Yardbird is the dressed-up one and honestly it deserves the hype. It's a James Beard-nominated Southern spot sitting right across from Klyde Warren Park, and their signature Lewellyn's Fine Fried Chicken can absolutely be made gluten-free. They fry it in a separate fryer with a gluten-free batter made just for it, and the famous chicken and waffles comes off a dedicated waffle iron too, which almost never happens and I love them for it.

It's not a fully dedicated kitchen and most of the menu is what they call "gluten friendly," but the gluten-free items are clearly marked, the staff asks about allergies the second you sit down, and they can actually speak to their cross contamination procedures without you having to prompt them. Tell them you're gluten-free, confirm the separate fryer, and get that fried chicken or the chicken and waffles. Just ask which syrup is gluten-free since one is and one isn't! It leans date night, so book ahead.

On Rotation is a family-owned brewpub near Love Field and y'all, their entire food menu is built around gluten-free fried chicken. Let that sink in for a second. They use dedicated gluten-free fryers so nothing they fry contains gluten, plus dedicated prep areas and a separate gluten-free menu that makes the whole experience really easy to navigate. One of the founders' wives has celiac, which explains why they just get it in a way that most places don't. Get the bone-in fried chicken, the chicken nugz with a few dipping sauces, the wings, or the loaded buffalo chicken fries. They even do a gluten-free beer-battered fish and chips, which is wild in the best way. Oh and they keep gluten-free beer, cider, and seltzer on hand too. You order at the bar, grab a seat inside or out on the big patio, and it is genuinely one of the most laid back, family-friendly spots in town.

Red's is worth the drive up to Allen! It is a counter-order spot tucked inside The Hub food hall where almost the entire menu is gluten-free. They fry everything in a dedicated fryer with dedicated utensils, and the only gluten item in the whole place is a regular bun the chicken sandwiches (don’t worry, they have gf buns too!). 

The coating is mostly cassava flour, and the tenders are the show: huge, juicy, easily twice the size of a normal chicken finger, served with fries and dipping sauces. They also do wings in hot, buffalo, and lemon pepper. An eight-piece with two fries runs around $20 and easily feeds two. This is the rare place where you can walk up and order off the whole menu like anyone else, which is the dream.