Restaurants in Gilbert

Every day, Chef Samir lobs freshly made pita-bread discs into his Wood Stone oven, waits for them to puff up and lightly brown, then retrieves them with a large metal paddle for piping-hot delivery to tables. All meals at Mijana start with a basket of these pillowy loaves, revving up appetite engines for the authentic Lebanese dishes the chef and his staff are crafting in the kitchen. Leaning heavily on traditional key ingredients such as garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice, the chef whips up platters of flavorful dips and spreads as well as grilled kebabs and sautéed entrees. Music, belly dancing, and dance lessons pepper the calendar of this more than 5,000-square-foot venue, providing a lively complement to the night.

The Tavern On Mill's 7,000-square-foot grounds, bar, restaurant, and open-air patio set the scene for long afternoons or nights of craft brew-fueled sports watching and feasts of Southwestern–inspired fare enjoyed over specialty cocktails. HD widescreen TVs⎯37 of them⎯entertain guests with all the major satellite packages plus video games. At tables, diners feast with relish on fish tacos, carne asada burritos, and jerk chicken sandwiches. All the dishes shine with little touches of Southwestern flair including lime and cilantro or the earthy notes of chipotle en adobo, and the restaurant's colorful decor boasts surfboards and tiki carvings to celebrate Arizona's well-established surfing and seafaring traditions. Two full-service bars deliver frosty glasses of craft and domestic beer, fueling friendly socialization on the two outdoor patios and energetic high-fives after memorable football plays.

For 18 years, David Fliger lived the life of an adman, traveling the world and eating fine foods. But inside the Thailand-born foodie lurked a restaurateur, a seed perhaps planted by his mother, Nicha, who also left a career in advertising to start a restaurant. Today, Nicha and David work together in the kitchen of Latitude Eight Thai Grill, named after a region in southern Thailand known for fresh seafood. This regional specialty is reflected in the menu’s ocean-centric dishes, such as crab fried rice, grilled halibut, and garlic prawns. Servers stride from table to table, recommending dishes and wine pairings inside what Phoenix Magazine dubs a “modern and minimalist” dining room. The dark wood floor and tables serve as a stark contrast to the white banquettes and walls. Spotlights illuminate an oversized piece of art that’s textured to resemble rolling waves or a wall made out of pasta.:m]]

Pho Cao’s menu is largely devoted to the eatery’s namesake soup, a savory broth cooked with steak, shrimp, meatballs, and brisket. When not swirling in bowls of soup, those meats, along with fresh veggies and tofu, are plated with steamed rice, fried rice, or stir-fried tangles of noodles. Four stories of shelves loaded with liquors back up a bar stocked with more than 50 types of beer, and a small stage carves out space for diners to break from meals and belt out their favorite karaoke tune or national anthem.

When a guest orders the Angus steak at Carne Express, the kitchen staff tosses it onto the grill to an uproar of sizzles and steam clouds. They then place the meat—grilled chicken and Sonora-style pork share the same fate—inside burritos, soft-shell tacos, tortas, and lean taco shells of lettuce leaves. Contrasting the traditional selections, the Sonora-style hamburgers arrive steaming and stacked with bacon, veggies, and anaheim peppers that are famously grown in the outfield of Angel Stadium of Anaheim. And for the truly adventurous, the eatery’s salsa bar punches up any meal with splashes of piquancy, whereas the salad bar remains ripe with more than 25 different options.

Detours Tavern’s team of chefs introduce fresh, healthy ingredients into a menu of wholesome, upscale American food. Their flatbread pizzas and third-pound burgers star foods such as homemade meatballs, hand-pulled mozzarella cheese, antibiotic- and hormone-free meats, and naturally sweetened housemade vinaigrettes. Servers whisk platefuls of food into the elegantly appointed dining room where reflective wooden floors, exposed-brick walls, and a cheery yellow bar lend to a natural, homey environment. Outside, the open-air patio’s dog-friendly policy gives pooches a chance to accompany their owners and spares owners from having to dress their pet up in a tuxedo, call him Greg throughout dinner, and hope no one notices.