The Ultimate Rainforest Cafe Gluten-Free Menu Guide 2025
Explore the Rainforest Cafe gluten-free menu with our handy guide to avoid hidden gluten and enjoy a delicious, safe meal every time.
Themed restaurants are always super fun, but for me, as a strict celiac who has to keep a pretty close eye out for gluten, I’m more concerned about whether their menus are actually safe for me to eat, and so far, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. 😐
Some themed restaurants do it poorly, preferring form over function, and failing to cater to celiacs, as well as anyone who has severe gluten intolerances and sensitivities. ✋👉🚫🌾
On the other hand, you have Rainforest Cafe, a fun and family-friendly chain that’s been well-known for its theatrical dining, paired with a broad American-tropical fusion menu. If the experience alone isn’t enough to convince you, their menu might.
Their menu has plenty of naturally wheat-free items, including most of their proteins, sides, rice bowls, salads, and simple grilled items, which present a decent number of options for gluten-sensitive diners, and they even have a special menu for that!
Of course, no matter how well-intentioned or how well-prepared they might be, this quality can vary by location, and cross-contamination is always a serious concern, which is why our Rainforest Cafe is here to help you out. 🍚🍗🍝🥗
Table of Contents
Disclaimer
With that in mind, this is a good time to remind you that Rainforest Cafe doesn’t operate a dedicated, certified gluten-free kitchen space, and this means that cross-contamination can be a very real hazard that you have to look out for.
Your primary concerns when dining out at Rainforest Cafe ought to be their shared kitchen environments, as well as shared prep surfaces, fryers, utensils, bakery and dessert stations, along with shared cookware and lots more. 👩🍳🔪🍴
In other words, even if you order a naturally wheat-free menu item, there’s no guarantee that this particular item hasn’t contacted wheat and other glutenous components via trace gluten exposure, which happens in shared kitchen spaces.
This doesn’t just include wheat, either, as naturally wheat-free menu items might come into contact and get cross-contaminated with other glutenous ingredients like malt, barley, rye, and/or oats, most of the time during cooking or assembly.
Therefore, just to be extra safe, you should ideally treat even the safest, most wheat-free menu items at Rainforest Cafe more like “gluten-sensitive” rather than being 100% certified “gluten-free”, as they can’t offer that guarantee. 📑✍
Moreover, as with most restaurants out there, Rainforest Cafe hasn’t tested its menu items to meet the FDA’s super strict <20 ppm gluten threshold for food and drink items to be officially labeled and certified gluten-free. 😷🧪
That said, remember to inform the staff that you have celiac disease and any other dietary restrictions, ask for extra precautions to be made, and Rainforest Cafe even spells it out for you in their menu to be extra cautious:
Before placing your order, please inform your server if a person in your party has a food allergy.
Rainforest Cafe Allergen Policy (Gluten-Free)
On that note, Rainforest Cafe is unlike pretty much every other restaurant that I’ve covered in the past because they don’t appear to have a proper nutrition and/or allergen guide that covers its menus, at least not an official one. 📑✍
Usually, most restaurants have a dedicated webpage set up, or a PDF file, or even a clever little widget, thus allowing you to break down their menu items and see what’s inside each one, from nutritional data to allergen disclosures, too.
On the one hand, this makes it quite a bit more difficult for diners to filter out Rainforest Cafe’s massive menu to see which items are safe for them to eat (allergen-wise) and which ones they’d have to avoid like the plague. 👉🔎🌾
However, on the flipside, I’ve heard very good things about Rainforest Cafe being one of the most accommodating restaurants out there when it comes to catering to special dietary restrictions and allergies, which includes celiacs and gluten-free diners.
Besides, our Rainforest Cafe gluten-free menu guide is here to help you figure things out, and we’ve since done all the research in figuring out which dishes are safe for celiacs, and which ones aren’t, so let’s take a closer look and see what they’ve got!
Gluten-Sensitive
First off, let’s start strong with one of the best parts about eating out at Rainforest Cafe as a celiac, and that is the fact that they have a dedicated gluten-sensitive menu, and unlike the rest of their menu, these are extra safe. 🥗🍔🍤🥪
✅ Black Bean Chili
✅ Chili Con Queso
✅ Beef Lava Nachos
✅ Paradise House Salad
✅ Little Islander Caesar Salad
✅ Volcanic Cobb Salad
✅ Primal Steak
✅ Atlantic Salmon
✅ Jungle Steak and Shrimp
✅ Grilled Chicken Breast
✅ Rainforest Burger
✅ Anaconda Pasta
✅ Kid’s Grilled Chicken Breast
✅ Kid’s Python Pasta
✅ Rainforest Root Beer Float
✅ Key Lime Pie
Just to make sure that these are 100% safe, let’s break them one by one to be extra safe:
Black Bean Chili: Hearty black bean chili that’s usually made with beans, spices, and vegetables. The ingredient-level gluten risk is low, but be sure to check for wheat-thickened broths or crouton/corn-chip garnish and request a clean ladle when ordering.
