Can you eat gluten-free at the Jersey Shore? Craig LaBan has 12 best bets.

The fried chicken taco hovered tantalizingly like a promising lunch — but also a juicy open question. Could it possibly be gluten-free, as advertised?

“We have a fryer that’s dedicated gluten-free!” the cheerful manager at Tacoshop in Cape May Court House said reassuringly, raising my daughter Alice’s hopes. She’s been unable to eat gluten safely since being diagnosed with celiac disease in 2021, and the pleasures of crunchy fried chicken have been few and far between.

Now 24, and more than two years into navigating dietary needs that are more stringent than for someone who chooses to avoid gluten for lifestyle reasons, she’s come to learn through some hard lessons: Just because a menu says gluten free doesn’t mean it is.

That was a recurring theme during the week she spent on vacation with us at the Jersey Shore, and, as a result, we experienced a range of unexpected stumbles and hollow promises — as well as some notable successes.

When searching for gluten-free options, there are always follow-up questions to be asked. Such as: what’s in the breading? And from the moment the Tacoshop manager said cornflakes, the excitement drained from Alice’s eyes. She knew that most brands of cornflakes harbor gluten, and this particular box of Kellogg’s, which has malt, was no different.

The news was deflating, not only for us after making a special trip there for lunch, but also for Tacoshop owner Lucas Manteca, who prides himself on gluten-free offerings.

“I’m devastated,” he told me when I called him from the car after leaving the restaurant. Manteca, a longtime source and star chef at the Jersey Shore (Quahog’s, Red Store), had gone to great lengths to make sure this appealing quick-serve Mexican concept was safe for gluten-free dining, from the dedicated fryer and griddle to house-pressed corn tortillas and even gluten-free soy sauce for the Mexi-Poke bowl. “We don’t have flour here at all,” he said. But he realized when I reached out that he’d made a mistake by assuming the cornflakes were gluten-free. That dedicated fryer was unwittingly contaminated.

“I take full responsibility,” he said later in a text. “But by tomorrow your daughter will be able to come here and eat safely with us.”

We took him up on his promise. But the cautionary lesson was not lost on us.

“Even when people have good intentions, sometimes they don’t do it right,” Alice said.

People with celiac disease must avoid gluten completely or risk severe illness. And learning to cook and eat gluten-free after a lifetime of loving bread, pasta, and soy sauce is no easy task, even in your own home. Not only for the obvious ingredients that must be avoided, but for the pervasive dangers of cross contamination. Everything from unsterilized cutting boards to cooking tools, unchanged gloves, reused steam table spoons, and fryer oil holds potential for contamination.

To eat out in restaurants requires extra fortitude, from putting trust in others to having the confidence to advocate for yourself. Imagine the indignity of going to a Chipotle, which has commonsense protocols for accommodating allergy requests, and watching the staff roll their eyes as they change their gloves and then ask with a dismissive sigh: “What’s wrong with you, again?”

It happens so often, Alice says, that asking for a burrito bowl often fills her with the dread of “feeling like a burden.” Or that going out to eat on a review meal with me — a cherished adventure we’ve shared since she was little — is now freighted with angst. As a family whose world revolves around restaurants, we’ve been determined to push through, albeit armed with precautions. But it requires a leap of faith that a kitchen knows what it’s doing.

In some cases, the warning signs are right on the menu. That was the situation at Betty’s Seafood Shack in Margate in early June, when the menu posted out front listed as gluten-free options both the clam chowder (which used flour as a thickener) and tuna tataki (which had wheat in its ponzu sauce).

“Oh, you’re educating us now. Thank you,” said one employee, not exactly inspiring confidence in the other supposedly gluten-free items.

Co-owner Steve Marchel concedes mistakes were made early on with his new venture, where he’s since implemented staff changes and menu fixes: “You’re not the only one I have to apologize to. I needed to bring in a culinary pro who has experience with this, and that’s exactly what I did,” he said, noting the new chef has cooked gluten-free at his other restaurant, Water Dog Smoke House.

