The Complete Qdoba Gluten-Free Menu Guide For 2025
Looking for a safe way to enjoy some fast-casual Mexican food? Our Qdoba gluten-free menu guide is here to make sure you know what to watch for.
If you love Mexican cuisine as much as me, then you might be a fan of Qdoba’s do-it-yourself approach, with bowls, tacos, and loaded burritos that look appealing to any celiac. 🌮🔥🌵
And, if you’re trying to avoid gluten, then good news, because many of Qdoba’s toppings and core ingredients are naturally wheat-free: grilled proteins, rice, beans, salsas, and veggies.
However, Qdoba is by no means a haven for celiacs, because here comes the tricky bit… They rely on wheat-based flour tortilla wraps, not to mention the shared prep lines and fryers. 🌯
This means that a sizeable chunk of their menu, including their burritos, quesadillas, tacos, in addition to some salads, is off-limits if you’re highly gluten intolerant or are a celiac. 🥙
Even if you’re comfortable with the small portion of their menu left that’s safe for celiacs, the fairly high cross-contamination risks are enough to make me think twice before dining there.
Nevertheless, if you’re eager to find the silver lining in Qdoba’s menu, then our Qdoba gluten-free menu guide is here to help you figure out what’s safe to order and what to avoid! 🥗
Table of Contents
Disclaimer
With that said, one really important thing to bear in mind here is that Qdoba isn’t a certified gluten-free kitchen, meaning that cross-contamination and trace gluten exposure are possible.
So, even if a specific menu item’s ingredients don’t include wheat, their shared prep stations, utensils, scoops, grills, cookware, and fryers would easily introduce gluten into the mixture.
This means that even the safest, most wheat-free “gluten-friendly” items that are on Qdoba’s menu should be treated more like “gluten-sensitive” rather than “gluten-free”. 👉🚫🌾
On top of that, like most restaurants, Qdoba doesn’t test its menu items to meet the FDA’s super strict <20 ppm gluten threshold for food and drinks to be labelled as “gluten-free”.
If you have celiac disease, I’d highly recommend informing the server and asking the kitchen to take precautions like using fresh gloves, some clean utensils, and a wiped-down prep area.
In fact, to drive home just how important it is to be wary when you are dining out as a celiac, here’s what Qdoba has to disclose in their nutrition guide concerning cross-contamination:
Like most restaurants, our restaurants prepare and serve products that contain Soy, Egg, Fish, Milk, Peanuts, Crustacean/Shellfish, Tree Nuts, Wheat, and Gluten. While a particular ingredient statement may not list one of these allergens, our products may be prepared with equipment that is shared with products containing one or more of these allergens.
Qdoba Allergen Policy (Gluten-Free)
On the bright side, at least Qdoba makes it really easy for you to filter out their menu for the items that you have to avoid, and it starts by heading over to the official Qdoba website. 🌐
Once you’re on the Qdoba homepage, scroll all the way down until you find their “Our Food” section in the footer, and pay very close attention to these 3 very handy and useful links:
- Dietary Preferences – Clicking this opens a PDF in a new tab that categorizes Qdoba’s menus based on dietary restrictions, including foods that pass as being vegan, vegetarian, low carb, and keto-friendly. As a celiac, consider looking at foods that fall under that “gluten-friendly” column, and anything with a ✖️ symbol here denotes that these items are gluten-friendly.
- Nutrition Guide – Meanwhile, this opens a PDF in a new tab that offers you a highly detailed breakdown of the nutritional values in every single Qdoba menu item, including the total fat, calories, cholesterol, carbs, fiber, sugar, protein, sodium content, and more. Aside from that, this PDF also lists the allergens included in each item, including W (Wheat) and G (Gluten).
- Allergen Guide – This opens up a PDF in a new tab that gives you a more concise look at each Qdoba menu item’s included list of allergens, such as soy, milk, egg, nuts, fish, sesame, and a lot more besides. As a celiac, you really want to avoid any items here that’ve been marked as containing or “may contain” (either the ✖️ or 🔺 symbol) wheat and gluten allergens.
On that note, remember to check in regularly with these dietary, nutrition, and allergen PDF guides, as Qdoba frequently updates them as menu items, suppliers, or ingredients change.
