This is the first travel guide posted here at My Gluten Free PhD. Welcome! I’ll talk about our short gluten free trip to Spokane in Washington State – places to eat, drink, and see things!
Guide Contents
- My visit to Spokane
- Places to eat and drink – The most important activity!
- Things to do and places to see
- Extra Resources
MY visit to Spokane
We got lucky (also unlucky?) timing-wise for this road trip. While we were here, the entire Pacific Northwest was broiling in record-breaking, extremely dangerous heat. See a couple articles below for context:
- Pacific Northwest bakes under once-in-a-millennium heat dome (CBS News)
- Unprecedented, unbelievable, unsettling: what the heatwave feels like in Seattle (The Guardian)
Spokane was no exception to this intense heat. It felt like Phoenix… with humidity! The temperatures were well over 100°F (!!!). But we had the advantage of being in a hotel and visiting businesses that had air conditioning. Back home in Seattle, we don’t have air conditioning, so we were really grateful that we were in a hotel that had it. On the other hand, it was unfortunate to visit when a portion of the city was closed due to a lack of air conditioning.
Anyways! With that context in mind, I hope our time in Spokane can help you plan your trip – gluten free or otherwise!
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Eating gluten free in Spokane’s restaurants
There were some additional possibilities for eating gluten free in Spokane that we didn’t make it to – so keep those in mind. This post covers a couple of days!
Dining in the historic Flour Mill
I cringed a little bit when I read “the Flour Mill”. I couldn’t help it, and I acknowledge that it is a personal problem. There is more context behind why this shopping center is called the Flour Mill a little later. We found two great restaurants there!
Queen of Sheba – Gluten free Ethiopian food in Spokane
I had not tried Ethiopian food before this trip. We were so fortunate to find Queen of Sheba Ethiopian Cuisine in Spokane. Almaz, who founded the restaurant, was our server when we dropped in for lunch. She was AWESOME! She helped direct us to items that would be celiac-friendly and was able to provide injera that was made with only teff flour – which is gluten free! Additionally, she mentioned that many restaurants include barley flour in their injera, which often makes injera off limits to the gluten free crowd. If you call ahead of time and ask, they can turn on their fryer that is dedicated gluten free which would make various fried appetizers an option that you’d usually be unable to try at other restaurants.
The food was phenomenal. We split the combination plate that included gluten free injera, Doro We’t, Yesiga We’t, Minchetabesh, Yatakilt Alicha, and a bit of salad. Since I wasn’t driving, I also had a glass of Ethiopian wine called tej, which is made using honey rather than grapes. I really recommend trying tej if you can find it! Please do yourself a favor and drop by Queen of Sheba for excellent food and a wonderful experience! Almaz has created a wonderful place to eat. Next time we’re in Spokane, we’ll be back!
Clinkerdagger
This American grill in Spokane was not a quick or inexpensive venture if that’s what you’re looking for. But the staff at Clinkerdagger went above and beyond to help my partner and I have a safe and delicious meal to celebrate my graduation. The manager, servers, and chefs were all great.
I didn’t press too much for specifics, but the chef had concerns about the butter they used in-house and fried items were not fair game, so our options were a bit limited. For the main course, we shared a perfectly cooked 40-day aged American wagyu sirloin and a steelhead filet. On the side, we had grilled vegetables and creamy mashed potatoes that I have no idea how they pulled off so wonderfully without butter (They didn’t need it!). Finally, for dessert, we finished the meal with an excellent crème brûlée. Add this place to your list if you’re looking for a nice place to sit down for a while!
Cochinito
My gluten free taco brunch in Spokane has honestly made me realize having tacos for breakfast is something we should all consider doing more often. Cochinito is a taqueria that offers great drinks and food that were only complemented by their helpful staff. My partner grew up in Los Angeles, and on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being equivalent to great tacos in LA), he rated these “a solid 8 and a half”. Angelenos are apparently really picky about their tacos. I’d give them a 10/10.
We placed our order at the counter and sat outside to avoid the wait. The individual who asked for our drink order and the cashier taking food orders were knowledgeable about what items could be made safely for me. We tried 4 different tacos – duroc pork cheek carnitas, carne asada, octopus, and steelhead al pastor. They made my cochinito margarita celiac-friendly and we added pickled vegetables, rice, and black beans. I was (am) obsessed with the steelhead al pastor taco. As a result, I hope to find a way to make something similar in the future at home!
In summary, don’t miss this one! Perfect for a quick lunch or a laid-back dinner.
Boots Bakery & Lounge
Boots Bakery & Lounge is a cafe that is vegan and “mostly” gluten free. There were a couple items behind the case not marked as gluten free, but it seemed like most of the food here would be fair game. At a minimum, it’s probably lower risk than most other restaurants. Make sure you let the staff know if you have an allergy.
The people were friendly, the prices were reasonable, and the food was great! The founder was formerly a bartender, and their drink menu looked awesome, although we stopped in on our way out of town and didn’t get to sample the drinks ourselves.
Twigs Bistro and Martini Bar
Twigs Bistro and Martini Bar is a chain restaurant in the western US (Mostly Washington state) that serves a lot of salads, sandwiches, pizza, and grilled meats – an American menu. Our server at the River Park Square location mentioned that one of the owner’s spouse’s has celiac disease, so the kitchen is familiar with allergen controls and what dishes could be made safely from the gluten free menu for avoiding cross-contamination.
