Against The Grain Food — Restaurant in Mesa

Absolutely awesome little restaurant, and celiac-safe too! This was our first time going, and though it's a 30 minute drive just to get here we'll absolutely be coming back as often as we can- it's that good, and our first visit made a great impression! They're a small, family owned and fully gluten-free restaurant, and seem to really care about their customers- everyone was really nice from the moment we walked in. The menu itself is BIG and has lots of variety, which is really exciting when you've got celiac like me and can't go many places! My mom who doesn't need to eat gluten free loved what she got too, and is also eager to go back. They've also got really good prices, especially compared to other gluten free places. (I've been to plenty of places who either offer gluten free 'options' but neglect cross contamination and make me ill, or fully gluten free places who charge premium dollar at the expense of people with food allergies and don't care much about making their food good- this place is a far cry from either! We were really happy both with how good the food was, and that we didn't break the bank doing so- and that gave us the opportunity to order a bunch of things to try!)

I got the buffalo chicken sandwich, an eggroll, a maple donut, and a personal pizza to share, and my mom got the fish sandwich- I was given a generous piece of chicken for mine with a nice mild buffalo sauce, and the lettuce and tomato was nice and fresh and crisp! The fries were hot, fresh and had nice seasoning. The pizza was GOOD, the perfect amount of cheese and sauce, and the eggroll was so, so good I didn't even need the sauce it came with! (Any time I try something new, especially when it's that good, my immediate reaction as a celiac is oh no, did I mess up and eat the regular wheat version of something? But everything here is gluten free!! And despite being a sensitive celiac who sometimes even gets reactions to products that Should be gluten free, no problems here at all!) I also got a maple glazed donut, which I haven't been able to have in a good 15 years and have missed dearly, and it was AMAZING. Not ridiculously overly sweet like some baked goods are, but definitely still sweet enough to be an awesome treat and hit the spot I've been craving! Mom loved her fish sandwich, too. And even with everything we tried, there's still so much on the menu that looks good and we're curious about- breakfast foods? Sandwiches and burgers? Pizza and salads and pasta? Chinese food? There's a little bit of everything!

The restaurant itself is nice, small, and charming- it's comfy in there, but not crowded! You get to pick your own seat and then order at the counter, but if you think that means they're hands off you'd be wrong- it was some of the sweetest customer service we've gotten, and everyone was so friendly, coming over to say hi and make sure everything was good. And despite coming in close to close, we never felt rushed out- they were even sweet enough to ask if we'd like to grab any baked goods before they got put away for the day! They've also got several shelves of gluten free groceries in the back as well as a good bake case of their own goodies, and a shelf of board games and kid toys, so it seems like a great place for families or if you want to come and get some food and relax for a bit with friends!

I think they've only been open about a year, and I'm glad to have heard about them- I want to see them thrive! The owners are celiac too, but it's a great place even if you don't have food allergies. We loved the food and it means a lot to have a safe place to eat, let alone one filled with such friendly people. We're definitely going to be back, and I'm excited to try their other donuts, get more egg rolls, and try the rest of the menu! (Sorry for rambling a book of a review here, but I...

This is going to be a very honest review in hopes that it’s taken into consideration

Upon arriving we did not know it was a gluten free place but once I realized it I was very intrigued I came in with my mother and daughter

I feel like the decor or atmosphere was a little plain and they could do a lot more with the space and the seating but needing to walk up to the front counter to order after given a menu and table was odd and maybe a little lazy 3 stars (Of course doesn’t matter if the food is bomb ) The food was okay i got a grilled cheese and I actually give that a solid 9/10. My daughter ordered a fettuccine I give it a 7 /10 only because the chicken tastes like it was cooked then frozen over all taste was pleasant but nothing special maybe some more parm or seasoning Pretzel bites for mom Gross weren’t cooked all the way salty but flavor left much to be desired 0/10 (didn’t eat after first bite )

Being our first time in and it being gluten free I knew the food might taste different I was very pleased with my food grilled cheese But the thing that got me was the waitress/hostess/ cashier said they have a policy if there is nothing wrong 😑 there is no refund no exchange for something else For my mom and the pretzel bites this was a very irritating and too long of a discussion And it screams people don’t like our food often and we don’t do refunds finally She talked to the manager who seemed reasonable looked at the pretzel bites and observed that they were undercooked And offered ice cream 🍦 Loved this because if it was just the fact that the taste was a little off would let it go But with all do respect the waitress made the whole transaction odd her kindness seemed forced and disingenuous also she did not help us find anything on the menu when we were struggling she could have offered some suggestions instead of letting us sit for 15 minutes

I think the place could be great I loved the drink options and the menu seems good But the interaction mixed with the raw food leaves me indifferent 3 is the rating over all Good potential but weird service...

I wrote 5 stars because there are not enough celiac restaurants around; taking my brother out for dinner is a huge chore, so thank you for your service.

I have some praise and some critiques, but they depend on the question: What is this restaurant trying to achieve? If they're trying to be like Jewel's, you'll be a bit disappointed. If they're trying to be a quick stop for celiac folk, I'd say they hit their mark.

Disclaimer: This food was delivered by Uber Eats who had 2 stops, so I'm sure it's better fresh.

Praise: The waffles were pretty good even when soggy. I like how thick the ridges were and could store the syrup like a little lake. The chocolate chip cookie is also very good, I would go back just for the cookie. I think the chicken strips were good also and any kiddo should like them.

Room for improvement: The tater tots are a bit too salty; you have to play this one carefully because too little and you'll get whiners, too much and you'll get whiners like me :-). The cinnadough bites I personally think should not be on the menu, they're basically just dough with cinnamon on them. The donut was not a good flavor and seemed like it had been sitting since 4 am, I would stop serving these after 12 and throw the rest away if they do indeed sit. The fettucini alfredo is just cream, butter, and gluten free noodles and $12. I would dress these up more and charge $17-18 because at the end of the day, if I'm coming to spend money at your place, it should be something that I can't make at home.

Further praise: Thank you for being a beacon of light in a dark valley where there are limited choices of gluten free options. It's just pizza, asian, in n out and greek food and while all good I am tired at 5 pm and dont want to cook...