By Lily Lemaire | Photo Intern
You’ve likely seen the Delicious Without sections at the dining halls on campus, which serves food for people who have allergies or dietary restrictions. As someone with food sensitivities, I frequently eat at the delicious without section.
Eating on campus can become boring from time-to-time, but there are very few restaurants off-campus that offer allergy-friendly food.
This isn’t a new issue. In fact, it s always been a problem for people with allergies. Often when I want to eat out with my friends, the only allergy friendly option available seems to be a salad. Because of restaurants like these, I might have to suffer the consequences of eating dairy and gluten to have a satiating meal, but it doesn’t always have to be that way.
Luckily for people like me, there are a few fast-food restaurants and some sit-down restaurants in Waco that have good options for those with dietary restrictions.
MOD Pizza is by far my favorite fast-food restaurant that has allergy friendly alternatives. I recommend a pizza with gluten-free crust, dairy-free cheese and lots of toppings. It doesn’t stop there; they also have a cauliflower crust, several different sauces and a wide variety of veggies for my vegetarian and vegan friends.
Another fast-food restaurant that offers good alternatives is CAVA. They serve mediterranean food such as Greek salads and falafel bowls, most of which you can customize completely to your liking. All of their bases and most of their toppings are suitable for vegetarians and vegans, along with their Falafel Crunch Bowl.
Some Mexican restaurants in Waco, such as La Fiesta and Fuego Tortilla Grill, offer corn tortillas, which are naturally free of gluten for my fellow gluten-free eaters.
If you’re craving a burger, Whataburger, In-N-Out and Wendy’s offer gluten-free buns.
If you are looking for a cold treat to enjoy in this brutal Texas heat, then Andy’s Frozen Custard has you covered. Despite Andy’s being known for their frozen custard, they do have some dairy free desserts and even some certified kosher options. They offer an Italian ice treat called Zarlengo’s Italian Ice Tube, which is free from dairy, gluten, soy and tree nuts. It comes in two flavors: lemon or strawberry.
Besides these few select places in Waco, there are not a lot of other options for people with dietary restrictions, which continuously saddens me. Even though allergy friendly food can cost more than its traditional counterpart, it can’t hurt the bigger restaurant chains to include more accessible options on their menus every once in a while.
