Reader Allyson notified us of gluten-free options at the Radio Room on Alberta, so we went to check it out. Their dinner menu has a number of gluten free items, but their brunch menu does not, so make sure you go there for dinner. Besides a regular dining area, the Radio Room also has a lounge and an upper deck.
The radio room itself has more of an upscale bar atmosphere, sort of like Echo on MLK. The decor is half ’50s diner and half Interview Magazine. When we visited, they had various old school punk and post-punk playing at a comfortable volume. So, the Sex Pistols, Ramones, and other such bands. They have a very long cocktail list, and quite a long menu. The gluten-free offerings can be listed rather quickly. They are: Bacon Wrapped Prawns, Cab Calamari, Radio Wings, Baby Artichoke Salad, English Beet Salad, Mashed Potatoes Side with Gravy, Ahi Tuna Tacos, Stuffed Chayote Squash, and for dessert, a chocolate mousse dubbed “Chocolate City.” After some discussion, we learned that the Caesar Salad could be made gluten-free by omitting the croutons.
Our waitress was very nice and knowledgeable. She answered all of our questions about the menu and in the case of the Caesar Salad, came out with a ingredient list, which was very reassuring. She also informed us that they have a dedicated fryer for their gluten-free fried items, which is really awesome.
Although our tipster, Allyson, recommended the Ahi Tacos and English Beet Salad, we decided to eschew convention and get a Caesar salad and two openers instead of any of the entrees. This is in part because we both love bacon and also because I’m a man on a mission to find some good gluten-free calamari.
The Caesar salad, as you can see, had a heck of a lot of cheese on it. While the lettuce was fresh and the olives were tasty, we felt that the salad was a little too dry and were wishing that they put more lemon juice and some anchovies in it. The Bacon Wrapped Prawns were interesting. They came with a raspberry-chipotle dipping sauce. I thought that this was a very novel combination, but we both agreed that the sauce didn’t go very well with the bacon for some reason. Maybe it was just us, though. I could see someone really getting into the combo. Sienna felt that the prawns were undercooked, because the texture was a little gristly and springy. The Calamari was good. It was way better than the Calamari at the Hawthorne Fish House and came with a very nice tartar sauce. At the same time, like other gluten-free Calamari we’ve had, it was a little tasteless. Sienna commented that someone should try making a gluten-free beer battered Calamari.
As you can probably tell by the above, we ended up feeling like the Radio Room’s gluten-free offerings were good but not awesome. We did end up feeling like it would be a great venue if you wanted to go out drinking with a bunch of friends and get some bar food. For that purpose we would definitely recommend it.
We want to know: Do you know of any other bars with gluten-free menu items? Have you eaten at the Radio Room? What did you think? Let us know!
Gluten-Free Safety Rating: Gluten-Free Friendly But Ask Questions
Times we have visited: 1 (So your experience may vary.)
Overall rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Price compared to “regular”: Same
Radio Room
http://www.radioroompdx.com/
1101 NE Alberta Street / 503.287.2346
Alicia says
I just happened upon your site by doing a search for gluten free bars and restaurants in Portland. Great site!
I have to say that the Radio Room is definitely one of our family favorites. My son and I are both gluten free and as such, we love it! We actually go there for breakfast about once a month — if you take out the toast, most of their morning offerings are totally gluten free. They have always been 100% cool about subbing extra tatters for the toast, too.
Our son’s school is right down the street so we often go there for snacks on Fridays and have dinner there once or twice per month as a family. They actually have more gluten free items that I know of that you didn’t mention above — their flatiron steak with mashed potatoes and veggies is gluten free if you do not get the sauce that comes on the steak (the gravy is gluten free and fantastic). We LOVE the radio cakes, which are gluten free but the paprika sauce isn’t. They are totally cool with subbing the paprika sauce with marinara — this is our son’s favorite thing there (with french fries and a side of veggies).
I TOTALLY agree about “Chocolate City”. I am not personally a “sugar person” but I will tell you that this is the most delectable gluten free chocolaty desert I have ever had in my life. Unlike a lot of GF deserts, it’s a very smooth chocolate mouse and has yummy creamy stuff on top and more chocolate sauce on top of that. LOVE it!
My husband and son love the calamari but I personally have never tried it. The radio wings rock though!
Our family would rate Radio Room 4.5 to 5 stars, personally.
Dave says
Wow! That’s a great review, and thanks for letting me know about the Chocolate City. Now I want to go back and try it out.
Gina says
I haven’t been to the Radio Room in quite a while. When I was there last, they did not have a gluten-free menu. I’ll have to go back and try again! Thanks for the review.
Kaycee says
I ate dinner here last night and have not been to sleep yet (it is 6am). Anyone with celiacs knows how my night has been- I was severly glutened here. My tacos either were cooked with breaded items (not GF) or the corn shells were cross-contaminated from the manufacturer. The waitress didn’t seem very interested in my food questions and never assured me of their safety. I stated several times that I can not have gluten or any dairy prodicts. I made a mistake by eating here and trusting their GF menu items. I think it’s a joke when resturants have GF menu items and do not really care to keep their customers healthy. I will never be back.