If you are searching for some of the best bagels in the Phoenix area, this Barrio Bagel review covers what to order, what makes the bread different, and whether Don Guerra’s Barrio Bagel & Slice is worth the drive to Gilbert.
The casual bakery serves naturally fermented bagels made with locally sourced Arizona heritage grains, along with breakfast sandwiches, pastries, coffee, pizza, and fresh loaves of sourdough bread. It is a good breakfast or lunch stop for anyone who cares more about exceptional baking than a traditional sit-down restaurant experience.
I found Barrio Bagel & Slice while searching for James Beard Award-winning restaurants around Phoenix. Once I learned the bagels were connected to Don Guerra, winner of the 2022 James Beard Award for Outstanding Baker, I knew I had to try them.
If food is a major part of your trip, my Best Restaurants in Phoenix: Where to Eat for Every Craving includes more of my favorite meals throughout the area.
Barrio Bagel & Slice is a casual bakery and counter-service restaurant in Gilbert, Arizona. It comes from Don Guerra, the baker behind Tucson’s Barrio Bread.
The shop uses locally grown Arizona heritage grains and naturally fermented sourdough techniques to make its bagels and bread. Those details may sound like something only serious bread people would notice, but you can taste the difference.
The bagels have a rich flavor and an excellent chew without feeling overly heavy. You do not have to understand the entire baking process to notice that the texture and flavor are different from a standard bagel.
Honestly, I came for the bagels…but I would return for the sourdough.
Do not leave without buying a loaf of bread to take home. I expected the bagels to be the clear highlight, but the sourdough was one of the best things I tried during the visit.
Barrio Bagel & Slice is very casual, but that is exactly what makes it inviting.
Most people were using the drive-thru, picking up breakfast to go, or collecting orders from the counter. There are also outdoor tables for anyone who wants to eat there.
It feels more like a neighborhood bakery than a traditional sit-down restaurant. The focus is not fancy décor. It is exceptional bread.
Service was friendly and efficient during our visit, and orders moved quickly even with people coming through the drive-thru and picking up food to go. That makes it practical when you need breakfast before starting a full day around Phoenix or Gilbert.
This is not a restaurant where you should expect a long, leisurely table-service breakfast. Order at the counter, find an outdoor table if you are staying, and make time to look at the bread and pastries before leaving.
Travelers fitting this stop into an arrival or departure day may also find my Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport Guide: Everything You Need to Know (PHX) helpful for planning terminals, timing, and transportation.
Everything we tried was excellent, but a few items stood out enough that I would order them again without changing anything.
The Breakfast Bagel Sandwich was easily my favorite.
I ordered it on an everything bagel with egg, bacon, and chiltepin cream cheese. The bagel had an incredible chew and plenty of flavor on its own, while the egg and bacon made it filling enough for breakfast.
I'd never tried chiltepin cream cheese before, but I'm glad I did. Chiltepin is a tiny wild pepper native to Arizona, and it gives the cream cheese a little smoky kick without making it overwhelmingly spicy. It was one of my favorite parts of the sandwich.
This would be my first recommendation from the Barrio Bagel menu.
The cinnamon raisin bagel with strawberry cream cheese was another winner and a good sweeter option.
The fruitiness of the cream cheese worked well with the cinnamon raisin bagel without making breakfast feel like dessert. I would order this alongside a savory breakfast sandwich and split both rather than trying to choose between them.
Get the Chocolate Roll if you have room.
It would be easy to focus entirely on the bagels, but the pastry case deserves some attention too. We did not have room to try nearly as many pastries as I wanted, but the Chocolate Roll was worth adding to the order.
It also gave me a perfectly reasonable excuse to plan another visit.
I ordered the Iced Salted Caramel Latte, and it paired perfectly with breakfast. It was sweet, a touch salty, creamy, and excellent!
We also tried the Drink of the Month, a Banana Cream Soda. It was a fun seasonal option and something different from the drinks you normally see on a coffee shop menu. It did taste just like a banana cream pie but lighter.
The changing specialty drink is worth checking when you visit, so I'd order the salted caramel latte again for breakfast and the specialty drink for a treat!
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I thought the prices were very reasonable considering the quality of the ingredients and the amount of craftsmanship behind the baking.
You are getting artisan bagels and sourdough made with locally sourced grains from a James Beard Award-winning baker. The quality reflects that, but the experience still feels like an approachable neighborhood bakery rather than an expensive specialty restaurant.
If you are staying near the airport and deciding how far you have time to drive for a meal, see my Best Restaurants Near Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport for options organized around the amount of time you have.
Absolutely.
Barrio Bagel & Slice is best for bagel lovers, breakfast people, coffee drinkers, and travelers interested in artisan bakeries or James Beard Award-winning food. The casual counter-service setup also works well when you want a high-quality local breakfast without giving up most of your morning.
I would happily drive across town for it again. A rental car is also the easiest way to combine Gilbert with other Phoenix-area stops, and you can compare rates through Discover Cars.
I expected to find excellent bagels, but I ended up finding one of my favorite bakeries in the Phoenix area. The bagels lived up to the reputation, and the sourdough alone gave me a reason to return.
Barrio Bagel & Slice could also work as a breakfast stop before heading south. My Phoenix to Tucson Road Trip Itinerary: The Best Stops, Views & Eats Along the Way can help you plan the rest of that drive.
If you end up booking anything for your trip, using my affiliate links helps support my blog at no extra cost to you. I spend a lot of time researching and writing these guides, so I really appreciate the support.
Booked this Bryson City yurt for the ‘ber months and it’s already my top fall pick this year. 🍂
The Junaluska Yurt sleeps six but feels more like a stylish cabin than a yurt, two real queen bedrooms with actual doors, a full kitchen, and a private bathroom with a walk-in shower. Check-in is just a door code texted to your phone, no lobby, no waiting.
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Two to three nights is the sweet spot. (We actually stayed in the dead of winter and it was still stunning, fall just takes it up a notch.) Full review linked in bio.
Italian food felt like the last thing I expected to find in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains... until I sat down at Ilda in Sylva.🍝
They call it Italian-Appalachian, and that’s not just a tagline. Homemade pasta, craft cocktails, local ingredients pulled straight from the mountains around it, this is the kind of meal that makes you forget you’re two hours from the nearest city. It’s cozy, it’s a little upscale, and it is not a walk-in kind of place, call ahead, because tables go fast on weekends.
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Full write-up, including what to order, link in bio.
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These are the stays that make you actually want the cold to hurry up fireplaces, mountain views, the kind of porch you don’t leave. Not every one of these is going to fit every trip, but if a cozy fall getaway is on your radar, this is the roundup to start with.
One of my favorite travel seasons is almost here, and I have zero chill about it. 🍁✈️
There’s just something about fall trips cooler air, apple orchards, that first flannel of the season, food that actually makes sense with the weather again. I’m already mentally packing for it before September even starts.
If fall is your favorite time to travel too, tell me where you’re headed... I’m taking notes for the list.
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Nothing on this list is filler it’s all stuff I’ve used, packed, and repacked more times than I can count. Full shop linked in my bio if you want to build out your own kit before your next trip.
Follow @travelwithwendyplummer for Beautiful Beach Destinations, City Guides, Foodie Spots, and Luxury Hotel Recommendations.
