DIVE INTO THE DISTRICTS

Eat, Drink & Be Merry in Gilbert’s Unique Community Hubs

By Edie Jarolim

Once a notable agricultural community, Gilbert now bustles with inviting places to eat, drink, shop, and explore the outdoors. Each of the city’s five districts offers a wide range of enjoyment options while maintaining its distinct character.

HERITAGE DISTRICT

Experience the city’s embrace of its origins-and its transformation into a contemporary entertainment hub-in Gilbert’s original townsite. Many of downtown’s historic buildings host trendy restaurants, one-of-a-kind shops, and vibrant murals. Top stops include Liberty Market, a 1930s grocery turned urban-chic bistro. Enjoy fresh takes on such American classics as burgers, pizza, pasta, and salads, with sauces and baked goods made in-house. An espresso bar and extensive wine and beer list add to the appeal.

The district’s newest addition – The Food Nanny – specializes in all things kamut flour. Their Gilbert location, with on-site baking experts, features freshly baked breads, cinnamon rolls, and cookies to sample all within an incredible retail space featuring their special flour mixes, French salts, and must-have gadgets.

Your pup can strut at O.H.S.O. Brewery, featuring a dog park and live music as well as a restaurant and sports bar catering to eclectic tastes, from lagers to IPAs, kale salads to steak and garlic fries.

SAN TAN DISTRICT

Shopping, dining, and entertainment abound in this family-friendly district. The open-air SanTan Village mall buzzes with top brand emporiums and eateries to suit every taste and budget.

At The Collective Market, what began as a pop-up shop in 2021 is now a thriving shop that showcases some of Arizona’s most coveted artisans. You’ll find hundreds of curated handmade products from more than 40 local small businesses, all in a fun, upbeat atmosphere. Etsy-lovers, this one’s for you.

Improve your swing in temperature-controlled bays at Topgolf, where the latest technology tracks your strokes and provides feedback about your form. Fare at the lively restaurant and bar ranges from adult drinks to pepperoni flatbread and doughnut hole-in-ones.

Isabel’s Amor Mexican Cafe & Tequila Bar welcomes guests with traditional family recipes made from scratch including fresh tortillas tossed on the premises. The love shines through the carefully prepared dishes and cocktails crafted with fresh fruit and top-shelf spirits.

Tucked into the lobby of the Kiln co-working space, Amelia’s by EAT offers tasty pick me-ups made with locally sourced ingredients: craft coffees, housemade baked goods, wraps, snack and the like.

AGRITOPIA

A throwback to Gilbert’s rural past, the organic Agritopia Farm lies spread over 11 lushly planted acres. Visitor activities include tours, U-pick harvests, beekeeping classes, and after-dark farmers markets. Three popular on-site restaurants capitalize on their short distance from farm to table.

Purveying fashionable home goods, urbAna caters to a wide range of patrons. Serious cooks, families with kids, party throwers, and new house owners will all find much to covet. An interior designer is on hand to help.

Devilish name notwithstanding, Fire & Brimstone makes heavenly wood-fired pizzas, from classics to those with such adventurous toppings as quesobirrio or pickles. You can also savor creative soups, salads, sandwiches, and desserts-many sourcing ingredients from Agritopia Farm-on a laid-back patio.

Another chill-out spot, Garage-East is a winery and coffee shop with a distinctly non-snobbish vibe. There’s something on the casual food menu to complement whatever buzz you choose, whether breakfast wine or espresso.

COOLEY STATION

The heart of a lively mixed-use community, Verde at Cooley Station lays on entertainment for all ages. Consider Sip & Shop, which hosts more than 50 small-businesses as well as a bar. On-site classes might include decorating for kids and wineglass painting for adult beverage consumers.

For a quieter imbibing, there’s Blue Heron, a retro cocktail lounge inspired by Prohibition-era speakeasies. Order pizza or panini from next door’s Crust Simply Italian kitchen when you work up an appetite. Pampered pups and their people are catered to a Pixie Sticks Dog Boutique, a grooming salon and shop where you can find edible greeting cards and hand-knit beanies among the array of treats, toys, and accessories. Visit in late October and you might catch the boutique’s annual Halloween Pawty on The Green. Other happenings on the lush central lawn include Pilates classes, moonlight movies, and live music. For outdoor enjoyment year-round, ogle the murals on the brick walls of several Cooley Station buildings. A Native American hoop dancer and a cowboy with his horse number among the more than 25 vibrant artworks commissioned to capture Gilbert’s essence.

Section 5 Image 2 Gilbert Riparian Preserve Copy

THE RIPARIAN DISTRICT

Recreation and relaxation are the prime draws of this northeastern area- Catch a ball game at Cactus Yards, featuring eight scaled-down replicas of famous ballparks such as Fenway Park and Wrigley Field. You can’t take in food-that’s the purview of two popular sports grills-but it’s fine to bring your own equipment if you want to rent a batting cage.

At the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch, 4.5 miles of trails wind through an eco-friendly oasis. The 110 acres host 300 or so species of birds, a butterfly garden, and a floating boardwalk that overlooks a serene lake where ducks and fish cavort. At once high-energy and low-key, Four Silos Brewery welcomes guests with an extensive menu of drinks, craft beer, wine, coffee, and tea, and casual fare from morning till nightfall. Enjoy live music while kicking back on the
spacious patio.

The founder of Dulce Churro Cafe learned to perfect its doughy treat in Spain, the country where it originated. The myriad churro variations-dipped, glazed, or topped with chocolate or ice cream (or both)-practically demand repeat visits to this shop.