Toppings
Famed for their highly customizable bowls and flatbreads, Qdoba has a massive selection of different toppings that you can modify your bowls, tacos, burritos, and quesadillas with. 🌮
✅ Apple Sauce, Natural
✅ Bacon
✅ Black Beans
✅ Brisket Birria
✅ Chile Corn Salsa
✅ Chile Crema
✅ Cholula Hot & Sweet Chicken
✅ Chopped Cilantro
✅ Chorizo
❌ Churro Bites
✅ Cilantro Lime Rice
✅ Citrus Lime Vinaigrette
❌ Cookie, Chocolate Chunk
✅ Cotija Cheese
❌ Crispy Taco Shell
❌ Crunchy Tortilla Shell
❌ Double Chocolate Brownie
✅ Eggs
✅ Fajita Veggies
❌ Flour Tortilla (5.5″, 10″, 12.5″)
✅ Grilled Adobo Chicken
✅ Ground Beef
✅ Grilled Steak
✅ Habanero Salsa
✅ Hand Crafted Guacamole
✅ Nutella
✅ Picante Ranch Dressing
✅ Pickled Jalapenos
✅ Pickled Red Onion
✅ Pico de Gallo
✅ Pinto Beans
✅ Plant-Based Impossible
✅ Pork Carnitas
✅ Queso Diablo
✅ Roasted Tomato Salsa
✅ Romaine Lettuce
✅ Salsa Roja
✅ Salsa Verde
❌ Seasoned Potatoes
✅ Shredded Cheese
✅ Sour Cream
✅ Soybean Oil
✅ Three Cheese Queso
❌ Tortilla Chips
✅ Tortilla Strips
❌ Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas
Just to be extra sure, let’s break these apart and take a closer peek at what they’re made of:
Apple Sauce, Natural: Smooth, unsweetened apple purée served as a kid-friendly side or as a topping. Ingredient-wise, it contains no wheat as per Qdoba’s allergen guide. Still, request a clean scoop to avoid cross-contact from nearby baked/dessert items.
Bacon: Smoked, sliced pork bacon crisped for bowls and tacos. Qdoba lists it as free of wheat ingredients, but glazed or flavoured bacon varieties sometimes include additives, so ask the staff to confirm that there are no wheat-containing glazes.
Black Beans: Slow-simmered black beans seasoned with salt and aromatics. The beans are listed as wheat-free by Qdoba, and they’re a low-risk protein option, but verify that the ladles are changed if you’re extremely sensitive to cross-contact.
Brisket Birria: Slow-cooked, seasoned beef brisket in aromatic birria spices. Qdoba’s allergen guide does not flag wheat here. Still, request separate handling and that it not be mixed with breaded or flour-tossed items.
Chile Corn Salsa: Roasted corn kernels tossed with chiles, lime, and seasoning. The salsa here contains no wheat as per Qdoba’s allergen guide. Because it’s a shared scoop item, ask the staff to use a fresh scoop for your order.
Chile Crema: A tangy, slightly spicy crema for drizzling. Qdoba doesn’t list wheat in this dairy-based topping, but confirm that the ladle and the container haven’t been used with breaded components to reduce cross-contact risk.
Cholula Hot & Sweet Chicken: Grilled chicken tossed in a Cholula-style hot-and-sweet glaze. The chicken is listed without wheat ingredients, but ask that it be plated separately from any flour tortillas or fried items to limit cross-contact.
Chopped Cilantro: Fresh chopped cilantro used as a bright finishing herb. Naturally wheat-free by ingredient, cilantro is a safe garnish, but just request it be taken from a fresh container if you’re highly sensitive.
Chorizo: Spicy ground pork sausage seasoned with paprika and chiles. Qdoba marks it as free of wheat ingredients, but processed sausages sometimes include fillers, so double-check the ingredient list if you need strict assurance.
Churro Bites: Mini fried dough pieces dusted with cinnamon-sugar. Qdoba’s allergen guide flags these as containing wheat, so avoid them entirely if you have celiac disease.
Cilantro Lime Rice: Fluffy rice tossed with fresh cilantro and lime juice. Listed as wheat-free by Qdoba, and it’s a reliable gluten-friendly starch, but ask that it be scooped with a clean utensil away from tortillas and dessert scoops.
Citrus Lime Vinaigrette: Olive-oil-based vinaigrette with citrus and lime. No wheat listed in the allergen guide, and because it’s bottled or dispensed, it’s relatively low risk, but request a fresh pour if worried about shared ladles.
Cookie, Chocolate Chunk: Large chocolate-chunk cookie sold as a dessert. Qdoba flags this item as containing wheat, so do not order this if you’re a celiac and you must avoid gluten.
Cotija Cheese: Dry, crumbly Mexican cheese used as a topping. Cotija is naturally wheat-free by ingredient, and it’s also listed as safe by Qdoba, but request separate handling to avoid shared grating/shaker cross-contact.
Crispy Taco Shell: Pre-formed crunchy corn-style shell that Qdoba flags as containing wheat, and it’s worth bearing in mind that some crispy shells are dusted or made with flour blends, so avoid this unless the staff confirms otherwise.
Crunchy Tortilla Shell: Another crunchy shell option that’s been flagged for wheat in Qdoba’s allergen guide. Even if it looks like corn, the preparation or coating can include wheat, so skip this one if you must be strict.
Double Chocolate Brownie: Dense chocolate brownie with extra chocolate. Contains wheat as per Qdoba’s allergen list, making it unsafe for celiacs or if you’re highly gluten intolerant.
