This beautiful city is a mecca for gluten-free and food-allergic visitors
Famous for bountiful blue skies, towering palm trees and warm temperatures, sunny San Diego takes the prize for pleasant weather year-round. But balmy days and nights are just one of many reasons to visit California’s second largest city. Located at the southern tip of the state, San Diego boasts miles of gorgeous beaches, lovely outdoor recreation spots, memorable family-friendly places and amazing animal-focused attractions, including a world-renown zoo. There’s also a proud history to explore: San Diego is the state’s oldest city, called “the birthplace of California.”
Worthwhile tourist attractions are spread throughout San Diego County and beyond but many popular sites are concentrated in and around the downtown area and the city’s signature waterfront.
There is no reason to be hungry in this town! Prompted by its proactive gluten-free community (glutenfreeinsd.com), San Diego is very friendly and accommodating to those with food allergies and sensitivities. These suggested itineraries will help you explore the city without having to spend a lot of time searching for appropriate menu options.
Tour the Town
For an introduction to the city, San Diego Trolley Tour (trolleytours.com/san-diego) can’t be beat. Here’s a comfortable, leisurely way to see a lot of San Diego relatively quickly. The narrated tour has 11 hop-on/hop-off stops, making it easy for you to stop at the places that interest you, including Old Town, Seaport Village, the historic Gaslamp Quarter, Coronado Beach, Balboa Park and the sprawling San Diego Zoo.
Where to Eat
Have lunch or dinner at Casa Guadalajara (casaguadalajara.com) in Old Town. This popular Mexican restaurant has a gluten-free menu that includes freshly made gluten-free tortilla chips.
For a more upscale meal, enjoy the historic charm of The Prado (cohnrestaurants.com/theprado) in the center of Balboa Park. Gluten-free items are marked on the menu, which specializes in inventive California cuisine.
Enjoy La Jolla
Situated on gorgeous hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean, beautiful La Jolla offers lots of outdoor activities, upscale shopping and an aquarium. Starting at the northern end of the community and heading south, here are some fun activities.
Enjoy breathtaking views on the hiking trails at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve (torreypine.org) with walks that offer different levels of difficulty.
Watch hang-gliders at Torrey Pines Gliderport (sandiegofreeflight.com). Check for wind conditions before you go.
Visit Birch Aquarium at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (aquarium.ucsd.edu). This creative, interactive aquarium can be seen in a couple of hours. Don’t plan to find a gluten-free meal here; pack a lunch.
Enjoy the ocean at La Jolla Shores (lajollabythesea.com). The beach has a playground, a grassy area with picnic tables, bathrooms and easy parking.
Walk along the sea wall at La Jolla Children’s Pool (lajollabythesea.com) to see the local seal and sea lion colony. You may spot some pups! Don’t count on swimming here due to strong currents; instead, stop at nearby La Jolla Cove.
Where to Eat in La Jolla
It’s easy to find gluten-free food-to-go in La Jolla, as well as dine-in restaurants with gluten-free menus. If you’re headed to the beach or the aquarium, pick up a lunch to-go in downtown La Jolla or La Jolla Shores at one of these places:
The Cheese Shop (cheeseshoplajolla.com) has spectacular sandwiches with gluten-free bread available. Don’t order here if you’re allergic to milk.
Shore Thing Café (shorethingcafe.com) sells healthy sandwiches and salads, with rice wraps available.
Lean and Green Café (leanandgreencafe.com) offers organic, vegan and gluten-free options, including gluten-free wraps and salads.
For a leisurely sit-down meal, check out these nearby restaurants:
Overlooking the cove in La Jolla, Brockton Villa (brocktonvilla.com) serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Gluten-free items are marked on the menu.
Piatti (piatti.com) offers upscale Italian cuisine with a large gluten-free menu, including dishes featuring corn pasta.
Get grass-fed burgers on gluten-free buns or lettuce wraps at Burger Lounge (burgerlounge.com).
Extreme Pizza (extremepizza.com) offers gluten-free crust on many of its signature pizzas.
For dessert, get a cupcake at Cups (cupslj.com), a local bakery that specializes in cupcakes made with local, organic ingredients. Three gluten-free varieties are sold daily.
See the Zoo and Balboa Park
Don’t miss the San Diego Zoo (sandiegozoo.org), home to more than 3,700 rare and endangered animals. The zoo houses over 650 species and subspecies, as well as a large variety of exotic plants. Stroll through the 100-acre grounds to spot the animals.
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park
(sdzsafaripark.org) is 35 miles
north of the zoo in Escondido.
This 1,800-acre wildlife sanctuary offers a variety of safaris so visitors can view wild animals in a natural habitat.
Balboa Park (balboapark.org) has countless gardens and more than a dozen museums, including the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, an interactive science museum. Every Sunday afternoon, the park hosts free concerts on one of the world’s largest outdoor pipe organs.
Where to Eat at the zoo and park
The zoo and safari park are not particularly gluten-free friendly. The management recommends you ask the supervisor at each restaurant for information on gluten-free and allergy-friendly dining options. Packing snacks and lunch might be your best bet.
In Balboa Park, The Prado (cohnrestaurants.com/theprado) offers upscale dining with a gluten-free menu.
Explore the Harbor
San Diego has a rich maritime history. Take a harbor cruise to see the city from the water and learn about the harbor’s naval past. Flagship Cruises (sdhe.com/harbor-tours)offers one- and two-hour narrated tours of the harbor.
Catch a 15-minute ride across the bay on the Coronado Ferry (sdhe.com/coronado-ferry). You’ll arrive at Coronado Landing, a waterfront marketplace with shops and restaurants. On the landing, rent bikes, tandems or surreys from Bikes & Beyond (bikes-and-beyond.com).
Once back in downtown San Diego, stroll along the cobblestone paths at nearby Seaport Village (seaportvillage.com). This shopping, dining and entertainment district boasts street performers, face painters, musicians and other artists, with live music every day.
Where to Eat at the Harbor
Both the harbor cruise and the Coronado Ferry depart from an area near Little Italy. Many of the Italian restaurants there, such as Bencotto Italian Kitchen (lovebencotto.com), Davanti Enoteca (davantisandiego.com) and others, offer gluten-free pasta as an option.
From the harbor cruise or Seaport Village, take a short walk to The Cheesecake Factory (thecheesecakefactory.com), located adjacent to Seaport Village. This restaurant has an extensive gluten-free menu with large portions.
On Coronado Landing, upscale Italian restaurant Il Fornaio (ilfornaio.com) has a large and varied gluten-free menu that goes beyond pasta.
Treat the Kids
Children will delight in SeaWorld San Diego (seaworldparks.com), an animal theme park with rides and events, including the popular dolphin program and Shamu show.
Spend a day at Legoland California (california.legoland.com), 30 minutes north of San Diego in Carlsbad. Aimed at youngsters ages 2 to 12, the park offers family rides, hands-on attractions and shows. Plus, it’s gluten-free friendly, with a staff that’s aware of cross-contamination issues.
Kid Start Wellness Foundation (kidstartwellness.org), a local gluten-free group for kids and teens, recommends Chuck E. Cheese’s (chuckecheese.com) for younger children as a safe place for gluten-free pizza, as well as fun arcade games. For older kids and teens, Kid Start recommends Sky High Sports (sdo.jumpskyhigh.com). This extreme trampoline spot lets you bring in your own food. Check out In-N-Out Burger about 10 minutes away.
Where to Eat
SeaWorld has limited gluten-free options. Pick up an allergen information card at guest services for guidance on eating there.
Legoland is gluten-free friendly. There are gluten-free buns and gluten-free information offered at the park and the staff is trained on cross-contamination issues. Two restaurants on the way back to San Diego from Legoland—Burger Lounge (burgerlounge.com) and Bistro West (bistrowest.com)—have gluten-free menus. LW
A 40-year resident of San Diego, Roxie Johnson runs glutenfreeinsd.com, a website she launched in 1999 after she and her daughter were diagnosed with celiac disease. She served on the board of the Warren Medical Research Center for Celiac Disease for many years and has been a board member of her local CSA chapter since 1999.
Trolley car © Lowe R. Lirguno/Shutterstock; Pandas © SanDiego.org/courtesy San Diego Zoo; Museum © RON NIEBRUGGE/www.WildNatureImages.com
San Diego Harbor Ferry skyline © SanDiego.org
Feeding dolphins at SeaWorld © SanDiego.org/courtesy of SeaWorld
Legoland water park © SanDiego.org/courtesy of LEGOLAND California
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