Rare, Well Done

Durant’s Steakhouse, one of Arizona’s most beloved restaurants, recently celebrated its 75th anniversary with new ownership and some upgrades, but the look, feel and personality that made it a Phoenix icon remain.

Jack Durant opened Durant’s on Central Avenue in 1950. After his death, the restaurant was left to his longtime employee Jack McElroy, who sold it to Prime Steak Concepts, owned by

members of the Mastro family and their partner, Scott Troilo. Prime Steak Concepts manages a prestigious portfolio of high-end destinations, including the Steak 44 and Steak 48 brands, their seafood counterparts Ocean 44 and Ocean 48, and the celebrated Dominick’s Steakhouse.

“Jack McElroy reached out to the Mastros and thought we would be the right steakhouse family to take over Durant’s to keep it special for another 75 years, and we were thrilled at the opportunity,” said Oliver Badgio, chief brand officer for Prime Steak Concepts.

Prime Steak Concepts closed Durant’s for 10 months. “Our goal was not to do a remodel, but a restoration,” Badgio said. “We upgraded the sound and lighting, reupholstered the booths and added new kitchen equipment, but we kept the layout, look and feel. Most importantly, we kept Durant’s unforgettable charm and personality intact.”

In addition to the upgraded kitchen and furnishings, the vintage neon sign has been refurbished and the famous pink exterior has been repainted. The restaurant’s private dining room, which had been closed since the 1970s, has also reopened. Guests enter the restaurant through the kitchen as they have done for decades, a signature part of the Durant’s experience.

Durant’s kitchen is led by Prime Steakhouse Concepts’ chief executive chef Marc Lupino and executive chef Felix Ruiz. Famous Durant’s dishes include the Porterhouse steak for two, prime rib, Lobster Thermidor, bone-in veal Parmesan and classic sides like scalloped potatoes, sauteed mushroom caps and rigatoni with vodka sauce. New additions to the menu include a wagyu New York strip and roasted branzino.

While Durant’s classic martinis and Manhattans remain, specialty cocktails have been added to the menu like the Paper Plane, made with scotch, amaro and Aperol, as well as nonalcoholic options.

Durant’s is open for dinner nightly and for lunch on Friday in honor of the restaurant’s tradition.

“There was a lot of excitement and curiosity around the reopening because Durant’s means so much to so many people,” Badgio said. “The reopening has been better than we could have imagined. When people say this is the same place they went with their grandparents and now they take their kids, it’s the highest compliment.”

For more info, visit durantsaz.com.