Eggs: Scrambled or folded eggs are used for breakfast bowls. Qdoba lists eggs as free from wheat ingredients. Ask that the eggs be cooked on a clean surface away from breaded or flour-dusted items.
Fajita Veggies: Sautéed peppers and onions cooked with fajita seasonings. Marked wheat-free by Qdoba, and while these are a safe veggie option, request separate tongs to minimize cross-contact with breaded toppings.
Flour Tortilla (5.5″, 10″, 12.5″): All flour tortilla sizes are made from wheat flour, and they’re all flagged as containing gluten, so avoid these and choose bowls or corn options where possible.
Grilled Adobo Chicken: Marinated grilled chicken with adobo spices. Qdoba’s guide lists this protein as wheat-free by ingredient. Still, ask that it be prepared and served away from fried or breaded items.
Ground Beef: Seasoned ground beef used as a protein topping. The meat itself is not flagged for wheat by Qdoba, but verify the seasoning blend for fillers and request separate utensils when assembling your bowl.
Grilled Steak: Sliced grilled steak seasoned simply. Listed as not containing wheat in the allergen guide, and it’s a great low-risk protein choice when you request plain prep and separate handling.
Habanero Salsa: Fiery habanero-based salsa. As per Qdoba’s allergen guide, there’s no wheat present, but because salsas are shared-scoop items, request a fresh scoop to avoid cross-contact.
Handcrafted Guacamole: Fresh avocado mashed with lime, cilantro, and seasonings. Guacamole is not flagged for wheat, and it’s an excellent gluten-friendly topping, but ask for it in a clean container with a fresh spoon, just to be extra safe.
Nutella: Chocolate-hazelnut spread used as a dessert drizzle. Nutella contains no wheat in its standard recipe, but Qdoba’s usage may touch baked items, so request a clean utensil and confirm no wheat-containing garnishes are added.
Picante Ranch Dressing: Creamy ranch with a spicy kick. Listed as free of wheat ingredients. However, ask staff to pour fresh and avoid ladles used with croutons or baked goods to reduce risk.
Pickled Jalapenos: Pickled jalapeño slices in brine. These are wheat-free by ingredient, but check that jars and tongs are clean and dedicated to pickles only to minimize cross-contact.
Pickled Red Onion: Vinegar-pickled red onion slices. The pickling brine contains no wheat, and pickled onions are safe by ingredient, but again, ask for separate utensils when possible.
Pico de Gallo: Fresh chopped tomato, onion, cilantro, and lime. Naturally wheat-free and low risk by ingredient, but request a fresh scoop to avoid shared-scoop contamination.
Pinto Beans: Seasoned pinto beans simmered until tender. Qdoba lists them as wheat-free ingredients, and they’re a trustworthy gluten-friendly protein when served with clean utensils.
Plant-Based Impossible: Plant-based ground-style protein (Impossible). Qdoba does not flag wheat in this product, but plant proteins vary, so confirm the specific ingredients if you have extreme sensitivity to gluten.
Pork Carnitas: Slow-roasted shredded pork with Mexican seasonings. Listed as wheat-free by Qdoba’s allergen guide, but request that it not be mixed on surfaces used for wheat-based items.
Queso Diablo: Spicy queso cheese dip with chiles. Qdoba lists three-cheese queso options as not containing wheat, but confirms that the queso ladle isn’t shared with bread-dippers to reduce cross-contact.
Roasted Tomato Salsa: Charred tomato salsa with aromatics. Not flagged for wheat by Qdoba and their allergen guide, and it’s safe by ingredient, but request a fresh scoop if you’re worried about shared utensils.
Romaine Lettuce: Crisp romaine used for bowls and salads. It’s naturally wheat-free and low risk by ingredient and recipe, but request it be handled away from croutons or tortilla-chip stations.
Salsa Roja: Classic red tomato salsa. Per Qdoba’s allergen guide, it contains no wheat, but like other salsas, ask for a fresh scoop to avoid cross-contact at the prep station.
Salsa Verde: Tomatillo-based green salsa. It’s not flagged for wheat by Qdoba’s allergen guide, and it’s a safe, flavorful choice, but request separate handling if you’re highly sensitive to trace contamination.
Seasoned Brown Rice: Rice seasoned in Qdoba’s signature blend. Qdoba doesn’t flag the rice as containing wheat, but check with the staff at your location, and ask the staff about shared scoops.
Seasoned Potatoes: Diced potatoes seasoned and roasted with spice blends. Qdoba flags this item as containing wheat, likely due to a seasoning blend or coating, so avoid it if you must be strictly gluten-free.
Shredded Cheese: Blend of shredded cheeses used as a topping. Cheese itself is typically wheat-free by ingredient, but check for any pre-shredded anti-caking agents if you’re highly sensitive to gluten, though Qdoba does not flag it for wheat.
