Discover the Best Paleo Diet Restaurants Near You for Delicious Paleo-Friendly Dining!

Eating out while adhering to a Paleo diet can seem daunting, but it's entirely possible with a little planning and knowledge. This article explores how to navigate restaurant menus, identifies Paleo-friendly options, and highlights specific restaurants in Minneapolis and Dallas that cater to Paleo preferences. Whether you're traveling, pressed for time, or simply want to enjoy a meal out, this guide will help you find delicious and compliant options.

Navigating the Paleo Diet

The Paleo diet focuses on foods that our hunter-gatherer ancestors might have eaten. This typically includes lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. It excludes grains, legumes, dairy, processed foods, and added sugars. When eating out, it's important to be mindful of ingredients and cooking methods to ensure your meal aligns with Paleo principles.

General Tips for Paleo Dining

Here are some general tips from registered dietician nutritionist Ashley Bannister, MS, for eating out on Paleo:

Plan Ahead: Check the restaurant's menu online beforehand to identify potential options.
Order Sauces on the Side: Many restaurant sauces contain non-Paleo ingredients like vegetable oil and sugar. Ask for simple dressings or sauces like olive oil and vinegar.
Keep it Simple: Choose dishes with minimal seasonings and sauces. A lean protein with a side of vegetables is often a safe bet.
Recognize Paleo-Friendly Language: Look for terms like "roasted," "grilled," or "broiled" on the menu.
Think Outside the Box: Don't be afraid to explore different sections of the menu for suitable options.
Don't Be Afraid to Ask: Most chefs are willing to accommodate special requests.

Common Restaurant Types and Paleo Options

Burger Joints: Many cities have grass-fed burger joints that use fresh ingredients. Order a lettuce bun with vegetable sides. Chains like Elevation Burger (grass-fed meat) and In-n-Out Burger (protein-style burger) offer Paleo-friendly options. Red Robin offers a wide variety of paleo-friendly options-including chicken, salads, and even seared salmon. For the chain’s burgers and sandwiches, ask to have them wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun, and swap out the fries for avocado slices or steamed broccoli.
Mexican Restaurants: Order taco salad bowls without the tortilla, loaded with toppings and a bed of lettuce. Chipotle offers ethically sourced animal products and Paleo options; order a salad bowl, skip the beans, and load up on guacamole and salsa.
Steakhouses: Choose grass-fed cuts of meat and Paleo-friendly sides. Bob's Steakhouse is accommodating to dietary restrictions and can cook steaks su vide instead of with butter; just ensure vegetables aren't cooked in butter.
Italian Restaurants: Skip the pasta and look for steak or salad options.
Seafood Grills: Bonefish and Red Lobster (without the Cheddar Bay Biscuits) offer protein-heavy menus suitable for Paleo eaters.
BBQ Restaurants: Pecan Lodge in Dallas offers a "hot mess" - a loaded sweet potato that can be customized with brisket instead of the usual toppings.
Pizza Places: Some pizza places offer wings (baked is better than fried) and salads. California Pizza Kitchen has extensive salad and soup options.

Specific Restaurants in Minneapolis

Minneapolis boasts a vibrant restaurant scene with several Paleo-friendly options.

Tangletown Gardens: Offers farm-to-table meats and veggies sourced from their own farm in southern Minnesota. While not explicitly marked Paleo, simple adjustments can make many dishes compliant.
French Meadow: Order the turkey burger without a bun, served on a bed of greens.
Agra Culture: An awesome option for any type of dietary guidelines you may be following. Every single menu option is marked as Paleo, Vegan, Gluten Free, etc. Also has bulletproof coffee.
Martina (Edina): Order the chicken tacos without tortillas and sour cream.
Butcher & the Boar: All the cuts are grass-fed, and there’s plenty of gluten-free and paleo side options.
Wise Acre Eatery: An entirely gluten-free restaurant with many options that can be made Paleo with substitutions like "no cheese, please." They offer seasonal dishes and interesting options like beef Bolognese served over spaghetti squash.
Brasa: Serves only local, organic, free-range, pastured meats and produce.
Barbette: Offers vegetarian options, grass-fed beef, and free-range pork, chicken, and eggs, sourced locally.
Good Earth: Uses only the best ingredients and focuses on organic suppliers and local growers. Their food never has ingredients or meats that contain hormones or antibiotics, or come from factory farming.
Birchwood: Serves organic, free range eggs and local organic produce.
World Street Kitchen (WSK): The caramelized lamb belly lettuce wraps and pickled veggies that they make in-house are delicious.
Common Roots: The menu at Common Roots changes frequently, but they’ve always had a ton of great options each time I’ve been there.

