Restaurant Review:
Zama Mexican Cuisine Smyrna GA

We stopped to see John Wright on the way home from a delightful weekend in Chattanooga TN. Since we were hungry, we decided to find a restaurant where I could eat gluten free food. We are so glad we tried Zama Mexican Cuisine in Smyrna GA. I had the perfect gluten free foodie experience there, and I highly recommend the restaurant. Review to follow.

Tips for Gluten Free Eating Out

What does eating gluten free mean? I avoid eating wheat, barley, and rye, because my gut just feels better when I do. I did the allergy elimination diet last year, and every time I added wheat, barley, or rye to my menus, even in small quantities, I felt bloated, gassy, and under-nourished. So, I decided to stop eating these foods at least until my gut health improves.

One of the things that I find challenging eating gluten free is that I eat out quite a bit. Here are some tips on how to eat gluten free at a restaurant:

Ask:

1. the server if your food has hidden flour in it or get the sauce on the side (Many restaurants thicken soups, gravies and sauces with flour.).
2. for croutons and bread crumb toppings to be removed from your dishes.
3. that they don’t bring bread to the table.
4. for romaine, boston, or bib lettuce leaves so that you can make your own sandwiches or burgers with the lettuce. A burger with all the fixings between two large romaine leaves is very tasty and can be handheld AND
5. Eat grilled proteins instead of fried. Almost all fried protein has some sort of flour coating.

If you have any tips of your own, we’d love to hear from you in the comments section below, on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Zama Mexican Cuisine Has Good Gluten Free Choices

We both had an amazing gluten free meal at Zama. We started out with guacamole which we made table side to our taste. The server was so helpful. When we gave the guac a taste and asked for more lime, he put another glove on and added the lime. The dominant ingredient was avocados, and we were so glad that we didn’t have to wade through tons of tomatoes, onions, hot peppers, and cilantro to find the avocado. The guacamole was a hit, and with a few thin 100% corn chips, we had a great appetizer. By the way, for those who don’t do carbs at all, the guacamole was so substantial, eating it with a fork would have worked.

My entree was steak fajitas with rice, beans, and guacamole salad. Zama’s fajitas are what I expect to eat when I have this wonderful dish. There were enough onions and peppers on the hot cast iron plate to season the dish, but there was quite a healthy piece of sliced medium rare skirt steak on top. This was so much better than the stringy pieces of beef with a predominance of peppers and onions that most “Mexican” restaurants serve.  The Mexican rice had real roasted corn in it which popped on one’s tongue. The beans were were tasty and well-seasoned.

My roommate had mango salmon, medium rare, with a grilled asparagus. This was a good choice for someone on a low carb menu plan. He said the sauce was very light, and the salmon truly was medium rare.

Great Service at Zama Mexican Cuisine

Our server was attentive without being overwhelming. He made sure we had refills of our drinks and that our proteins were cooked the way we wanted. Too, the owner came over and introduced himself to us, and we had a lovely conversation with him. He offered us free dessert as well.

Final Take on Zama Mexican Cuisine

For people eating healthy or gluten free, Zama’s food is tasty and made from fresh ingredients. The servers are knowledgeable and friendly. I highly recommend the dining experience at Zama Mexican Cuisine.