Gilbert, Arizona is a thriving town located just southeast of Phoenix. Over the last few decades, Gilbert has developed into a popular suburb, attracting families and professionals alike with its excellent schools, affordable housing, and abundance of parks and recreation.
Along with its rapid growth, Gilbert has also seen an explosion of dining options, from longstanding local gems to hip new eateries. The town offers a wonderfully eclectic mix of cuisines to suit any palate. Whether you’re craving downhome barbecue, elevated Southwestern fare, or Asian fusion, you’ll find something to love in Gilbert’s fantastic food scene.
To help narrow down the choices in this culinary hotspot, we’ve put together this list of the 12 best restaurants that Gilbert has to offer. From cozy cafes to Chef-driven fine dining to family-friendly pubs, these are the establishments that have garnered the most acclaim from both diners and critics. Read on for the inside scoop on the top tables in town that you won’t want to miss!
Postino WineCafe
With its inviting indoor-outdoor ambiance and an extensive by-the-glass wine program emphasizing Italian varietals, Postino WineCafe has become a go-to neighborhood spot since opening its Gilbert location. This Arizona-based mini chain sources fresh, seasonal ingredients to create bruschettas, panini, salads, and other wine-friendly bites.
Standout menu items include the signature Brussels sprouts with hot coppa and shaved pecorino and the lush Burrata Caprese stacked with vine-ripened tomatoes. Grab a bottle or glass from Postino’s well-curated wine list and settle into one of the covered patios lining the center courtyard. This comfortable wine bar offers an easy way to enjoy a relaxing afternoon or evening.
Culinary Dropout
For a more raucous dining affair, check out Culinary Dropout at the hip new Agritopia neighborhood development. This gastro pub dishes up playful takes on comfort food classics in industrial-chic digs. Come hungry and sip beer, wine or cocktails while noshing elevated yet familiar snacks like pretzels with beer cheese fondue, fried chicken lettuce wraps, or Yardbird chicken and waffle sliders.
Heartier options include the Dropout burgers stacked with bacon and unique toppings and the tenderloin stroganoff pappardelle ribbons coated in sour cream gravy. The rebellious attitude extends to the relaxed dress code and brassy music, encouraging guests to cut loose over games of cornhole and ping pong on the patio. With its youthful energy and creative gastropub fare, Culinary Dropout makes an ideal spot for a fun group dinner.
Ranch Pizza
Gilbert may be over four hours from Naples, Italy, the birthplace of pizza, but Arizonans will tell you Ranchpizza in Downtown Gilbert is the next best thing. The tiny bistro has deployed a wood-fired oven to magically re-craft Neapolitan pies marked by flavorful crusts with ample char.
Classic pizzas like the Margherita with crushed San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala, and fresh basil or the spicy Diavolo layered with pepperoni, cured Calabrian chiles, Hatch green chilies, and a hot honey drizzle display how simple ingredients shine with expert technique. The spare dining room and patio, with a horseshoe-shaped, stone bar surrounding the oven, lend a casual, inviting vibe. Ranchpizza is small but mighty, cementing itself as a must-visit for excellent Neapolitan-style pies.
Organ Stop Pizza
For family-friendly dining, Organ Stop Pizza boasts a soundtrack as delicious as the food. The restaurant houses a one-of-a-kind organ built especially for the local chain. The pipe organ toasts dinners with FREE concerts featuring classics from Phantom of the Opera, vintage radio hits, and more. The epicenter of attention remains the food, generously-sized pizzas, pastas, sandwiches and salads with flavor.
House specialties include the Greek Goddess with gyro meat, sundried tomato pesto, kalamata olives, red onions, feta and tzatziki sauce and the Pleasantly Plump pizza surrendering to a lardons-waisted crust. Gluten-free diners can even indulger own 10-inch personal pizzas. With reasonable prices, huge portions and music galore, Organ Stop Pizza makes an ideal all-ages option for casually-satisfying night out.
State 48 Brewery
The popularity of craft beer shows no signs of slowing, especially at hotspots like State 48 Brewery. This local chain aims favorful, approachable brews proudly made in Arizona. State 48’s 20,000-square foot Gilbert taproom features a rotating lineup of unique beers on tap as well as staple brews and seasonal offerings. Indecisive drinkers can order a paddle with four, six-ounce sampler glasses showcasing favorites like Sonoran Sage Hazy IPA or Vanilla Crunch Stout.
