This summer during our visit to Gilbert, Arizona, we fell in love with Agritopia. We found ourselves visiting three different times during our trip. If you love simple organic food that is made with passion and love, you need to check this place out. There is a little bit of everything there, something for everyone’s taste buds. Agritopia is an 11-acre certified organic working farm. It is focused on preserving urban farming throughout the state of Arizona. There are many restaurants throughout Agritopia that focus on using primarily local and organic produce and local all-natural animal products in their dishes. They use their farm for a majority of their ingredients and then buy elsewhere from surrounding farmers when needed. They strive to use the best ingredients possible, always.

When visiting, it feels like an escape from the world. It’s a little community that you can roam through, nibbling and shopping as you please. I feel like I’m home when I’m there – somewhere that I long to return. Maybe that’s because Agritopia was someone’s home, a home that started back in 1960.

History

In 1960 the Johnston family, Jim, Virginia and their three young boys, Joe, Steve, and Paul, purchased the farm from the Reber family, the original owners. They built a farm home on the land just fit for their family of five. They thought it would be a good place for their boys to grow up and learn the value of hard work on the farm. They felt like they were moving to “the country” as back in the day, Gilbert was famous for farming, especially hay.

There are so many aspects of this place that it can be a little confusing when you visit. There is so much to eat, see, do, and buy. I’ve rounded up some of my favorite things about Agritopia to help you plan your next visit. Enjoy!

Joe’s Farm Grill

Common Food Done Uncommonly Well – that's the slogan at Joe’s Farm Grill. I think it describes this restaurant perfectly. The food here is simple, but every ingredient is of the highest quality that you can get, making the overall product superb. Nothing fancy here, just good simple food that tastes amazing. Joe’s Farm Grill operates within the old Johnston farmhouse, built in 1966. Most of the house still remains. The kitchen is where the Johnston family sleeping quarters used to be, and the dining area where Joe’s Farm Grill customers sit and eat is in the old Johnston family living room area.

At Joe’s Farm Grill you can find the typical American cuisine – hamburgers, French fries, and milkshakes. But besides that, they also make gourmet salads, grilled seafood platters, fancy hotdogs, and chicken sandwiches. I love the Farm Veggie Burger – a homemade black bean patty mixed with rice and veggies. Delish, and healthy too. Nate loves the Gouda Garlic Bacon Burger Stack. The gouda cheese pairs so well with the garlic. Yum!

Besides the typical sides of French fries and coleslaw, for an extra charge you can get sweet potato fries, onion rings, fried green beans, or my personal favorite, the fried zucchini. I love when restaurants offer healthy options for sides instead of just the standard French fry. Also, I’m not a huge soda drinker, but they have some unique sodas that are really fun to try. Cherry cream soda with licorice and nutmeg? Blood orange soda with pomegranate and turmeric? Yes, please. They are delicious! Their lemonades are amazing as well.

The Coffee Shop

This coffee shop makes fantastic coffee in a peaceful and chic setting. It is a place where you want to come and stay, bring your laptop and enjoy their free Wi-Fi. They have indoor and outdoor seating areas, my favorite being outside on their large and welcoming patio space. It is surrounded by a rose garden and funky looking cacti everywhere. What could be better?

Besides having great coffee and a great setting, they also have amazing baked goods. The pastries are all made in house. They serve a variety of things such as muffins, scones, coffee cakes, cookies, and my personal favorite, whoopie pies. Try the cookies n’ cream whoopee pie. OMG. But their cupcakes are their number one seller, especially the red velvet flavor. Make sure to pop in on the weekends for the largest variety of baked goods and a few specialty items. When you’re visiting The Coffee Shop, be sure to grab a treat or two!

Fire and Brimstone

If you want good pizza while in Gilbert, you have to try Fire and Brimstone. They use local and fresh ingredients on their pizzas making them a cut above the rest. The pizza is made in their own wood-fired oven to enhance the flavors of all the ingredients. We loved the veggie and the margherita pizza when we went, but I’ve heard that they are all fantastic. The crust was perfectly chewy and the cheese was fresh and stringy, just how I like it. It came out nice and hot, and we devoured it far too quickly. They also make great salads, sandwiches, and desserts. It’s a lovely place to go for dinner.

Garage East

Are you into wine? Garage East has a fabulous wine selection featuring delicious Arizona wines. The owners Brian and Megan have a passion for wine, and they aren’t afraid to branch out from conventional methods. Their wine is made in small batches and they even offer a few wines on tap. They have some food options as well like a delicious honey and fig cheese board. I would highly recommend it! If pairing food and wine is your thing, be sure to check out their events page on their website about the dinner series that they hold with famous winemakers and top chefs. They will entertain you with several wines to taste and drink along with top quality food. It’s a great way to spend an evening out with your spouse or some friends.

The setting is fantastic here. They have an outdoor patio area with water misters for when it’s really hot, which in Arizona that usually is the case. Be sure to visit on the weekends when they have live music. They play every Saturday from 8-10 PM and every Sunday from 7-9 PM. It makes for a perfect evening.

Barnone & 12 West Brewing Company

Barnone is an indoor shopping / eating area that features twelve local artisans who make and sell handcrafted goods. There are a large variety of skills found within Barnone. You’ll find winemakers, brewers, florists, and craftsman of all kinds. The Uprooted Kitchen is a great place to grab a plant-based lunch or a healthy treat. Lettercraft makes beautiful, personalized, handmade, wooden signs that would make a perfect gift for a loved one. I also love Prickly Pear Paper with their adorable homemade cards and paper goods. Go check it out next time you’re in the area and support small businesses.

12 West Brewing Company’s slogan is, Crafted for the Community. What started off as an at home experiment bloomed into a passion and now a business. They claim that they have a beer for everyone. They don’t serve any food here but Fire and Brimstone pizza is right next door and they are cool with you bringing pizza into the brewery. This is also true for Garage East, enjoying pizza with your wine. In fact, often times they will even deliver the pizza to your table for you. It’s a community effort to create 100% customer satisfaction.

Farmer’s Market and CSA Membership

Every Wednesday evening starting October 17th they have a farmer’s market at Agritopia from 5- 8 PM. There are many local vendors selling food, produce, and local products. It’s a great way to connect with the community. If the weekly farmer’s market isn’t enough produce for you, then sign up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) membership. You can sign up for a half share or a full share depending upon your needs. The produce changes from time to time so it’s always a surprise of what you will get. The guarantee is that it will be organic, fresh, and locally grown. If you’re into picking your own produce, that is also an option that they do on occasion.

Agritopia- 3000 E Ray Rd. Gilbert, Arizona

If you’re in the Gilbert, Arizona area, go check out Agritopia! It is definitely worth a stop and maybe even two. Let me know what you think in the comments below!