Chili Con Queso: Warm cheese dip often offered with optional seasoned beef. The queso itself can be gluten-free by recipe, yet shared ladles and chip bins create cross-contact risk, so ask for a fresh serving utensil and sealed chips if possible.
Beef Lava Nachos: Tortilla chips topped with black bean chili, cheese, sour cream, and pico. If the chips and toppings are confirmed to be wheat-free, this can be safe, but request separate scoops and no flour-based add-ons to avoid cross-contact.
Paradise House Salad: Mixed greens with tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and a simple vinaigrette. By ingredient, this is low-risk, but make sure you omit the croutons, verify the dressing, and ask staff to assemble on a clean surface to limit trace contamination.
Little Islander Caesar Salad: Romaine, parmesan, and Caesar dressing. The core ingredients are typically gluten-sensitive, but confirm the dressing and skip croutons, and request tossing and plating on clean surfaces to reduce cross-contact from nearby bakery items.
Volcanic Cobb Salad: Grilled chicken, blue cheese, olives, eggs, and veggies with balsamic vinaigrette. Proteins and veg are normally wheat-free, but verify the vinaigrette and ask for separate prep (no croutons) to keep this option safer for sensitive diners.
Primal Steak: Aged center-cut steak with seasonal sides. Steak and most vegetable sides are ingredient-level gluten-free, but confirm any butter sauces or pan sauces don’t use flour thickeners and request separate plating to avoid shared-pan residue.
Atlantic Salmon: Grilled salmon served with jasmine rice and vegetables. Salmon and rice are typically wheat-free, though double-check that the glazes or sauces don’t contain soy/wheat and ask for clean tongs and a fresh plate when served.
Jungle Steak and Shrimp: Sirloin steak paired with shrimp scampi or grilled shrimp and veg. If shrimp scampi is served over rice (not pasta) and sauces are wheat-free, this can be a safe choice, but as always, double-check the sauce ingredients and request isolated prep.
Grilled Chicken Breast: Simple grilled chicken with sides like mashed potatoes or vegetables. The grilled protein is usually wheat-free, but confirm the marinades and request no gravy or flour-thickened sauces to keep this a gluten-sensitive pick.
Rainforest Burger: Burger served on a gluten-free bun with standard toppings. When the restaurant offers a verified gluten-free bun, this becomes a good option, but you should still ask that the patty and bun be assembled on a clean surface to avoid cross-contact.
Anaconda Pasta: Gluten-sensitive pasta with garden vegetables, mushrooms, and tomato-based sauce. It’s also made with a gluten-sensitive pasta option on the menu, so this dish can be safe, though verify the pasta type and confirm the sauce and prep area are free from wheat-containing ingredients.
Kid’s Grilled Chicken Breast: A smaller portion of grilled chicken for kids. As with the adult version, this is usually wheat-free by ingredient, though remember to ask staff to confirm marinade ingredients and request clean utensils and separate plating.
Kid’s Python Pasta: Kid-sized pasta option with choices like alfredo or marinara. If ordered with the restaurant’s gluten-sensitive pasta and a wheat-free sauce, this can be a safe kid’s meal, but of course, be sure to confirm pasta and sauce before ordering.
Rainforest Root Beer Float: Vanilla ice cream with root beer. Root beer and plain vanilla ice cream are typically wheat-free, though ask for a fresh scoop and a clean glass to avoid any trace contamination from dessert stations.
Key Lime Pie: Listed as gluten-sensitive on the menu. Double-check the crust, and ask staff whether a gluten-free crust is used (or request the pie without crust if available), and confirm the bakery components aren’t handled on shared surfaces.
Nonetheless, note that Rainforest Cafe itself labels this as “gluten-sensitive” instead of the “gluten-free” marker that I’d personally prefer, meaning that these menu items are prepped without wheat ingredients, but cross-contact risks still apply. 🍝
Appetizers, Soups & Salads
Rainforest Cafe has a huge selection of starters, which encompasses everything from fried bites, salads, and shareable dips, though many of these items include bread, batter, tortilla bowls, or crunchy add-ins, so remember to skip these. 🥗🥙🌮
⚠️ Chile Con Queso
❌ Chicken Quesadillas
⚠️ Beef Lava Nachos
❌ Amazon Bruschetta
❌ Mozzarella Flatbread with Arugula
⚠️ Spinach & Artichoke Dip
❌ Cheese Curds
❌ Korean Fried Chicken Lettuce Wraps
❌ Awesome Appetizer Adventure
⚠️ Soup of the Day
❌ Paradise House Salad
⚠️ Volcanic Cobb Salad
⚠️ Chopped Salad
⚠️ Big Islander Caesar Salad (Chicken)
⚠️ Big Islander Caesar Salad (Shrimp)
⚠️ Big Islander Caesar Salad (Salmon)
❌ China Island Chicken Salad
❌ Taco Salad (Ground Beef)
❌ Taco Salad (Chicken)
For context, let’s break these starters apart and see what they’re actually made of:
Chile Con Queso: Warm cheese dip commonly served with tortilla chips. The queso base may be thickened or cross-contaminated on shared ladles, so treat it as a cautionary item, and request a fresh serving utensil or sealed chips when possible.
