• Home
• Eating Out Guides

Ultimate Maggiano’s Gluten-Free Menu Guide For 2025

For a celiac-safe taste of Italy, our Maggiano’s gluten-free guide is here to walk you through an endless selection of appetizers, pastas, and juicy proteins.

For celiacs, Italian cuisine is as glutenous as it gets, between their dying love for bread, pasta, pastries, pizzas, flatbread, and everything in between that’s brimming with wheat and grain.

As such, it can be quite tough dining out as someone with celiac disease, or if you have a very severe gluten intolerance or sensitivity, since most of what you eat can contain gluten. 🌾

Sadly, the same could be said about Maggiano’s Little Italy, serving up their huge, comforting Italian plates, and they’re fantastic if you love pasta, saucy entrees, and warm bread. 🍕🍝

However, most of their menu is made up of wheat-based pastas, bread, and batter, with a lot of gluten as far as the eye can see, with only a tiny handful of wheat-free exceptions. 🥗🍅

This includes a very small selection of veggie-based sides and salads, while all of their pastas, appetizers, chicken, seafood, steak, and veal dishes, not to mention the desserts, are unsafe.

So, with that in mind, follow along, as our Maggiano’s gluten-free guide is here to make sure you know which dishes are safe to order, and which ones you have to avoid like the plague!

---

Disclaimer

With that said, though there are a few wheat-free menu items at Maggiano’s Little Italy, you should still approach with an abundance of caution, due to high cross-contamination levels.

Maggiano’s doesn’t operate a separate, dedicated gluten-free kitchen, and their kitchens use shared prep areas, ovens, fryers, tongs, ladles, and other tools across many menu items. 🥯

In other words, even if a specific menu item doesn’t technically contain wheat in the recipe or ingredients, it doesn’t mean that it can’t be contaminated with wheat elsewhere. 👉🚫🌾

Plus, to make things worse, if you’re a celiac, Maggiano’s certainly doesn’t test its dishes to meet the FDA’s strict gluten threshold of <20 ppm for food to be considered “gluten-free”. 🍕

In fact, here’s what Maggiano’s Little Italy has to disclose in their official allergen guide when their specific food preparation processes and potential cross-contamination are concerned:

Menu items may contain or come into contact with wheat, eggs, shellfish, tree-nuts, milk and other major allergens. Because routine food preparation techniques, such as common oil frying and use of common food preparation equipment and surfaces, may allow contact among various food items, we cannot guarantee any food items to be completely allergen-free.

With such potential for cross-contamination, it’s wise to treat even the most wheat-free food or drinks here more like “gluten-sensitive” or “gluten-friendly” instead of 100% “gluten-free”.

If you do have celiac disease or severe gluten intolerance, always let the server know and ask for extra precautions, such as using fresh gloves, using clean utensils, or separate prep bowls.

---

Maggiano’s Allergen Policy (Gluten-Free)

Still, at least Maggiano’s makes it pretty easy for you to filter out their menu for all the items that you can’t safely order, and it starts by heading over to the official Maggiano’s website.

Once you’re on the Maggiano’s Little Italy homepage, click on the “Menu” tab at the very top, which will open up a drop-down menu with two handy links – “Nutrition” and “Allergen”. 🌐

• Nutrition Guide – The first link opens up Maggiano’s official Nutrition Guide, which gives us an extremely detailed breakdown of the nutritional data for every single menu item. As such, you get to see how many calories, cholesterol, fats, carbs, fiber, sodium, sugar, proteins, and more are in each item on Maggiano’s menu. This isn’t going to help us allergen-wise, but it might be handy if you’re especially conscious about your diet and want to control your daily intake.
• Allergen Guide – The second link, however, is much more useful, as clicking or tapping this link opens up Maggiano’s official Allergen Guide, which will give you a thorough breakdown of all the primary allergens that are included in each menu item. It’s a complete list of all the major allergens that you’d have to be wary of, such as milk, eggs, nuts, shellfish, and soy, in addition to a really handy marker to denote if a specific menu item qualifies as being vegetarian or vegan.

On that note, if you’re a celiac like me, or if you have a severe gluten intolerance, all you need to do is avoid ordering anything on the allergen guide that contains “Wheat/Gluten”. 🚫🌾

If neither Maggiano’s Nutrition Guide nor Allergen Guide satisfies your curiosity, then it may be worth checking out Maggiano’s Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more, too. 📝✍️

---

Lunch

Maggiano’s lunch menu is positively massive, with a huge selection of appetizers, salads, and their signature pastas, as well as their delectable chicken and seafood dishes, too! 🍝🥗🍔

Unfortunately, Maggiano’s classic Italian comfort foods rely heavily on wheat in their breads, batters, pasta, thickeners, and coatings, thus making most of these off-limits to celiacs. 🍤

