Feeling Free

Gluten sensitivity, or non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), is when the body reacts poorly to gluten (a protein in wheat, barley, and rye), causing symptoms like bloating, fatigue, headaches, and digestive issues, without the intestinal damage seen in celiac disease or the immune response of wheat allergy. Diagnosis involves ruling out celiac disease or a wheat allergy and observing symptom relief on a gluten-free diet, with treatment focusing on avoiding gluten and other wheat components.

Short answer: It’s a pain in the ass for those affected. Worse, many restaurants still don’t have a clue. You can ask what gluten-free food is available, but the answers are not always what you hope to hear. Enter: Tom Jones.

The Tom at Tom’s Burgers & Grill (1530 N Cooper St, Arlington, 817-459-9000) recognized a need in the community, researched his menu items, and figured out he has a lot to offer people with this sensitivity.

“The menu items we call ‘gluten-sensitive’ are our menu items that are made without gluten-containing ingredients,” Jones said. “We do not claim these items are ‘gluten-free’ because we have not chemically analyzed them to confirm if they meet the Food and Drug Administration’s definition,” with “gluten-free” being 20 parts per million of gluten.

Tom’s gluten-sensitive menu is readily available and includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Just ask.

BREAKFAST

All-Meat Breakfast ($19.12): two eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, and gluten-free toast.

Build Your Own Omelet ($17.44+): choice of three ingredients, served with hash browns and gluten-free toast.

Corned Beef Hash ($19.12): house-made corned-beef hash topped with three eggs and served wth gluten-free toast.

Chorizo & Eggs ($14.06): two eggs scrambled with chorizo sausage, served with salsa, corn tortillas, and hash browns.

Migas ($14.06): scrambled eggs with cheese, tomatoes, and fresh jalapenos topped with Monterey Jack cheese, served with corn tortillas and hash browns.

Two-Egg Breakfast ($14.62): two eggs and choice of ham, bacon, or sausage wth hash browns and gluten-free toast.

LUNCH & DINNER

The Big Salad ($13.50): Romaine lettuce, mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumber, boiled egg, bacon, cheddar cheese, and roasted almonds.

Goat Cheese Salad ($15.50): Romaine lettuce, roasted red peppers, avocado, green apples, goat cheese, and chipotle dressing.

Grilled Chicken Plate ($16.31): grilled chicken breast served with mashed potatoes and the vegetable of the day.

Mushroom Swiss Grilled Chicken Plate ($17.44): grilled chicken topped with sauteed mushrooms and Swiss cheese, served with mashed potatoes and vegetable of the day.

Smothered Chopped Steak ($18.56): chopped steak smothered in smoked onions and sauteed mushrooms, served with red mashed potatoes and the vegetable of the day.

You can also get a Jumbo All-Beef Dog ($6.75+), Bratwurst ($7.31+), or Smoked Sausage ($7.31). They’re gluten-free if you skip the bun.

While Tom’s does have processes and procedures in place to minimize cross-contact with other gluten-containing foods, it’s important to keep in mind that the items above may not be suitable for guests who are “highly sensitive” to gluten. For the full gluten-sensitive menu, visit TomsBurgersandGrillOrder.com.