The John Wayne room may be gone, but The Duke remains. At least, his bust does, above the bar at The Duke Cocktails & Grub in Mission Gorge.
Patrons of the Longhorn Bar & Grill will likely remember the plethora of John Wayne paraphernalia that adorned the walls and shelves of the watering hole since the late ’60s. But after the owners sold the business around two years ago, the new hospitality group decided to freshen things up a bit. That meant a full-scale, Marie Kondo-level declutter.
“As you can imagine, with a bar that’s been around since 1968, stuff gets acquired,” laughs Logan Henry, one of the new owners. “We’ve cleaned it up a bit.”
The refreshed space is now The Duke, the name a hat tip to the bar’s history and longevity. Henry, along with Matthew Guilbert, Jesse Melton, and Garrett Haislip, all have other (sometimes overlapping) stakes in various bars and eateries around town—Henry, Guilbert, and Melton co-own Bottle Rocket; Guilbert and Melton co-own Sidecar; and Guilbert co-owns The Regal Beagle and The Regal Seagull. Haislip is the newest partner making up the quartet behind The Duke, and for their first project together, Henry says they wanted to create “a bar with elevated food,” rather than a restaurant with a bar.
Taking over a spot with decades of history can come with a lot of baggage, and Henry says the group knows that some Longhorn regulars are taking it hard. “This is a completely whole new bar and restaurant,” he promises. “We’re going to strive for reasonably priced, but good food, and a good cocktail at a good price, especially because everybody is so price-conscious right now, and rightfully so.” Plus, he adds, the surrounding area is changing at a rapid pace. Grantville, Allied Gardens, and other nearby neighborhoods are getting a huge influx of younger families and new housing developments. Henry says as a local, and as a real estate agent by day, he’s seen the need for more food-and-drink options north of the 8, east of the 15, and west of the 125.
The Duke is open now, but will have their grand opening on Thursday, May 22 in time for Memorial Day weekend. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 pm.; and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with the promise to open early for certain Sunday morning football games.
The elevated bar food menu features plenty of new items like a Reuben sandwich, Swiss mushroom melt, a pulled pork chimichanga, and a grilled chicken sandwich with hatch green chile butter mayo. It’ll also offer classics like a patty melt, pretzel bites, chicken fingers, housemade mozzarella sticks, and Taco Tuesday specials—the only day The Duke will offer tacos. But the main idea centers around quality and affordability, in both food and drinks. “People work hard for their money, and we want them to be able to get a drink—whether it’s a beer, whether it’s a non-alcoholic drink, whether it’s a cocktail—and some food, and feel the value,” says Henry. “We want to be there for a long time, and we want to be a place that people can grow with.”
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Acclaimed Chef Dominique Crenn Coming To Matsu
It’s definitely not too early to mark your calendars for October 12. That’s when chef Dominique Crenn—the first female chef to earn Atelier Crenn in San Francisco three Michelin stars—will join chef William Eick at Matsu in Oceanside. The eight-course collaboration dinner takes place for one-night only, and even without specific menu details released, it’s a very safe bet that it’ll be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Seats to this ultra-exclusive meal are available now.
Beth’s Bites
- Legit TJ tacos are about to be a lot easier to snag stateside. The iconic and incomparable Tacos El Franc opens this month at Westfield Plaza Bonita, bringing its Michelin-recognized tacos de adobada, carne asada, lengua, tripa, and more to National City. If you’ve ever had a late night in downtown Tijuana, plopped into one of the rickety plastic chairs on the sidewalk at its original location, and scarfed down some of the best street tacos you’ve ever had, you’re sure to be as excited as I am.
- It’s party time at Duck Foot Brewing Company, who hits the big 1-0 on Saturday, June 7. Head to its Miramar spot at 8920 Kenamar Drive for one of the two tasting sessions (11 a.m. to 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. to 6 pm.). One pass includes tasters of 26 different beers, tons of music all day, unlimited gameplay in the “hop-cade,” a couple food trucks, and the promise of seats and shade (thank God). And yes, there will also be the ultimate Mario Kart race, so get ready to see some full-on grownups revert to their teenage selves at the sound of the starting buzzer.
- Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub never stops reinventing itself. This month, owners Davin and Jessica Waite launched “Waite & Sea,” a sushi bar experience with chef Davin that runs on designated Monday and Tuesday nights through June 24. Tickets to each 12-course tasting menu dinner are limited to 16 seats only, and the whole concept is a throwback to the early days of Wrench, back before we really knew what crypto and ChatGPT were. (Ah, the good old days.) Sometimes, to move forward, you have to look back, so I’m stoked to check out the throwback menu.
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