Few restaurants feel as tied to their original era as Durant’s Steakhouse, a longtime Phoenix dining institution. Known for its signature red leather booths, low lighting, and the famously unconventional tradition of entering through the back door and walking through the kitchen, Durant’s has been serving Arizonans steaks and martinis in a preserved midcentury setting since 1950. Compared to some of Los Angeles’ authentically nostalgic “Old Hollywood” steakhouses, Durant’s has earned its own reputation outside of Hollywood — famous faces like Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio, Burt Reynolds, Clark Gable, Henry Winkler, and Lucille Ball have all dined within its crimson walls, according to Arizona Republic. And while it wasn’t John Wayne’s go-to steakhouse (which was Gulliver’s, by the way), the Western star was known to enjoy a meal at Durant’s from time to time.
Originally founded by Jack Durant and Jack R. McElroy, the restaurant entertained rumors of mafia ties and behind-the-curtains political and business dealings, especially in its 1960s and 1970s heyday. As Phoenix New Times once described it, “The damask wallpaper never seems to go out of style, and everything’s upholstered in so much red velvet that it feels like you’ve crossed over into a time-bending universe where it’s always 1964, and the world is slightly more glamorous and rose-colored than it ever really was.”
After Durant died and Jack R. McElroy wanted to pass on the reins, McElroy’s son, Jack Jr., and his wife, Carol, took over Durant’s. However, when they shared the news in February 2025 that they had sold the restaurant, questions swirled about Durant’s future. Fortunately, the new owners committed to carrying on Durant’s well-established legacy. “To loosely quote Patek Philippe, you never own a legend like Durant’s,” one of the new owners, Mike Mastro, said in a statement (via Arizona Republic). “You simply look after it for the next generation.”
The restaurant’s history has earned it legendary steakhouse status in Arizona
Since its opening in 1950, Durant’s quickly became one of Phoenix’s most recognizable dining rooms, attracting politicians, business owners, celebrities, and longtime residents looking for a night of fine dining in the heart of Phoenix. Unique elements made Durant’s stand out from other steakhouses — for example, diners enter through the kitchen, just like in the famous long tracking shot in Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas,” where Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) leads Karen (Lorraine Bracco) through the back kitchen entrance of the Copacabana nightclub in the 1960s…