Specific Restaurants in Dallas

Dallas has a growing number of restaurants that cater to Paleo and other dietary needs.

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Gather Kitchen: Offers a build-your-own-bowl with many vegetable options, Paleo sauces, and high-quality proteins. They also have breakfast, desserts, and warm drinks with homemade almond milk.
Origin Kitchen: A paleo inspired place and every menu item is incredible. The staff treats customers like family. Offers warm brussel sprout salad, acorn squash cup with kale chips, and sweet potato fries (fried in avocado oil). They have paleo pancakes and paleo hatch chili breakfast tacos with Siete tortillas.
Kozy Kitchen: Offers the deep bowl that is sweet potato hash, your choice of meat including venison sausage with 2 eggs, avocado, and salsa.
Company Cafe: Offers GF variety and paleo bowls! They even have a caffeine-free almond milk latte that is sugar free!
HG Sply Co: A Trendy AF paleo-inspired restaurant in Lower Greenville. Great date spot with a giant rooftop patio overlooking downtown that even has mocktails they make with soda water and fresh pressed juices! Their cashew queso is delicious and they even do a sunset toast with a small free drink if you’re there when the sun goes down.
Cibo Divino: A small Italian market with pizza and pasta, BUT in their prepared foods fridge, they always have different high quality meat choices and delicious veggies and olives. The cheapest and most delicious grass-fed steak in town that you can hand select from their raw meat fridge.
Sundown at Granada: They're veggie centric, but have a killer farm to table menu. I always order their roasted veggies and wild caught salmon, but they also have yummy paleo appetizers and a few entrees that can be paleo with a few modifications.
BellaGreen: Offers Paleo options like their spaghetti squash bolognese, their kale salad, and seasonal menu items like the paleo salmon tacos!
True Food Kitchen: Offers a seasonal salad with butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and mulberries.
Flower Child: Offers high quality meats and organic veggies!
Pecan Lodge: Offers The hot mess is a $9 loaded sweet potato that typically comes with barbacoa, sour cream, cheese, butter, etc….BUT they will happily exchange for regular shredded brisket on a plain sea salt crusted sweet potato.
Bob’s Steakhouse: Is very used to dietary restrictions and will cook my steaks su vide instead of with butter! Lots of veggies as sides.
Snap Kitchen: A grab-and-go style food store with options for every diet labelled on the packaging. A perfect place if you’re looking for a way to stock up on paleo meals for the week.
Gloria’s: Most of their meat is premarinated in butter, so I always order the salmon and ask to get it without the marinade. They use wild caught salmon and cook with olive oil! You can order just veggies on the side, no butter. I bring my own bag of siete tortilla chips or plantain chips and eat the salsa and guacamole!
BBbop Seoul Kitchen: Classic BiBimBap bowls with sauted vegetables you can hand pick for your bowl. They have a gluten-free chicken and labelled gluten-free sauces you can get on the side, I bring my own coconut aminos though!
Whiskey Cake: It's a farm to table and most of the menu is easy to manipulate to paleo!
Hat Creek Burger Co: A family friendly burger joint with an outdoor play place and plenty of options for kids.
Unrefined Bakery: They have a bunch of paleo and keto baked goods like cupcakes, breads, muffins, cookies, and whoopee pies! Their paleo bread is my favorite I’ve ever had!

Fast Food Considerations

Fast food can be challenging, but not impossible. Here are a few tips:

Burgers: Skip the bun and order a lettuce wrap.
Salads: Opt for salads with Paleo-friendly protein sources. Be cautious of dressings and added ingredients.
El Pollo Loco: Their Mexican-style grilled chicken is a good option if you skip the rice and beans.
Subway: Get a salad and you’ll skip most of the worst stuff.
Wendy’s: doesn't have an obvious gluten-free menu, but there are a few options.

Paleo-Friendly Beverages and Desserts

Beverages: Black coffee, unsweetened tea (hot or iced), and water are safe choices.
Smoothies and Juices: Juiceland, Pressed Juicery, Roots Juices, Substance Vitality Bar, The Juice Bar, The Gem, Nekter Juice Bar, Vitality Bowls, Brewed + Pressed all offer options for smoothies and juices.
Desserts: Haute Sweets Patisserie offers a paleo cookie and brownie. BerryNaked Pops offers allergen-friendly, and all-natural popsicle shop.

Eating Out with Dietary Restrictions

Eating out is a part of modern life. It’s almost unavoidable these days, whether you’re traveling, stuck at the office, or need to feed your family in a rush. More and more restaurants are able to accommodate specific diet requests. It's always important to communicate with your server and ask questions though.

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