A&W (Ontario, Canada) has made a lot of changes over the years, and for the better. With all the changes in food quality, I was wondering if they had any gluten free choices. They do!

After emailing them I received the following response.

“Hi Stacey,

Thanks for getting in touch! A&W uses only beef for its burger patties. No additives. No preservatives. No fillers. Also, the Beyond Meat patty itself contains no gluten or wheat and we offer a lettuce wrapped option instead of a bun for all our Burgers. Our thick-cut fries are fried in canola oil and served with the skin on, so you’re always reminded that they’re made from 100% Canadian-grown Russet potatoes. 

Please note, regular kitchen operations may result in food sharing common food prep, cooking or holding areas. The shared use of equipment (fryers, grill, etc.) and utensils may also occur. For individuals with specific requirements, this may represent an opportunity for cross-contact. 

You can find the full list of ingredients and allergens on our website, https://web.aw.ca/en/our-menu/

Cheers, A&W Canada”

I was curious about their fries because they don’t contain gluten but they talked about shared fryers and cross-contamination. So I was busy on the phone this morning calling all of the A&W’s in my area and asking if they have a dedicated fryer for their fries. Two of the locations flat out said no. The other location said they try to use a fryer just for fries, but when it gets busy, they sometimes use it for other things. My recommendation would be to not order the fries unless you know if your location has a dedicated fryer. Call the restaurant ahead of time to find out. Keep in mind, even with dedicated fryers, all it takes is one employee to accidentally put the wrong thing in that fryer, and boom, cross-contamination.