Gilbert called itself the Hay Shipping Capital of the World for most of the twentieth century, and the agricultural history is still visible at its edges. The town’s transformation into one of the fastest-growing suburbs in the country brought a restaurant scene with it.
The Heritage District along Gilbert Road is the centre of it — a genuinely walkable stretch of independent restaurants, a well-regarded public market, and outdoor seating that works for most of the year.
Agritopia, a working farm inside a residential development, supplies several local kitchens and runs a market of its own. It is an unusual arrangement and worth seeing. The Sonoran Mexican cooking common across the East Valley is well represented here too.