Iconic Phoenix steakhouse Durant's now offers delivery
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If you like fine dining but not restaurants, DoorDash has an option for you. Photo: Zach Buchanan/Axios
Hungry Valley residents scrolling through DoorDash in search of a meal might find a surprising option: the iconic (and pricey) Phoenix steakhouse Durant's.
The big picture: Durant's, which is listed with four dollar signs on Yelp, began offering delivery just few weeks ago. Now patrons who can't get a table at the high-end central Phoenix eatery can have most of its offerings dropped at their door.
- Durant's knows that most people won't drop $90 for a delivery steak, but for those who will, it's worked hard to make the experience as close as possible to dining at the restaurant.
What they're saying: "If we can be convenient and execute it at a high level, then that fits our brand and fits hospitality of what we want to offer for our guest," says Oliver Badgio, the chief brand officer for Durant's parent company, Prime Steak Concepts. "And that's why we do it."
Flashback: Durant's, which has occupied its home on Central Avenue since 1950, was sold last year to Prime Steak Concepts, which also owns Steak 44 and Dominick's and was founded by James Beard Award nominees Jeff and Michael Mastro.
- The new owners closed the restaurant for 10 months for renovations, reopening the dining room earlier this year.
State of play: Accepting delivery orders was the next step in the restaurant's evolution, Badgio tells Axios. But it was not taken lightly.
- "We didn't open with DoorDash right away because we wanted the kitchen to be able to get their sea legs and do it exactly right for everybody that's there," Badgio says.
How it works: Durant's did a tasting of every menu item to determine which dishes travel the best.
- The restaurant does about 10-20 delivery orders a night, and turns off delivery when the kitchen gets too busy.
What to expect: Even with a pared-down delivery menu, there are a ton of dishes listed on DoorDash, including a $116 bone-in ribeye, a $65 Maine lobster cocktail and even "Durant's Famous Porterhouse" for four, which goes for $385.
What to try: At Badgio's recommendation, I got the 12oz New York strip ($72) and loaded baked potato ($18). I tossed in a slice of cheesecake ($20) just to feel extra fancy.
- Each dish came in a separate box, and Durant's recommends you take them out, plate them and dig in immediately.
- As you'd expect, all three dishes were delicious. The portions were also huge, enough to feed me, my wife and our picky 6-year-old.
Pro tip: If you live far from Durant's, delivery might not be the best option, as the food won't travel as well over longer distances.
- Instead, consider checking out the refurbished dining room. You can make a reservation at durantsaz.com.