❌ Calamari Fritté
❌ Zucchini Fritté
❌ Crispy Mozzarella
❌ Truffle & Honey Whipped Ricotta
❌ Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms
❌ Wagyu Beef Meatballs
❌ Crab Cakes
❌ Tomato Bruschetta
❌ Truffle Garlic Bread
❌ Roman-Style Flatbread
❌ Chef’s Signature Caesar
⚠️ Maggiano’s Salad
❌ Italian Chopped Salad
❌ The Finest Fettuccine Alfredo
❌ Lasagna
❌ Wagyu Beef Stuffed Shells
❌ Fettuccine Bolognese
❌ Rigatoni alla Vodka
❌ Our Famous Rigatoni “D”
❌ Spaghetti & Wagyu Beef Meatball
❌ Mushroom Ravioli
❌ Four-Cheese Ravioli
❌ Wagyu Beef Meatball Sandwich
❌ “The Grand” Chicken Parmesan Sandwich
❌ “The Grand” Chicken Parmesan
❌ Shrimp Scampi
❌ Branzino Crab Imperial
❌ Shrimp Fra Diavolo
❌ Blackened Salmon with Crispy Calabrian Shrimp
⚠️ Simply Grilled Salmon
❌ Chicken Piccata
❌ Chicken Marsala
❌ Chicken Francese

Just to make extra sure we didn’t miss anything, let’s take a closer look at each one of these:

Calamari Fritté: Lightly battered and fried rings of squid served with marinara or aioli. The batter and the frying process use wheat flour, and shared fryers create cross-contact risk, so this appetizer is not safe for celiacs.

Zucchini Fritté: Sliced zucchini coated in a wheat-containing batter and deep-fried. Because the coating contains wheat and the item shares fryers with other battered foods, avoid this if you need to remain strictly gluten-free.

Crispy Mozzarella: Breaded mozzarella sticks that are deep-fried and then served with tomato sauce. The breading contains wheat flour, and the shared fryer increases cross-contact, making this unsafe for strict gluten-free diners.

Truffle & Honey Whipped Ricotta: Creamy ricotta flavored with truffle and honey, usually served with toasted bread or crostini. The dip itself may be wheat-free by ingredient, but it’s then served with a toasted wheat bread.

Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms: Mushroom caps filled with a breadcrumb and cheese mixture, then baked. The stuffing typically includes breadcrumbs made from wheat, which makes this appetizer unsafe for celiacs, as well.

Wagyu Beef Meatballs: Beef meatballs seasoned and served with sauce, often over pasta or with a roll. Meatball binders frequently include breadcrumbs, and the sauces are served with wheat-containing pastas, making this item glutenous by default.

Crab Cakes: Pan-seared crab cakes are usually bound with breadcrumbs and served with a sauce. Because the binder contains wheat and they may be seared in shared pans, this dish is not safe for those avoiding gluten, as well as for folks with severe gluten intolerance.

Tomato Bruschetta: Toasted bread slices topped with marinated tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. The base is a toasted wheat bread, which makes this an unsafe option for anyone on a strict gluten-free diet and for anyone with a severe non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

Truffle Garlic Bread: Slices of bread rubbed with garlic and truffle butter, then toasted. The core ingredient is a wheat-based bread, with no gluten-free substitutes or alternatives, so this item contains gluten and is not suitable for celiacs.

Roman-Style Flatbread: Thin-crust flatbread topped with cheeses and toppings. The crust is made from wheat flour; therefore, this appetizer contains gluten and should be avoided by celiacs and by folks with severe gluten intolerance.

Chef’s Signature Caesar: Classic Caesar salad with romaine, dressing, and croutons. The croutons contain wheat, and many Caesar dressings include stabilizers or ingredients with gluten, so the default Caesar salad isn’t safe for strict gluten-free diners.

Maggiano’s Salad: Mixed greens with vegetables and a standard house dressing. According to Maggiano’s allergen guide, this salad doesn’t contain wheat, but just to be extra safe, ask for dressing on the side and request separate tossing to minimize any cross-contamination risk in the kitchen.

Italian Chopped Salad: Chopped greens with meats, cheeses, and crunchy toppings. The salad is flagged for containing wheat in Maggiano’s allergen guide, likely because of crispy toppings or croutons and some dressings, so avoid this salad, just to be safe.

The Finest Fettuccine Alfredo: Rich fettuccine tossed in a creamy Alfredo sauce. The pasta is wheat-based and therefore, this dish contains gluten and is totally unsafe for celiacs.

Lasagna: Layers of pasta, meat, sauce, and cheese baked together. The noodle layers are wheat pasta, and the dish contains gluten, making it unsafe for strict gluten-free diets.

Wagyu Beef Stuffed Shells: Large pasta shells filled with a meat and cheese mixture, and it’s then baked. The shells are made from wheat pasta, so this entrée contains gluten and is not celiac-safe.

Fettuccine Bolognese: Fettuccine pasta served with a meat Bolognese sauce. The pasta is wheat-based and therefore this dish contains gluten and must be avoided by those with celiac disease.

Rigatoni alla Vodka: Rigatoni pasta in a vodka cream sauce. The rigatoni is made from wheat, so this classic pasta contains gluten and is not safe for people avoiding wheat, either.

