Durant's, the 76-year-old Midtown Phoenix steakhouse famous for sending diners through its working kitchen to reach the dining room, has landed a spot on The New York Times' 2026 list of 50 favorite restaurants in America — the only Arizona restaurant to make the cut.
According to KTAR News, the Times' 2026 restaurant list spans 29 states and does not rank its selections. Writer Brian Gallagher described the appeal of the steakhouse this way: “For a lot of the year, the Phoenix sun is a punishing presence, but inside Durant's it's always dim and cool, the martinis crisp and frosty.” The Times also published the recipe for Durant's shrimp cocktail on NYT Cooking, per the same report. The national honor follows the restaurant's change in ownership and major restoration.
A Steakhouse Built on Ritual
Jack Durant opened the restaurant in 1950 and personally chose its signature red flocked wallpaper, a detail the station's report also notes. A hallmark of the place since its founding is that guests enter through a rear door off the parking lot and walk directly through the active commercial kitchen before reaching the host stand, according to Frontdoors Media. Over its seven decades, Durant's built a reputation as a celebrity haunt, hosting mid-century figures including Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, John Wayne, Lucille Ball, and Joe DiMaggio, as reported by Business Insider.
Jack Durant's own eccentric reputation, including rumored organized crime ties, inspired the 2016 biographical indie film “Durant's Never Closes,” starring Tom Sizemore, according to KJZZ. Following Jack Durant's 1987 death, ownership passed to longtime manager Jack R. McElroy, whose family ran the business for 75 years, per Phoenix New Times. In 2025, that 75-year run of family ownership ended when Jeff Mastro, Mike Mastro, Dennis Mastro, and Scott Troilo, operating as Prime Steak Concepts, acquired the restaurant, per KTAR's report. The group also runs Ocean 44, Steak 44, and Dominick's Steakhouse.
Restoration, Not Remodel
Prime Steak Concepts closed Durant's for a 10-month restoration before reopening it in December 2025. During the closure, the owners refurbished the building's vintage neon sign, repainted its pink stucco exterior, and reopened a private dining room that had been shuttered since the 1970s, according to Frontdoors Media. The new owners described the project as a restoration rather than a remodel, preserving the kitchen entrance and the classic dining-room feel while the kitchen itself received modern upgrades and the menu expanded, per KTAR's account.
Under chief executive chef Marc Lupino, the updated menu included a porterhouse for two, according to So Scottsdale. Durant's also launched delivery through DoorDash after testing menu items for travel, as reported by Axios. Temperature and food quality are among the practical considerations in delivery.
Ending a Shutout Year
Durant's national recognition puts an Arizona restaurant on The New York Times' 2026 national list. To compile the 2026 list, the Times deployed 16 staff reporters nationwide under criteria that bar previously featured restaurants from reappearing, according to Phoenix New Times.
Durant's staying power as a Phoenix dining benchmark remains part of the city's restaurant history. Durant's restoration concluded with its December reopening, and the national list now offers a fresh marker of how that revival has landed with critics beyond Arizona.
