Victory Tap | South Loop — Restaurant in Chicago

We arrived at a good time, right before the late dinner rush. And I am glad we did. Once we were seated, you can see the tables start to fill and the bar area was packed. So for me sitting here waiting to order, this was a good sign (+1). For starters, the awesome waitress recommended this fried eggplant salad built like a caprese. I thought, ok, sounds weird but if you're recommending it, sounds like a great starter. Nailed it! Tons of flavor across the board; fresh greens, lightly breaded eggplant, seasoned well... we are off to a good start. As we are watching the food go by, we cannot keep our eyes on the menu. What did they have, that looks delicious! Meatballs are the size of a clincher (A Chicagoan will know what these are). So aromatic as well. The table next to use ordered a pizza. They said they come here once a week for the same pie (+2). To no avail, I ordered a pizza and the gf orders the spaghetti and meatballs. No disappointments. I always order a pizza extra crispy but not burnt. They delivered. Awesome crust, not too little or too much cheese and good amount of toppings. And, I think this pizza is a good size for someone with a healthy appetite and whose date wants to steal a piece or two. Between our two dishes, the red sauces are to die for! The meatballs are a splendid addition to the pasta. The gf split her dish into two; eat here and doggy bag. She knew right off the bat there was no way to eat the whole thing and remain comfortable. But really, it was just to save room for the homemade tiramisu. If you are a tiramisu person, you need to try it. If you are seated in the back of the restaurant, take a look at the specials board on the wall, this seemed like a popular ordering post. All in all, we will be back. Great setting for a casual get together with friends, but swanky enough if you want to go somewhere on a date night. Enjoy the Victory in the south...

My wife treated me here last night for my birthday. I can't say it was a great experience, unfortunately.

First off, when my wife made the reservation, she added a comment that it was my birthday. Of course, I don't expect restaurants to just give me a free dessert, but not a single person on the staff mentioned the fact it was my birthday. No candle stuck in our dessert, nothing.

Despite the back part of the dining area being mostly empty, they seated us right next to other people. Why not give us more privacy/space? Not only that, but the table we were seated at looked like something they just grabbed at a garage sale. Is Victory Tap and upscale place or not? Is this the image you want to portray to your clientele?

The meals were great, as were the drinks. For dessert, we shared the creme brulee, which was tasty, and a cannolo, which was a disaster for a couple of reasons:

First off, it wasn't very sweet, almost as if someone forgot to add sugar. Secondly (the more concerning part), the whipped cream that came with the cannolo had spoiled. It took us a few bites to realize this, and when I tasted it by itself, it had a bitter taste to it. My wife and I spent the next few hours after dinner feeling incredibly nauseous. It's completely unacceptable that someone in the kitchen isn't checking to make sure ingredients haven't gone bad! The owner needs to step in and review basic food safety processes with the staff.

Overall, I think the most important things the management needs to consider: 1) Please fix up the tables that look run-down. 2) Don't get your customers sick with...

On the evening of Friday, May 16th, my wife and I decided to take a walk through our neighborhood to celebrate a special occasion. We stopped by Victory Tap a place we’ve visited a few times before and appreciate for its close proximity.

When we arrived, the restaurant was full. We weren’t planning on a full dinner, just a couple of drinks and a light appetizer. The host informed us that there were no dinner tables available but said we could wait for seats at the bar or choose to sit outside. We initially sat outside, but due to the windy conditions, our server kindly offered to seat us at a high-top table inside the bar area. He personally walked us in, seated us, and took our drink orders.

A short time later, I overheard two women telling the server that the host had told them they could also sit at the bar. They didn’t mention having a reservation just that they were told to take the next available spot. It’s possible we were seated first, which may have led to some confusion.

Soon after, the host came over and asked us to leave, stating we weren’t allowed to sit there. We explained that we hadn’t seated ourselves and were placed there by the server. Despite this, we were asked to vacate the table. Adding to the frustration, it began to rain as we were leaving, further spoiling what was meant to be a celebratory evening.

We ended up finding another restaurant nearby that, although also busy, welcomed us warmly and made space for us. The food and service were excellent. While we understand how hectic restaurants can get, a little communication and courtesy would...