Gluten-Free at Madison Square Garden
Classic stadium food that's celiac-safe!
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On Saturday night, I was lucky enough to see Brandi Carlile in concert at Madison Square Garden. It was truly one of the best shows I’ve seen in my life. The opening act, The Head and the Heart, played a stellar 45-minute set, and then Carlile took the stage. The music was incredible but so was the camaraderie of the musicians — and the energy level was off the charts! Watching Carlile perform was 2.5 hours of sheer joy.
The one thing that caught me by surprise since was discovering that several people I know have never heard of her. How is that possible? She’s won 11 Grammys, two Emmys, and has been nominated for more than one Oscar. She made an album with Elton John and she got Joni Mitchell back on stage after her brain aneurysm. If you’re not familiar with Brandi Carlile, treat yourself to her glorious rendition of “America the Beautiful” from this year’s Super Bowl. Then watch her on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert. If you’ve been thinking about buying tickets to her Human Tour, DO IT. You will thank me later!
At much as I love going to shows, I have to admit that getting food is often a challenge. For a 7:30pm concert like this one, the timing problem is real for anyone who eats gluten-free. Having a sit-down meal beforehand means dining at 5:15; grabbing something at the venue often means dinner = a bag of chips + a soda. That’s why Gluten-Free at the Garden, the dedicated gluten-free kiosk at MSG, is such a game-changer.
Gluten-Free at the Garden is a dedicated 100% gluten-free stand on the concourse near Section 112. It offers classic stadium food that’s safe for celiacs. The menu leans hard into comfort food — think hot dogs, pizza, salads, chicken fingers, fruit cups, and packaged cookies. The key is that everything is prepared separately from the other stands. It doesn’t have a sprawling menu filled with choices, but it’s exactly what you want at a stadium.
I had the chicken fingers and if you only order one thing, make it these! They’re actually good, served warm, and coated in a GF cereal crust that stays relatively crisp. I was surprised how generous the serving size was. I also enjoyed the Southwest salad, which was sold in a jar; staff will give you a resealable tray that lets you add the packaged dressing and mix it up. Separating the two means you’ve got a fresh, crisp salad, and the tortilla strips haven’t gone soggy from the dressing. For dessert, you can get cookies or a brownie, all from By the Way Bakery. Gluten-Free at the Garden also sells cans of Angry Orchard cider.
My one caveat: you will need to check if Gluten-Free at the Garden is open the evening of your event. As a rule, it’s open for sports events at MSG, but it’s not guaranteed at concerts. Brandi Carlile’s show sold out, so the kiosk was open, but I wasn’t able to confirm that until the day of the show. The number to call is Guest Relations at 212-465-6225.
What makes Gluten-Free at the Garden particularly worthwhile isn’t just the convenience. So often, when I go to an event, I’m eating different food from everyone else there. It was lovely to be able to go to a stadium and eat normal stadium food, and then go rock out!
One more thing: if you enjoy (loud) arena concerts, I hope you’re using earplugs like the Loop Experience 2. You’ll be able to enjoy the music while saving your hearing at the same time! They are comfortable, easy to use, and look great — I have them in silver, but they also come in gold, rose gold, and black.
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I just wish they had French fries! My new hack is to buy a soft pretzel from Posh Pop and bring that in with me when I go to games and concerts at MSG.
What a treat!!