Their gluten free bread was good. We split the prime rib philly dip (minus the au jus), the grilled halibut fish tacos, and two side salads (pear beet and insalada mista). Also, get the salmon artichoke dip if it’s still on the menu. It’s so very Pacific Northwest, but it was great.
Safari Room Fresh Grill and Bar
We stopped here because I got hangry between brunch and dinner. The server was attentive and checked with the kitchen on safe preparation of a chicken cobb salad. Which we (mostly I) demolished.
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coffee and alcohol in Spokane
Coffee
Indaba
Indaba has a lot of fun twists to your generic coffee preparations on their menu. The staff were kind enough to check the allergen labels on a couple ingredients so I could get a fancy coffee. Stop in if you enjoy a different brew!
Brews Bros Coffee Bar
The vibe of the downtown location of Brews Bros Coffee Bar is great (Link – Instagram). If you’re a fan of The Blue’s Brothers… you will enjoy this for more than just the coffee. Solid latte and americano. The food options looked great for those of the non-gluten free persuasion. A chill place to chill and enjoy your beverage!
Bars
Volstead Act
We’ll remember Volstead Act because of their creative cocktails and great bartender! I had a spicy(-ish) margarita called “El Guapo” and my partner tried a couple of not celiac-approved drinks including one with bourbon (Kentucky Fields) and a tropical cocktail (Tropic Like It’s Hot) that had beer in it. It was a nice environment to slow down and enjoy your drink.
Baby Bar
Dive bar with really solid cocktails and wonky, snarky decor. As it says at the bar, know what you want when you step up to the counter to order at Baby Bar (Link to their Facebook since I couldn’t track down a web page)!
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What to do?
Explore art, nature in the city, a shopping center in an awesome historical structure, and wine in the walk-able downtown!
Pottery Place Plus
This artisan cooperative gets a section to itself because it was one of the highlights of my trip. Pottery Place Plus is stocked and operated by local artisans that employ diverse mediums ranging from clay, stained glass, wood, fiber, and more. It’s been a mainstay of the Pacific Northwest since 1978, and there’s something here for everyone!
I had the pleasure to chat with a pair of the artists who are part of the cooperative – Steve Reynolds and Steve Whitford. I left with some decorative and functional pottery. The beautiful walnut serving board that Mr. Whitford crafted from a tree planted at his father’s home currently adorns the mantle at our new place. I’m really excited to be able to use it when we have guests!
Riverfront Park
Of the places to go in Spokane, the Riverfront Park area feels like the “central park” of the city. We stopped by some of the popular spots including the Great Northern Clocktower, the Red Wagon, and Spokane Falls (A couple different times!)
The Flour Mill
The Flour Mill was originally opened in 1900 and was renovated to house a collection of shops for the 1974 World’s Fair in Spokane. Read up on the history of this building at SpokaneHistorical.org and at VisitSpokane.com to learn more, if you’re curious!
We enjoyed a couple of gluten free meals there while in Spokane and browsed some of the shops. Recommend a visit!
Love Dogs and cats? Visit with adoptable pets (and grab a drink!)
Bark, A Rescue Pub is exactly what it sounds like! Founded in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, visitors can drink, dine, and hang out with some lovely dogs and cats that are up for adoption (For a small fee that supports the Spokane Humane Society).
We stopped in for a drink to get out of the heat. I also managed to meet a couple dogs before closing, including a sweetheart named Ace and a puppy who had already found his forever home! My partner is very lucky that puppy had been adopted, or we might have driven back to Seattle with a dog… 😉
They’ve already adopted out hundreds of rescue dogs and cats. Great place to visit with the animal lover in your life… or just for yourself!
Wine Tasting
Helix Wines
After stopping in for a tasting, we ended up leaving Helix Wines with two bottles of wine because I couldn’t decide on just one. 🙂
I particularly enjoyed their Helix Chardonnay, Reserve Chardonnay, SoRho, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Ryan also loved the Reininger merlot. We left with a bottle of the Helix Chardonnay and the Helix SoRho.
Their foray into the wine business started in the 1980’s and is named after their family’s farmstead in Helix, Oregon. Their history and more information about their vineyards can be found on their website. Don’t miss this one if you enjoy wine!
Head to Nearby tasting rooms to make a day of it
Due to the horrendous heat and our timing, many wine tasting rooms in Spokane were not open when we visited (Sunday-Tuesday). However, there are numerous tasting rooms near Helix that looked promising including Terra Blanca Spokane, Cougar Crest Estate Winery, and Tempus Cellars Spokane.
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Extra Resources
VisitSpokane.com is, quite obviously, designed for tourists. As a tourist, I found it quite useful.
Food
Spokane has a really fun downtown area with awesome options for gluten free and gluten friendly people. Most of the places we went to were listed on FindMeGlutenFree.com as celiac-friendly. There were several other options listed there that we didn’t get a chance to visit including People’s Waffle (Dedicated GF!) and a couple others that might be able to accommodate including Wiley’s downtown bistro and Tomato Street
Where to stay?
We stayed in the heart of downtown. The Historic Davenport Hotel is insanely cool to visit for the collection of autographs, old photos, and historic architecture. There’s also a lot of history in that building. We really enjoyed our stay.
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