Chicken Quesadillas: Flour tortilla filled with Cajun chicken, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, and pico de gallo. The flour wrap contains wheat by ingredient, and the grilled assembly uses shared surfaces, making this unsafe for celiac diners.
Beef Lava Nachos: Tortilla chips layered with peppers, onions, black bean chili, chili con queso, cheese, sour cream, and pico. Chips and toppings might be wheat-free by ingredient, but queso, chili thickeners, and shared scoopers create a moderate cross-contact risk.
Amazon Bruschetta: Herbed focaccia topped with tomatoes, garlic, basil, as well as fresh mozzarella. The focaccia is a wheat-based bread, so this item is unsafe for anyone avoiding gluten due to the ingredient-level wheat content.
Mozzarella Flatbread with Arugula: Flatbread with marinara, mozzarella, and finished with a salad. The flatbread is a wheat product, so this item contains gluten by ingredient and is unsafe for celiacs and strict gluten-free diners.
Spinach & Artichoke Dip: A warm, creamy spinach and artichoke dip typically served with bread or chips. The dip itself is sometimes thickened and almost always plated with bread, and shared serving tools increase cross-contact, so consider this a cautionary item.
Cheese Curds: Fried Wisconsin cheddar cheese curds coated and deep-fried. The batter contains wheat by ingredient, and shared fryers create a high cross-contact risk, making this unsafe for strict gluten avoidance.
Korean Fried Chicken Lettuce Wraps: Hand-battered chicken tossed in gochujang sauce with slaw, pineapple salsa, and peanuts served in lettuce cups. The chicken is battered and fried in wheat-containing coating, so this is unsafe for celiacs.
Awesome Appetizer Adventure: Mixed sampler that usually includes fried bites, cheese curds, spinach dip, and chicken strips. Because it bundles several breaded or baked items, this sampler contains wheat and carries a very high cross-contact risk, so avoid it.
Soup of the Day: Variable seasonal soup prepared in-house. Ingredient-wise, they change daily, and ladles and pots are shared, so treat it as conditionally safe only after asking staff for ingredient details and separate serving precautions.
Paradise House Salad: Mixed greens with tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and croutons, plus your choice of dressing. The default inclusion of croutons means wheat is present, though ask if you could omit the croutons and request separate plating to reduce cross-contact.
Volcanic Cobb Salad: Grilled chicken, blue cheese, olives, tomatoes, eggs, cucumbers, bacon, and balsamic vinaigrette. Proteins and veg are usually wheat-free by ingredient, but check the dressings and ask for no croutons and separate prep to limit cross-contact.
Chopped Salad: Turkey, ham, pepperoni, olives, red onion, cucumbers, tomatoes, cheeses, and zesty vinaigrette. Meats and cheese are often wheat-free by recipe, but dressings, pepperoni seasonings, and shared utensils create a moderate cross-contact risk.
Big Islander Caesar Salad (Chicken): Classic Caesar components with chicken. The salad may include croutons and Caesar dressing, so ask if you could omit the croutons and confirm the dressing ingredients, and ask the staff to toss on a clean surface, as well.
Big Islander Caesar Salad (Shrimp): Caesar-style with shrimp. The same guidance applies as above: remove the croutons, verify the dressing, and request separate plating and fresh utensils to further lower the risk of cross-contamination.
Big Islander Caesar Salad (Salmon): Caesar-style with salmon. Salmon and greens are likely wheat-free by ingredient, but croutons and shared prep tools create a cross-contact hazard unless staff take extra precautions.
China Island Chicken Salad: Grilled chicken with mandarin oranges, sesame seeds, rice noodles, and wonton strips. The rice noodles may be fine, but the wonton strips and some dressings contain wheat, so this is unsafe unless all crunchy wheat components are removed and prep is isolated.
Taco Salad (Ground Beef): Tortilla bowl with seasoned beef, cheeses, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa. The fried tortilla bowl and some seasoning blends contain wheat by ingredient or are fried in shared oil, so this is unsafe for strict gluten avoidance.
Taco Salad (Chicken): Tortilla bowl with chicken, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa. As with the other taco salad earlier, the tortilla bowl and shared fryers or seasonings introduce wheat by ingredient or cross-contact, so avoid unless a verified corn-bowl alternative is offered.
Most of the unsafe starters are the ones with obvious wheat components, such as focaccia, flatbreads, flour tortillas, battered or fried coatings, wonton strips, croutons, as well as their fried bowls, and cross-contact remains a concern, too. 🌯🔥
Pastas
If you’re craving something a bit heartier, Rainforest Cafe has a decent lineup of pastas and other noodle dishes, and while it’s not as straightforward as it seems, at least they offer the option of gluten-sensitive noodles if you want them. 🍝🌶️
⚠️ Anaconda Pasta
❌ Python Pasta
❌ Rasta Pasta
❌ Creole Mac N Cheese
❌ Southern Cross Lasagna
❌ Pastalaya (Spicy)
For comparison, let’s take a closer look at how each of these pasta dishes is made:
Anaconda Pasta: Gluten-sensitive cavatappi tossed with local garden vegetables, which include mushrooms, basil, parmesan, and a splash of white wine in a tomato sauce. Ingredient-wise, this uses a gluten-sensitive pasta option, but request separate prep and a clean scoop to avoid cross-contact.
