My pre-Celiac self liked this pub. Tender ribs, turkey wings, cole slaw and pickle spears. Yum! This time around, I was much less impressed!
At first glance, the menu appeared to have a few options for me. I was thinking of fajita salad with grilled steak or chicken caesar depending on the ingredients of the dressing. I mentioned that I eat gluten-free to the waitress and asked about the salads. She looked confused and said she would check with the kitchen. When she returned she informed me that everything contains gluten and I would not be able to order.
A friend suggested that I ask about the potato skins, but at this point I was too flustered to get the waitress to ask the kitchen more questions. Not all was lost. I did order a Strongbow Cider and enjoyed the pickle spears of some non-pickle-eating friends!
Dick's is located on Merivale Road, just south of Merivale's intersection with Baseline. Dining at Dick's was a wonderful experience that I would recommend to any celiac! The staff was friendly and knowledgeable in the ways of eating gluten-free and the food was delicious.
Being a newly-diagnosed celiac, I was nervous to walk into a burger joint of all places and request a breadless meal. But as soon as I mentioned my need to be gluten-free, the waitress sent the owner over with her personal recommendations. She informed me that both the beef and bison burgers at Dick's are free of breadcrumb fillers, while the turkey, kangaroo and ostrich burgers do contain gluten. Dick's also keeps a separate deep fryer for only fries so there is no risk of contamination with the other gluten-filled foods such as onion rings. My mind was set at ease.
I ordered the bison burger. When my plate came (I wish I had taken a picture), it came with tomato, lettuce and pickles on the side, as well as a little ramekin of aioli (garlic mayo) for dipping. I ate my "burger" with a knife and fork, ensuring that each bite had all of the burger elements. My meal also came with fries and a vanilla avocado milkshake that was super delicious and filling.
For a complete menu, visit http://www.dickshamburgers.com/index.html.
