🍟🍗
Stay safe and gluten‑aware, my celiac friends! 💖🥗
Frequently Asked Questions
While working on this Buca di Beppo gluten-free menu guide, I came across some pretty interesting questions floating around social media and some foodie forums, particularly on Reddit, so I thought I’d try and answer those questions here:
Does Buca di Beppo have gluten-free options?
Not quite. Buca di Beppo has several gluten-friendly or gluten-sensitive dishes, mainly their appetizers, salads, entrees, sides, and beverages. However, they don’t operate a dedicated gluten-free kitchen space, so there’s always a risk of cross-contamination to be wary of.
Are Buca di Beppo’s pastas gluten-free?
Nope. All of Buca di Beppo’s traditional, specialty, and stuffed pasta dishes are made with wheat or gluten ingredients. As such, none of their pasta dishes are safe for celiac diners or those avoiding gluten, and Buca di Beppo doesn’t currently offer gluten-free pasta swaps.
What are the safest gluten-free items at Buca di Beppo?
The safest items here are pretty much anything that features minimal kitchen handling or is naturally gluten-free, such as certain salads, proteins without breading, vegetables, and all of their canned or bottled drinks. Speaking of drinks, sealed bottles or cans are the safest.
Does Buca di Beppo use shared fryers or shared preparation surfaces?
Yes. Like most restaurants, Buca di Beppo relies heavily on shared prep areas, utensils, and cooking surfaces. Because of this, cross-contamination is a huge risk, even if the ingredients are gluten-free. So, request clean gloves, separate utensils, and fresh prep when possible.
Is Buca di Beppo safe for people with celiac disease?
Buca di Beppo can be workable for some, thanks also to the inclusion of a gluten-friendly menu, but it isn’t ideal for strict celiac dining due to the cross-contact risks and the lack of gluten-free pasta alternatives. If you’re highly sensitive, stick to simple proteins, salads without croutons, sides, and sealed beverages, and confirm preparations with staff.
Photo Credit
Warren LeMay from Covington, KY, United States, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Becky ✍️
Hi, I am Becky. I am a passionate recipe maker and having been a coeliac (celiac) for 30+ years I focus on gluten-free recipes. My blog is my online cookbook of gluten-free tasty recipes. You can follow me on X: @beckygwg
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