It was roommate and coworker Katherine’s Birthday today. As birthday girl, you get to pick where to take the office lunch – which was Lester’s, in the Central West End.
I always dread the idea of Lester’s, as I’ve never had an excellent gluten-free experience there. Great sports bar, good atmosphere, but the 3-4 times I’ve eaten meals there and inquired about gluten-free, our server was not been knowledgeable nor helpful. In the past, I’d arrived back at the trusty salad option, with oil & vinegar.
However, today I got a rockstar server – who also happened to be gluten-free. Apparently they do have a gluten-free menu; however, they didn’t have one printed.
Thankfully, Jessica walked me through the menu to point out a few gluten-free options. While I’m sure we didn’t hit on all the finer points of the menu, she did lead me to some items that I had shied away from previously.
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BBQ – All of their barbecue is gluten free. Brisket, Smoked Turkey, Smoked Chicken, plus sauce – you name it.
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Turkey burger, without bun
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Grilled Chicken Breast sandwich, without bun. Throw some pepperjack on there while you’re at it.
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BBQ Nachos. BBQ baked beans, nacho cheese and smoked meats layered over tri-colored tortilla chips topped with sour cream, fresh guacamole and pico de gallo. A coworker got these, so obviously I had to sample. Verdict: Can I get an AMEN? I know where I’m camped out for the next Mizzou game.
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Smoked Turkey Cobb Salad – Jessica confirmed that both the turkey and the bleu cheese were gluten free
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Dressings: Cilantro Ranch, Ranch, Balsamic, Italian
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BBQ Salad: Your choice of smoked beef brisket, turkey or smoked chicken on a bed of romaine and iceberg lettuce, cheddar cheese, roasted corn, julienne bell peppers, black beans and spicy pecans with your choice of dressing and topped with an onion ring (SANS ONION RING FOR G-FREE, OF COURSE). I got this bad boy for lunch, with the cilantro ranch dressing on the side. Though I didn’t go home hungry by any means, it could have used a bit more meat on there. The pecans (which were slightly sweet) paired with the black beans and corn was also an interesting taste sensation. All in all, pretty good.
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And since you asked…I’ll just give you the scoop now. The fall-appropriate White Bean Smoked Turkey Chili is NOT gluten-free. It is made with a roux.
Until next time.
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