Nutrition Diet: Is the baked potato at Texas Roadhouse gluten-free?

October 5, 2025 •

5 min read

Texas Roadhouse explicitly states that cross-contact with allergens is a possibility in their scratch-based kitchen, raising significant questions for those with sensitivities. For individuals managing celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, understanding the risk is crucial when asking: Is the baked potato at Texas Roadhouse gluten-free?

Quick Summary

The baked potato at Texas Roadhouse is naturally gluten-free, but potential cross-contamination during preparation poses a risk. Strict precautions are necessary, and it may not be safe for those with severe gluten allergies.

Key Points

Ingredient is Gluten-Free: The potato itself is a naturally gluten-free food, but restaurant preparation methods introduce risk.
"Gluten-Friendly" is not "Gluten-Free": Texas Roadhouse uses the term "gluten-friendly" and cautions that cross-contact can occur in its shared kitchen.
Risk of Cross-Contamination is High: Shared cooking surfaces, utensils, and widespread seasoning use make it difficult to guarantee a baked potato is free from gluten exposure.
Order with Extreme Caution: For a potentially safer meal, a baked potato must be requested plain, with only salt and pepper, and all toppings served on the side.
Celiac Disease vs. Sensitivity: The high risk of cross-contamination makes Texas Roadhouse an unsafe choice for many with celiac disease, while those with milder sensitivity may take the risk.
Manager Communication is Key: It is important to communicate directly with a manager regarding your gluten allergy to ensure kitchen staff are aware of the severity.
Consider Safer Alternatives: Other plain sides like green beans or plain sweet potatoes may present a lower, but not zero, risk if prepared carefully.

The Basic Ingredients: Is a Potato Naturally Gluten-Free?

At its core, a plain, unseasoned potato is a naturally gluten-free food. A potato is a starchy vegetable, not a grain, and therefore contains no gluten protein. This makes it a potential cornerstone of a gluten-free diet, especially when prepared at home where cross-contact is controllable. The primary issue for individuals with celiac disease or a serious gluten sensitivity at restaurants like Texas Roadhouse is not the potato itself, but the preparation method and kitchen environment.

Texas Roadhouse's "Gluten-Friendly" Disclaimer

Texas Roadhouse recognizes the need to accommodate dietary restrictions and provides a 'Gluten-Friendly Suggestions' menu. The baked potato is listed on this menu, confirming that it does not contain gluten as an explicit ingredient. However, this is a critical distinction from a truly 'gluten-free' menu. The company explicitly warns guests that because they are a "scratch-based concept," meaning many items are prepared from scratch in a shared kitchen, cross-contact with allergens can and does occur. For someone with a severe gluten allergy or celiac disease, this distinction is not merely a formality but a serious health consideration. The restaurant itself is not a dedicated gluten-free environment.

Hidden Gluten in Preparation: The Risk of Cross-Contamination

Cross-contamination is the transfer of gluten from one food or surface to another. At Texas Roadhouse, there are several points at which this can happen, turning an otherwise safe baked potato into a health hazard.

Shared Surfaces and Utensils: Knives, cutting boards, and counters may be used for both gluten-containing items (like the famous rolls) and supposedly gluten-friendly sides.
Seasoning Blends: The restaurant's signature steak seasoning, which some users report contains gluten or causes reactions, is ubiquitous in the kitchen. While the official advice for a safe baked potato is to request only salt and pepper, it's possible that the potato could be seasoned accidentally or by habit.
Added Fats: Some copycat recipes and anecdotal evidence suggest that potatoes may be rubbed with bacon grease or other fats containing gluten. Guests should specifically request no bacon grease, as some have reported getting ill from it.
Loadings and Toppings: While the potato itself is gluten-free, the standard toppings for a loaded baked potato—cheese, bacon, chives, sour cream, and butter—must be considered individually. All toppings should be double-checked for potential gluten ingredients or cross-contact during storage and handling.

What to Order: Safeguarding Your Meal

For those choosing to dine at Texas Roadhouse despite the cross-contamination risks, specific instructions are key.

Communicate Clearly: Inform your server immediately that you have a gluten allergy, not just a preference. Use the word "allergy" to signal the severity.
Request Plain Preparation: Ask for the baked potato with only salt and pepper, and no additional oil or bacon grease.
Specify Toppings: For toppings, ask for them on the side or, better yet, request that a fresh, unopened container of sour cream or butter be used to avoid cross-contact.
Speak to a Manager: If your server seems unsure or inexperienced with allergen protocols, ask to speak with a manager. This can provide an extra layer of reassurance, but it does not eliminate the risk completely.

