If you choose to eat paleo, and many of our followers do, it’s important to have a cheat sheet on where you can eat in an environment that will allow you to do so. Today I’m happy to present you our paleo friendly restaurant guide to popular places to eat in the United States. Since many celebrities eat paleo, it’s become a phenomenon.
I personally struggled with finding paleo restaurants with menu options that I actually wanted to eat without making all the annoying substitutions the waitstaff turn their noses up at.
That’s why today I’m happy to unleash this guide to eating out at popular restaurants and finding what you need to keep your diet game on point!
When you start going out on your quest to eat gluten-free food, you’ll be the person who pipes up “is this gluten free?”
These days, wait staff is actually fine with that. You won’t send them back to the kitchen to find out, and many menus actually denote foods that are gluten free, so you can even save yourself the hassle of asking questions. It’s become quite the norm, thanks to the popularity of the paleo diet.
A quick hack is to just Google “paleo restaurants near me,” and you should see a list of places that will fit your needs. If that doesn’t work, and you find yourself somewhere without doing any homework, just ask the waiter or waitress questions, and they should be happy to help you out.
Of course, for anyone withe the ADD or thirst to find out now (like me) here is a nice sampling of popular restaurants that have some gluten free options.
Paleo Friendly Menu Options at Popular Restaurants
#1: Applebees
Since these are located just about everywhere, I figured we’d start here. American fare is served here, but if you don’t watch yourself, you could find yourself eating like a pig. Finding nutrition at “the Bees” isn’t always easy.
Being advanced and forward thinking, this popular chain has some info on their website you can check out.
If you want an app, go with the Honey BBQ Wings, which is allergen free. However you may want to order the sauce on the side. If you are looking to stay away from glutens, avoid the Asian chili sauce as well. Same goes for any of the dishes like ribs for a main course.
For your meal, chicken and baby back ribs are your only choices here. For the kids, chicken grilles fit the bill.
The rest of the menu will be full of dairy, wheat, soy, or a mix of the above.
As far as sides, you have chips, sweet potato fries, and chips. If you veer off that path and order veggies, ask for them to be steamed.
#2: T.G.I. Fridays
Another staple in just about every major town or surrounding suburb is T.G.I. Friday’s, where it’s always Friday on the inside. With everything on the menu containing dairy and soy, this place wasn’t made for the lactose intolerant. There are zero appetizers you can eat unless you tolerate dairy. If you do, the Tuscan Spinach dip works.
As an entree, the grilled chicken salad without cheese is your best bet.
For sides, broccoli and coleslaw. Steam the broccoli, obviously.
The all natural chicken sandwich for the kids is an option here as well. The bread is gluten free.
#3: Chilis
Another one you’ll find hovering near by the other two mentioned restaurants, everyone knows Chili’s for their baby back ribs.
What can you eat here, at Chili’s, you ask?
Smoked wings, ancho chili salmon, and avocado sirloin. You can go without the carbs and eat the rest of the fajitas, as well.
As a side, steamed broccoli, which I’ve now mentioned multiple times.
#4: P.F. Changs
This is the only restaurant I have mentioned this far that I actually go to routinely. I don’t visit the others unless I’m in the middle of nowhere and it’s the only option. I actually will make a point to go to P.F. Changs, because their food is delicious. For starters, their Asian Lettuce Wraps are great, as well as their Egg Drop Soup. And guess what? You can have both of them.
Pepper steak, or chicken, are your best entree options here. As far as sides go, spinach and garlic stir fry works just fine.
#5: Outback
Another one I have been to many times in the past, but when I’m craving steak, this is the last place I crave. I guess living in South Florida spoils me with fancy cuisine, so the chains get no love from me. However, if you make it here for whatever reason, here is what you can order and stay paleo.
Apps: Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Entree: Sirloin and Grilled Shrimp combo, ribs and chicken on the barbie.
Sides: Asparagus….and….you guessed it: steamed broccoli.
#6:
About Shaun Hudson
Shaun Hudson loves sports, being outdoors, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. After many unsuccessful attempts to lose weight, he finally was able to drop 25 pounds and keep it off. The secret? He kept a journal of his activity, diet, and daily life. That journal changed his life, and has since evolved into this website. Read his full bio.