Slip through the famous back door and you feel Phoenix history wrap around you like red velvet. Durant’s still crackles with the sound of ribeyes meeting flame, martinis clinking, and stories unfolding in leather booths. If you crave old-school swagger with serious steakhouse craft, this is where the desert turns dinner into ritual. Keep reading to taste how a local legend keeps its fire alive.
The Legendary Back Door Entrance
Walk in through the alley and you immediately feel like you were let in on a secret. The back door at Durant’s is a rite of passage, a nod to the city’s smoky, martini-soaked past. You step from sun-struck Phoenix into plush red velvet, and suddenly time slows.
Servers glide past with chilled glasses and sizzling plates, and you catch a whisper of pepper and broiler heat. That entrance sets the tone for everything that follows, hinting at confidence and tradition. When a place starts with a wink, you know the meal will have personality and soul.
Ribeye on the Broiler
The ribeye is where Durant’s makes its stand. Heat meets marbled beef, and the fat sings, sending up that irresistible aroma that pulls your shoulders down and your appetite forward. It arrives with a crust that crackles while the center stays buttery and rosy.
You cut in, and juices trail like punctuation marks on the plate. The seasoning is confident, simple, and built for flame. If you love steak, you feel at home here, as if the broiler remembers everyone who ever ordered a ribeye and blesses your plate accordingly.
Martinis Done the Old Way
Order a martini and watch ceremony in motion. The glass frosts, the gin bites crisp, and the twist sends a citrus halo floating across peppery botanicals. It is the kind of cocktail that clears the dust from a long Arizona day.
You sip, and conversation gets smoother, laughter rounder. The bar team keeps things cool and unhurried, letting the martini do its elegant work. It pairs beautifully with oysters or a steak, acting like a spotlight for flavor rather than stealing the show.
Red Velvet Rooms and Leather Booths
Durant’s dresses dinner in red velvet and dark wood, like a stage where every meal is a performance. You settle into a booth and feel cocooned from the city outside. The lighting flatters plates, faces, and memories equally.
There is something reassuring about the hush and the hum together. Photos line the walls, and the room carries stories without shouting them. By the time your steak arrives, you are already softened by the setting, ready for flavors that match the room’s deep, comfortable confidence.
Oysters and Shrimp Cocktail Start Strong
Start cold and bright. The oysters wear ocean perfume, arriving on ice with lemon and a bracing mignonette that tightens your focus for what is next. Shrimp cocktail snaps with freshness and serious horseradish heat.
These appetizers cut through the desert day like a cool wind. They reset your palate, preparing it for the heft of steaks and sauces. You do not need clever tricks when the seafood is clean and properly chilled, just the right lift to make the next course land with authority.
Prime Rib Night Ritual
Prime rib at Durant’s feels like Sunday dinner with swagger. The slice is generous, marbled, and tender, soaking in its own savory jus. A dab of horseradish cream wakes everything up without stealing the spotlight.
Each bite tells you the roast was handled with patience and respect. It is less about flash, more about craft and timing. When you want comfort with gravitas, this is the cut that says relax, breathe, and let the slow-roasted charm do its work.
Classic Wedge and Table-Side Charm
The wedge salad is a time capsule that still crunches with purpose. Iceberg, yes, but it is the chilled bite, the salty bacon, and the waterfall of blue cheese that make everything click. You taste nostalgia sharpened by good technique.
It is also the kind of salad that stands up to martinis and steaks. Simple, cold, and satisfying, the wedge arrives like a promise kept. At Durant’s, that promise is crisp, balanced, and unapologetically classic.
Baked Potato and Sides That Matter
Steakhouse sides at Durant’s are not afterthoughts. A baked potato arrives steaming, its skin salted and blistered, ready for butter, sour cream, and chives. Creamed spinach leans savory and velvety without going heavy-handed.
These sides play support, then quietly steal a scene. You will find yourself guarding the potato like a prized possession. When the core is this strong, everything on the plate builds a satisfying rhythm that turns dinner into a lasting memory.