Python Pasta: Grilled chicken breast folded into a creamy alfredo with parmesan over cavatappi pasta. The dish uses wheat pasta by default, so it’s unsafe for celiacs unless the location can swap a certified gluten-free pasta, and be sure to confirm separate handling.
Rasta Pasta: Sautéed chicken, broccoli, red peppers, and spinach in a pesto-alfredo over cavatappi. The sauce and protein are fine by ingredient, but the cavatappi contains wheat, so make sure to request a gluten-free pasta substitute and isolated prep if available.
Creole Mac N Cheese: Cavatappi with shrimp, andouille sausage, peppers, and a rich cheese sauce finished with chili butter breadcrumbs and tomatoes. The breadcrumb topping and the default wheat pasta option make this a no-go for celiacs.
Southern Cross Lasagna: Layers of pasta with Italian sausage, ground beef, spinach, basil, mozzarella, and parmesan. Built on traditional wheat lasagna sheets and then prepared on shared equipment, this is unsafe unless a certified gluten-free lasagna is provided.
Pastalaya (Spicy): Linguini tossed with shrimp, sautéed chicken, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and andouille in a spicy Cajun sauce. The linguini contains wheat by recipe and ingredient, so it’s not safe for strict gluten avoidance without a gluten-free pasta swap.
If you’re ordering a pasta from Rainforest Cafe’s menu, remember to ask the staff and make sure to double-check that they have gluten-sensitive pasta options available, and see if they could swap out the default wheat-based noodles. 🍜🧀🍅
Add-Ons, Sides & Desserts
Otherwise, if you’re looking for something lightweight, Rainforest Cafe’s sides and add-ons are the perfect complement to your entrées, ranging from simple veg and rice to shareable mash and big dessert showstoppers, and plenty more! 🥗🍚🍲
✅ Grilled Shrimp
❌ Fried Shrimp
❌ Coconut Shrimp
⚠️ Shrimp Scampi
⚠️ St. Louis Style Pork Spareribs
⚠️ Loaded Mashed Potatoes (Shareable)
✅ Seasonal Vegetables
✅ Island Rice
⚠️ Safari Fries
✅ Coconut Curry Tropical Slaw
✅ Red Skinned Mashed Potatoes
❌ Sparkling Volcano
❌ Key Lime Pie
❌ Tribal Cheesecake
Just to make sure that we got this right, let’s dive a bit deeper and take a closer peek:
Grilled Shrimp: Simple grilled shrimp served with a light seasoning or sauce and usually paired with rice or vegetables. The ingredients are typically wheat-free by recipe, but request isolated prep and fresh tongs to avoid cross-contact on shared grills.
Fried Shrimp: Breaded and deep-fried shrimp coated in wheat-based batter and cooked in shared fryers. The batter is an ingredient-level gluten source, and shared fryer oil/tools create a high cross-contact risk.
Coconut Shrimp: Shrimp coated in a wheat-containing batter and coconut, then fried. The coating contains wheat and is prepared in shared fryers, producing both ingredient-level gluten and high cross-contact risk.
Shrimp Scampi: Garlic-butter shrimp dish that may be served with pasta or rice, depending on the specific location. This dish is often wheat-free when plated over rice, but verify with the staff if it’s served with pasta or a wheat-thickened sauce.
St. Louis Style Pork Spareribs: Slow-cooked or smoked ribs finished with a sauce. The meat itself is usually wheat-free, but some barbecue sauces contain wheat-based thickeners or soy-based ingredients, so check the sauce.
Loaded Mashed Potatoes (Shareable): Creamy mashed potatoes topped with cheese, bacon, and scallions. Usually wheat-free by recipe, the toppings, gravy, or shared serving utensils can introduce gluten. Ask that no gravy or wheat-containing toppings be added.
Seasonal Vegetables: Steamed or roasted market vegetables prepared simply. By recipe and ingredient, this is typically wheat-free, though tosses or glazes can occasionally include thickeners, so request plain preparation and fresh tongs.
Island Rice: Flavored rice side (often coconut or lightly seasoned). Rice is naturally wheat-free by recipe, making this a solid low-risk option if the kitchen uses clean utensils and a separate prep space.
Safari Fries: Crisp fries that are often fried in shared oil. Potatoes themselves are wheat-free, but shared fryers with battered items are a common cross-contact source, so remember to confirm fryer practices.
Coconut Curry Tropical Slaw: Tropical slaw with coconut and a curry-style dressing. The ingredients are usually wheat-free, but they’re then prepped near fried items or with dressings containing hidden thickeners, so request fresh utensils and no added crunchy wheat toppings.