Sometimes, though, despite the most earnest efforts, things go wrong. At Iccara, a Sicilian-inspired BYOB in Cape May with “GF” labels scattered across its menu, someone switched the advertised tomato-lemon vinaigrette for the octopus with a sesame-soy sauce that contained gluten. Alice took one bite of octopus, recognized the Asian flavor profiles, and instantly sounded the alarm to the mortified server, who’d not been apprised of the change, though the Ken’s dressing label on the container clearly said it contained wheat. Luckily, Alice had not eaten more than a bite, and suffered only from a headache that evening.

All the uncertainty and risk is enough for some restaurateurs to simply avoid even trying.

“You’re trusting a bunch of cooks that are paid by the hour [to avoid cross contamination],” said Heather Gleason, explaining why her Good Dog Bar’s new Atlantic City branch declined to cook for us when we visited with Alice, despite offering a secondary “allergy” menu that’s fully notated with potential allergens. The Good Dog frequently cooks successfully for people who avoid gluten, Gleason said. “But you just seemed too nervous.”

Who could blame us?

Brine BYOB in Cape May, where two managers had given me assurances that the restaurant could accommodate someone with celiac disease, had second thoughts when the chef got in the next day and called to cancel our reservation.

A more favorable scenario played out at Nobu at Caesars in Atlantic City, after some tense uncertainty. Once seated and ready to dine, we were told Nobu’s regular sushi chef at that location refused to accommodate gluten-free requests, too nervous he’d make a mistake. Luckily, upon inquiring further, the chain’s corporate chef from New York, Ryo Hasegawa, was standing in that night and perfectly willing to do it.

We had a memorable feast of beautiful sushi that evening as we overlooked the Boardwalk and ocean at dusk, and a sense of gratitude radiated from Alice knowing that someone had made the extra effort to show her such true hospitality. To me, though, the inconsistency seemed frustratingly arbitrary — until Caesars’ food and beverage director Bill Fritz later gave me the news when I followed up with an interview: The casino’s new policy is to accommodate gluten-free sushi requests, and whatever chef runs Nobu’s counter must learn to follow the established protocols. Hasegawa had proven they work.

The benefit is not only for the virtue of hospitality. Successfully serving a gluten-free menu is good for business, too.

“There’s a demand for it and I want to be the supply for it,” says Betty’s Marchel. “The seasonal crowd that comes here is generally more health-conscious, and I’d estimate that at least three-quarters of the people who order gluten-free are not even celiac.”

At the Hula Restaurant & Sauce Co. on the Ocean City boardwalk, cofounder Amy Rihl, who is gluten intolerant, decided last year to make the Hawaiian-inspired menu even more accommodating to gluten-free needs, adjusting recipes such as its butter sauce to eliminate gluten and offering gluten-free buns as an option.

“Changing the butter sauce opened the door for so many other people to eat here,” she said, noting that the restaurant also has special alert buttons on its order system, and color-coded cooking tools to guard against confusion.

Aside from their single fryer, which cannot be used for gluten-free items, the only remaining stumbling point was the restaurant’s popular Huli Huli sauce, a teriyaki glaze made in large quantities with standard wheat-based soy sauce that is bottled for sale and used on their Hawaiian plates. The hurdle is economic: Gluten-free soy sauce costs Rihl more than twice as much.

“I’d feel guilty charging $25 for a chicken plate that normally costs $19,” she said.

Rihl decided instead to add only a modest $2 upcharge after making a small test batch of the more expensive gluten-free version of Huli Huli to see how it goes. The early sales last week were slow as word had yet to spread, she said, “but customers are very grateful for the option.”

No effort was spared, however, in Manteca’s quest to come back from his fried chicken misstep at Tacoshop. Within hours of our call, he and his wife and partner Deanna Ebner had come in and done a deep cleaning to sterilize the fryers. He also reworked the fried chicken recipe to use gluten-free panko crumbs instead of cornflakes.

When we returned to Tacoshop the following day, I could immediately see the appeal of this bright local update to the customizable fast-casual template — but with scratch ingredients, house-pressed tortillas, deeply steeped quesabirria tacos edged in griddle-crisped halos of cheese, outgoing service, and a menu with clearly marked options that makes customers with both nut allergies and gluten-free needs feel valued, not a like burden.