Our Famous Rigatoni “D”: Rigatoni with signature toppings and sauce. This uses wheat pasta as the base, so it contains gluten and should be avoided on a strict gluten-free diet.

Spaghetti & Wagyu Beef Meatball: Spaghetti pasta with meatballs. The spaghetti is wheat-based, and the meatballs likely contain breadcrumbs; therefore, this plate contains gluten and is unsafe for celiacs.

Mushroom Ravioli: Filled ravioli pasta, often made with wheat pasta dough and served with sauce. Ravioli shells are wheat-based, so this dish contains gluten and is not safe for strict gluten-free diners.

Four-Cheese Ravioli: Cheese-stuffed ravioli in sauce. As with the other ravioli here, the pasta dough contains wheat, which makes this dish unsafe for those avoiding gluten, too.

Wagyu Beef Meatball Sandwich: Sliced or whole meatballs served on a roll with sauce and cheese. The sandwich roll is wheat-based, and the meatballs contain breadcrumb binders, so this sandwich contains gluten and is unsafe for celiacs.

“The Grand” Chicken Parmesan Sandwich: Breaded chicken cutlet topped with sauce and some cheese on a roll. The breading and the roll both contain wheat, making this sandwich unsafe for celiacs and for anyone with a severe gluten intolerance.

“The Grand” Chicken Parmesan: Breaded chicken cutlet baked with marinara and melted cheese, usually served over pasta or with bread. The chicken is breaded with wheat flour, and it’s then served with wheat-based sides, so this entrée is not safe for strict gluten-free diets.

Shrimp Scampi: Shrimp sautéed in butter, garlic, lemon, and served over pasta. Because it’s commonly served over wheat pasta and sometimes finished with breadcrumbs, it naturally contains wheat, so avoid this dish if you’re a celiac.

Branzino Crab Imperial: Oven-baked branzino topped with a crab-crumb mixture and mixed with breadcrumbs. The crab imperial topping typically contains breadcrumbs or other wheat-based binders, so this dish isn’t safe for celiacs, either.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo: Spicy shrimp served in a tomato-based sauce, and it’s commonly served over pasta. The default prep is served with a wheat-based pasta, and it’s flagged for wheat, making this dish downright dangerous for celiacs.

Blackened Salmon with Crispy Calabrian Shrimp: Blackened salmon topped with crispy shrimp and spicy Calabrian seasoning. The crispy shrimp contain wheat-based breading, which causes the entire dish to be flagged as containing gluten, so avoid this particular dish and consider the plain grilled salmon instead.

Simply Grilled Salmon: Grilled salmon fillet seasoned simply and served with sides. According to Maggiano’s allergen guide, this dish doesn’t contain wheat by ingredient, making it one of the safer entrées here. Still, request plain prep without any glazes and ask for separate plating to minimize any potential cross-contamination risks.

Chicken Piccata: Sautéed chicken with lemon, capers, and a buttery pan sauce, often lightly dusted and cooked. The chicken here is typically dredged in flour or prepared in pans used for breaded items, so this entrée is flagged as containing wheat and is not safe for strict gluten-free diners.

Chicken Marsala: Chicken simmered with mushrooms in a Marsala wine sauce that often uses a flour-thickened base. Because the sauce commonly contains wheat-based thickeners, this dish is flagged as containing gluten and should be avoided by celiacs.

Chicken Francese: Egg-dipped and sautéed chicken finished in a lemon-butter sauce. The prep frequently uses flour or shared pans and is therefore flagged for wheat, so once again, avoid the default Francese if you must remain gluten-free at all costs.

We’re already off to a very bad start with Maggiano’s menu, as pretty much all of their lunch offerings, with only two exceptions, are off-limits to celiacs or if you’re gluten-intolerant. 🥩

I should also point out that gluten-free Fusilli substitutes are available for some of their pasta dishes, swapping wheat-based pastas for gluten-free ones, but it’s subject to availability. 🍝

---

Dinner

Now, it gets a tiny bit better for celiacs if we head over to Maggiano’s dinner menu, brimming with fresh seafood, hearty pastas, breaded classics, and huge cuts of steak and veal. 🍖🥩

Once again, though, most of Maggiano’s dinner staples use wheat in their pasta, breading, or sauces, among others, thus making a vast chunk of their dinner menu off-limits to celiacs. 🍕