Seafood Alternatives With Steakhouse Soul
If you are not in a steak mood, Durant’s keeps seafood polished and purposeful. Think lobster tail with drawn butter, salmon that flakes under a lemony gloss, or scallops seared to a caramel edge. Each dish respects the steakhouse DNA while bringing lighter textures.
Pair with a martini or a bright white, and you will not miss the beef. The kitchen understands balance, letting freshness be the headline. You leave feeling satisfied rather than stuffed, which is its own kind of luxury.
Desert-Friendly Wine List
The list leans into steak-paired cabs and Bordeaux, with enough lively whites to cool the desert evening. You can chase structure and tannin for ribeyes or pick something mineral for seafood starters. The staff guides without hovering, reading your table’s mood.
There are bottles for celebrations and glasses for casual dates. Nothing feels pushy, just options that meet the menu where it lives. When the heat outside fades, the wine keeps the conversation warm and steady.
Service With Old-School Polish
You are looked after here. Service at Durant’s is gracious, observant, and never showy. Water refills appear like clockwork, martinis arrive frosty, and steaks land hot without drama.
Questions get real answers, not scripted lines. The team moves like a seasoned ensemble that respects your night out. You feel guided rather than managed, which makes every bite and sip land just right.
The Bar as a Neighborhood Salon
Pull up a stool and you will catch the pulse of the room. The bar at Durant’s acts like a neighborhood salon, filled with regulars, first dates, and post-theater toasts. Ice clinks, conversations braid together, and time loosens its grip.
It is a fine place to start or finish, even better for settling in. You can make a meal of snacks and cocktails or slide into dinner effortlessly. Either way, the bar makes Phoenix feel like a smaller, friendlier town.
Dress Code and Desert Chic
You do not need tuxedo formality, but Durant’s rewards a little effort. Think smart casual with desert polish, the kind of outfit that respects leather booths and linen napkins. It sets your mind for a slower, more intentional dinner.
When you feel put together, the food tastes sharper and the service shines brighter. That tiny bit of ceremony is part of the fun. Besides, red velvet just looks better when you meet it halfway.
Timing and Reservations
Durant’s opens late afternoon, with dinner service running into the evening. Reservations help, especially on weekends, but the bar can save procrastinators. If you want a booth, plan ahead and arrive with a little cushion.
The room breathes at a calm pace, not rushed, not slow. That rhythm lets you linger over dessert or another martini without glancing at the door. Good timing is part of savoring the tradition, so treat the clock like an ingredient.
Creamy Cheesecake and Classic Desserts
Save room for cheesecake that leans silky and confident. It is the kind that does not need tricks, just a glossy fruit topping and a fork that keeps returning. Chocolate lovers have options too, all in that rich, unhurried vein.
Dessert here closes the loop. You feel the night settle into something complete, a sweet echo of steak and martini notes. Even a single shared slice becomes a finale worth applauding.
Location and That Phoenix Glow
Set on N Central Ave, Durant’s glows like a beacon when the sun finally eases off the city. The neon feels like an invitation and a memory in one. Inside, the temperature drops and appetites rise.
Parking is straightforward, and rideshares know the back door routine. You step out into night air after dinner and the city seems friendlier. That is the Phoenix magic this place understands and amplifies.
Price, Value, and Occasion
Yes, it is a splurge, and yes, it feels worth it. Durant’s delivers value by giving you something hard to buy elsewhere: history, hospitality, and a steak that tastes like confidence. You are paying for a full evening, not just protein.
Bring a birthday, an anniversary, or just a weeknight that needs elevating. The experience lands with memorable weight. You leave full, content, and a little taller than when you walked in.
Why Durant’s Still Matters
Durant’s matters because it does not chase trends. It knows what it is: an old-school chophouse that treats guests like regulars and steaks like sacred objects. That confidence steadies you in a world that keeps rushing.
The food is honest, the room romantic, and the service quietly expert. You taste Phoenix history without dust, only polish. When a place keeps its flame this steady, you trust it with your nights.