Eryca and I had dinner at McMenamins in McMinnville recently during a program called Science Pub sponsored by OMSI. Since we were there for a special event, we were seated in a separate dining area. However, we were able to order from the regular menu. According to the website, there is a gluten free menu. We were not given that option, so I am not sure if the gluten free menu is only available online or the waitress just did not have any of those menus upstairs.
When the waitress came to our table to deliver the menus, she asked us what we wanted to drink. So, we asked if they had any gluten free beers available. They did not, but we both ordered glasses of their house white wine that was delicious. It was fruity, but it was not too sweet. It was a nice beginning to our meal.
On the regular menu, there is a note at the bottom of the menu acknowledging their willingness to accommodate gluten free requests. The waitress seemed to be aware of the gluten free options, but she was also willing to find out if we needed more information.
We decided to order an appetizer and entree that we could share. First, we ordered a hummus and pita appetizer. The waittress offered to substitute more veggies for the pita bread, and this is the plate in which we were presented.
We thought the presentation was beautiful, and we really enjoyed the food. There was plenty of food for both of us.
We also decided to share a flame-boiled hamburger. We were planning on getting it wrapped in lettuce or eat it with a fork and knife, but the waitress asked us if we wanted a gluten free bun. It was an additional $2 for the gluten free bun, but it was great to eat the hamburger on a bun. According to the gluten free menu, the french fries are gluten free, but they are still fried in the same fryer as everything else. So, it really depends on how sensitive you are if you are willing to order the french fries. We did not get the french fries, instead we substituted a side salad with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. We really enjoyed the hamburger and salad as well. The hamburger was cooked well, and there was a lot of fresh salad alongside it.
When we looked at the ketchup bottle to eat on our hamburger, we found out that it was gluten free. That was a nice surprise.
We ended up having a wonderful dinner at McMennamins, and we feel that the restaurant provides an overall positive experience for customers.