“It’s personally satisfying to know everyone can dine with us,” Manteca said. “It’s not fair to open a restaurant for only a very specific clientele and exclude people with dietary restrictions. It’s not their choice.”

As for the chicken? It crackled inside a greaseless buttermilk crust over tangy slaw and a swirl of sauces embraced by the velvety softness of three fresh tortillas. And Alice, now confident that Tacoshop’s good intentions were properly executed, devoured them before delivering a glowing review: “My new favorite!”

Finding places to safely eat gluten-free is a challenge any time you leave your comfort zone and go on vacation, but apps like Find Me GF have been valuable resources to get us started. By the end of a week at the Jersey Shore, we’d found gluten-free success at several places.

Here’s a list of best bets, though be sure to always let management know your dietary needs before ordering.

Virtually all of the classic French dishes at this stellar Cape May newcomer, from duck à l’orange to Black Forest torte, are made without the usual flour, and 95% of the menu can be modified to be gluten-free. Chef-partner Michael Schultz, a vegan who also excels in plant-based cooking, is especially attuned to the subtleties of potential cross contamination. 311 Mansion St., Cape May, 609-435-5554

This bright local fast-casual Mexican makes everything in-house and has strong gluten-free protocols. After fixing a problematic fried chicken recipe, it gets an enthusiastic GF thumbs up. 5 Court House South Dennis Rd., Cape May Court House, 609-536-2821

The service staff and hot kitchen at this high-end Japanese chain is well-versed in navigating the menu for dietary needs. The once-reluctant sushi counter has also, after a recent policy change, committed to following protocols to accommodate gluten-free requests. Caesars Atlantic City, 2100 Pacific Ave., Atlantic City

This beloved Hawaiian-themed grill on the Ocean City boardwalk modified much of its menu to be gluten-free last year, with the exception of items from the fryer. A gluten-free version of its Huli Huli teriyaki sauce is also now available. 940 Boardwalk, Ocean City, 609-399-2400

A dedicated gluten-free fryer (and hand-breaded GF batter) gives this updated seafood shack on Margate’s bay appeal, but early menu mistakes gave us pause in June. The owner says those issues have since been rectified with the arrival of a more seasoned kitchen crew from its sibling restaurant, Water Dog Smoke House. 9315 Amherst Ave., Margate City, 609-246-7411

Gluten-free pancakes are the draw at this cheerful brunch specialist in downtown Ocean City, and for good reason — they’re well-marked, and they’re excellent. 916 Asbury Ave., Ocean City, 609-938-9285

The classic seafood shack informally known as Smitty’s in Somers Point actually has a separate printed menu for gluten-free options, with a focus on their fresh baked fish of the day, available with eight different sauces. 910 Bay Ave., Somers Point, 609-927-8783

Ocean City’s favorite Greek diner does a great job with gluten-free options, especially for its big salads, kebabs, and dinner platters, when rice is available as a side. 847 Asbury Ave., Ocean City, 609-391-1113

This upscale addition to Atlantic City’s Orange Loop always has gluten-free options. A halibut with quinoa tabbouleh and pork tenderloin with parsnip puree — but minus the usual Bordelaise sauce, which has gluten — proved this kitchen knows what it’s doing. 201 S. New York Ave., Atlantic City, 609-246-6670

This stylish Italian on the bay side of scenic Ocean Drive has several gluten-free options and modifications available, most notably a fresh fettuccine-style gluten-free pasta replacement for the linguine that came piled high with clams and crab in garlicky wine sauce. 991 Ocean Dr., Cape May, 609-600-2115

Greek grills are often a good bet for gluten-free options, and this beautiful Margate standby is no exception, with grilled octopus, crispy roast chicken, and branzino that offered simple but satisfying flavors. 9314 Amherst Ave, Margate City, 609-822-9111

This casual sibling to the Washington Inn has a separate gluten-free menu and color-coded plates to eliminate confusion — which explains the orange plate that held our solid gluten-free sausage pizza. The food is not spectacular, but when you’re in a pinch for options, as my family was, the reliability, hospitality, and accessibility here counts for a lot. 200 NJ-109, Cape May, 609-884-2663