2025 September issue of InMaricopa Magazine

Food & Beverage

20 25

DUKE’S ROADHOUSE DukesRoad.house Monday-Wednesday: 4-10 p.m. Thursday: 11 a.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Sunday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Kitchen Monday-Wednesday: 4-9 p.m. Thursday: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Live music Thursday: 8-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday: 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Sunday: 4-8 p.m.

Party of 2 New restaurants offer novel nightlife options

BY TOM SCHUMAN

Maricopa and nightlife were two words that were not often utilized in the same sentence. But like so many other changes as the city urbanizes, residents can enjoy a night on the town without having to travel to other communities. Mandy’s Wine Bar opened in September of 2024, followed by the long-awaited Duke’s Roadhouse in June. Together, they are filling hungry stomachs and thirsty palettes — and providing musical entertainment for both listening and dancing pleasure.

Scenes from Duke’s Roadhouse on the night of Aug. 15, a Friday.

Steve Kovack has been in the restaurant and entertainment business for over a decade. He started with a late-night taco shop in Nashville before developing six locations (two in Nashville, three in the Phoenix area and one in Colorado) of The Stillery. While there are similarities between The Stillery and Duke’s, there are also significant differences. “I’m the owner of the other restaurants. I’m the operator of Duke’s now,” he explained. “I forced myself to learn the work inside out and outside in. We’re doing steaks here. The other places feature hamburgers and pizzas. There’s a little older demographic here. At 11 p.m., people are heading out the door [compared to midnight or later at the Chander location, for example].” Kovach and Duke’s were fine-tuning on the fly throughout the first month of business, adjusting seating capacities and menu items to best meet customer needs. The restaurateur acknowledged there were a few bumps in the road, but the overall reception has been outstanding. “I’ve seen a heavy demand for food, and

Owners of the two establishments anticipated their offerings would be popular. But even they are pleasantly surprised at the reception from locals and visitors. “It’s not only that time of day [post- dinner],” said Amanda Atler, owner of Mandy’s Wine Bar, “but the atmosphere is different than other places in town. It’s a different experience — a little more elevated; nice, but still casual.” Mandy’s features live music, typically acoustic guitar play, on Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. and every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. “Thursday nights have been so amazing,” Atler said. “We’ve been having a packed house. It’s the live music and dinner combo. It’s quiet enough that you can still have conversations.” The most popular night in general for dining out has also not disappointed. “Friday nights have always been one of our busiest nights since opening,” according to Atler. “We have a martini menu that was recently released, and we have the retail wine shop now. After dinner, people can buy a bottle and take it home.” While Mandy’s Wine Bar is a first-time experience for Atler, Duke’s Roadhouse owner

we’ve had so many requests for dance lessons — everything from square and line dancing to South Coast swing. We had over 500 people a few Saturdays ago [in mid-June] and just great reactions,” he said. “That just blew me away.” Sounds of the season The live music at Duke’s Roadhouse fills the stage during late-week evenings. Country music dominates with national and regional bands from Nashville, Tucson, Flagstaff and more. Matt Farris, a Casa Grande country solo artist with a social media following of more than 60,000 on Facebook and Instagram, is a popular performer.

InMaricopa.com | September 2025

September 2025 | InMaricopa.com