Situated to the southeast of Phoenix, Arizona, is the bustling town of Gilbert. Gilbert has grown to be a well-liked suburb over the past few decades, drawing in both professionals and families with its many parks, great schools, and reasonably priced real estate.
Gilbert’s explosive growth has coincided with an explosion of dining alternatives, ranging from hip new restaurants to long-standing local jewels. To please any appetite, the town provides a truly diversified blend of cuisines. Gilbert boasts an amazing culinary scene with options for every taste preference, including sophisticated Southwestern cuisine, Asian fusion, and traditional barbecue.
Here is our selection of the top 12 restaurants in Gilbert to help you narrow down your options in this gastronomic hotspot. These are the restaurants and bars that have received the highest praise from patrons and reviewers, ranging from family-friendly pubs to elegant dining experiences led by chefs to little cafes. For exclusive information on the best tables in town that you won’t want to miss, continue reading!
13 Best Restaurants in Gilbert, Arizona
Zinburger Wine and Burger Bar
Zinburger was created by renowned restaurateur and wine expert Sam Fox as an elegant take on the traditional burger establishment, with a focus on wine. The menu features excellent beef, lamb, turkey, or vegetable patties on brioche or pretzel buns with gourmet toppings and spreads, all made with premium ingredients that are sourced locally. Suggested wine varietals go well with your jam-covered lamb Tzatziki Burger or monthly signature burger.
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However, given the varied menu that includes sharing nibbles like truffle fries, spicy chicken wings, seared tuna tataki salad, and beer floats for dessert, the label “burger bar” becomes misleading. It is confirmed that Gilbert customers will happily wine and dine on gourmet burgers and more in an upbeat, sophisticated atmosphere at Zinburger’s chic industrial and bustling bar packed with enthusiastic wine enthusiasts.
Oregano’s Pizza Bistro
The Arizona-inspired Oregano’s Pizza chain is established in the Valley and serves Chicago-style deep dishes. Oregano’s large, loaded pizzas offer Italian comfort food nirvana through rich, heaping flavor combinations, while thin-crust pies please purists.
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Classic dishes like BBQ Chicken or Bacon Cheeseburger pies may first entice, but don’t overlook inventive pizzas that have strange ingredients like gyro meat, prawns, and artichoke hearts baked between two layers of crispy, chewy crust. Salads, pasta, and subs complete the offerings at this family-friendly restaurant. Oregano’s distinctive, locally-inspired twist on pizza offers a consistently enjoyable and substantial dinner, especially with its rockin’ oldies and trademark pies that guarantee leftovers.
Proof
Make reservations at the classy Proof for contemporary fine dining with a view of Downtown Gilbert’s Heritage District. The menu features dishes like a Kona kampachi crudo with coconut, tamarind, and roasted cashews or semolina gnocchi with roasted cauliflower, pistachio pesto, and burrata that highlight in-season vegetables and fish with a dash of international flair.
A lot of the shareable meals promote trying different things and exploring the menu. Additionally, fresh ingredients are used in cocktail creation, as seen by light options such as a basil and strawberry margarita or a gin-and-tonic riff substituted with celery juice. Proof is a prime example of big city elegance catered to Gilbert’s growing appetite for nightlife, with a trendy bar environment that perfectly matches the elegant dining room.
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Rúla Búla Irish Pub
Not when Rúla Búla is within 20 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor airport, you need to travel across the Atlantic to experience the warmth and friendliness of the Irish people. Through its lovely décor, masterfully poured Guinness, extensive whiskey collection, and, of course, classic fare like shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, and corned beef and cabbage, this lively pub whisks patrons directly to the Emerald Isle.
Murphy’s Stout-braised lamb shank, steak and Guinness stew, and whisky cake are among the daily offerings. Favorite brunch dishes like eggs Benedict or Ulster fry-up are even more cozy when paired with a Bloody Mary or mimosa. Interaction between the many patios of Rúla Búla and the comfortable wooden booths is encouraged by the nightly live music and lively conversation. Sláinte, and here’s to your health, whichever you choose to celebrate!
Sweetcakes
Dessert connoisseurs know that Sweetcakes serves the best freshly made desserts in Gilbert, including bespoke cakes, pies, and cupcakes (both standard and gluten-free). Before placing an order and adding a crunchy sprinkle blend to their selection, guests browse through glass cases filled with bizarre cupcake tastes like pistachio cardamom, dulce de leche with milk chocolate ganache, horchata, and other buttercream-crowned masterpieces.
