Austin is one of my favorite cities in Texas and definitely one of the most underrated travel destinations in the US! I spend most of my summer in Houston and always have a blast driving up to Austin for weekend trips! I love spending the weekend picnicking in Zilker Park, kayaking on Lake Travis, and exploring all the amazing dining options in the city. Included in this guide is a list of spots that I personally visited during my time in Austin as well as descriptions about their allergy practices. Whether you’re merely brainstorming spots for your next trip or are planning a visit to Austin in the near future, I hope this allergy-friendly Austin guide is able to provide some recommendations for the best spots to eat in the state capital of Texas!
Where To Eat
On my trip to Austin, I ate at a variety of restaurants and treat shops across the city. Read the list to learn more about each spot and how they accommodate food allergies. You can also take a look at the Google map below to see where these places are located throughout the Austin area!
1. Wilder Wood Restaurant
This dedicated gluten-free restaurant and bar in downtown Austin is also completely free of nuts! It was amazing to be able to order anything on the menu. Wilder Wood Restaurant is known for their delicious Mexican food and fun drinks! A dedicated gluten-free fryer is a rare find, so I has to get the fried shrimp tacos and loaded nachos with housemade tortilla chips! Both were delicious! The staff were knowledgeable about food allergies and let me know that the wrapped carrot cake slices they sold up front contained walnuts. I avoided the desserts but ate safely knowing everything in the kitchen was nut-free!
2. Lick Honest Ice Creams
An Austin and Dallas Fort-Worth ice cream chain, Lick Honest has a wide selection of delicious flavors and is great for accommodating a variety of food allergies. Only one of their year-round flavors contain nuts, and every flavor has a label listing which allergens it contains. Almost every flavor is gluten-free and they also have vegan flavors made with coconut milk. While occasionally seasonal flavors contain tree nuts, they are kept on the other side of the scoop area than the year-round flavors. Staff will also get a clean scoop from the back before scooping your order. I love the honey & vanilla bean and milk chocolate flavors best!
3. Picnik
This famous 100% gluten-free, soy-free, and peanut-free restaurant is well-known for being the most allergy-friendly spot in the Austin area. Picnik has two locations: a flagship restaurant on Burnet Rd. and a smaller coffee house on South Lamar Blvd. We dined at the location on Burnet and had a fabulous meal! Their allergen guide is one of the very best! It lists potential cross-contamination in the fryer, as well as which ingredients and allergens each dish contains. While they do have a number of tree nuts on the menu, I was able to find several safe options and enjoyed their french toast! Note: the fryer does have a cross-contamination warning for tree nuts, so avoid all fried items if your nut allergy is severe. I found that the weekend brunch menu had more safe options than the weekday one, so I recommend dining at Picnik on Saturday or Sunday!
4. OMG Squee
OMG Squee in East Austin is the cutest Asian-owned allergy-friendly sweets shop! The owner manages allergies herself, so the entire kitchen is dedicated free from gluten, peanuts, and cashews. While some items contain other tree nuts, everyone who works there is extremely understanding of food allergies and cross-contamination. Their soft serve flavors, gluten-free Belgian waffle cones, and fun ice cream toppings are all nut-free! Nutella can be added to the cone, but it’s in a squeeze bottle and kept separate for the ice cream. They also have delicious nut-free mochi donuts! I loved the custard soft serve with fruity pebbles and the cocoa pebble and strawberry sprinkle donuts!
5. Phoebe’s Diner
Phoebe’s Diner is a celiac-owned brunch spot with two locations in Austin. While their kitchen is not dedicated gluten-free, they have many gluten-free options, a dedicated gluten-free fryer, and a clearly labeled menu. There were very few nuts, and staff were knowledgable about food allergies and cross-contamination. I ordered the gluten-free fried chicken breakfast plate with potatoes, eggs, and gluten-free bread, and everything was delicious! The wait is pretty long so definitely try to call ahead and/or make reservations in advance!
6. Pie Jacked
This top 8 allergen free bakery north of Austin in Round Rock was such a find! Everything is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free, and also free of corn! Note that they do have some items that contain coconut. Pie Jacked is most known for their adorable mini pies, but they also have other fun baked goods like cookie bars and donuts! I adored the salted caramel coffee cake cookie bar, and the chocolate donuts were my favorite!
Now you’re all set to book a summer trip to Austin! I hope this allergy-friendly restaurant guide gave you some inspiration! Let me know in the comments what allergy-friendly spot in Austin is your favorite or which one you want to visit! If you’re looking for other city guides, be sure to check out my Allergy-Friendly Restaurant Guide to Washington, D.C. for more travel recommendations!
