Durkin’s Liquor Bar

This is hands-​down the BEST bar in Spokane. I haven’t eaten in the restaurant yet, but step through the back hall, down a flight of stairs, and you’ll enter their «speak-​easy» bar. It has an intimate ambiance with a few vintage couches and private tables lining the walls. Of course I recommend sitting at the bar; the bar tenders are really friendly and entertaining and they can mix up an on-​the-​spot personalized cocktail like no one else in town!

First off, the food is absolutely amazing here, but you will pay through your nose for it. I’d recommend the BBQ carrots; a sweet glaze of house BBQ sauce mixed with walnuts and dipping sauce makes these tasty bites worth every penny. The fish and chips were better than most places around town, but the burger looked pretty disappointing for its hefty price tag. The next time I’ll stick with the small plates and leave the traditional meals alone.
They do have 10 – 15 beers on tap, but during my visit they had: one porter, a brown, a cider, and the rest were pales and IPA’s. So really they had about 5 choices in all. Hopefully the rotating tap offers some reds, dunkel’s, wheats, or a Belgium next time.
Let’s forget the beer for a moment since this place makes its name for itself from its spirits. They probably have the most extensive whiskey, bourbon, and scotch list in town which is awesome. One thing I noticed that wasn’t on their list was the hometown favorite Dry Fly (vodka, gin, whiskey, or bourbon). That’s a little disappointing since Dry Fly paved the way for distilleries in WA, and this liquor bar doesn’t carry it. I don’t mean to take anything away from them though because their drink menu looks delicious.
The worst part of the visit was the staff. It didn’t look like any of them wanted to be there. Both bartenders looked sullen and indifferent to being there. One of the waitresses had a scowl on her face the entire time and even ignored some of the customers that tried to get her attention. Luckily our waitress was a darling and was very attentive, because our experience would have been much more disappointing had we had the scowler.
Overall, even though this review doesn’t reflect it, I do like this place. The food is absolutely delicious and it’s a great place to treat yourself. It’s entirely possible that the staff was having a bad day so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt, but I think the thing that will ultimately doom this place is the menu price since this is Spokane where the average income cannot afford to dine so finely.

Review went down because the service is pretty bad. Food is good don’t get me wrong but how slow the service is just doesn’t make me want to come back. An hour for two burgers? Come on. the place was maybe half full at the most.
And the fact that last time I was in (been here 4 times total) I asked the guy if they had any beer specials and he said «we don’t do specials because we are just too busy, normally the wait is 1.5 hrs to get in so you got lucky» … so he just lied to my face because I was just in the previous week and they had a keg special. and to be frank no one would wait that long to get into this place so stop trying to pretend that this place is the hottest in town, because it isn’t.
Its worth trying, but the service is up or down. its a gamble.

Love this little gem of a place. Might not look like much from the outside but once you enter and head downstairs you enter into a small intimate setting to have drinks. One thing to note is that they don’t serve you those foofoo drinks but really nice Bourbon or Whiskey… not the cheap stuff either but that is what I like (they do have a nice selection of wines too). I haven’t experienced the food as of yet but those that I was with say the food was awesome. They don’t serve food downstairs but the restaurant upstairs is really nice. If you have a few minutes or maybe a few hours check this place out. I promise you will not be disappointed or the next round is on me (:

I’m struggling to figure out Durkins. It’s a nice space with an old timey feel. No doubt. Dark and cozy. Unusual drinks. That’s nice. I guess it’s the menu that bugs me. It leans toward greasy. Bone marrow on the menu?! Blech! Fish and chips, burgers, oysters, steak, duck. Brown food galore. I’d like to find a good vegetable in there somewhere but it’s elusive. Not much that’s green at all. Ugh. So I think I’ll go for the friendly service and cocktails and eat elsewhere. My heart just isn’t in it.

I’ve been here twice already, once for a normal day and once for restaurant week. This place is the truth. I’m down with the chill vibe, just because you’re eating better food prepared by people who are passionate about what they make, doesn’t mean you have to dress up. The servers are all pretty laid back while being attentive. I don’t get why you have to dress up for good food. But anyway.
The Porchetta here is legit. It just melts in your mouth. The Brussel sprouts are made with brown sugar and sriracha but the combo is amazing. I still think about it.
For restaurant week I got the pork carpaccio, breast and sweet bread crime brûlée. If I were to redo it, I would get the foie gras ice cream for dessert instead. The combination is a must try and yea sweet bread is novel, but it wasn’t as satisfying as the subtle fois gras ice cream which was refreshing while leaving a slight aftertaste of fois gras following the vanilla. All 4 of these are pictured. The smoked beef tongue was amazing as well.
I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves and if you look at the menu, the descriptions alone should make your mouth water. I think this place is fairly priced for the quality ingredients and beautiful preparation of the food. Thanks for being awesome Durkin’s!