Cake varieties abound, including chocolate salted caramel, pink champagne, red velvet, lemon meringue, and more. Thanks to owner Jerri Evans’ architectural skills with fondant and icing in addition to her mastery of flavor, wedding cakes are especially stunning. Towers of fluffy pancakes and French toast topped with seasonal fruits are another way that breakfast excels. After your Gilbert eating out, make time for a detour at Sweetcakes for the ultimate satisfaction of your sweet taste.
Heat Phoenix
HEAT Phoenix is a haven for carnivores who are wanting simple, fire-kissed foods. HEAT prioritizes quality cuts of meat over cuisine, serving up specialties including pulled pork, ribs, tri-tip smoked over mesquite, and 12-hour smoked chicken with a distinctive dry rub. When paired with substantial sides like mac & cheese, crispy Brussels sprouts, or cornbread, platters make the perfect shareable meals.
Sophisticated craft wines and beers feed the contented graze. HEAT is unique because of its Smokin’ Hot Challenge, which pits battle-ready patrons against a three-pound platter of smoked tri-tip covered in HEAT’s own fiery OP Sauce after they have signed a waiver. The supper is free if they can consume the whole pepper-sprayed plate in less than fifteen minutes. Less adventurous eaters enjoy HEAT’s excellent ‘cue in a laid-back, modern atmosphere.
Liberty Market
This native Gilbert institution started off as a brick and mortar restaurant before branching out to become a neighborhood mini-chain with several locations, including a food hall stand. However, Chef Claudio Urciuoli’s well prepared, seasonally inspired New American cuisine at the cozy Liberty Market continues to draw a devoted clientele. A constantly-evolving menu can feature delectable dishes like succulent beef short ribs simmered in Texas port wine jus or delicate steamed Alaskan halibut in lemongrass sauce.
Dinner meals frequently go well with one of Liberty’s hundreds of carefully chosen wines or a creative cocktail infused with herbs, such as the cranberry sage margarita. Thanks to eye-opening options like airy lemon ricotta hotcakes and a brioche French toast bread pudding that epitomizes extravagance, weekend brunches continue to be a local habit. Liberty Market is a great eating place in Gilbert that seamlessly transitions from weekend leisure to elegant dining with white tablecloths.
Clever Koi
At Clever Koi, Asian fusion is given a contemporary twist. Imaginative and visually appealing, the vibrant, graffiti-filled environment is just a preamble to the vibrantly prepared dishes that combine various Asian staples with a modern twist. One of the menu’s highlights is the sizzling Mongolian Wok, which consists of your preferred protein mixed in a garlic-ginger sauce over crispy rice noodles.
The Bam Bam Dessert’s chocolate brownie “bowl” conceals a towering ice cream sundae, and the IG Wall cleverly encloses starters such crab rangoon and edamame. Chef Justin Piazza’s cuisine, which blends many genres, is complemented by playful cocktails like the Lychee Spritz and Singapore Sling Slushy. Clever Koi, a culinary upstart and social media favorite in equal measure, infuses Gilbert dining with a spirit of adventure and youthful enthusiasm.
Joe’s Real BBQ
Joe’s Real Bar-B-Q, hosted by champion Kansas pitmaster Joe Davidson, is a must-visit for carnivores. His well-respected East Coast method produces tender, slow-cooked brisket, pork shoulder, ham, turkey, ribs, and sausage over aromatic hickory and pecan woods. Everything smells of smoke, including the sides like baked beans or potato salad and the Texas-style beef brisket and smoked chicken with a chili seasoning.
There is a sweet original BBQ sauce as well as a hot Cajun version. Though Joe’s culinary prowess is hinted at by comforting daily specials like the weekend Prime Rib and Wednesday’s delicate Ham & Bean Soup, the real ‘cue still takes center stage. Gilbert’s casual dining room quickly fills up for this mouthwatering BBQ that offers a taste of the Midwest.
State 48 Brewery
Craft beer continues to grow in popularity, particularly at places like State 48 Brewery. Friendly, approachable brews proudly crafted in Arizona are the goal of this local chain. The 20,000 square foot Gilbert taproom at State 48 has a variety of beers on tap, including seasonal selections and house specialties, all of which are rotated. Those who are hard to decide between four six-ounce sampler glasses of their favorite beers, such as Sonoran Sage Hazy IPA or Vanilla Crunch Stout, can purchase a paddle.