Red Skinned Mashed Potatoes: Simple red-skinned mashed potatoes made with milk/butter. This is typically wheat-free by recipe, but check for any gravy or breadcrumb toppings and ask for separate utensils to prevent cross-contact.
Sparkling Volcano: A huge dessert stack, with brownie and chocolate cake layered with ice cream, sauces, cookie pieces, and sprinkles. The brownie, cake, and cookie pieces contain wheat, and the item is assembled with bakery components.
Key Lime Pie: Classic pie with a likely graham or cookie crust and whipped topping. The crust is typically made with wheat-containing crackers, so this dessert contains gluten within the ingredients list.
Tribal Cheesecake: New York-style cheesecake served on a cookie/crust base with sauces. The crust is normally wheat-based, so this dessert has gluten baked right into the primary ingredients, making it off-limits to celiacs.
When ordering from Rainforest Cafe’s sides, add-ons, and desserts menu, remember to skip the battered shrimp, breadcrumbed toppings, and dessert crusts, as this is where you’ll find most of the gluten bits in this part of their menu. 🍤🍰🎂🍪
Seafood, Beef, Pork & Chicken
Meanwhile, Rainforest Cafe’s mains cover everything from battered and fried seafood to grilled steaks and Caribbean-style proteins, which, as you could imagine, leads to a diverse mix of safe and unsafe menu items to pick from. 🍖🥩🥓🔥
❌ Shrimp Sampler Platter
⚠️ Blackened Fish Tacos
❌ Fish-N-Chips
❌ Caribbean Coconut Fried Shrimp
❌ Tropical Salmon & Coconut Shrimp
❌ Taste of The Islands
⚠️ Mojo Bones
❌ Amazon Fajitas (Chicken)
❌ Amazon Fajitas (Beef)
❌ Amazon Fajitas (Combo)
❌ Jungle Steak & Shrimp
✅ Primal Steak
❌ Korean Spicy Stir-Fry
❌ Bimini Chicken
✅ T-Bone Steak
❌ Ribs, Steak & Shrimp Trio
Let’s take some time to break these entrées apart and figure out how they’re made:
Shrimp Sampler Platter: A mixed shrimp plate that typically includes Bourbon BBQ glazed shrimp plus Caribbean Coconut Shrimp, Fried Shrimp, and Shrimp Scampi served with island rice. Because the platter bundles battered/fried and coconut-coated shrimp, it contains wheat ingredients and a high cross-contact risk.
Blackened Fish Tacos: Blackened fish served with jalapeño ranch, red cabbage, citrus vinaigrette, pico de gallo, black beans, and jasmine rice. Tacos can be served on corn or flour tortillas, depending on the specific location, so treat it as conditionally safe and confirm the tortilla type and separate prep to avoid cross-contact.
Fish-N-Chips: English-style battered fish served with Safari fries and coconut curry tropical slaw. The fish is coated and fried in a wheat-containing batter, so this is unsafe for strict gluten avoidance and celiacs alike.
Caribbean Coconut Fried Shrimp: Shrimp breaded in a coconut-wheat coating and fried, typically plated with island rice and slaw. The batter contains wheat, and the item is fried in shared oil, making it unsafe for celiacs.
Tropical Salmon & Coconut Shrimp: Rum-glazed jerk salmon paired with Caribbean Coconut Shrimp, island rice, and vegetables. Because it includes coconut-coated fried shrimp, the dish contains wheat and is unsafe unless the shrimp component is omitted.
Taste of The Islands: A sampler featuring Caribbean Coconut Shrimp, mango-habanero glazed shrimp, and jerk tilapia with island rice and veg. With multiple fried, coconut, and breaded shrimp elements, this combo contains wheat and carries a high cross-contact risk.
Mojo Bones: Half rack of St. Louis pork spareribs finished with Smokin’ Mojo BBQ sauce, served with coconut curry tropical slaw and Safari fries. The ribs themselves are built around meat, which is often wheat-free, though some barbecue sauces may include wheat thickeners, so treat it as a cautionary item and confirm the sauce.
Amazon Fajitas (Chicken): Grilled peppers and onions with chicken, sides of rice and beans, and flour tortillas for wrapping. Because these are served with flour tortillas by default, the standard plate contains wheat and is unsafe for celiacs.
Amazon Fajitas (Beef): It’s the same format as the chicken fajitas, where you get grilled beef, peppers, rice, beans, and flour tortillas. The included flour tortillas make this unsafe for strict gluten avoidance unless a verified corn-tortilla alternative is offered.
Amazon Fajitas (Combo): Combination of the chicken and beef fajitas from earlier with the same sides and flour tortillas, which contains wheat by ingredient via the tortillas and is unsafe without special substitutions, such as a gluten-free tortilla wrapper.