Sour Cream: Cultured dairy topping for bowls and tacos. Qdoba lists sour cream as free from wheat ingredients, making it a safe creamy topping by ingredient, but still, request a clean scoop.
Soybean Oil: Vegetable oil used for cooking and frying. Soybean oil itself contains no wheat. However, if fryers are shared with breaded items, cross-contact can occur, so ask how the oil is used for fried items.
Three Cheese Queso: Creamy blend of three cheeses used as a dip or topping. Qdoba’s allergen guide lists queso without wheat, but confirm that the ladles are replaced if they’re used near baked goods or breaded items.
Tortilla Chips: Tortilla chips are flagged by Qdoba’s allergen guide as containing wheat at some locations, possibly due to shared fryers or a wheat-containing seasoning, so avoid them if you require strict gluten avoidance.
Tortilla Strips: Thin-cut strips used as a crunchy topping for salads and bowls. Qdoba does not flag the standard tortilla strips for wheat in many locations, but because processing varies, ask staff for confirmation and separate handling.
Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas: Made from whole-wheat flour and clearly contain gluten, which Qdoba flags as unsafe for celiacs. Avoid and request bowls or corn alternatives.
On the bright side, most of these toppings are naturally wheat-free and gluten-free, but you are dealing with the fact that the taco, tortilla, and breaded wraps are glutenous. 🌯🔥🥙
Breakfast & Bowls
Whether it’s for breakfast or lunch, Qdoba’s bowls are a really good alternative to the usual breaded wraps, but approach with an abundance of caution if you’re a celiac. 🥗🌶️🧀🥙
❌ Create Your Own Breakfast Burrito
⚠️ Create Your Own Breakfast Bowl
❌ Create Your Own Breakfast Quesadilla
⚠️ Create Your Own Bowl
❌ Create Your Own Loaded Tortilla Soup
⚠️ Cholula Hot & Sweet Chicken Bowl
⚠️ Double Protein Post-Workout Bowl
⚠️ Chicken Queso Bowl
⚠️ Fajita Veggie Post-Workout Bowl
⚠️ Create Your Own Mini Bowl
To make absolutely sure that these are actually unsafe, let’s take a closer look at each one:
Create Your Own Breakfast Burrito: A flour tortilla stuffed with eggs, cheese, potatoes or rice, and your choice of proteins. It contains wheat by default because of the flour tortilla, so it’s unsafe for celiacs unless a certified gluten-free wrap is provided, which isn’t available.
Create Your Own Breakfast Bowl: Build a morning bowl over rice or potatoes with eggs, proteins, cheese, and salsa. The ingredients are often wheat-free, but the shared service line, tongs, and scoops raise cross-contact risk, so order with separate prep, just to be safe.
Create Your Own Breakfast Quesadilla: Flour tortilla folded around cheese and fillings, grilled until golden. The quesadilla uses wheat flour tortillas by design, so it’s unsafe for strict gluten avoidance and should be avoided by anyone with celiac disease.
Create Your Own Bowl: Customizable bowls layered with cilantro-lime rice or beans, proteins, salsas, and toppings. While most components are wheat-free by ingredient, shared utensils, cutting boards, and tortilla dust make these bowls a moderate cross-contact risk.
Create Your Own Loaded Tortilla Soup: Hearty soup finished with tortilla strips, cheese, and toppings. Qdoba flags this as containing wheat (either the tortilla strips or thickener), so it’s unsafe for celiacs unless they offer a certified gluten-free version, which is unavailable.
Cholula Hot & Sweet Chicken Bowl: Grilled chicken tossed in hot-and-sweet Cholula glaze over rice and toppings. The chicken and bases are typically wheat-free by ingredient, but the glaze and assembly line may introduce cross-contact, so request separate prep and fresh utensils.
Double Protein Post-Workout Bowl: Two proteins (chicken/steak or alternatives) over rice and veggies for extra protein. Proteins and veggies themselves are usually wheat-free, but shared scoops, seasoning blends, and line-side cross-contamination mean you should ask for careful handling.
Chicken Queso Bowl: Grilled chicken with queso and toppings over rice or beans. Queso and chicken are often listed as wheat-free, yet queso ladles, shared tools, and optional tortilla strips create cross-contact possibilities, so request clean serving tools and no tortilla add-ins.
Fajita Veggie Post-Workout Bowl: Sautéed peppers and onions with rice and beans for a veggie-forward bowl. Veggies and rice are naturally wheat-free, but watch for shared skillets, tongs, and seasoning blends, and ask the staff for separate tongs and clean scoops.
Create Your Own Mini Bowl: Smaller, customizable bowl with the same ingredient choices as regular bowls. By ingredient, it can be low-risk, but the identical shared prep-line risks apply, so ask for separate handling, no tortilla strips, and a fresh spoon/ladle to be extra safe.
