Middle Coast Brewing – Traverse City
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Traverse City is Northern Michigan’s most visited town. Between the beaches and the Cher Festival, it’s very popular with tourists. If you need to eat gluten free while in “TC,” make sure to visit Middle Coast Brewing. They have an extensive gluten free menu!
Middlecoast Brewing – A Great Place for Friends and Family
My husband and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary in Traverse City in 2023. This gave us the opportunity to meet up with one of my husband’s childhood friends for lunch. Middlecoast has a great, welcoming atmosphere.
Don’t let the fact that it’s a brewery discourage you from bringing kids during the day. They offer a kids menu, which includes gluten free flatbread/ pizza. They also have pinball machines and a foosball table for entertainment.
1. Why did you decide to start offering gluten free options at Middle Coast Brewing?
The gluten free initiative was born out of a happy coincidence. Our vendor brought in pizza crust samples. The one that was overwhelmingly preferred happened to be the only one that was celiac safe.
In that same season, one of our owners, Joel, had a loved one who was recently diagnosed with Celiac. That opened his eyes to the lack of tasty, affordable, Celiac safe choices that were available at restaurants.
I started working at Middle Coast Brewing shortly after they started offering gluten free flatbreads. I have celiac myself, so the owners and I worked closely together to expand what we could offer to the gluten free community in the safest manner possible.
2. What gluten free options are on your menu?
We clearly mark gluten free options on our menu. Currently, all of our flatbreads and the whipped feta app are gluten free as is.
However, because we also have a dedicated gluten free fryer, in combination with a great gluten free seasoned flour recipe, this allows us to offer gluten free variations of our fries, sweet potato fries (including the Zooted sweet fries), chicken wings, chicken tenders, and fried pickles. All of our sauces are gluten free as well. The Whiskey Ginger sauce is a fan favorite.
3. What are your procedures for making gluten free orders?
Both the front of house and back of house staff receive training on preparing gluten free orders. Staff know to ask if a gluten free free order is due to a Celiac Disease or a preference.
Food prep includes washing hands and changing gloves. We have a seperate gluten free prep space, including a dedicated gluten free fryer. In addition, we have dedicated cooking utensils. Gluten Free orders are taken to guests separately, to avoid mistakes. This is usually done by a kitchen manager.
4. What kind of oil do you use in your fryer?
At Middle Coast Brewing we use a blended oil that consists of canola, corn and soybean oil.
5. Do you offer alternatives for other dietary restrictions? For instance, do you offer dairy free cheese for flatbreads?
We do not offer dairy alternatives at this time. I do want to mention that our cauliflower crusts for the flatbreads, do contain mozzarella, so they are not dairy free even if you chose to have a flatbread without cheese. We do have a few options that do not contain dairy, such as the wings, fries, and gluten free fried pickles.
In addition, we do offer vegetarian options such as the impossible burger and a curried sweet potato patty, however these options are prepared on the flat top which currently is not celiac safe.
We are able to check ingredients on any item to check for other allergens when asked, and take dietary restrictions very seriously. We strive to accommodate our customers whenever/however possible.
6. Do you offer any gluten free desserts? If so, what are they?
Yes! Every dessert option we offer at Middle Coast Brewing is always gluten free. We rotate dessert specials but more recently we’ve been offering different flavors of deep fried ice cream. Our most recent flavor, the deep fried double rainbow- superman ice cream with a blended fruity pebble and gluten free golden Oreo crust was a huge hit!
7. Do you offer any gluten free beers? Do you have hard cider?
Our owners/head brewers are currently researching ingredients and recipes for the best completely gluten free beer options. We do have a variety of seltzers and a cider on tap that are all gluten free.
While our spirits are unable to be labeled gluten-free by law because they are distilled with grain, gluten is too big of a molecule to pass through the still when being made into spirits. For our May Tasting Menu (which is entirely gluten free in honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Month)- all of the cocktails offered will be made with spirits (tequila and rum) distilled without gluten.
8. Where’s the best place to park at Middle Coast Brewing?
There is street side parking out front along with a parking garage next door.
9. I know you have outdoor seating in the summer. Are dogs allowed? What’s Yappy Hour?
Yappy Hour was a collaboration between Middle Coast Brewing and MI Pets Treat Truck, where the hour was both Yappy and Happy. Humans could enjoy discounts on their beverages, while also being able to purchase a treat for their canine companion at the Treat Truck.
We are looking forward to continuing Yappy Hour this summer. Yappy Hour will be held on Thursdays from 4 pm – 6 pm.
10. What else would you like my readers to know about your business? Do you offer Trivia Nights? Other events/ live music that people should know about?
We host a free Trivia night on Wednesday nights from 7 PM to 9 PM. On Thursday’s, we offer happy hour pricing all day long. We have live local musicians play on Friday nights from 6 PM to 9 PM, with live bands performing on stage the last Saturday of every month.
We offer event packages for private and semi-private events that include gluten free menu options for large parties.
Additionally, for the month of May, we will be offering many gluten free specials in recognition of Celiac Disease Awareness Month.
Middle Coast Brewing Location, Hours and Contact Information
329 E State St Unit # 2,
Traverse City, MI 49684
231-943-1606
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Email
Hours –
Sunday 11 am – 8 pm
Monday – Thursday 12 pm – 10 pm
Friday & Saturday 11 am – 11pm
More Traverse City Gluten Free Dining Options
Looking for more places to eat in Traverse City? I wrote a Traverse City gluten free dining guide that includes all my favorite spots. Make sure to stop at Third Coast Bakery for gluten free baked goods. Everything there is gluten and dairy free!
Middlecoast Brewing is one of many Michigan eateries I’ve visited. You can find a list of them on my Michigan gluten free dining post. Please remember to always ask any restaurant about their food preparation practices, before dining.