The Joy of Gluten Free - Ottawa, Ontario

OMG these things are amazing! And I'm not even gluten free! We had 6 different things between us, all fantastic! I'll also mention, the girl in our group who is gluten reactive had no issues at all with this place and also loved all the items. How often can you share ... dessert when you have someone gluten-free in your group?!? Read more

Boy, do I ever regret not reading any reviews prior to going here • lesson learned! I was so disappointed in my experience with this bakery, I just knew that others must be, too & decided to see what was being said. If you haven't read them, yet, get comfortable; it's ... like a train wreck you can't look away from. First, I will say that the service I received wasn't necessarily awful, but the person working that day was incredibly unenthusiastic and, my friend and I noted, actually seemed really nervous/apprehensive when we'd inquired about a possible order for the future... almost as though they might be afraid of their employer (my gosh, it all makes so much sense, now)!! Poor kid 😕 As for the food, itself... ugh. We bought quite a variety, ranging from cupcakes to cookies & squares, and ended up spending a pretty penny. The consistency was waaay off, and there was absolutely no flavour in anything we tried, some of which even seemed stale. I regularly support similar small businesses here, across the border & even across the pond • I am accustomed to slightly higher prices for gluten-free & vegan foods, but I'm normally really happy with what I'm getting. In this case, it was just a huge letdown, and then I came to learn what sort of business owner I'd given my money to; not a good feeling. In closing, I can only say this: if you're on the fence about trying this bakery, take a moment to read some of the reviews from other disappointed customers, as well as the inappropriate responses they've received (here and elsewhere), and maybe compare them to those of similar shops in town. That should do it! •• UPDATE: Owner has obnoxiously responded to my review, and has also gone back to edit her responses to others, including those that are months old, in an obvious effort to save face. Read more

The Joy of Gluten Free stands out as being mediocre overall. I've been to both locations, and both are very similar (obviously, since they're part of the same business). The bread, cookies and other baked goods I've had have been pretty dry, but otherwise tasted fine. The pizza crust lacks ... much flavour unfortunately, but it holds together really well. I get the feeling that not all the products are fresh the same day at the Joy of Gluten Free, just based on the dryness and taste of some of the baked treats. I will agree with some of the other reviews in that SOME of the staff are really unpleasent. This is absolutely not true of all the staff, some of the staff are very friendly, but there is still the odd time where you might encounter a rather unfriendly member behind the counter. This bakery is also very expensive compared to other bakeries I've seen, both in Ottawa and elsewhere in Canada. Gluten free products are naturally more expensive, given the constraints on sourcing and producing the ingredients, but I was still shocked to see some of the prices at The Joy of Gluten Free. All this said, check out either of their locations and decide for yourself. If you're celiac, you're going to be safe eating here. I'd recommend the baguette, they actually do a very good job at making a light and airy baguette! Read more

First impression on walking in was a bit of a let down.. after reading a lot of mixed reviews I was hesitant about coming but I always like to try something new I didn't have to create. The owners negative and hostile responses to any consumer who didn't have a ... 100% positive review of her place already left me leery. But again I always like to give places a try and I figured it had 2 shop fronts so it had to have something going for it. A lot of people commented it was pricey but again the owner always had a hostile retort about it being featured in ottawa cheap eats section so I went myself... A lot of the squares and tarts are quite pricey. The cookies are also in there top end of pricing for size.. The item I found of best value was the marzipan square that is unique to this company.. my husband who eats EVERYTHING raved about it after eating. I myself had the butter tarts that at its price range was really nothing to rave about. It was standard slightly runny filling. The raisins where plump.. and the crust had a snap to it. But all in all not worth cost vrs taste. The bread was of average pricing for gluten free. I wouldn't recommend this store for cheap eats.. But it would be a good place to grab your weekly bread or a occasional sweet. Too expensive for social gathering or daily treats though, when looking at the sweets though Read more

Had the Ham and Swiss Focaccia, the bread was airy and toasted to perfection... Then came the Pulled Pork on a cornmeal buttermilk bun...amazing as well...and I won't tell you about the desserts, cause then there won't be any left for me. ;-)