Pub grub favorites like Bavarian pretzels, fish and chips, suffed chicken tenders complement the booze. Multiple patios, a second-story bar overlooking the brewhouse and an event space hosting live music and more plenty of room for imbibing. With quality beers in a sleek industrial setting, State 48 provides a quintessential contemporary brewpub experience.
Joe’s Real BBQ
Carnivores won’t want to miss Joe’s Real Bar-B-Q, helmed by champion Kansas pitmaster Joe Davidson. His respected East Coast-style technique yields smoky brisket, pork shoulder, ham, turkey, ribs and sausage meticulously cooked low and slow over fragrant hickory and pecan woods. The smoke permeates everything from the Texas-style beef brisket and chili-rubbed smoked chicken to sides like baked beans or potato salad.
Sauces range from a sweet original BBQ to a fiery Cajun rendition. Comforting daily specials like Wednesday’s tender Ham & Bean Soup and weekend Prime Rib hint at Joe’s culinary prowess, but the authentic ‘cue remains the star. The casual dining room fills up fast for this finger-lickin’ barbecue bringing a taste of the heartland to Gilbert.
Clever Koi
Asian fusion gets a modern makeover at Clever Koi. Both imaginative and Instagrammable, the colorful, graffiti-splashed interior provides mere prelude to the vividly plated dishes fusing multiple Asian staples with contemporary flair. Menu standouts include the piping hot Mongolian Wok with your choice of protein tossed in garlic-ginger sauce over crispy rice noodles.
A towering ice cream sundae hides inside the Bam Bam Dessert’s chocolate brownie “bowl” while the IG Wall artfully encloses edamame, crab rangoon and other starters. Playful cocktails like the Singapore Sling Slushy or Lychee Spritz complement Chef Justin Piazza’s genre-blending cuisine. Equal parts social media darling and culinary upstart, Clever Koi brings a youthful energy and adventurous spirit of exploration to Gilbert dining.
Liberty Market
This homegrown Gilbert favorite began as a brick-and-mortar restaurant before spawning into a local mini-chain with multiple locations including a food hall stand. Yet intimate Liberty Market maintains a loyal following for Chef Claudio Urciuoli’s meticulously sourced, seasonal New American cuisine blinking global inspiration. An ever-changing menu may include delicate steamed Alaskan halibut in lemongrass broth or tender beef short ribs braised in Texas port wine jus.
Dinner entrees often pair beautifully with one of Liberty’s hundreds of curated wines or an inventive, herb-laced cocktail like the cranberry sage margarita. Weekend brunch remains a local ritual thanks to eye-opening options spanning fluffy lemon ricotta hotcakes to a brioche French toast bread pudding that defines decadence. Effortlessly toggling between white-tablecloth elegance to weekend relaxation, Liberty Market resides among Gilbert’s finest dining establishments.
Heat Phoenix
Carnivores craving simple, fires-kissed proteins flock to HEAT Phoenix. Putting cuisine secondary to prime cuts of meat, HEAT specializes in mesquite-smoked tri-tip, ribs, pulled pork and 12-hour smoked chicken highlighted by a proprietary dry rub. Platters make ideal sharable meals with hearty sides like mac and cheese, crispy Brussels sprouts or cornbread.
Well-selected craft beers and wines fuel the satisfied grazing. What separates HEAT is the signature Smokin’ Hot Challenge, requiring battle-hungry guests to sign a waiver before confronting a three-pound tray of smoked tri-tip coated in HEAT’s own spicy OP Sauce. If they can finish the entire pepper-doused plate in under fifteen minutes, the meal is free. Less daring diners appreciate HEAT for the high-quality ‘cue in a casual, contemporary setting.
Sweetcakes
Dessert mavens know Sweetcakes dishes out Gilbert’s finest handcrafted treats, from regular and gluten-free cupcakes to custom cakes, pies and other sweets. Guests peruse glass cases of outlandish cupcake flavors like horchata, pistachio cardamom, dulce de leche with milk chocolate ganache, and other buttercream-crowned creations before ordering and topping their pick with a crunchy sprinkle blend.
