Maricopa and nightlife are two words historically rarely 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 2024, followed by the long-awaited Duke’s Roadhouse in June this year. Together, they are filling hungry stomachs and thirsty palettes — and providing musical entertainment for both listening and dancing pleasure.

Owners of the two establishments anticipated their offerings would be popular, but even they are surprised at the reception.

Mandy’s Wine Bar

“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 5 to 8 p.m. and every Sunday 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.”

Mandy’s Wine Bar

MandysWineBar.com

Hours

• Wednesday–Friday: Noon–9 p.m.
• Saturday: 9 a.m.–10 p.m.
• Sunday: 9 a.m.–8 p.m.

Brunch

• Saturday–Sunday: 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

Live Music

• Thursday: 5–8 p.m.
• Sunday: 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

Duke’s Roadhouse

While Mandy’s Wine Bar is a first-time experience for Atler, Duke’s Roadhouse owner Steve Kovach 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 Chandler location].”

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 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.”

Duke’s Roadhouse

DukesRoad.house

Hours

• 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.

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. Matt Farris Country

“He will bring big crowds in,” Kovach confirmed, “and we’re getting people from Chandler, especially ones who follow the bands they like. We’ve had some really good Friday and Saturday nights.”

In addition to the live sounds, Duke’s streams music videos. Kovah describes a “lot of moving parts” with video screens, lighting and sound systems. The capacity of 280 people is supplemented by two patios holding 70 people each and three bars.

Kovach envisions opportunities to work closely with others in the city, including Mandy’s. For example, on June 11, Phoenix country solo artist Franklin Smith serenaded dinner guests at Mandy’s ‘til 8 p.m., then set up on stage at Duke’s for a nightcap.

“Farmers and people from the city here came to The Stillery and wanted us to come to Maricopa,” Kovach recalled. “There were a lot of corporate (restaurants) here, but no mom-and-pops and no live music to speak of. We had requests for it. I think we can have some real synergy between some of the other places and Duke’s.”

Atler already sees some of that in play.

“I like to think that our place is where people come to start their evening — and then we find them going over to Duke’s. I love that,” she said. “We’ve got an amazing set of customers, people who come in here daily, weekly, monthly. Then multiple tables I spoke with [the day of the interview] were trying us for the first time.

“This is all consistent with my goal of if people are going out, they don’t have to go to Chandler or elsewhere. They can do it right here in Maricopa.”

Location, location, location

Mandy Atler took several years to find the right location in Maricopa for her wine bar — in the office and shopping plaza at the corner of Smith-Enke and Porter Roads.

Steve Kovach had prior experience with the location of Duke’s, which is the former A1 Pawn building located at 19395 N. John Wayne Parkway, just north of Exceptional Community Hospital.

“I knew that spot from the 1970s,” he remembered. “I was going to school at Arizona State, but for three months in the summer I worked underground in the mines in Casa Grande. I used to sit and wait for the trains there [recalling the days long before the current overpass].”

Taking advantage of his construction past, Kovach and others “made all the tables and doors at Duke’s. We built it ourselves.”

Summarizing the journey that has resulted in Duke’s Roadhouse, he said: “I’m having a blast!”

Read about all the restaurants in Maricopa in the 2025 Restaurant Guide in your September issue of InMaricopa