PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Durant’s Steakhouse on Central Avenue near Thomas Road is now closed as new owners take over the business.
Since it opened in 1950, the steakhouse was owned by the same family for over two generations. But as of Wednesday, the place was closed with a sign on the doors looking ahead to the future.
The steakhouse was known to bring politicians and local business leaders to talk shop or enjoy a nice night out with an old-school vibe. They’ve served steak, seafood and martinis in a vintage red-velvet setting for decades.
“It was better if you walked through the back door through the kitchen,” The Hip Historian, Marshall Shore, said. “Red flocked wallpaper, red banquets. Get yourself a classic martini from a bartender wearing a tux. It was a class act since 1950 when it opened.”
“You could just soak in the history and just feel like you know so many things happened at Durant’s.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Shore says Durant’s was the power lunch place for years and the bar was legendary. He’s hoping it has the same vibe in the future.
Brothers Mike and Jeffrey Mastro bought Durant’s and are now the owners of the steakhouse. They own three other steakhouses around the Valley. Jeffrey Mastro said this deal has been in the works for six months.
“It’s just so exciting for us local steakhouse guys to be able to acquire the steakhouse that’s 75 years old in Phoenix,” Mastro said. “This has been in his family for 75 years. He didn’t want to just give it to anybody. He knew we were local steakhouse guys.”
Mastro is referring to Jack McElroy, the now previous owner of Durant’s. Here’s what McElroy had to say about the history and the sale of the beloved steakhouse:
“It has been the honor and pleasure of a lifetime to serve the finest steaks, perfect martinis, and heavenly desserts to our extended Durant’s Arizona ‘family’ for the past 75 years,” said Jack M. McElroy and Carol McElroy. “Carol and I, Durant’s second generation, have been blessed through the years with outstanding, loyal, professional, longtime and cherished team members. Many of whom have become local legends in their own right. We are confident that Jack Durant’s ... will continue to be the place of celebration for the most important group in our hearts our guests, our friends, the Durant’s family, as The Legend Continues,” said McElroy.
ADVERTISEMENT
Mastro said they will remodel some items and looks inside the building, but it will still feel like Durant’s once they reopen in three to five months.
“I’ve always loved Durant’s. It always reminded me of somewhere I used to go with my grandfather and I used to go with my children,” Mastro said. “Now to have it in my family, it’s a really cool thing.”
The new owners say people who made reservations are now being contacted to reschedule at one of the other steakhouses the Mastro’s own. That includes Dominick’s Steakhouse, Steak 44 and Ocean 44.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2025 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.