Jungle Steak & Shrimp: Sirloin steak served with Shrimp Scampi and Caribbean Coconut Shrimp plus seasonal veggies. Because the plate includes coconut-coated fried shrimp, it contains wheat and is unsafe for celiacs unless shrimp components are removed and staff use isolated prep.
Primal Steak: Aged center-cut NY strip with red-skinned mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. Steak and plain sides are typically wheat-free by ingredient, making this one of the lower-risk entrées here, but you should still ask about compound butters or sauces and request separate plating.
Korean Spicy Stir-Fry: Stir-fried chicken and veg tossed in a Gochujang-style sauce and finished with crispy wontons and sesame seeds over jasmine rice. The crispy wontons (and potential soy/wheat in sauces) introduce wheat, and as such, this dish is unsafe for strict gluten avoidance.
Bimini Chicken: Caribbean-style fried chicken finished with hot honey sauce served with island rice and slaw. The chicken is fried/coated, which contains wheat, and shared fryers add cross-contact risk, so avoid this if you require gluten-free handling.
T-Bone Steak: Large T-bone with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables, finished with blue cheese steak butter. The steak and veg are generally wheat-free by ingredient, but check the steak butter/seasonings for any hidden thickeners and request separate plating to reduce cross-contact.
Ribs, Steak & Shrimp Trio: Mojo Bone ribs, sirloin steak, and Caribbean Coconut Shrimp served with slaw and Safari fries. Because the trio includes coconut-coated fried shrimp and BBQ ribs, the dish contains wheat via the shrimp (not to mention potential wheat sauce thickeners) and is unsafe for celiacs.
All you need to watch out for here is their gluten-containing, wheat-based breading, fried shrimp, coconut coatings, flour tortillas, and any wheat-thickened sauces when ordering, as other than that, the rest here are relatively safe. 🥥🥙🌯🌮
Sandwiches & Burgers
Moving on, Rainforest Cafe’s sandwiches and burgers are the classic diner-style plates, and they’re super tasty, indulgent, but almost always served on a wheat bun or with some bits of glutenous bakery components, making all of them unsafe. 🍔🥩🍖
❌ Amazon Rainforest Burger
❌ Tuki’s Turkey Club
❌ Bimini Chicken Sandwich
❌ BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger
❌ The Beastly Burger
❌ Blue Mountain Chicken Caprese Sandwich
To figure out why these sandwiches and burgers are so unsafe, let’s take a closer peek:
Amazon Rainforest Burger: A beef patty with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles served on a bun. The bun is wheat-based, and the burger is assembled on shared prep surfaces, so avoid the bun or ask for a lettuce wrap and separate plating if you must.
Tuki’s Turkey Club: Classic BLT plus shaved turkey and Swiss on toasted bread. The toast/roll contains wheat, and the sandwich is prepared on shared toasters and counters, so this is unsafe unless staff can confirm isolated prep and a no-bread substitution.
Bimini Chicken Sandwich: Caribbean fried chicken with hot honey and coconut curry slaw on a bun. The chicken is breaded, and the sandwich bun contains wheat, creating both ingredient-level gluten and high cross-contact risk, so avoid the default preparation.
BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger: Beef patty with BBQ sauce, cheddar, and bacon on a wheat bun. The bun and some BBQ sauces/thickeners may contain wheat. Plus, shared grills and toasters add cross-contact hazards, so this is unsafe by default.
The Beastly Burger: Double-patty cheeseburger on a bun. The wheat bun and shared assembly equipment make this item unsafe for strict gluten avoidance, so make sure to request no bun and separate plating only if the location can accommodate.
Blue Mountain Chicken Caprese Sandwich: Grilled lemon chicken with fresh mozzarella, basil, pesto aioli, and balsamic on a roll. The roll and some aioli/pesto formulations can include wheat-containing additives, and shared prep makes this unsafe unless the restaurant confirms a bunless option with isolated prep.
If you’re planning to order any of these at Rainforest Cafe, make sure to tell the server that you have celiac disease, and ask if you could have your sandwich or burger “bun-less” or with a lettuce wrap. Nevertheless, by default, they’re not safe. 🥪🥓🔥
Kid’s Menu
For the young’uns out there, Rainforest Cafe’s kids’ menu mixes familiar kid-friendly plates, including pizzas, nuggets, mac & cheese, as well as a few of the grown-up menu items that we saw earlier, but in smaller, child-friendly portions. 🍕🍗🍤🍟
❌ Gorilla Grilled Cheese Delight
❌ Jurassic Chicken Tidbits
⚠️ Rainforest Rascals
❌ Castaway Kid’s Pizza
✅ Safari Sirloin
❌ Mini Hot Dogs
⚠️ Nile’s Catch
❌ Shrimpkens
❌ Chicken Quesadilla
❌ Macaroni & Cheese
✅ Python Pasta
✅ Grilled Chicken
❌ Fried Shrimp
✅ Apple Sauce
✅ Corn
✅ Fresh Fruit
✅ Steamed Veggies
✅ Mashed Potatoes
⚠️ Safari Fries
❌ Mac & Cheese
❌ Lava Mud
❌ Tuki’s Ice Cream Sandwich
Just so we get this right, let’s break down these child-friendly dishes one by one:
Gorilla Grilled Cheese Delight: American cheese on Texas toast, though the toast contains wheat, and the sandwich is prepared on shared griddles, so this is unsafe for celiacs.
