Is the Mellow Mushroom Gluten-Free Pizza Really Gluten Free?

Wondering if you can safely eat gluten-free pizza at the Mellow Mushroom? I’ll share with you more about the Mellow Mushroom’s gluten-free practices, as well as the results of my Nima Sensor test for hidden gluten. Mellow Mushroom provided me with a gift card to try its pizza. All opinions are my own. Please see my disclosures.

I’m always hesitant to eat pizza outside of the confines of my home. Pizza restaurants are notorious for getting gluten free wrong.

But when a representative from the Mellow Mushroom told me about the restaurant’s gluten-free safe practices, I felt comfortable enough to give the restaurant a try.

The restaurant offers four gluten-free specialty pizzas, which I’ll list below, and employs some serious gluten-free safe practices.

Mellow Mushroom’s Gluten-Free Practices

Before eating at a restaurant, I first research its gluten-free practices. I need assurance that the restaurant is safe for people with celiac disease.

The Mellow Mushroom says in a press release, “Gluten-free pizzas are made following the strictest gluten-free guidelines to safely serve guests with dietary restrictions.”

The following precautions are taken:

• The staff ensures all gluten-free ingredients are prepared and stored securely and are separated from ingredients made with gluten.
• All gluten-free [pizza] pies are made in a designated sanitary prep area.
• The staff uses designated baking tools for gluten-free [pizza] pies only.

To make sure the pizzas are gluten free and void of any cross contamination, I tested them with my Nima Sensor.

The Nima Sensor is a portable gadget that allows you to test your food for hidden gluten. Unfortunately, in 2020, I learned that the founders of Nima Sensor sold the business to Medline, and Medline is telling the gluten-free community that the Nima Sensor is no longer in business.

The Nima Sensor did not find gluten in either pizza, giving me yet another proof point in helping me feel confident eating gluten free at the Mellow Mushroom.

Gluten-Free Pizza Options

The restaurant offers four different 10″ gluten-free stone-baked pizza pies. You can choose from these options or build your own gluten-free pizza using 15 gluten-free ingredients listed on the online gluten-free menu.

Gluten-Free House Special Pizza: Mellow red sauce with mozzarella, pepperoni, Italian sausage, ground beef, ham, applewood smoked bacon, mushrooms, black olives, Roma tomatoes, green peppers, and onions, and topped with extra mozzarella.

Gluten-Free Kosmic Karma Pizza: Mellow red sauce covered with spinach, roasted tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh Roma tomatoes and crumbled feta cheese, and finished with a pesto swirl.

Gluten-Free Veg Out Pizza: Mellow red sauce layered with mozzarella, spinach, green peppers, sliced mushrooms, sweet onions, black olives and Roma tomatoes.

Gluten-Free Mighty Meaty Pizza: Mellow red sauce with mozzarella, pepperoni, Italian sausage, ground beef, ham, and applewood smoked bacon.

Remember, if you order outside of the confines of this list, your pizza may not be made with earmarked gluten-free ingredients. The company explicitly states on its website, “All of our pizzas may be ordered on our 10” Signature Gluten-Free crust… [but only] four of our Specialty Pies can be made using our Certified Gluten-Free Safe Procedures.” Buyer beware.

What’s in the Crust?

I’ve received several questions about the gluten-free crust ingredients, so I asked a spokesperson for the Mellow Mushroom what exactly is in the crust?

According to the spokesperson, “Mellow Mushroom’s gluten free crust recipe is proprietary.  It is, of course, gluten free and prepared in a gluten-free safe manner.”

If there is a specific ingredient you cannot eat (in addition to gluten), please ask your server if the crust contains that ingredient.

What Else is Gluten Free?

The Mellow Mushroom offers a few other items that are also indicated as gluten free, with the disclaimer that the items “may” come in contact with gluten since the restaurant does not maintain a dedicated gluten-free kitchen.

Soups and Salads: There are several salads and soups indicated as gluten free. Check the menu and talk to your server about what you may need to omit or swap to ensure your salad remains GF. The same goes for ordering appetizers.

Wings: The restaurant also indicates that its wings are gluten free. A Mellow Mushroom spokesperson indicated that the wings are twice-baked (not fried) and are gluten free.

Dessert: Just to show Mellow Mushroom welcomes the gluten-free community in its restaurant, it also offers an individually wrapped gluten-free brownie for dessert.

You can check the Allergen list of any menu item online.

The Taste Test

I ordered a plain cheese pizza and a veg out pizza to go. When I got the pizzas home, I reheated them in my oven as they were cold (I live about 30 minutes from Mellow Mushroom and I went on a day when the temperature was below zero).

Overall, the pizza was fair. The crust was very thin, and I personally enjoy a more doughy, thicker crust. The sauce tasted good, as did the cheese and toppings.

While it’s not the best pizza I’ve ever had, I was able to enjoy a safe, gluten-free meal, and that is most important to me. I think the crust recipe could use a little work, but all in all, it was a satisfactory, gluten-free experience had by all.

Eating Out Gluten Free

I write more about how to eat out safely when you eat gluten free in my book, Dear Gluten, It’s Not Me, It’s You.

I also wrote an ebook titled, The Ultimate Guide to Eating Out Gluten Free.

I’ve been testing dozens of restaurants for hidden gluten over the years. Please visit my Eating Out archives to find out how to eat out safely at restaurants such as the Olive Garden, Maggiano’s, Cheesecake Factory and more.

Download my Gluten Free Safe Dining Card for FREE to ensure a safe, GF dining experience every time!