❌ Calamari Fritté
❌ Zucchini Fritté
❌ Crispy Mozzarella
❌ Truffle & Honey Whipped Ricotta
❌ Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms
❌ Wagyu Beef Meatballs
❌ Crab Cakes
❌ Tomato Bruschetta
❌ Truffle Garlic Bread
❌ Roman-Style Flatbread
❌ Chef’s Signature Caesar
⚠️ Maggiano’s Salad
❌ Italian Chopped Salad
❌ The Finest Fettuccine Alfredo
❌ Lasagna
❌ Wagyu Beef Stuffed Shells
❌ Fettuccine Bolognese
❌ Rigatoni alla Vodka
❌ Our Famous Rigatoni “D”
❌ Spaghetti & Wagyu Beef Meatball
❌ Mushroom Ravioli
❌ Four-Cheese Ravioli
❌ Blackened Salmon with Crispy Calabrian Shrimp
⚠️ Simply Grilled Salmon
❌ Branzino Crab Imperial
❌ Shrimp Scampi
❌ Shrimp Fra Diavolo
❌ Chef KB’s Lobster Carbonara
❌ Linguine di Mare
❌ Linguine alle Vongole
❌ “The Grand” Chicken Parmesan
❌ Chicken Piccata
❌ Chicken Marsala
❌ Chicken Francese
⚠️ Center-Cut Filet Mignon
⚠️ Bone-In Ribeye
❌ Beef Tenderloin Medallions
❌ Our “Riserva” Veal Parmesan
⚠️ Garlic Mashed Potatoes
⚠️ Fresh Grilled Asparagus
❌ Spaghetti Marinara
⚠️ Roasted Garlic Broccoli
⚠️ Crispy Vesuvio Potatoes
❌ Spaghetti Aglio Olio

For further context, let’s take a closer peek at what each of these dinner staples is made of:

Calamari Fritté: Lightly battered squid rings, fried until crisp and served with a dipping sauce. The batter contains wheat flour and shared fryers are used, so this appetizer is not safe for celiacs and for anyone with a severe gluten intolerance.

Zucchini Fritté: Zucchini slices coated in a wheat-based batter and deep-fried. Because of the coating and shared fryers, avoid this if you must stay gluten-free, and if you’re highly sensitive to gluten.

Crispy Mozzarella: Breaded and fried mozzarella sticks served with marinara. The breading uses wheat flour, and fryers are shared, which makes this unsafe for strict gluten-free diets.

Truffle & Honey Whipped Ricotta: Creamy whipped ricotta flavored with truffle and honey, usually served with crostini or toast. While the ricotta itself may be wheat-free, the standard service includes toasted bread, thus making this entire dish hazardous to celiacs.

Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms: Mushroom caps filled with a breadcrumb-based stuffing and baked. The stuffing commonly contains breadcrumbs made from wheat; therefore, this item is unsafe for celiacs.

Wagyu Beef Meatballs: Rich meatballs are often served in tomato sauce. Meatball binders typically include breadcrumbs, and sauces are commonly paired with wheat pasta or rolls, so this prep is flagged for gluten allergens, and thus, it’s not safe for celiacs.

Crab Cakes: Pan-seared crab cakes bound with breadcrumbs and finished in a shared kitchen. Because the binder has wheat and cross-contact is quite likely, this dish is not celiac-safe.

Tomato Bruschetta: Chopped tomato topping served on toasted bread. The base is toasted wheat bread, which means this appetizer contains gluten and should be avoided by celiacs.

Truffle Garlic Bread: Slices of bread with garlic and truffle butter, toasted. The core ingredient here is wheat bread, so this is not suitable for gluten-free diners, and for celiacs, as well.

Roman-Style Flatbread: Thin wheat-based flatbread topped with cheeses and savory toppings. The crust is made from wheat flour; thus, this item contains gluten and is unsafe for celiacs.

Chef’s Signature Caesar: Romaine with Caesar dressing and croutons. Croutons are wheat-based, and certain dressings may include gluten-containing stabilizers, so the default Caesar salad is not safe for someone with celiac disease.

Maggiano’s Salad: Mixed greens with vegetables and the house dressing. Per Maggiano’s allergen guide, this salad doesn’t contain wheat, making it one of the safer salad options here. Still, ask for dressing on the side and request separate tossing to reduce cross-contact risk.

Italian Chopped Salad: A chopped salad with cured meats, cheeses, and crunchy toppings. It’s flagged for wheat in Maggiano’s allergen guide, likely due to the crunchy wheat garnishes or dressing components, so avoid this salad if you’re highly gluten intolerant.

The Finest Fettuccine Alfredo: Fettuccine tossed in a rich cream sauce. The pasta is wheat-based, and therefore, this dish contains gluten and is unsafe for strict gluten-free diners.

Lasagna: Layered pasta with meat, sauce, and cheeses baked together. The noodle layers are made from wheat, and the dish contains gluten, so it should be avoided by celiacs.

Wagyu Beef Stuffed Shells: Large pasta shells stuffed with meat and cheese, baked in sauce. The shells are wheat pasta, which means this entire entrée contains gluten and it’s not safe for gluten-free diets and celiacs alike.

Fettuccine Bolognese: Fettuccine served with a hearty meat Bolognese sauce. Because the pasta is wheat-based, this dish contains gluten and must be avoided if you have celiac disease or if you have a severe non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

Rigatoni alla Vodka: Rigatoni pasta in a vodka cream sauce. The rigatoni is made from wheat, so this dish contains gluten, and it’s not safe for strict gluten avoidance and celiacs, too.

Our Famous Rigatoni “D”: Rigatoni prepared with the restaurant’s signature toppings and sauce. It uses wheat pasta as the base, which makes it unsafe for those avoiding gluten.