Even if you skip all the wheat-based burritos, tortillas, and quesadillas, Qdoba’s bowls come with high cross-contact risks, not to mention the choice of highly glutenous toppings. 🍲🥣
Burritos, Quesadillas & Nachos
Qdoba is well-known for its hearty variety of burritos, quesadillas, and nachos, but if your diet requires strict gluten avoidance, then bad news: not a single one of these is safe. 🌯🍗
❌ Create Your Own Burrito
❌ QuesaBirria Burrito
❌ Cholula Hot & Sweet Chicken Burrito
❌ Southwest Steak Burrito
❌ Chicken Queso Burrito
❌ Create Your Own 3-Cheese Nachos
❌ Create Your Own Cheese-Crusted Quesadilla
❌ Create Your Own Quesadilla
❌ QuesaBirria Quesadilla
❌ Smoky Chicken Cheese-Crusted Quesadilla
❌ Steak Fajita Quesadilla
And to ensure that these are 100% unsafe for celiacs, let’s take a peek at how they’re made:
Create Your Own Burrito: Large flour tortilla wrapped around rice, beans, protein, cheese, salsas, and toppings. The flour tortilla is a wheat product, making this item unsafe for celiacs, and the assembly station on shared lines further adds substantial cross-contact risk.
QuesaBirria Burrito: Slow-cooked birria, melted cheese, rice, and consommé-style juices that are then wrapped in a wheat flour tortilla. Because it’s rolled in a wheat tortilla and it’s often dipped/finished with cheese, the burrito contains gluten, and it’s unsafe for strict celiacs.
Cholula Hot & Sweet Chicken Burrito: Grilled chicken tossed in Cholula hot-sweet glaze with rice, beans, and cheese inside a flour tortilla. The flour wrap makes this unsafe, while the sauces and the shared utensils also increase cross-contact chances in the service line.
Southwest Steak Burrito: Sliced steak, seasoned rice, beans, cheese, and salsa enveloped in a wheat flour tortilla. The core issue is the flour tortilla, and additionally, steak seasonings and shared scoops can be sources of contamination for highly sensitive diners.
Chicken Queso Burrito: Grilled chicken and creamy queso folded with rice and beans inside a large flour tortilla. Queso itself may be wheat-free, but the wheat tortilla renders the whole item unsafe for celiacs and those avoiding gluten.
Create Your Own 3-Cheese Nachos: Tortilla chips piled with a trio of cheeses, proteins, and salsas. Qdoba flags tortilla chips as containing wheat, so this nacho platter is unsafe by ingredient so avoid this if you need strict gluten-free options.
Create Your Own Cheese-Crusted Quesadilla: Flour tortilla filled with cheese, crisped to form a cheese crust. The base uses a wheat tortilla, and the grill may be shared. Therefore, this particular item contains gluten, and it’s not safe for celiac diners.
Create Your Own Quesadilla: Flour tortilla folded with cheese and chosen fillings, grilled until golden. Because the quesadilla is built with wheat tortillas and prepared on shared flat-top grills, it’s unsafe for celiacs.
QuesaBirria Quesadilla: Birria meat and melted cheese sandwiched in a wheat tortilla and seared. The wheat tortilla and shared prep surfaces make this quesadilla unsafe for people who must avoid gluten strictly.
Smoky Chicken Cheese-Crusted Quesadilla: Smoked or seasoned chicken with cheese on a flour tortilla crisped to a cheese crust. The wheat tortilla and shared equipment make this item unsafe for celiacs and anyone avoiding gluten entirely.
Steak Fajita Quesadilla: Sliced steak, sautéed peppers and onions with cheese in a wheat flour tortilla, grilled. The wheat-based tortilla and line prep create both ingredient-level gluten and cross-contact risks, so avoid this if you have celiac disease.
Unfortunately, Qdoba relies on wheat-based burritos, quesadillas, and tortilla chips that you would find in their nachos, making this entire menu section a no-go for celiacs. 🥙🍅🧀🔥
Salads & Tacos
For something a bit lighter, Qdoba also has its tacos and salads, and while their salads are relatively safe (or at least, they could be made safe), it’s not the same with the tacos. 🌮🥗
✅ Create Your Own Salad
✅ Citrus Lime Chicken Salad
❌ Create Your Own 3 Tacos
❌ Street Style Chicken Tacos
❌ Street Style Pork Carnitas Tacos
❌ Create Your Own Taco
To figure out what makes Qdoba’s tacos such a deadly combo, let’s take a closer peek:
Create Your Own Salad: Base of romaine or mixed greens topped with rice, beans, proteins, salsas, cheese, and vegetables. It’s safe by ingredient if you skip tortilla chips/strips and flour tortillas, and ask for dressing on the side and separate utensils to reduce cross-contact.
Citrus Lime Chicken Salad: Grilled citrus-lime chicken over crisp romaine with pico, cotija cheese, and citrus-lime vinaigrette. Recipe-wise, this salad is free of wheat, but request no tortilla strips and ask staff to prep it away from tortilla and chip stations to limit contamination.