Fish and chips, suffed chicken tenders, and Bavarian pretzels are popular pub fare that goes well with the alcohol. There are many terraces, a second-story bar with views of the brewhouse, an event space with live music, and lots of space to enjoy alcohol. A classic modern brewpub experience, State 48 offers great beers in a clean industrial setting.
Organ Stop Pizza
Organ Stop Pizza is a great place to take the family to eat, and their music is just as good. The restaurant is home to a unique organ that was created particularly for the nearby franchise. The pipe organ celebrates feasts with free concerts that include Phantom of the Opera favorites, old radio hits, and other tunes. The food, which consists of flavorful salads, amply sized pizzas, pastas, and sandwiches, continues to be the center of attention.
The Greek Goddess pizza, which has gyro meat, sun-dried tomato pesto, feta, red onions, kalamata olives, and tzatziki sauce, is one of the house specialties. Another is the Pleasantly Plump pizza, which has a crust made of lardons. Even 10-inch personal pizzas are an indulgence for gluten-free customers. Organ Stop Pizza is a great all-ages alternative for a laid-back night out because of its affordable prices, large portions, and abundance of music.
Ranch Pizza
The birthplace of pizza, Naples, Italy, is more than four hours away from Gilbert, but locals in Arizona will tell you that Ranchpizza in Downtown Gilbert is the next best thing. The little eatery has ingeniously recreated Neapolitan pies with rich crusts and lots of char by using a wood-fired oven.
Simple ingredients are made to shine with superb craftsmanship in classic pizzas like the Margherita, which is topped with crushed San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala, and fresh basil, or the spicy Diavolo, which is stacked with pepperoni, cured Calabrian chiles, Hatch green chilies, and a hot honey drizzle. A relaxed, homey atmosphere is created by the patio and extra eating area, which include a stone bar curved like a horseshoe and around the oven. Ranchpizza has established itself as a must-go-to place for top-notch Neapolitan-style pies despite its diminutive size.
Culinary Dropout
Check out Culinary Dropout at the stylish new Agritopia neighborhood development for a more boisterous dining experience. In industrial-chic settings, this gastropub serves up whimsical twists on comfort food classics. Arrive hungry and indulge in sophisticated yet comforting delicacies like Yardbird chicken and waffle sliders, fried chicken lettuce wraps, and pretzels with beer cheese fondue while sipping wine, beer, or cocktails.
More substantial options are the tenderloin stroganoff pappardelle ribbons covered in sour cream gravy and the Dropout burgers, which are loaded with bacon and unusual toppings. The liberal dress code and loud music also reflect the rebellious vibe, which invites guests to get wild while playing ping pong and cornhole on the patio. Culinary Dropout, with its innovative gastropub menu and youthful energy, is the perfect place for an enjoyable group dinner.
Postino WineCafe
Since opening its Gilbert site, Postino WineCafe has grown to be a beloved neighborhood hangout because to its warm indoor-outdoor atmosphere and wide by-the-glass wine menu that highlights Italian varietals. This little franchise restaurant located in Arizona sources seasonal and fresh ingredients for its bruschettas, paninis, salads, and other wine-friendly nibbles.
Notable dishes on the menu include the rich Burrata Caprese topped with vine-ripened tomatoes and the famous Brussels sprouts with hot coppa and shredded pecorino. Select a bottle or glass of wine from Postino’s carefully chosen selection and take a seat on one of the covered patios that surround the central courtyard. This cozy wine bar provides a simple means of unwinding on a Sunday afternoon or evening.
Conclusion
Gilbert really offers a fantastic, varied eating experience that can accommodate both large and small parties and offers a wide range of cuisines, settings, and price points. Gourmets can enjoy well-known comfort dishes that have been expertly prepared, while palates with more adventurous tastes can try fusions and flavors from around the world.
Several eateries place a strong emphasis on using seasonal and local ingredients in their craft brews, unique wine selections, and cocktails made from Arizona vegetables. Local restaurants coexist with well-known metro Phoenix companies, contributing their best offerings to Gilbert’s emerging culinary scene.
Gilbert’s best restaurants all guarantee delectable meals in settings ranging from massive pubs to quaint bistros, whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or just looking for something to eat after a game at Ranch Lafayette. Families value upscale locations ideal for romantic evenings coupled with kid-friendly cuisine and entertainment. Dining in Gilbert offers something for every visitor, and these 13 eateries are the ones you simply must visit on your next night out or weekend gourmet adventure.