Jurassic Chicken Tidbits: Dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets, which are typically breaded and fried, so they contain wheat components and carry a high cross-contact risk.
Rainforest Rascals: Choice of char-broiled chicken or char-grilled mini burgers. The char-broiled chicken (no bun) can be a lower-risk pick if plated separately, but the mini burgers use buns, so treat this as conditional and ask for no bun and isolated prep.
Castaway Kid’s Pizza: Cheese or pepperoni pizza on a traditional crust, which contains wheat in the crust and is unsafe for strict gluten avoidance.
Safari Sirloin: Steak tips served kid-style. The steak itself is ingredient-level wheat-free, but request separate plating and check sauces to avoid cross-contact.
Mini Hot Dogs: Hot dog in a bun. The bun contains wheat and shared bun/toaster prep spreads contamination, so this is unsafe for celiacs.
Nile’s Catch: Grilled or breaded fish. If ordered grilled, it’s a much lower risk, but the breaded option contains wheat, so ask for grilled and confirm separate prep.
Shrimpkens: Popcorn shrimp paired with dinosaur nuggets, and the popcorn shrimp is typically breaded and fried, and later combined with nuggets, which makes them unsafe.
Chicken Quesadilla: Flour tortilla with melted cheese and chicken, which contains wheat in the wheat-flour tortilla, and is unsafe for celiacs.
Macaroni & Cheese: Traditional pasta and cheese sauce. The standard macaroni contains wheat, making this unsafe unless the location offers a verified gluten-free pasta (confirm with staff first before ordering).
Python Pasta: Kid-sized pasta (this is often available with gluten-sensitive pasta at some locations). Rainforest lists a gluten-sensitive pasta option, so it can be a lower-risk choice if the location confirms gluten-sensitive or gluten-free pasta and staff use separate utensils.
Grilled Chicken: Simple grilled chicken. This is typically wheat-free by ingredient, though make sure to ask staff to plate it separately and confirm no soy/thickeners in the marinade.
Fried Shrimp: Breaded and fried shrimp, which contains wheat in the coating and is prepared in shared fryers, so unsafe for strict gluten avoidance.
Apple Sauce: Sealed or fresh apple sauce, and it’s naturally wheat-free by ingredient, and it’s a very low-risk choice when factory-sealed or freshly served.
Corn: Steamed corn, which is naturally wheat-free by ingredient, but request fresh tongs and separate plating to reduce cross-contact.
Fresh Fruit: Seasonal fresh fruit, and it’s also naturally wheat-free. This makes it a pretty safe, kid-friendly option if they want something healthier.
Steamed Veggies: Simple steamed vegetables, which are typically wheat-free by ingredient, but ask for plain preparation and separate utensils.
Mashed Potatoes: Creamy mashed potatoes, which are usually wheat-free, but make sure to check for gravy or breadcrumb toppings, and ask for no gravy and separate utensils.
Safari Fries: Crinkle fries, and while potatoes are wheat-free by ingredient, many locations use shared fryers with breaded items, so ask staff about fryer practices to confirm.
Mac & Cheese: Just like the adult-sized mac & cheese, the same cautionary notes apply, and the standard macaroni contains wheat, so it’s unsafe unless the specific location confirms gluten-free pasta.
Lava Mud: Chocolate pudding with Oreo crumbs and gummy worms, which includes cookie pieces that contain wheat, so unfortunately, it’s unsafe.
Tuki’s Ice Cream Sandwich: An Ice cream sandwich with cookies or Oreo components, and once again, it contains wheat in the cookie layers and is unsafe for celiacs.
Alas, while there are celiac-safe options to be found, they’re mixed in with plenty of other menu items that come breaded, served on Texas toast, or they’re assembled with buns, so watch out for those, in addition to cross-contamination. 🍞🍔🥪
Smoothies & Freezies
Aside from their massive selection of alcoholic drinks and cocktails, if you’d prefer to drink something a bit more refreshing on a hot day, Rainforest Cafe’s smoothies and freezies are the perfect companion, and most of them are safe, too! 🥛🍫🍪
✅ Key Wester
✅ Rainforest Ricky
✅ Swimming Hole
❌ Sheba’s Jungle Mud
✅ Brazilian Freeze
✅ Strawberry Lemonade
✅ Raspberry Lemonade
✅ Frosted Strawberry Lemonade
For context, let’s take a closer look at how each of these smoothes and freezies is made:
Key Wester: Strawberries and bananas blended with non-fat frozen yogurt. Fruit and yogurt are wheat-free by ingredient, but make sure ot ask the staff to rinse the blender first to avoid cross-contamination with any bakery crumbs.