Create Your Own 3 Tacos: Three tacos built on flour tortillas or crunchy shells with your choice of protein, salsas, and toppings. Because Qdoba’s taco shells/wrappers contain wheat, and the assembly is on a shared line, this item is unsafe for celiacs or if you’re highly intolerant.
Street Style Chicken Tacos: Grilled chicken, pickled onions, cilantro, and salsa served in a wheat-based tortilla or crispy shell. The tortilla/shell contains gluten, and the shared prep raises cross-contact risk, so this menu item is not safe for strict gluten avoidance, either.
Street Style Pork Carnitas Tacos: Slow-cooked pork carnitas with pico, cilantro, and finishing salsa in a flour or crunchy wheat shell. The shell contains wheat, and the line prep introduces contamination risk, so avoid this item entirely if you require a gluten-free meal.
Create Your Own Taco: Any custom taco built on Qdoba’s flour tortillas or crunchy shells with proteins, rice, beans, and salsas. Since the default taco wrappers contain wheat and assembly uses shared utensils, this is unsafe for folks who are highly gluten intolerant, too.
Since Qdoba relies on wheat-based taco shells, with no corn-only substitutes or other gluten-friendly alternatives, not a single taco on their entire menu is safe for celiacs. 🧀🍅🍗🧅
Kids Meals
Alas, while Qdoba’s kids’ menu is pretty tiny compared to most other restaurants, if any kids here have celiac disease or are highly gluten intolerant, these aren’t safe for them. 🥙🧀
❌ 2 Taco Kit Kids Meal
❌ Quesadilla Kids Meal
❌ 3-Cheese Nachos Kids Meal
To take a closer look at why these kids’ meals are unsafe, let’s see what they’re made of:
2 Taco Kit Kids Meal: Two small tacos built on flour tortillas with a protein, cheese, and mild salsa. The flour tortillas contain wheat, and assembly uses shared utensils and prep lines, which makes this unsafe for children with celiac disease.
Quesadilla Kids Meal: Melted cheese (often with a protein) folded in a flour tortilla and grilled. The quesadilla uses wheat flour tortillas and a shared grill/line, so it contains gluten and is not appropriate for strict gluten-free kids.
3-Cheese Nachos Kids Meal: Tortilla chips topped with shredded cheeses and possibly a mild salsa. Qdoba’s tortilla chips contain wheat (and are often fried/handled on shared lines), so this nachos kit is unsafe for celiac diners.
Thanks to Qdoba’s heavy reliance on wheat-based tacos, quesadillas, and tortilla chips, with not a single gluten-friendly substitute available, not a single kid’s meal here is safe. 🌮🍖
Chips, Dips, Sides & Desserts
Qdoba has a rock-solid variety of dips, sides, and sweets, and luckily, most of their dips and classic sides are wheat-free by ingredient, though not so much with the baked goods. 🍲
❌ Cup of Tortilla Soup
⚠️ 3-Cheese Queso & Chips
⚠️ Queso Diablo & Chips
⚠️ Hand-Crafted Guacamole & Chips
⚠️ Salsa & Chips
✅ Side of 3-Cheese Queso
✅ Side of Queso Diablo
✅ Side of Guacamole
✅ Side of Salsa
✅ Side of Cilantro Lime Rice
✅ Side of Brown Rice
✅ Side of Black Beans
❌ Chocolate Chunk Cookie
❌ Chocolate Brownie
For comparison’s sake, let’s take a closer look at these and see what they’re really made of:
Cup of Tortilla Soup: A warm, tomato-and-chicken broth soup finished with tortilla strips, spices, and avocado. Qdoba’s allergen guide flags this item for wheat, typically due to added tortilla strips or a wheat-thickened base, so it’s unsafe for strict celiacs.
3-Cheese Queso & Chips: A melty blend of cheeses served with tortilla chips. The queso itself is usually wheat-free by ingredient, but the included chips contain wheat, so this combo carries a high gluten risk and should be ordered cautiously.
Queso Diablo & Chips: Spicy, seasoned three-cheese queso with a chili kick, paired with chips. The dip is generally wheat-free, but the package includes tortilla chips made with wheat, and therefore, the full combo is pretty risky for celiacs.
Hand-Crafted Guacamole & Chips: Fresh smashed avocado with lime, cilantro, and onion served with chips. The guac is gluten-free by ingredient, yet the accompanying chips here contain wheat, so the combo is flagged as a cross-contact risk for gluten-sensitive diners.
Salsa & Chips: Fresh salsas served alongside tortilla chips. Salsas are typically gluten-free by recipe, but the chips provided may contain wheat, so the combined dish comes with a pretty high cross-contact risk if you eat the chips.