Absolutely amazing.
Food drink and service they conduct magic in a fairly small kitchen totally open to see what they are doing.
And they did this 1^st class experience was during restaurant week, when it seemed most establishments that I tried to experience collapsed under the pressure

Restaurant week menu was exceptional. Waiter was polite, professional and informative. Food plating, taste and variety was some of the best i’ve had in spokane.

Night 2 of restaurant week, same 6 diners, another fantastic meal. We ordered a selection from the regular menu and the special menu and everyone got a bite. Highlights as follows:
Butchers cut with marrow butter. Good god. I am a good cook and never order steaks out because they are never better than mine. This was a 12 oz ribeye for $ 30 and it was better than mine. Nice work.
Duck breast from the special menu. Other diners had meal envy after tasting mine. Perfectly done medium with crispy skin.
Oysters with horseradish, oysters are in season and these were amazing with a tasty sauce that still let the oyster shine through. We ordered a second plate of these.
Best fish and chips I have ever tried. Period. Crispy breading that wasn’t even a little greasy.
Market fish was dover sole with a lemon sauce and a yummy pesto served over grilled asparagus. It was light and delicious.
Crabcakes were good, if not really special.
Chocolate panna cotta with salted caramel from the special. Dark chocolate that was a little bitter, buttery caramel and an actual crunch from the salt. Perfectly rich but not too sweet.
Overall the food was beautifully prepared and seasoning was on point.
Would be a 5 star, but the drinks were a disappointment. For a place that has liquor bar in the name, i was looking forward to the craft drinks. I got a sip of several and none were balanced, they were just fighting alcohols. It was almost like they had given a recipe to someone on their first night who had never mixed drinks before. They just didn’t taste very good, so small and expensive was adding insult to injury. Wine list was «meh».
Service was fine, quick but impersonal, they were slammed (see restaurant week) so they get a pass this time for skipping past friendly and welcoming.
One additional operational note for them is that their phone line has a terrible connection. Almost like their phone number is going to a cell phone with bad reception. I had to call back 3 times to get reservations made because the line kept cutting out. When i called the morning of our reservation to confirm (because the connection had been so bad) it was still a bad connection.
Will absolutely be back for the food though. 100% and enthusiastically recommend trying them.

Met up with friends to catch up and eat amazing food. This place is tucked away in an almost nondescript location. I had to double check my phone to make sure I was in the right place.
Food was PHENOMENAL! I had the chopped salad and had to order a side of bacon. Service was great. Our waitress was available when we needed her and let us sit and hat for a long time.
I had one piece of bacon left which I of course wasn’t going to leave. I wrapped it up, put it in my purse and it mysteriously was eaten by my husband upon returning home.
I definitely want to go back there and try more menu items. I didn’t get a chance to see the bar so that is also a next stop.

I’ve been anxious to try this newer place in Spokane… but it did’t live up to my expectations. The décor had that 50’s «mob» feel with a long bar where you could watch the kitchen staff and a long row of booths along one wall. We looked over the list of drinks and food items and frankly… nothing looked that interesting. We had a drink and ventured on to a different location. Obviously, we are not in tune with what others think is great about this place

Ok. We were the first order in and it took well over an hour to get our food. We had short ribs-​very mediocre, lacking in depth of flavor-​and fish and chips, which were so salty they were hard to eat. Service was super spotty and on the very
occasional «stop by» by various servers to see how we were doing, we were assured our food would be on the way… didn’t happen. The martinis were watery, too. We won’t be back.

I’m an avid fan of the downstairs bar, and in my opinion its the best craft cocktail establishment currently in the city. The bartenders really know their trade and can bend the rules to accommodate your taste. The vibe is very throwback and excellent; its very hard not to be impressed. Sometimes there’s even a party with a live dj and quite the revelry. I highly recommend!

It’s in my top 5 favorite spokane restaurants for sure.
The hog jowl with gnocchi is unbelievable. The rich flavors from the protein mingle with the pasta splendidly. The gnocchi is the best damn gnocchi I’ve ever had. That pillowy goodness is a masterpiece.
The porchetta is like a poor man’s hog jowl. Just go whole hog and order the jowl.

Had a great meal here last nite. We sat at the bar which was a great way to watch the kitchen work and decide what to have for dinner!
I had the smoked scallops with corn, white beans and watermelon and Pete had the pork jowls, everything was amazing.. I cannot wait to go back! !

