Going to Starke? Eat first

Apparently, you can't dine out gluten free in Starke, at least according to the Fine Me Gluten Free app.

I was driving home from Tampa on the I-75/301 route yesterday and I calculated that I would be in Starke around dinner time. So, before I left, I decided to check on the Find Me Gluten Free website on possible dining options. The app is something you can use on your phone to find gluten-free friendly restaurants in the vicinity of your current location, but you can also use the website to look up options for a particular area. I like to have information in advance when I'm travelling.

Anyway, when I checked on Starke, there was nothing listed. Find Me Gluten Free lists options by distance, and the closest gluten-free friendly restaurant was a Pizza Hut in Middleburg 17 miles away from Starke.

Because of that, I stopped at a Chick Fil A in Ocala and ate about an hour earlier than I wished. I didn't want to find myself hungry and unable to eat by the time I got to Starke.

In case you haven't tried it, Chick Fil A says their grilled chicken nuggets and waffle fries are gluten free, so that makes it a great fast-food dinner option.

When I did drive through 301 in Starke, I have to agree that I didn't see any restaurant that I would feel comfortable eating in. There is a Pizza Hut in Starke, but not all Pizza Huts are offering their new gluten-free pizza, which may explain why it doesn't show up on the app.

As I continued up 301 to I-10, I still didn't see any gluten-free friendly restaurants. So basically, there was nowhere to eat on 301 between Ocala and Jacksonville. Don't travel that route hungry.