Hat Creek Gluten-Free Review: Burgers, Fried Chicken Sandwich, Fries and More

When my children were young, I tried to make nearly everything from scratch—bread, desserts, fruit roll-ups, spaghetti sauce, jam, granola, and the list goes on. If it could be made at home, I was determined to try.

Then life changed.

My mother-in-law became seriously ill when my youngest child was only six months old. I was working full-time an hour away from home, raising young children, and trying to help care for someone we loved. The weekend meal-prepping routine that had kept our family fed during the week was no longer sustainable. Frankly, I was about to implode.

So, once a week, we ate fast food.

You can probably tell that a tiny thread of guilt still clings to that confession. But if you have ever cared for children—or an aging parent—you know that sometimes you simply do the best you can with what you have been given.

Our family has always put people first. During those five difficult years, caring for my mother-in-law mattered more than making homemade fruit roll-ups.

Fast-forward many years to my first visit to Waco before Jeff and I moved here. Our kids took us to one of their favorite hamburger places: Hat Creek Burger Company. That was three years ago, and I still go there regularly.

The grandkids love it because we can sit outside at the covered picnic tables while they play on the playground. The grown-ups can talk, the children can burn off some energy, and everyone can find something to eat. In a family that includes three people who eat gluten-free and one who is lactose-free, that is no small accomplishment!

Gluten-Free Options at Hat Creek Burger Company

At Hat Creek, I don’t feel like the gluten-free diner who must order a dry salad and watch everyone else eat the good stuff. There are gluten-free choices, among them chicken, fries, tater tots, salads, and bowls.

And—cue the happy music—you can enjoy fried chicken breast!

Their chicken makes a wonderful sandwich, salad, or bowl. Just remember that the regular buns are wheat-based, so you must specifically request a gluten-free bun.

Also, as any long-term gluten-free eater knows, onion rings are one of the hardest gluten-free foods to find. But guess what? Hat Creek’s onion rings are gluten-free! They are one of my favorite treats when we do dinner out as a family.

As always, if you have celiac disease or are highly sensitive to cross-contact, talk with the staff before ordering and confirm their current ingredients and kitchen procedures.

Beyond Gluten-Free Fast Food

What keeps me returning is more than the menu. The restaurant is usually busy, yet the food has consistently tasted fresh, hot, and flavorful. I feel as though gluten-free customers have been considered—not added as an afterthought.

I hardly ever eat fast food. I usually prefer food made from scratch. But life is also meant to be lived with other people. Sometimes that looks like homemade bread cooling on the counter. Sometimes it looks like sitting beneath the Texas sky with a chicken sandwich while your grandchildren race across a playground.

Hat Creek gives our whole family a place at the table—and for me, that is the very best thing on the menu.