Downtown Phoenix: The Duce

“You’re going to a restaurant called The Duce?” my friend asked with a bit of disgust in her tone.
I can’t really blame her. The phrase “dropping a deuce” isn’t far from my mind when talking about my intended lunch spot. And true to its name, The Duce is filled with a lot of shit.

The Duce is a restaurant. A bar. A soda fountain. A retail outlet. A gym. A coffee bar. There are probably about 12 more things I’m forgetting.

Located in a remodeled warehouse space in South Central Phoenix (Central and Lincoln), The Duce has the cool, urban look only a historical building can achieve.

The retail
Much of the warehouse is dedicated to retail space: embroidered and bedazzled Army surplus items, vintage sports clothes, military boots, high top tennis shoes…and organic milk. Needless to say, there’s an array of retail offerings at The Duce.

The gym
For the low cost of $5 a day, visitors have access to a heavy bag, a medicine ball, some ancient stationary bicycles (like 1960s ancient) and my favorite, a climbing rope.  I would have easily  paid $5 just to try the climbing rope…IF it wasn’t visible to the entire bar/dining room.

The restaurant/bar
I visited The Duce for lunch. The menu is limited; sliders and salad are really the only lunchtime options. For dinner they add a few more items: Chicken, spareribs and pasta (see menu).  I tried the slider sampler plate: mini-meatball, brisket and chicken sausage sandwiches. The sandwiches were pretty good, but I think the real draw is going to be the bar.

The bar is a showpiece: large, wooden, deco.  Drinks are served in mason jars. The best part in my book, however, is the super-sized drink option. Get a regular-sized drink for a regular price, or get a large drink (around the size of a pickle jar) for “2-3 people” slightly more. Take your giant drink to the amazing patio for some outdoor unwinding.

Parking is limited at The Duce, but there’s complimentary valet in the evening.

The deco bar…

Order food at the airstream out back…

An amazing patio for eating/drinking…

Some of the Army surplus offerings…

The Duce
525 S Central Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(602) 253-9033

Related posts: