Tender Greens is a healthy American food chain that started in Los Angeles, California in 2006. Now they serve the greater LA area with over 28 locations offering healthy grain bowls, salads, sandwiches, and more.
Here’s more on how Tender Greens started:
Two chefs and a foodie set out to change the way people eat for the better. Our inspiration? The meals we had when our friends came over. The food. The pairings. The exploration. The energy. And the promise that on any given day we’d eat or drink something we wouldn’t find anywhere else. So we opened Tender Greens in 2006 and started a food revolution. Welcome to our kitchen.
What is gluten free at Tender Greens?
In this article and guide, we’ll highlight all the gluten free menu items, sides, and other gf options available at Tender Greens. Want to learn more nutrition facts about Tender Greens’ foods? Check out their nutritional/allergen menu here.
Tender Greens shares this warning on their allergen menu:
ALLERGY WARNING: Although efforts are made to avoid cross-contamination of allergens, we cannot guarantee that food items will not inadvertently come in contact with one another during preparation. Before placing your order, please inform your order taker if anyone in your party has an allergy.
Tender Greens Gluten Free Menu
These are all the gluten free options we could find at Tender Greens. Note all items listed below do not contain wheat or gluten, based on information we found around the web. These items still have the potential for cross contamination and other traces of gluten, so please keep that in mind.
Notice anything missing or incorrect? Leave a comment below. This article was last updated: January 19, 2023
Proteins
These are all of the protein options at Tender Greens that are free from wheat/gluten ingredients.
- Salt & Pepper Chicken
- Chipotle Barbecue Chicken
- Steak
- Grilled Salmon
- Seared Tuna
- Grilled Trout
- Grilled Selva Shrimp
Greens & Sides
These are all of the green and side options at Tender Greens that are free from wheat/gluten ingredients.
- Baby Greens
- Baby Spinach
- Baby Arugula
- Kale
- Mashed Potatoes
- Seasonal Veggies
- Grown Rice
- Fingerling Potatoes
Bowls
These are all of the Bowl options at Tender Greens that are free from wheat/gluten ingredients.
- California: Chipotle Chicken
- California: Salmon
- Thai: Grilled Shrimp
- Thai: Grilled Steak
Salads
These are all of the salad options at Tender Greens that are free from wheat/gluten ingredients.
- Chipotle Barbecue Chicken
- Grilled Chicken Cobb
- Harvest Chicken
- Tuna Nicoise
- Mediterranean Steak
Soups & Kids
These are all of the soup and kids options at Tender Greens that are free from wheat/gluten ingredients.
- Rustic Chicken
- Kids Protein: Chicken
- Kids Protein: Steak
Dressings
These are all of the dressing options at Tender Greens that are free from wheat/gluten ingredients.
- Sherry Vinaigrette
- Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
- Lemon Vinaigrette
- Tarragon Dressing
- Caesar Dressing
- Cabernet Vinaigrette
- Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Golden Balsamic
- Lime Cream
- Ginger Dressing
- Spicy Mayo
- Garlic Aioli
Drinks
These are all of the drink options at Tender Greens that are free from wheat/gluten ingredients.
- Mint Lemonade
- Hibiscus Tea
- The Greens
- Pomegranate Ginger
- Cold Brew Coffee
- Iced Black Tea
- Iced Green Tea
- Hot Coffee
- Hot Tea
Photo: Tender Greens Facebook page
Items to Avoid at Tender Greens
- WARNING – The romaine hearts contain gluten! This is somewhat unexpected with a vegetable dish, but it is most likely due to the dressing. All greens include dressing in Tender Greens’ allergen guide.
- The fried chicken, katsu chicken, and falafel contain gluten.
- The crostini, farro salad, and pasta peal salad contain gluten.
- All sandwiches contain gluten, Tender Greens does not offer gf bread.
- Watch out for the Sesame Peanut Dressing, it’s the only dressing on their menu that contains gluten.
- The chinese chicken salad contains gluten.
- The roasted tomato soup contains gluten.
- All desserts contain gluten.
Summary of Gluten Free Menu Options at Tender Greens
Pro tips and a quick summary of everything gluten free at Tender Greens
- When you order at the restaurant or on the app for delivery/pickup, tell them you have an allergy or Celiac Disease so they take precautions with your food.
- Tender Greens has a wealth of gluten free options and healthy dishes. It is a great option for people with Celiac Disease or a gluten allergy, because there are so many options and as a whole, Tender Greens seems to be a safe environment.
- Unfortunately, their reviews on Find Me Gluten Free indicate a different experience. Tender Greens has an average of 2.5 stars based on 8 customer reviews. While this isn’t a lot, the majority of the reviews were bad and mentioned that the staff was untrained and annoyed/irritated by customers asking allergy questions. A major red flag for people with serious allergies.
- Personal experiences here are unknown. I would like to try this restaurant chain next time I’m in LA, but I’m a bit concerned based off the reviews on Find Me Gluten Free. I will update this post if I get to try it sometime soon.
Photo: Tender Greens Facebook page
More Information about Tender Greens
Looking for additional information about Tender Greens, their foods, and nutritional/ingredients facts? Here are some resources we’ve found:
- Official Tender Greens Menus: https://www.tendergreens.com/menus
- Official Tender Greens Nutrition/Allergen PDF Guide: https://prod-assets.tendergreens.com/TG-Nutrition-Allergen-1122.pdf