Elmhurst Brewing Company

I think I’ve spoiled myself by always going places with good defined gluten free menus. That when I go somewhere that just throws stuff together I have to try really hard not to roll my eyes at the menu. I’ve looked at Elmhurst Brewing Companies menu a few times the last year or so that we’ve had our Friday “Brew Crew”, and the menu does rotate seasonally and so do the gluten free options. It seems that they are becoming less and less. Which was a bit shocking since most cases I feel I eat better at most breweries than I do most sit down establishments. This one was a bit different. 

They had 1 flatbread option and 2 salads marked on the menu. I questioned a couple other items including their pimento dip, (Which seems to be a brewery staple, as that’s where I always seem to get it.).

1^st things first, they had cider from Right Bee, and an Old-Fashioned option. Their Old-Fashioned was ok. You had to stir the ice to melt it some to bring off the harsh edge on the drink. The Cider was great! I want to go do a tasting at Right Bee one of these days cause I think I’ll like the options. 

 

Not gluten free, but thought their taster paddle was cool.

I got the pimento cheese dip, they determined they could do cucumbers and celery instead of crackers and the beet and goat cheese salad. Had the wings been an option, I would have gone with them, my husband did, and said they were amazing! Our friend who got the Schintzel said it was better than the German restaurant we went to! 

The goat cheese salad had these cute little ‘goat balls’ as my husband called them rolled in pepper and placed sparsely on the salad. Their green goddess dressing was good. Overall the salad was OK, nothing I’d rave about, but it didn’t upset my stomach. The pimento dip tasted processed and fake. We joked that they ran across the street and got a container from the grocery store and plopped it on the plate. Not amazing, at all!

Overall, I’d give them 2 Dragonflies, while they nicely marked 3 items on the menu gluten free, it felt like they did so out of obligation, that they really wanted to make or serve anything gluten free. The ambiance was nice and if you eat gluten the food sounds like it’s good… Just not, the gluten free aspect.