Spaghetti & Wagyu Beef Meatball: Spaghetti paired with meatballs. The spaghetti is wheat-based, and meatballs often contain breadcrumbs, so this plate is not celiac-safe, either.

Mushroom Ravioli: Cheese and mushroom-filled ravioli served in sauce. Ravioli dough is made from wheat flour; therefore, this dish contains gluten and should be avoided by celiacs.

Four-Cheese Ravioli: Cheese-stuffed ravioli with a sauce. As with all the other ravioli dishes so far, the pasta contains wheat, thus making it unsafe for gluten-free diets and celiacs.

Blackened Salmon with Crispy Calabrian Shrimp: Blackened salmon topped with some crispy, breaded shrimp. The crispy shrimp are breaded with wheat-based coating, so the entire dish is flagged for wheat and is unsafe for celiacs.

Simply Grilled Salmon: Plain grilled salmon seasoned and served with sides. This entrée is listed as not containing wheat in Maggiano’s allergen guide, and it’s one of the safer picks for gluten-sensitive diners. Still, request a plain preparation without glazes and ask for separate plating to further minimize cross-contact.

Branzino Crab Imperial: Branzino topped with a crab imperial mixture that typically contains breadcrumbs. Because the crab imperial uses wheat-containing binders, this preparation is not safe for celiacs, either.

Shrimp Scampi: Shrimp sautéed with garlic and butter, usually served over pasta. The default serving over wheat pasta or with breadcrumbs flags this dish for wheat, so avoid this, just to be safe.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo: Spicy shrimp served in a tomato-based sauce and typically paired with pasta. The default dish is served with some wheat pasta and is listed as containing wheat, making it unsafe unless explicitly modified and prepared separately.

Chef KB’s Lobster Carbonara: Rich carbonara-style pasta with lobster, egg, and cheese. The carbonara is served with wheat pasta, and the dish is flagged for wheat, so it’s not safe for strict gluten-free diets.

Linguine di Mare: Seafood linguine with mixed shellfish served over wheat linguine. Because linguine is a wheat pasta, this dish contains gluten and should be avoided by celiacs.

Linguine alle Vongole: Clams with garlic and oil served over linguine. The linguine contains wheat, and like before, this classic pasta dish is not safe for those avoiding gluten.

“The Grand” Chicken Parmesan: Breaded chicken cutlet topped with sauce and cheese, and it’s typically served with pasta or bread. The chicken is breaded with wheat, and the sides include wheat, so this entrée is unsafe for strict gluten-free diners.

Chicken Piccata: Chicken sautéed with lemon and capers, often lightly dusted in flour. The standard prep typically uses flour or shared pans and is flagged as containing wheat, so avoid this if you need to maintain a strict gluten-free diet.

Chicken Marsala: Chicken cooked with mushrooms in a Marsala wine sauce, and it’s commonly thickened with a flour base. Because the sauce usually contains wheat-based thickeners, this dish is flagged for wheat, and it’s not safe for celiacs.

Chicken Francese: Egg-dipped and sautéed chicken finished in a lemon-butter sauce. The prep commonly uses flour or shared surfaces, and it’s therefore listed as containing wheat. So, don’t order the default Francese if you must avoid gluten.

Center-Cut Filet Mignon: Premium grilled filet served with a choice of sides. Per Maggiano’s allergen guide, this cut doesn’t contain wheat by ingredient, making it a relatively safe steak choice when ordered plain. Remember to ask for minimal sauce and separate prep to reduce cross-contact.

Bone-In Ribeye: Hand-cut ribeye grilled to order. This steak is listed as not containing wheat in Maggiano’s allergen guide, and it’s another solid option for gluten-sensitive diners, provided that you request no wheat-based sauces and confirm separate handling to minimize possible cross-contamination risks.

Beef Tenderloin Medallions: Tender medallions are often finished with a sauce. The allergen guide flags this item as containing wheat, likely because of a sauce or coating, so this preparation is not safe for strict gluten-free diets and celiacs alike.

Our “Riserva” Veal Parmesan: Breaded veal topped with marinara and cheese. The veal is breaded with wheat flour, and the dish contains gluten, making this dish unsafe for celiacs.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes: Creamy mashed potatoes flavored with roasted garlic. This side is listed as not containing wheat in Maggiano’s allergen guide, and it’s a decently reliable safe side when you have it ordered plain, without gravy that may be thickened with flour.

Fresh Grilled Asparagus: Simply grilled asparagus spears. The asparagus doesn’t come with wheat as an ingredient, thus making it one of the safer vegetable sides here. Still, make sure to ask for separate prep to minimize any potential cross-contact with breaded items.

Spaghetti Marinara: Spaghetti served with a tomato marinara sauce. Since the spaghetti is made from wheat, this dish contains gluten, and it’s unsafe for those with celiac disease.

Roasted Garlic Broccoli: Broccoli tossed with roasted garlic and herbs. This side is listed as not containing wheat, and it’s a fairly low-risk vegetable option when it’s been prepared plainly.

