The Duce

Don’t judge a book by its cover. The understated exterior hardly does justice to everything that goes on inside, including swing dancing, boxing, and shopping. As far as the drinking goes, The Duce has an impressive selection of old school cocktails as well as few specialties you won’t find anywhere else. The vintage trailer serves […]

Duck and Decanter

Going to Duck and Decanter for a lunchtime sandwich, or a Nooner as they call it here, is like visiting an Icelandic cafe. The A-frame, faux chalet structure is not just a sandwich joint, but also a small grocery, wine bar, cheese shop, and of course, deli. To take your sandwich to go is to […]

Duke’s Sports Bar & Grill

If you enjoy watching frolf, there’s not a bad seat on the sprawling patio at Duke’s Sports Bar & Grill, which backs right up to the Vista del Camino Disc Golf Course along the Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt in south Scottsdale. And if you enjoy playing frolf, Duke’s is ideal for a pre- or post-game […]

Durant’s

Since 1950, Durant’s has sat proudly on Central Avenue, its iconic midcentury sign lit up for decades as the city has slowly grown around it. This vibe here is old-school, vaguely Rat Pack-ish: red-leather banquettes, scarlet wallpaper, dim lighting, a back entrance that takes you through the kitchen. (Gangster tales and Hollywood lore abound regarding […]

Easy Tiger

Easy Tiger is what you might call a modern dive bar. It’s relatively young in the tooth yet feels like its own little time capsule. That’s intentional. The owners of Peoria’s Driftwood Coffee, Lance Linderman and Luke Bentley, set out to create a comfortable neighborhood spot on the west side of town that was reminiscent […]

Eddie V’s Prime Seafood

This is the Valley’s premier seafood restaurant. The oysters are superb, the Georges Bank scallops are off the chain, and the butterfish will give you the culinary equivalent of the Big O. When it comes to dessert, order the Godiva cake.

El Capri

For most of the week, this east-side discoteca remains cold and dark, hidden behind a chain-link fence and locked up tighter than Fort Knox. On Friday and Saturday nights, however, the place comes alive with colored lights, hundreds of dancers, and Latin beats. The interior is home to a rollicking sea of dancing humanity, including […]

El Dorado Bar & Grill

A magnet for bikers, barflies, and the blue-collar brigade, this rough-around-the-edges roadhouse in south Scottsdale features a nightly cast of characters that are just as colorful as the neon beer signs on its walls. From slick-looking billiards sharks engaging in nine-ball on the tables to the hippies and housewives playing board games around the horseshoe-shaped […]

El Hefe Super Macho Taqueria

Along with an ingenious invention called table taps, self-serve beer taps of Coors Light and Dos Equis at each booth, there are a few decent food offerings to go along with the good times in this Mexican-themed bar and restaurant in Scottsdale’s entertainment district. The Sonoran-style menu, created by former Noca sous chef Steven Smith, […]

Electric Ballroom

Inspired in part by the notorious ’90s-era local music venue of the same name, the Electric Ballroom mashes up rock ‘n’ roll verve with heavy riffs of Scottsdale glam and boozy decadence into its cozy club setting. Photos of guitar gods like Lemmy and Joe Strummer dot the velvet-flecked walls, concert posters and band stickers […]

Elite Cabaret Gentleman’s Club at 910 Live

You’d be hard-pressed to find a single strip club in the Valley that doesn’t feature rock ‘n’ roll blaring as exotic dancers bump and grind away. Elite Cabaret at 910 Live is no exception, as its music mix is heavy on classic jams from the likes of Gary Glitter, Cheap Trick, and The Doors. Thing […]