Cafe 75 — Restaurant in Mounds

DO NOT EAT HERE BECAUSE THE FOOD IS GLUTEN FREE--EAT HERE BECAUSE THE FOOD IS DELICIOUS (ESPECIALLY THE GLUTEN FREE MENU!)

A Cafe 75 in Mounds, America, they have figured out the secret code to gluten free goodness. And chicken Fried Steak. And gluten free chicken fried steak!

So what was gluten free? EVERYTHING on the burger plate... And the chocolate pecan cake! And while the chicken fried steak wasn't, they have a gluten free chicken fry! Honestly, if you didn't know their gluten free menu was gluten free, you wouldn't!

So how is this possible? Well, for starters, the owners, Kyle and Karen, have a lot of experience dealing with gluten intolerance, due to health conditions they have experienced. So, that led them to develop meals they both could enjoy. And that led to the gluten free menu at Cafe 75.

I was introduced to Cafe 75 from Julie at Restore Vitality (also in Mounds). Julie is a functional nutritionist, and was raving about Cafe 75. So yeah, you can imagine my skepticism when a nutritionist tells you about good tasting food. :) Except...Julie has a background as a cook (and food truck owner) so she knows a thing or two about tasty food (and good for you eating as well...if you have dietary health related issues, give her a call...she can help!). So off to Cafe 75 it was...

Cafe 75 is a great little unexpected small town cafe that feels SO MUCH bigger. The menu has a diverse selection of diner fare, but with a non-diner feel. There are a few tables, and bar seating...they are often very busy, but they serve food VERY quickly. Just know that you might be bussing your own table and meeting the regulars while you wait (and you'll enjoy it!). Kyle treats you like long lost family, and Karen keeps the food flowing, making sure the orders are to her standards.

And those standards...

So I had the chicken fried steak (I asked Kyle what the best thing in the menu was...that answer can be good or bad...in this case, it was amazing.). He suggested the hand mashed potatoes (no flakes or boxed spuds here). And the gravy...Oh. My. Gravy.

The steak was thicker than expected, but very tender. The chicken fry was excellent, flaky and crispy, but not a crumbling mess. The best part was that the steak filled up the chicken fry...none of those chicken fried air pockets like many places serve :) Seriously, this CFS is in the Top Three Best Chicken Fried steaks, edging out my grandma's CFS. Sorry, not sorry.

But let's talk about the gluten free onion rings (I had to try one). Honestly, if I didn't know they were gluten free, I wouldn't have even suspected. These were some of the tastiest, flakiest, sliced fresh and battered big onion rings. Delicious! And that "Comeback Sauce" should be the mandatory condiment served with those rings. No ketchup allowed. And if you even THINK about mayo...

The gluten free chocolate cake was recommended, and is made fresh locally by a baker to their specs as well. Moist, flavorful, and are you SURE it's gluten free Kyle? Cause it was amazing.

Cafe 75 is definitely a place to add to your Taste Tour list. Just come hungry, and bring your friends who can't have gluten, and enjoy some gluten free goodness together. And, ask Kyle or Karen about gluten free options...they can help make recommendations and accomodations depending on specific restrictions or requirements. Just save room for gluten free chocolate cake (and...

I celebrated my 50th year of living a strict gluten free diet by treating myself to a meal at Cafe 75, in Mounds. I drove all the way from Northwest Arkansas, on Thursday, in order to have my first chicken fried steak since 1973. When I arrived, I was greeted warmly by the mayor of Cafe 75, and was handed the key to the city- the menu. Dang near everything on the menu can be ordered gluten free, but I only had one thing on my mind- the chicken fried steak smothered with gravy. The mayor strongly suggested that I try the okra and I willingly obliged. Mashed potatoes and green beans filled out the rest of my plate(s). When my plate came to the table, I was impressed by the presentation and the size. I thought it would be impossible to eat the entire meal in one sitting. I was wrong. 😃 To be able to eat a meal such as this was a true blessing to me. No fears of gluten or cross contamination. The fact that it was insanely delicious made the blessing even greater. You can cut the chicken fried steak with a fork. It's tender, but still provides the steak texture that I was looking for. The mashed potatoes were delicious as were the okras and green beans. To me, the star of the meal, and the thing that brought the entire meal together, was the gravy. It is so delicious. Smooth and velvety it covers the steak and potatoes and makes it impossible to put your fork down. It put me into a food coma, from which I have just awakened. My recommendation? Go!!! You...

I wanted to love this place. After reading rave reviews about their gluten free options, I was excited to visit. Their customer service is great, they seem to remember the regulars. There isn't anything specifically labeled gluten free on the menu, just a disclaimer that most items are or can be made that way. I didn't know until reading another review that one of the owners has a gluten allergy, hence the attention they put into keeping things free from contamination. Changing gloves, etc.

A member of the staff told us that they do have separate fryers, and would hope to have separate kitchens if they were to expand. Family members said the Buffalo chicken sandwiches were good, the chicken fully coated in buffalo sauce. I thought the French fries were on the thinner side, but everyone has their own preference.

I liked the gluten free chicken strips. The coating was light and flaky like you would expect from regular fried chicken. They tasted of frying oil, but I can't fault them for that. The chicken tenders themselves were a decent size, bigger than you might get at other places. I gave the chili cheese fries a try, and was unfortunately disappointed. Parts of the fries were hardened, and the chili by itself was a little salty.

I had high hopes for this restaurant after seeing other great reviews. It makes me sad to say that I probably wouldn't make the...