Crispy Vesuvio Potatoes: Oven-roasted, crispy, seasoned potatoes. These potatoes are listed as not containing wheat and make a good gluten-safe side, although confirm there is no seasoned coating with wheat, and as always, be wary of cross-contamination.

Spaghetti Aglio Olio: Spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, and chili flakes. The base spaghetti here is wheat pasta, so this dish contains gluten and is not suitable for strict gluten-free diets.

As I mentioned earlier, with Maggiano’s lunch-served pasta dishes, some of their wheat-based noodles can be swapped out with gluten-free Fusilli, though it’s subject to availability. 🥔🍠

Otherwise, at least you have a few more options on Maggiano’s dinner menu compared to the lunchtime selections, including a couple of steaks and a few sides, barring any cross-contact.

---

Kids Menu

For the young’uns, Maggiano’s kids’ menu features classic Italian comfort, but it’s been scaled down for smaller appetites, though most use wheat-based pasta, crusts, or breading. 🍝🍕

❌ Cheese Flatbread Pizza
❌ Cheese Ravioli with Marinara
❌ Pasta w/ Alfredo
❌ Pasta w/ Marinara
❌ Pasta w/ Butter
❌ Lasagna with Marinara
❌ Spaghetti & Giant Meatball
❌ Breaded Chicken Breast
⚠️ Grilled Chicken Breast

Just so we’re absolutely sure these are right, let’s see what each of these dishes is made of:

Cheese Flatbread Pizza: A small flatbread topped with tomato sauce and melted cheese. The flatbread crust is made from wheat flour, which means this dish contains gluten, and it’s not safe for celiacs.

Cheese Ravioli with Marinara: Cheese-stuffed ravioli served in marinara sauce. The ravioli pasta dough is made from wheat, so this meal contains gluten and should be avoided on a strict gluten-free diet.

Pasta w/ Alfredo: Pasta tossed in a creamy Alfredo sauce. The pasta used is wheat-based; therefore, this dish contains gluten and is unsafe for those with celiac disease.

Pasta w/ Marinara: Classic pasta served with tomato marinara. Because the pasta is made from wheat, this plate contains gluten and is not suitable for strict gluten-free diners.

Pasta w/ Butter: Plain pasta lightly tossed with butter. Even though this sounds like a simple dish, the pasta itself is wheat-based, so this option still contains gluten, too.

Lasagna with Marinara: Layered pasta with meat, sauce, and cheese baked together. The lasagna noodles are made from wheat, and the dish contains gluten, making it unsafe for celiacs.

Spaghetti & Giant Meatball: Spaghetti served with a large meatball and marinara. But the spaghetti used here is wheat pasta, and meatballs frequently contain breadcrumbs, so this plate contains gluten and should be avoided.

Breaded Chicken Breast: Chicken breast coated in breadcrumb batter and fried or baked. The breading contains wheat, and shared fryers or prep areas increase cross-contact risk, so this is not safe for strict gluten-free diets.

Grilled Chicken Breast: Plain grilled chicken served with simple sides. Per Maggiano’s allergen guide, this particular dish doesn’t contain wheat by ingredient, but still, ask for plain seasoning, request separate prep, and confirm no glazes or marinades that might contain hidden wheat to further reduce any potential cross-contamination risk.

If you’re planning to bring your kids over to Maggiano’s, your options are down to just one, so it might be better to avoid them entirely or check out their adult-sized menus, instead. 🧀🍅

---

Dessert

If you’re eager to end your visit to Maggiano’s with a sweet finisher, their desserts are a great selection of classic treats, but sadly, most rely on wheat crusts, cookies, or cake bases. 🍰🎂

❌ Tiramisu
❌ New York Style Cheesecake
⚠️ Crème Brûlée
❌ Chocolate Layered Cake
❌ Warm Apple Crostada
❌ Vera’s Lemon Cookies
❌ Italian Doughnuts
⚠️ Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

To figure out what makes most of these dessert dishes unsafe, let’s break each of them apart:

Tiramisu: A layered dessert made with coffee-soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone, and cocoa. The ladyfingers are made from wheat flour, so this classic dessert contains gluten, and it’s not safe for celiacs.

New York Style Cheesecake: Dense cream cheese filling set on a graham-cracker or cookie crust. The crust is typically made with wheat-containing graham crackers, which means the dessert contains gluten and should be avoided.

Crème Brûlée: A rich baked custard topped with a burnt sugar shell. The custard itself does not use wheat ingredients, so this is safe by recipe. That said, make sure you ask staff to double-check that no cookie crumbs or baked goods were added as a garnish, and request separate scooping to further minimize any cross-contact risks.

Chocolate Layered Cake: Multi-layer cake with chocolate sponge and frosting. The cake layers are made from wheat flour, so this dessert contains gluten, and it’s unsafe for strict gluten-free diets and celiacs.

Warm Apple Crostada: Rustic baked tart of spiced apples in a pastry crust. The crust is made from wheat flour, and baking surfaces are shared, so this is not safe for celiacs, either. Make sure you avoid this if you’re gluten intolerant.

