Tag: South

Evexia Cafe & Bakery

Aurora

I recently visited Evexia. While they have an extensive menu I only tried baked goods to go which I enjoyed.

The general manager confirmed that almost everything was gluten free or could be made gluten free. The exception when I was there was the cinnamon roll. They did have a GF cinnamon bar which was delicious.

The manager confirmed that care was taken to prevent cross contact including having a separate press to use for the paninis.

There is indoor and outdoor seating.

It is a good spot to try coffee and a treat or a full meal.

I look forward to returning and trying new items.

Honeygrow

Mentor, Avon, Strongsville, Akron, Canton

Honeygrow features fresh, made-to-order stir-fry, salads, and honeybars.

This fast casual chain has recently expanded into the Cleveland area. There are now locations in Mentor, Avon, Strongsville, Akron and Canton.

The Red Coconut Curry, Loaded Greek salad and OG Cobb salad are gluten free as is.

The menu is fully customizable and GF ingredients are clearly indicated. So there are a lot of choices.

I was advised at the restaurant to alert personnel of “allergy” prior to placing the order on the store kiosk or to call the restaurant before placing an order in the app.

I was told my order might take a few extra minutes to prepare as the wok used to prepare the stir fry would be sanitized as part of their allergy protocol.

The food was served quickly. I enjoyed the Red Coconut Curry and had customized my order by substituting vegetables.

I also tried a Create Your Own Honeybar. The GF treat I chose was yogurt with fruit topping, chocolate chips and shredded coconut. There was also a drizzle of honey.

I’ll return to try a different combination of ingredients.

Brick and Vine

100% Gluten Free Restaurant in Brecksville

https://www.brickandvinerestaurant.com

A new restaurant, Brick and Vine, has opened in Brecksville, OH. Located at 8903 Brecksville Rd. – intersection of Rt 82 and Rt 21.

Service hours begin at 3:00 pm – Tuesday thru Saturday

We dined with Brick and Vine this past weekend. Our server informed us that everything on the menu is gluten free. Staff with gf needs enables this menu!

Arancini was our starter! It has been many years since I was able to enjoy Arancini in a restaurant. It was perfectly made. Crispy outside, creamy and wonderful on the inside. Sadly, it is stuffed with chorizo making it NOT a vegetarian option. I hope they will offer this with variations over the months ahead. While I like chorizo it would not be me go-to for this item. Still, the plating was beautiful and the dish plentiful.

Salads were also beautifully plated. We chose the wedge and the caesar salads both of which were plentiful. Half the wedge came home with us!

Our entree choices were the Tortelloni alla Vodka (a creamy tomato sauce) and the Fried Chicken Sandwich (topped with shaved fennel)! First thing I noted about the sandwich was the great bun! Seriously, the sandwich was super good but the bun was probably the BEST gf bun I’ve ever had in a restaurant. Both dishes were super good!

Our server requested that we order our entire meal up front as this enables the kitchen to time the service according to the dishes requested. By ordering everything up front it enables them to have runners remove plates and deliver new plates in a smooth transition. It worked well for us in terms of food service AND we were not neglected by our server – Emma – she was on task and managed to check in on us to make sure everything was going as it should.

Our desserts were the the Basque Cheesecake and the Frozen Key Lime ‘Pie’. I’m not such a cheesecake lover but I must say that this cheesecake was really good! The Key Lime dessert is more of a whipped key lime chiffon type thing and is really good the next day (cold but not frozen). We were too full to enjoy dessert at the restaurant so brought it home for next morning breakfast. It was wonderful!

Naf Naf

Independence

https://nafnafgrill.com/

Independence
6714 Rockside Road
Independence, OH 44131
216-415-8102

Naf Naf Middle Eastern Grill is a fast-casual restaurant with friendly helpful staff.

I ate at the Independence location. When I asked about gluten free options I was shown the Allergy Guide. Staff changed gloves. Note that most of the menu items are gluten free. Exceptions include the pita and couscous and baklava. The chicken shwarma and amba sauce are noted to be processed in a facility where trace elements of the allergen are present. And the listing has an expected caveat that no guarantees are made and cross contact may occur.

I enjoyed a tasty bowl with hummus, falafel and all the salads and garnishes. Both the tahini and garlic sauces were terrific, though I was happy with my bowl sauceless.

I was told the Naf Fries are prepared in a dedicated fryer. Might try them on my next visit.

Boss ChickNBeer

Berea, Bay Village, Seven Hills, Cuyahoga Falls

www.bosschicknbeer.com

This is a nice, simple restaurant with a menu limited primarily to chicken (wings or very meaty tenders/strips) and go-withs for the chicken. Sauces are served on the side and almost all of them are gluten-free. Staff is very knowledgeable re gluten-free, too. Sides include things like potato fries, cauliflower and cheese (the gluten-free version of ‘macaroni and cheese’) and garlic Brussels sprouts. Portions were ample and we took some home, too. Food is ordered at the front, you then find a seat yourself, a server takes

your drink orders. Then you are called to pick up your food from the bar when it is ready. Suggest you arrive hungry and enjoy!

2/2026 Note: The food menu is now entirely gluten free. Though they still serve regular beer besides gluten free.