Great food, ambiance and décor!
We stopped for the night at Spokane and we’re ready to check out the food scene. Good thing we saw the great reviews for Durkin’s Liqour Bar.
We decided in sharing a bunch of appetizers as our meal. We ordered the bone marrow, crab cakes, Brussels sprouts, and a chopped salad.
Bone Marrow
Cut longwise which I love since it gives you a lot more marrow. It was dressed with a parsley salad, sour cherry compote on the side and toast points. Very tasty and flavorful.
Crab Cakes
What can I say. Amazing! Great freshness to it, not overly cooked and just yummy!
Brussel Sprouts
Not your typical roasted ones. These were roasted in a bourbon, brown sugar sauce with a kick of siracha. Such a great blend of sweet and savory.
Chopped Salad
A refreshing way to end our meal.
Also they had a speak easy lounge downstairs which apparently is a huge hangout during the weekends.

I agree with most reviewers that both the basement and main space are really well done and it just feels classy as sh** to be inside. Aside from feeling like a boss just by being here they do a great job with every other aspect too. The cocktails are mostly very tasty and there really aren’t too many places in town doing craft cocktails at this level. The only cocktail criticism I have is that they are kinda small.
I am most excited to talk about the burger! I dare to say it is the best burger one can buy in Spokane. Bold statement, I know, but I am telling all you Unilocalers that this thing is the truth! I am not entirely sure why it is so much better than others. It might be the dill mayo or the beef or the american cheese (which seems out of place on such a fancy burger but it just feels right). It must be due to some early childhood experiences of eating McD’s… who knows but I love it! You can add a very, very thick cut half slice of bacon for $ 3 which I did think was a bit much considering it was a half a slice, but it did make the burger better for sure. Regardless, you must have one! You need one! Durkin’s burger was even better than a churchill’s burger!
The beer selection was decent. Nothing too exciting here. I am more of a beer drinker than anything, but when I have gone here I find myself gravitating towards cocktails and whiskey. Overall, Durkin’s is a legit 5 star so give it a try.

My initial impression was decadence that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The chandelier and leather seating mixed with a long diner-​like bar and fabulous interior color scheme give off a «I’m hip and cool but not too snotty about it» vibe.
But perhaps you just came for the food. Try the Brussels Sprouts – smothered in bourbon and brown sugar they do not disappoint. The BBQ Carrots are also so tasty with a hint of crunch from the walnuts that you probably won’t want to share them. I love all the small plates so it’s always a challenge to exert some self-​control and leave room for a «Traditional Plate». The bone-​in pork chop makes it worth my while.
I’ll finish off the evening with some bubbly because it just seems right to wolf down large slabs of juicy, tender meat with a delicate and (once again, decadent) beverage.
If you want to be one of the extra-​cool, in-​the-​know kids then walk purposefully all the way through the restaurant on Thursday-​Saturday night and head downstairs to the speak-​easy. The drink menu will knock your socks off. The dim lighting, cushy seating and über-​hip crowd make it a fabulous weekend after-​hours spot to bring someone and sip and chat. There’s no food downstairs… just some very original and delectable cocktails. I gravitate towards the Sparkling section of the menu where there’s gin and bourbon and prosecco.

On our second visit to Durkin’s, the honeymoon is starting to wear off. Durkin’s is definitely one of Spokane’s new shining stars; however, it still has a few things to work out.
We visited on a fairly busy Friday night at 5:30. Most of the tables were full, but we had no problem getting seated right away. We had the same server as last time, she did a great job. The ambience is fabulous; the focused menu has limited choices; it’s a la cart and a bit pricey.
My beef is on how slow the drinks took. We received out appetizer several minutes prior to our drinks arriving. not good

In the world of pretty bars, Durkin’s is a supermodel. So glamourous and confidently put-​together that you can’t help but stare. The kind of bar that makes you grin a smug little grin when you scoot into their leather booths and peruse with greedy eyes the cocktail menu divided up by sparking, shaken & stirred options. Oh yeah, it’s time to put on your fancy pants.
Drinkers can imbibe upstairs at the long bar overlooking the open kitchen, or downstairs in the handsome little cocktail lounge (open Fri-​Sun), with the coolest wallpaper and handsomest furniture in the world. We came for lunch, and sat in the upstairs dining room instead, admiring the airy open space. The vast lunch menu included everything from a fresh herb omelet, to shaved vegetable salad, to a fried house bologna sandwich. I had the steamed mussels with lemon broth, and we shared the maple-​sriracha brussel spouts (definitely sweet with a spicy kick). My buddy had the Yukon gold hash with poached eggs — a hearty brunchy option.
Service was pro– our food was delivered by the owner himself, and he let us ask a million questions about the place and gave us a tour of that sexy downstairs cocktail lounge. Definitely coming back for Durkin’s after dark!