Texas Roadhouse Gluten-Friendly Side-by-Side Comparison


Feature	Standard Baked Potato	Gluten-Friendly Baked Potato Order
Key Ingredients	Potato, salt, oil/fat, optional toppings	Potato, salt, olive oil (specifically requested), optional safe toppings
Seasoning	May be seasoned with standard Texas Roadhouse blend	Must be requested with salt and pepper only to minimize risk
Cooking Method	Baked on potentially shared surfaces	May be baked in foil to reduce contact, if requested and available
Toppings	May include standard sour cream, bacon, and cheese from shared containers	Order all toppings on the side or request from unopened packages
Cross-Contamination Risk	High due to shared surfaces and general kitchen environment	Reduced but not eliminated; depends on staff diligence

Alternative Gluten-Free Sides at Texas Roadhouse

If the risk associated with a baked potato is too high for your comfort level, there are other sides to consider, though they also require careful ordering:

Green Beans: Order without butter or seasoning, specifying salt and pepper only.
Corn: Request plain, with no butter.
Sweet Potato: Request plain, with no cinnamon butter or other toppings.
House Salad: Order with no croutons and only oil and vinegar dressing.

Considerations for Celiac Disease vs. Gluten Sensitivity

For those with non-celiac gluten sensitivity, the risk of consuming a small amount of gluten is often less severe than for individuals with celiac disease. Celiac patients can experience significant intestinal damage and long-term health consequences from even trace amounts of gluten. For this reason, many members of the celiac community are unwilling to risk dining at restaurants known for high cross-contamination rates, including Texas Roadhouse. A person with less severe sensitivity may feel comfortable navigating the risks with careful communication, but for true celiac disease, the risk is often too great.

Expert Consensus and Anecdotal Evidence

Reviews from online celiac forums and dedicated websites like Find Me Gluten Free are a crucial source of information. Users frequently report mixed experiences, with some being successfully accommodated and others experiencing gluten exposure despite their best efforts. A common refrain is that the risk is high due to the non-dedicated kitchen space and staff training inconsistencies. Even when ordering supposedly safe items, accidental cross-contact from shared utensils or cooking surfaces can occur. Ultimately, the consensus among many experienced gluten-free diners is that Texas Roadhouse should be approached with extreme caution, if at all.

Conclusion: Making an Informed Decision

So, is the baked potato at Texas Roadhouse gluten-free? The answer is complex. The base ingredient is, but the final dish is not guaranteed to be free of gluten due to significant cross-contamination risk in a non-dedicated kitchen. For those with celiac disease, the potential for accidental gluten exposure is high and makes dining there risky. For those with mild gluten sensitivity, careful communication with the server and manager can minimize risk, but will not eliminate it completely. Making an informed decision means weighing the potential health consequences against the desire to dine out and, for many with strict gluten-free requirements, that balance tips toward caution or choosing a safer alternative.

For more information on safely dining out with celiac disease, visit Beyond Celiac.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, the baked potato is not considered completely safe for someone with celiac disease due to the high risk of cross-contamination in Texas Roadhouse's shared kitchen. The company explicitly warns that cross-contact can occur during the preparation process.

Texas Roadhouse offers a "Gluten-Friendly Suggestions" menu, not a fully gluten-free menu. The restaurant warns that cross-contamination is possible because it is a scratch-based concept with a shared kitchen.

A "gluten-free" claim requires food to contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten. A "gluten-friendly" designation, however, is a non-regulated term used by Texas Roadhouse to indicate that an item does not contain gluten ingredients but was prepared in a facility with gluten, meaning cross-contact can happen.

The toppings for the baked potato, including cheese, bacon, and sour cream, carry a risk of cross-contamination from shared utensils and surfaces. For maximum safety, they should be requested on the side or you can ask for fresh, unopened packages.

Yes, you must tell your server that you have a serious gluten allergy or celiac disease. This is crucial for alerting the kitchen staff to take extra precautions and for the server to confirm preparation details.

While it's not a standard practice, you can ask a manager if the kitchen can cook your potato wrapped in foil to reduce the risk of contact with gluten on oven racks. This is not a guarantee and depends on the restaurant's policy.

For a strict gluten-free diet, plain green beans, corn, or a sweet potato are generally considered safer options than the baked potato, provided you request them without butter, seasoning, or toppings. Always communicate your allergy to the server.