Featured Review

January 2010

Enjoy Unique and Fantastic Gluten-Free Dining at Wild Wood Art Cafe in Austin, Texas

Welcome to GlutenFreeTravelSite.com! Each month we choose an especially useful dining/travel review from all the submissions we receive from the prior month and showcase it as our Featured Review of the Month. The winning reviewer receives four of Triumph Dining's Restaurant Dining Cards (one each for American, Chinese, Italian, and Mexican cuisines).  Be sure to also check out our past Featured Reviews found in our Archives.

This month, we’re showcasing an Austin, Texas cafe that has completely eliminated all gluten from its menu. It's a unique spot where you'll also enjoy browsing the local art for sale and on display throughout the dining room "gallery." Be sure to stop by if you live in or are visiting the Austin area.

5.0 Palms	Wild Wood Art Cafe
Review Type:	Restaurant
Location:	3663 Bee Caves Road, #4A, Austin, TEXAS 78746
Phone:	(512) 327-9660 Ask to speak with Joan Griffith or Andrew Small
Website:	http://www.wildwoodartcafe.com
Meal Type:	Family meal
Date Dined:	December 2009
Review Posted:	December 16, 2009

The REAL Gluten-Free Austin...

I love Wild Wood Art Cafe, and I go there often! It claims to be Austin's first totally gluten-free restaurant, and it's probably true. Everything is gluten-free - yes EVERYTHING. No need to ask about any item, unless you are concerned about more than one allergy (for instance some things have soy, nuts, etc.)

I am still pretty new to the gluten free scene, as i was just diagnosed less than 2 years ago. However, I am extremely allergic to gluten, and cannot eat out at most places. For instance, if I eat at P.F. Chang’s or some of these national chains, I get sick pretty quickly. Not at Wild Wood though - I have never had any trouble there at all, and that speaks volumes in my book, and among my GF friends as well.

I go here mostly for lunch and sometimes on Saturday for breakfasts. My favorite lunch meals are the sandwiches, because all of the wonderful gluten free breads are baked fresh most every day. In particular, I enjoy the Meredith Club (turkey, avocado and bacon). If I am quite hungry, I get it on a heavier bread, like the Whole Grain; if not so hungry, then on something lighter, like the foccacia. The traditional rice bread is great too.

The Chicken salad sandwich and the Tuna salad sandwich are also delicious. I have also had the hot veggie pesto and the grilled tofu which are very good. One of the cooks in the kitchen, Mariah (she is raising babies now) was a vegetarian and she told me that she set out to offer as many vegetarian dishes as she could right from the start. In time, some have stayed, others gone, and new ones have been added. For instance there is always at least one vegetarian soup - the soups are fresh, and so are the salads.

One of the more recent additions has been the hand-made tamales, which are truly delicious. There are so many kinds - it started with just two or three, and now there are more than a half dozen. Lately I have seen BBQ Beef brisket tamales (outstanding) and Turkey and Cranberry (surprisingly good - must be doing something to the cranberry sauce). The Enchilada platters are good too but not as elaborate.

The desserts are legendary in the Austin Celiac community. They always seem to have great stuff. My favorite is the Tiramisu - which is not perfect because I think the ladyfingers taste a bit too much of condensed milk - but was so good I took a second one home as well. They also make GF cakes, pies, cookies, you name it.

Every once in a while Wild Wood has a special gluten free dinner - a kind of fine dining thing. I went to one, it was quite good, but they have them so infrequently that I can't really plan on it in any way. Call and ask, or inquire when you are there. I'm on the e-mail list now so that helps.

The staff at Wild Wood is very friendly and knowledgeable. They know all about what is in each item, and will be glad to help.

One reason I really love Wild Wood is that it has such a great ambiance. The dining area doubles as a display room for the colorful art that they also sell. It is wonderful stuff from Mexico and other places - some funny, some majestic, some expensive, some cheap (just like the food on that one).

Well I give this place the 5 star rating. As a mom and pop place it is not perfect, but I actually prefer to eat in a smaller, home-style place, rather than another chain. This place gives me more than just very tasty, gluten free food I can eat without concern - that's already huge in my book. But the place has so much life to it - great color, comfortable seating - I can (and do) bring friends and colleagues here and can finally have a "normal" dining out experience. Even if I weren't Celiac, I would come here for coffee and a meal from time to time, to enjoy the environment. Someone said once that Wild Wood is like the old, real Austin, in the upscale neighborhood of West Lake Hills. I think it's true !

For more reviews of Austin area restaurants -- and others throughout Texas, visit our Texas review page.