Side of 3-Cheese Queso: A small portion of melty three-cheese queso for dipping. By ingredient, the queso is wheat-free, making it a safer dip option if you avoid using the restaurant’s tortilla chips and request separate utensils.
Side of Queso Diablo: Single serving of the spicy Diablo queso. Ingredient-wise, it contains no wheat, so it’s safe by recipe, but ask staff to serve it in a clean container and avoid pairing with restaurant chips to reduce cross-contact.
Side of Guacamole: Small portion of hand-crafted guacamole. This is gluten-free by ingredient, and it’s a safe side choice so long as you request no chips and insist on using fresh gloves and utensils during prep.
Side of Salsa: A single serving of salsa roja or verde. Salsas are wheat-free by ingredient, and they’re a low-risk option if you skip the tortilla chips and verify clean ladles and prep surfaces.
Side of Cilantro Lime Rice: Fluffy rice tossed with cilantro and lime. This side is gluten-free by ingredient and a reliable, low-risk carb option for celiac diners, but just confirm no seasoned potato mix-ins were added.
Side of Brown Rice: Plain seasoned brown rice. Safe by recipe and free from wheat, it’s a good, filling gluten-free side when you ask staff to plate it separately.
Side of Black Beans: Slow-cooked black beans seasoned simply. Beans are gluten-free by ingredient, and they make a dependable, protein-rich side, but require a clean scoop to avoid utensil cross-contact.
Chocolate Chunk Cookie: Large bakery cookie made with wheat flour, sugar, and chocolate pieces. This is a wheat-based bakery item and therefore unsafe for people with celiac disease or strict gluten intolerance.
Chocolate Brownie: Dense, chocolate-baked brownie which contains wheat flour. As a bakery dessert that lists wheat in its ingredients, this item is unsafe for anyone avoiding gluten, too.
Sadly, Qdoba’s tortilla chips, as well as their desserts and bakery items, introduce a huge risk when it comes to wheat and gluten, so make sure to approach them with caution. 🍪🍫🎂
Drinks
As with most restaurants, Qdoba’s drink selection is really straightforward, and pretty much all of their drinks here are naturally free of wheat and gluten components. 🥤☕️🍹🍸🍵
✅ Simply Orange Juice (Pulp Free)
✅ Coffee
✅ Coca-Cola
✅ Diet Coke
✅ Dr. Pepper
✅ Sprite
✅ Barq’s
✅ Coca-Cola Zero Sugar
✅ Iced Tea
✅ Lemonade
✅ Coca-Cola 20 oz Bottle Beverage
✅ Diet Coke 20 oz Bottle Beverage
✅ Mexican Coke
✅ DASANI Bottle Water
✅ Jarritos Mandarin
✅ Jarritos Pineapple
✅ Jarritos Lime
✅ Gold Peak Raspberry
Just so we’re absolutely sure that these beverages are safe, let’s take a closer look at them:
Simply Orange Juice (Pulp Free): Pasteurized, pulp-free orange juice in a bottled or dispenser format. By ingredient, it contains no wheat or gluten, making it a safe, vitamin-rich choice, though you might prefer factory-sealed bottles to avoid dispenser cross-contact.
Coffee: Brewed hot coffee served from a pot or machine. Coffee beans contain no gluten, so it’s gluten-free by recipe, but just ask staff to prepare it away from pastry stations if you’re worried about airborne crumbs or used spoons.
Coca-Cola: Classic cola syrup and carbonation. The cola syrup is free of wheat ingredients, so Coca-Cola is gluten-free by ingredient, but when using a fountain, request a wiped nozzle or bottled Coke to minimize cross-contact risk.
Diet Coke: Zero-calorie cola using diet syrup. Diet Coke does not contain wheat or gluten as an ingredient. For maximal safety, you might prefer sealed bottles or ask the staff to clean the dispenser nozzle before pouring.
Dr. Pepper: Spiced cola-style soda made from syrup and carbonated water. Dr. Pepper is gluten-free by ingredient, but if it’s dispensed from a shared fountain, consider a bottled can to eliminate any dispenser cross-contact concerns.
Sprite: Lemon-lime soda made from flavor syrup and carbonated water. Sprite is gluten-free by recipe and a low-risk soda choice, but use a bottle if you want to avoid shared fountains or nozzles.
Barq’s: Classic root beer served fountain or bottled. Barq’s contains no wheat ingredients by recipe, but bottled Barq’s reduces the small cross-contact risk that can come from shared fountain nozzles.
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar: Sugar-free cola with a similar ingredient profile to Diet Coke. It’s gluten-free by ingredient, but choose a sealed bottle when you’d like to reduce any dispenser-related cross-contact.
Iced Tea: Brewed black or flavored iced tea. Tea leaves are gluten-free by ingredient, but just confirm any added syrups or flavorings are wheat-free, and ask for a fresh pour if the dispenser is shared.