Vera’s Lemon Cookies: House-baked lemon cookies. These cookies are made with wheat flour, which makes them unsafe for anyone avoiding gluten, with no gluten-free substitutes that are available.

Italian Doughnuts: Fried dough treats dusted with sugar or filled. The dough contains wheat flour, and they are fried or handled near other wheat items, so these are not safe for celiacs and for anyone with severe gluten intolerance.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream: Classic vanilla bean ice cream served by the scoop. The ice cream is gluten-free by ingredient, but avoid any mix-ins like cookie crumbles or brownie pieces, and ask that the scoop be taken from a clean container or with a clean scoop to limit cross-contact.

Do remember that while a couple of these desserts are technically wheat-free, they’re always susceptible to potential cross-contamination while being prepped, so be very careful. 🍦🍩

---

Beverages

Like most restaurants, despite how gluten-unfriendly Maggiano’s food items have been so far, their beverage menu is quite safe, and most of them are naturally free of wheat and gluten.

This includes their healthy variety of coffees, teas, bottled waters, sparkling mineral waters, in addition to the usual soft drinks. Still, remember to always be wary of cross-contact. 🥤🧃☕️

✅ Coffee (Lavazza)
✅ Espresso (Lavazza)
✅ Cappuccino (Lavazza)
✅ Coca-Cola
✅ Diet Coke
✅ Sprite
✅ Dr Pepper
✅ Barq’s Root Beer
✅ Raspberry Flavored Iced Tea
✅ Peach Flavored Iced Tea
✅ Iced Tea
✅ Lemonade
✅ San Pellegrino
✅ Acqua Panna
✅ Harney & Sons Hot Tea
✅ Grey Goose Espresso Martini
✅ Tito’s Tiramisu Martini
✅ Irish Cream Coffee
✅ Nutty Italian Coffee
✅ Sicilian Coffee

For comparison, let’s take a closer peek at how each of these drinks is made, just to be safe:

Coffee (Lavazza): Brewed coffee made from Lavazza beans. Coffee beans contain no gluten, so this is safe by recipe and ingredient. If you’re highly sensitive, however, remember to ask staff to prepare it away from pastry stations.

Espresso (Lavazza): Concentrated espresso using Lavazza beans. Espresso is gluten-free by ingredient, but be sure to request a fresh, clean portafilter if you want extra caution against potential cross-contact risks.

Cappuccino (Lavazza): Espresso topped with steamed milk foam. Milk and espresso are gluten-free ingredients, so the drink is safe by recipe, though make sure to avoid any cookie or pastry garnishes, as well as possible cross-contamination.

Coca-Cola / Diet Coke / Sprite / Dr Pepper / Barq’s Root Beer: Standard fountain sodas. The syrups do not contain wheat or gluten by ingredient, making these drinks pretty celiac-safe. When using a shared fountain, it’s not a bad idea to ask staff to wipe down the nozzle first if you’re concerned about cross-contact.

Raspberry Flavored Iced Tea / Peach Flavored Iced Tea / Iced Tea: Fruit-flavored or plain brewed iced teas. Tea leaves and fruit syrups are typically gluten-free by ingredient. Just to be safe, confirm that any flavor syrups or concentrates do not contain unexpected additives, and ask for a fresh pour if the nozzle is shared.

Lemonade / Strawberry Lemonade: Fresh or house-made lemonade and fruit variants. These are usually gluten-free by ingredient. Once again, just to be 100% certain, double-check that there are no bakery mix-ins or toppings added.

San Pellegrino / Acqua Panna: Bottled sparkling and still mineral waters. These factory-sealed bottles are effectively zero-risk for gluten cross-contact, so these are among the safest options, and they offer fairly minimal risk of cross-contamination, too.

Harney & Sons Hot Tea: Loose-leaf or bagged specialty teas. Tea itself is usually gluten-free by ingredient, but request that the kettle and the serving pot have not been used for any other contaminated items if you’re very sensitive.

Grey Goose Espresso Martini: Vodka-based espresso cocktail. Vodka made from non-gluten sources, and distillation generally removes gluten proteins. However, confirm the bar’s exact recipe and any added liqueurs. Additionally, it might help to ask staff about the coffee liqueur used and whether it contains gluten-containing additives.

Tito’s Tiramisu Martini: Tito’s vodka cocktail inspired by tiramisu flavors. Tito’s is commonly considered gluten-free, but the cocktail may include coffee liqueur or sauces. You could also check with the staff and ask about which liqueurs and syrups are used, and whether the bar could guarantee that they avoid cookie or cream garnishes.

Irish Cream Coffee: Hot coffee with Irish cream liqueur. The coffee is gluten-free by ingredient, while some Irish cream liqueurs contain distilled spirits, which are generally gluten-free. Still, double-check with the staff about the exact liqueur brand and whether any cookie or biscuit crumbles are added as garnish.

Nutty Italian Coffee: Coffee finished with a nutty liqueur, such as amaretto or hazelnut liqueur. The base ingredients are typically gluten-free, but confirm which liqueur is used and whether it contains any flavoring carriers that could contain hidden gluten traces.