Cake flavors dazzle with options like lemon meringue, red velvet, chocolate salted caramel, pink champagne and more. Wedding cakes particularly stun thanks to Owner Jerri Evans’ architectural talents in frosting and fondant alongside her flavor mastery. Breakfast also shines via fluffy pancake and French toast towers crowned with seasonal fruits. For your sweet tooth’s ultimate indulgence, leave room for a stop at Sweetcakes after your Gilbert dining out.
Rúla Búla Irish Pub
You needn’t cross the Atlantic to soak up Irish cheer and hospitality – not when Rúla Búla sits a mere 20 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor airport. This spirited pub transports guests straight to the Emerald Isle through charming décor, expertly poured Guinness, an eclectic whiskey library and of course, classic fare like fish and chips, shepherd’s pie and corned beef and cabbage.
Daily specials range from whisky cake to steak and Guinness stew or lamb shank braised in Murphy’s stout. Brunch favorites like eggs Benedict or an Ulster fry-up prove equally comforting with a side mimosa or Bloody Mary. Nightly live music and boisterous conversation encourage mingling among the cozy wooden booths or across Rúla Búla’s multiple patios. However you choose to celebrate, sláinte – to your health!
Proof
For contemporary fine dining overlooking Downtown Gilbert’s Heritage District, make reservations at elegant Proof. The menu emphasizes peak-of-season vegetables and seafood accented by global flavors in dishes like a Kona kampachi crudo with coconut, tamarind and roasted cashews or semolina gnocchi with roasted cauliflower, pistachio pesto and burrata.
Many shareable plates encourage sampling and exploration across the menu. Cocktails also rely on fresh ingredients, evident in refreshing options like the gin-and-tonic riff swapped with celery juice or an herbaceous basil and strawberry margarita. With a hip bar scene complementing the polished dining room, Proof excels at big city sophistication tailored to Gilbert’s burgeoning nightlife desires.
Oregano’s Pizza Bistro
Chicago-style deep dish gets an Arizona twist at the Valley-based Oregano’s Pizza chain. While thin-crust pies satisfy traditionalists, Oregano’s hearty, oversized stuffed pizzas promise Italian comfort food euphoria through decadent flavor combinations piled high.
Perennial favorites like the BBQ Chicken or Bacon Cheeseburger pies tempt initially but don’t discount creative pizzas starring shrimp, artichoke hearts, gyro meat and other more unusual ingredients baked between a double layer of chewy, crispy crust. Pasta, subs and salads round out the menus at this family-oriented eatery. With rockin’ oldies playing and signature pies promising leftovers, Oregano’s distinct, regional-inspired take on pizza makes a reliably fun and filling meal.
Zinburger Wine and Burger Bar
Noted wine expert and restaurateur Sam Fox conceived Zinburger as an upscale, wine-centric riff on the classic burger joint. Sourcing high-quality ingredients, the menu spotlights premium beef, lamb, turkey or vegetable patties on brioche or pretzel buns with gourmet toppings and spreads. Pair your jam-slathered lamb Tzatziki Burger or monthly speciality burger with suggested wine varietals.
But term “burger bar” proves deceiving given diverse menu staring shareable snacks like truffle fries, zesty chicken wings, seared tuna tataki salad beer floats for dessert. Zinburger’s stylish industrial and lively bar filled with oenophiles confirms Gilbert diners will gladly wine and dine on gourmet burgers and more in an energetic upscale setting.
Conclusion
Gilbert truly delivers an outstanding, multifaceted dining scene suiting groups large and small across myriad cuisines, settings and price points. Foodies find familiar comfort foods elevated by skilled chefs while more experimental palates can sample globally inspired flavors and fusions.
Many restaurants prioritize local and seasonal ingredients not just in the kitchen but behind the bar, with craft beers, eclectic wine lists and Arizona produce-based cocktails. Homegrown eateries sit alongside popular metro Phoenix brands bringing their best to Gilbert’s blossoming foodscape.
Whether celebrating a special milestone or seeking a bite after a game at Ranch Lafayette, Gilbert’s top restaurants all promise delicious meals in settings ranging from mega pubs to cozy bistros. Families appreciate kid-friendly menus and music alongside upmarket venues suited for date nights. Gilbert dining provides a taste to satisfy every guest, with these 12 restaurants topping the must-try list on your next night out or weekend culinary quest.