Lemonade: House or bottled lemonade made from lemon and syrup. Lemonade is gluten-free by recipe, but request a clean pour and skip any pastry garnishes to avoid trace contamination.
Coca-Cola 20 oz Bottle Beverage: Factory-sealed 20 oz Coca-Cola bottle. Sealed bottles are the safest option when dining out, with no dispenser contact and effectively zero cross-contact risk.
Diet Coke 20 oz Bottle Beverage: Factory-sealed Diet Coke bottle. Like other sealed beverages, this is a very low-risk, gluten-free choice and ideal for highly sensitive diners.
Mexican Coke: Glass-bottled Coca-Cola sweetened with cane sugar. The glass-bottled format reduces cross-contact risk, and the ingredient list contains no wheat, making this a safe and refreshing option.
DASANI Bottle Water: Factory-sealed bottled water. Plain bottled water is effectively zero risk for gluten cross-contact and the safest beverage choice in any shared kitchen environment.
Jarritos Mandarin: Bottle of Jarritos Mandarin soda. Jarritos are bottled fruit sodas with no wheat ingredients by recipe, so they’re a safe, sealed alternative to fountain sodas.
Jarritos Pineapple: Bottled Jarritos pineapple soda. This flavored soda is gluten-free by ingredient and safe in its sealed bottle form, ideal for avoiding shared-dispense cross-contact.
Jarritos Lime: Jarritos lime soda in a sealed bottle. Gluten-free by recipe and low-risk when consumed from the bottle, though just avoid any pastry garnishes that might be served with it.
Gold Peak Raspberry: Bottled Gold Peak flavored iced tea. The factory-sealed bottle and the gluten-free ingredient list make this a reliable, low-risk choice for celiac diners.
Of course, for added safety, whether you’re ordering fountain, bottled, or canned drinks, you may prefer factory-sealed drinks and be wary of shared dispensers for cross-contact risks. 🧃
To Sum Up
As with a lot of Mexican restaurants, then, Qdoba is quite a bit of a mixed bag if you want to dine out as a celiac, mostly thanks to its very wheat-heavy components and items.
Tortilla chips, crispy taco shells, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, and everything in between it’s made with wheat in mind, with no corn-based substitutes or gluten-friendly options.
That’s a bit of a shame, given that pretty much most of the toppings and ingredients that you could customize your bowl or flatbread wrap with are mainly naturally free of wheat.
There’s a massive variety of proteins, veggies, cheeses, sauces, spices, and dressings that are wheat-free and gluten-free, but what’s the point of the wrapper itself is made of wheat?
With most of the entrées off-limits to celiacs, even Qdoba’s bowls, salads, and chips do come with rather high cross-contamination risks, leaving celiacs like us with fewer options still.
Alas, as much as I’d love to recommend Qdoba to my fellow celiacs, there are other Mexican fast-casual chains out there that do a better job at catering to those who can’t eat gluten.
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 Potbelly, Red Lobster, Yard House, LongHorn, Pei Wei, Wendy’s, Cheddar’s, Bob Evans, BJ’s, Maggiano’s, Carrabba’s, MOD Pizza, Little Caesars, and more! 🍔🍟🍗
Stay safe and gluten‑aware, my celiac friends! 💖🥗
Frequently Asked Questions
As I was working on this Qdoba gluten-free menu guide, I came across a few really intriguing questions floating around social media and food forums, so I thought I’d answer them here:
Does Qdoba have gluten-free options?
Only if you look carefully! Their rice bowls, burrito bowls, salads, and most of their proteins, including grilled chicken, steak, and pork carnitas, are technically free of wheat. That said, a huge chunk of their menu presents high cross-contact risks, so approach with heavy caution.
Is Qdoba safe for celiacs?
Not entirely. While Qdoba offers many wheat-free items and components, their kitchen isn’t dedicated to gluten-free prep, so cross-contact could happen since wheat tortillas, chips, and taco shells are prepared nearby. Therefore, be sure to request careful prep from the staff.
What are the best gluten-free meals at Qdoba?
Some of the safer options at Qdoba are their Create Your Own Bowls or Chicken Queso Bowl made with cilantro lime rice, black beans, fajita veggies, grilled chicken, and guacamole. You can also enjoy the Fajita Veggie Post-Workout Bowl or a Citrus Lime Chicken Salad, too.
Are Qdoba chips gluten-free?
Officially, Qdoba’s allergen guide notes that their tortilla chips might contain wheat due to cross-contact during production or frying. Since they’re not guaranteed gluten-free, celiacs ought to avoid them entirely, unless your Qdoba location can confirm that they’re safe.
Does Qdoba have a gluten-free menu or allergen guide?
Qdoba doesn’t have a gluten-free menu, but they do have an allergen guide and even a very detailed dietary preferences guide, both of which can be found on their website, listing the menu items that contain any wheat and gluten, not to mention other allergens, as well.
Photo Credit
G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0, 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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