Sicilian Coffee: Coffee with a citrus or amaretto twist. This is usually gluten-free by recipe, but the same advice from before applies here, as well. So, make sure you verify and double-check that any liqueur or syrup ingredients are safe, and avoid pastry garnishes.

Remember that while all these drinks are naturally gluten-free, Maggiano’s uses shared drinks stations, syrup nozzles, dispensers, and bar areas, with a risk of cross-contamination. 🍹🍸🍷

---

To Sum Up

Suffice it to say, if you’re a celiac, you may as well try to satisfy your cravings for Italian foods elsewhere, as Maggiano’s Little Italy offers up very few truly gluten-friendly menu options. 🍕

Most of their signature dishes, such as their appetizers, pastas, salads, proteins, and much of their menu in between, rely heavily on wheat batter, breads, thickeners, pastas, and coatings.

Ultimately, Maggiano’s very heavy reliance on wheat-based components narrows down your celiac-safe options to a mere handful of plain grilled proteins, steaks, salads, and a few sides.

On the other hand, some of their pasta dishes could be modified to have the wheat pastas be swapped out for gluten-free Fusilli instead, but there lies another danger waiting to strike. 🍝

Even if you’re able to swap out the noodles for wheat- and gluten-free noodles, there’s still a pretty high risk of cross-contamination, which I’m not totally sure it’s worth the risk, either. 🌾

So, considering Maggiano’s highly glutenous recipes and ingredients, and high cross-contact risks across the board, I think I’ll pass on Maggiano’s Little Italy, at least for now. 🥗🍅🧀

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 eating out 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 PF Chang’s, First Watch, Potbelly, Red Lobster, Yard House, LongHorn, Pei Wei, Wendy’s, Cheddar’s, Bob Evans, BJ’s, Carrabba’s, and more! 🍔🍟🍗

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

---

Frequently Asked Questions

While working on this Maggiano’s gluten-free guide, I came across a few interesting questions floating around social media and some community forums, so here’s what I think of them:

Is Maggiano’s gluten-free?

Maggiano’s is not a fully gluten-free restaurant. While they list a handful of menu items that contain no wheat or gluten by recipe and ingredients (for example, Maggiano’s Salad, Simply Grilled Salmon, some steaks, a few sides, and a few of their desserts), their kitchen spaces are not dedicated gluten-free facilities.

As such, cross-contamination in their shared fryers, ovens, and prep stations is certainly possible, so approach Maggiano’s menu with an abundance of caution and remind your server or the kitchen staff about any dietary restrictions.

Does Maggiano’s have a gluten-free menu or gluten-free options?

Maggiano’s doesn’t run a separate certified gluten-free menu, but its official allergen guide identifies a few key items that don’t contain wheat. Using this allergen guide, we can see that Maggiano’s gluten-free options include a small selection of salads, plain grilled proteins, their steaks, some sides, and a couple of desserts like Crème Brûlée or Vanilla Bean ice cream.

They’re technically free of any wheat components, though they still don’t count as gluten-free. Moreover, some of their pasta dishes could be modified to have the default wheat noodles be swapped out for gluten-free Fusilli, though bear in mind the cross-contamination risks.

What can someone with celiac disease safely order at Maggiano’s?

If you have celiac disease, choose items that the allergen guide marks as wheat-free, and be sure to request strict precautions from the staff. Based on what we’ve found, some of the safer starting points include plain grilled proteins (i.e., Simply Grilled Salmon or certain steaks like Center-Cut Filet Mignon), grilled chicken breast (kid’s menu).

There’s also their naturally wheat-free sides, such as garlic mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, or roasted garlic broccoli. You could also request sauces on the side, no croutons or bread, and separate prep to reduce cross-contact.

Which Maggiano’s menu items definitely contain gluten and should be avoided?

Per Maggiano’s official allergen guide, most of their menu, including classic Italian dishes and appetizers, contains wheat. This encompasses their pastas (alfredo, rigatoni, lasagna, and their ravioli), breaded or fried starters (calamari, zucchini fritté, and crispy mozzarella), flatbreads, sandwiches, and many seafood entrées with breading or pasta.

Additionally, there are most of Maggiano’s bakery-style desserts (tiramisu, cookies, and doughnuts). In short, avoid any dish with bread, pasta, batter, breadcrumbs, or flour-thickened sauces, which is sadly most of their entire menu.

How should I order at Maggiano’s to minimize gluten cross-contamination?

First off, remember to tell your server that you have celiac disease or a pretty severe gluten intolerance. For extra precaution, when you’re ordering, remember to inform the server that you want sauces on the side, no croutons or bread, grilled (not breaded) proteins, and the use of fresh gloves and clean utensils.

Or, if possible, that your plate be prepared last, or on a clean surface. Nevertheless, bear in mind that even with these precautions in place, there’s still a residual risk of cross-contamination that comes from Maggiano’s using a shared kitchen.

Photo Credit

Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

---

Share the love!

Related recipes 🔗

No comments yet.