Duke’s Bar & Grill in Scottsdale, AZ, Pleases me Some Ways, Plagues me in Others

A four hour band rehearsal on the big stage both makes me tired and hungry, and thirsty for a cold, frothy beer. So upon leaving our full dress, stage rehearsal with my new band Scar Lit Soul – we decide that since we are in Scottsdale, rehearsing at Scottsdale Rehearsal Studios that a good bar and grill nearby is in order to eat and drink away our fathoming woes from thirsty gullets and tummies that are grumbling. A few short clicks on the 101 freeway and we find ourselves at the tucked away bar and grill called Duke’s, located off McDowell Road and Miller Road, in the Southeast Complex, at the corner of the complex behind Denny’s.

I have been here many times and eaten here many times, but tonight I tried to be adventurous. I had already sampled the prime rib sandwich at British Open Pub – see previous entries – and it was wonderful. So I place an order for a pitcher of dark, Moose Drool Ale, and their signature 8-ounce prime rib sandwich. What is served to me is a shoddy sandwich with a barley eight ounce patty that mostly resembles a crappy burger and is filled with fat; hardly prime rib folks. The beer is excellent, the service even better, the atmosphere so and so, but the sandwich: FREAKING DISGUSTING. So bad in fact that I sent it back. So bad in fact that I urge you never to eat here unless you are fond of less for more. If you are thirsty drink the beer. The restrooms are decently clean, and the patio offers fire pits on cold desert nights. But the food stinks.

You Won’t get a DUI when at Duke’s
The most unique thing about this bar, with exception of their large array of draft beers like Moose Drool, which cannot be found anywhere else on draft, is that they offer a free ride home anywhere, within 20 miles, provided that you tip the driver, called the Duke’s DUI car. So when you are eating and drinking and making merry over at Duke’s, if you have one too many, you can get a safe, free ride home, no problem. But, getting back to your car the next day is on you my friends. I must say, that very few bars in the state offer such a luxury, and Duke’s must enjoy an extremely low liability premium on their insurance for such offerings.

Plenty of Things to do Here
You won’t get bored too easily here either. Duke’s has around twelve pool tables, several regulation length shuffle board tables, dart boards and during the day they host Frisbee golf on the park course next to the place. There are also about thirty plasma TVs that have every game and sports thing known to man blaring from their thin screens each night.

My Rating: *** three stars for drink selection, location, a DUI car and TVs, but lousy food takes greatly away from what otherwise would be a smoking hot bar and grill.