Whole Foods To Go Review

Kayleigh here. One of the hardest things about gluten free dining is definitely the fast food conundrum. Sure, most larger chains post allergen information on their websites, but the vast majority of those storefronts are NOT going to be trained in preventing cross-contamination. Maybe the burger patty doesn't have gluten, but what is to say it was not prepared on the same counter as the buns already?

Thus, when we needed a quick dinner on our way to the Olympia National Forest, the options were...a tad limited. Trying to avoid the mainstay of pizza takeout, we decided to give Whole Foods a shot. Now, the reviews on their gluten free standards have been mixed at best, as many people mention accidental cross-contamination at any/all of their food bars. Most of the time, this is due to other diners using the serving spoons in the wrong container, or knocking a piece of pasta into the neighboring salad. And I am certainly not going to dispute this danger- Whole Foods is very careful to explain that they cannot certify any dish as being gluten free, as they use but one kitchen to prepare all of their dishes.

This is exactly why we chose to gave them a shot, actually. With an employee stationed at every turn, they were very professional and patient in listening to our needs, and quick to give us not only the gluten disclaimer, but complete nutritional information on each and every dish displayed. Additionally, each employee was able to point out what stations were better equipped (the sandwich station had gluten free bread options, and areas like the Deli are server-operated, so there would not be customer contamination).

Jason here. I was certainly worried about finding some nice fast food to eat. I still wouldn't say whole foods really qualifies as fast food per-say, but it was fast enough on this day. I got the barbeque pulled pork, and a broccoli salad. The pulled pork tasted just fine, but wasn't anything special. It didn't quiet meet my standards for food on the go since it was slightly messy and required a utensil to eat, but that's okay. I had the same problem with the broccoli salad, however it was significantly better tasting than the generic pulled pork. It had some walnuts, raisins, broccoli of course, and a delicious dressing. I definitely would recommend this if you needed something quick for lunch or a light healthy snack. I was just a passenger for our trip, so eating with a utensil wasn't too difficult for me, but drivers may want to be choosier.

All in all, I will have to say that we are not telling you Whole Foods is a totally safe option, but we came out Scott-free. Use your own judgment, and know your own gluten tolerance levels before dining here. Heed the advice of the employees, and just use your common sense. Are there crouton crumbs in the salad? Is the serving spoon being shared between fried chicken and curry tofu? Maybe not the best choice, then. But if you choose to give it a shot, the food is surprisingly good for a grocery store. And while we miss living in New York and having access to a Wegmans, we can certainly make do here.