Rainforest Ricky: A blend of apple, pineapple, orange, strawberry, and grapefruit juices, which is available over ice or straight up. These are juice-based, and by ingredient, they’re also wheat-free, but fountain/dispense hygiene is the main concern.
Swimming Hole: Lemonade mixed with Monin Mango and Blue Curaçao syrups. Syrups and lemonade contain no wheat ingredients, though you should ideally request a clean glass and a wiped pour spout for extra safety.
Sheba’s Jungle Mud: OREO cookie crumbles, chocolate syrup, and Island Oasis ice cream. This one contains OREO cookie pieces (which are wheat-based), so it’s not safe for celiacs and anyone avoiding gluten.
Brazilian Freeze: Coconut, pineapple, raspberry purée, and banana blended with ice. All fruit-based components here are wheat-free by ingredient, but it doesn’t hurt to still ask for a freshly rinsed blender to avoid trace contamination.
Strawberry Lemonade: Real strawberries blended into lemonade, and they’re naturally free of any wheat by ingredient, but choose a clean pour/blender to reduce cross-contact risk.
Raspberry Lemonade: Raspberry purée mixed into lemonade. It’s the same as with the earlier lemonade, which is wheat-free by ingredient, but confirm clean prep tools.
Frosted Strawberry Lemonade: Minute Maid Lemonade blended with Island Oasis Strawberry and DaVinci Sweet Cream. The key components contain no wheat ingredients, though blended preparations share the usual cross-contact risks.
As we can see, most of these smoothies and freezies are fruit- and dairy-based, so most of them are naturally wheat-free by ingredient, but do watch out for wheat-based mix-ins like OREOs, as well as shared blenders and utensils, as well. 🥤🍋🍓
To Sum Up
On the whole, Rainforest Cafe is one of the friendliest restaurants we’ve looked at in quite a while, from a celiac’s point of view, mainly because they have a dedicated gluten-sensitive menu for folks just like us, and it’s a big menu, too! 🍔🥗🍚🥙
Of course, it’s “gluten-sensitive” and not actually “gluten-free”, so an abundance of caution applies when it comes to cross-contamination risks, which isn’t guaranteed, but still, it’s a million times better than something a lot more ambiguous. ⚠️🌾
Alternatively, if you’re feeling brave and you want to venture beyond their gluten-sensitive menu, the rest of their menu has a handful of safe options, too, while others need to be specially modified to be made safe, such as omitting burger buns.
On top of that, when you take into account just how accommodating Rainforest Cafe’s staff are when it comes to diners with strict dietary restrictions like us celiacs, they’re easily one of the most celiac-friendly restaurant chains out there. 👍👍👍
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 celiacs-friendly, gluten-free dining out guides to Maggiano’s, Carrabba’s, MOD Pizza, Little Caesars, Qdoba, Whataburger, Tim Hortons, Arby’s, In-N-Out, Del Taco, Noodles and Company, California Pizza Kitchen, Raising Cane’s, Baskin-Robbins, El Pollo Loco, Zaxby’s, Smashburger, and more! 🍔🍟🍗
Stay safe and gluten‑aware, my celiac friends! 💖🥗
Frequently Asked Questions
While working on this Rainforest Cafe gluten-free guide, I came across some interesting questions floating around some foodie forums, so I thought I’d try and answer them here:
Is Rainforest Cafe gluten-free?
No. Rainforest Cafe doesn’t operate a certified gluten-free kitchen. Plus, many menu items contain wheat–most notably, breads, batter, crusts, and wontons–and the kitchen uses shared prep tools and fryers, so there’s a very real risk of cross-contamination, though they do have a special gluten-sensitive menu.
Which Rainforest Cafe items are usually safest for celiacs?
Some items are typically lower-risk by ingredient. For example, their plain grilled proteins, certain salads if you remove croutons, simple rice sides, some of the seafood when served without breading, and more. Or, if you want to be extra safe, you could just order from the gluten-sensitive menu exclusively instead.
Can I make Rainforest Cafe dishes gluten-free by modifying them?
Sometimes. Useful modifications include asking for no croutons, skipping battered items, asking for grilled (not breaded) proteins, ordering in a bowl instead of a fried tortilla, and avoiding bakery/topping stations. However, modifications can’t fully eliminate every ounce of cross-contamination, so they don’t guarantee safety.
How should I order at Rainforest Cafe to minimize cross-contact?
Make sure to tell the server that you have celiac disease, ask for fresh gloves, clean utensils, and separate plating, and request that items be prepared away from fryers, grills, or breaded stations. You should also skip shared topping bars, choose sealed beverages and desserts when possible, and confirm the ingredient lists for sauces and dressings.
Where can I find Rainforest Cafe allergen info, and who should I contact?
Compared to most other restaurants, Rainforest Cafe doesn’t appear to have an official nutrition and allergen information guide or portal. Therefore, you’ll have to ask the staff in person as you’re ordering, without the option of checking beforehand, but at least the staff there have proven to be very accommodating to dietary restrictions.
Photo Credit
Mario RM, CC BY-SA 2.0, 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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