Victory Italian | Oak Park — Restaurant in Oak Park

We took a chance on a new place to try Italian when Golden Birthday reservations fell thru downtown.

What a lovely surprise!!

It was slightly noisy upon first entering, but then we found our way to a nice table in back. We were promptly offered water & delicious cheesy breadsticks with marinara.

The menu was def Italian heavy with not many tomato free options, but we made it work! Allergy pills are essential. :)

The wine list is large. My only wish was that each wine offered had some type of description available to share what type of wine it is - especially for the large By the Bottle section. There’s an entire empty backside of the menu that could be utilized more fully & offer people a chance to understand that flavors & notes. Thankfully I have some minor knowledge in vineyards & could make an educated guess as to what would taste best with our meal & hit the flavor the Bday girl was requesting.

Our waiter was NO help in suggesting a wine for us beyond saying - Pinot Noir is safe. Uhhhh ok. NOT what we asked for, but thank you for suggesting something we can pick up at the local Jewel. So we knew we were on our own there, and that’s ok too.

I would highly recommend that all Wait staff be trained in wine pairings & actually TASTE the wines available. Maybe do weekly trainings & offer 3-4 tastings for staff to learn the merchandise & make better recommendations.

We each ordered something different & shared bites, which was delicious. Each meal was a generous portion & stunning presentation. You can tell a lot of love went in to the meals, which was what really mattered most.

We took dessert “to go” & 2 delivered to the table to share. The Key Lime pie was delicious!! And I’m always a fan of Crème Brûlée- just wish the portion size was larger.

The ambiance was wonderful! A gentleman offered to purchase us a round of drinks for the bday girl, which was super sweet! And then when dessert was brought out with a bday candle, a different table behind us helped sing Happy Birthday.

Overall it was a wonderful meal & really great experience. We would def...

Last December, just before the holidays, I had the pleasure of dining at Italian Victory in Oak Park, Chicago. The festive atmosphere was immediately inviting, with the glow of Christmas lights outside setting the perfect mood for a cozy evening. We started with complimentary garlic bread topped with grated cheese and served alongside marinara sauce. As someone who adores garlic, I found it absolutely irresistible--crispy, flavorful, and just the right amount of indulgence to kick off the meal. My advice: savor it, but don't overdo it, as it's easy to fill up before the main course.

Next, I tried their Caesar salad. While the salad itself was fresh and crisp, with crunchy croutons that I thoroughly enjoyed, the dressing wasn't quite what I was expecting. It was lighter and more liquidy compared to the thicker, creamier Caesar dressings I'm used to. I didn't love it, but I think it was more a matter of personal preference than anything else.

For my main entrée, I ordered the lamb chops oreganato, cooked medium well. The chops were good but could have used a touch more seasoning. They were served with potatoes, which were fantastic on their own, but the sauce that accompanied the lamb felt a bit too acidic for my liking. While it worked well with the potatoes, it didn't complement the lamb as much as I'd hoped.

What really stood out, though, was the atmosphere and service. The staff was attentive and welcoming, and the energy in the restaurant was warm and inviting. My favorite part was the view--sitting by the window, I could see the trees outside wrapped in Christmas lights, adding a magical touch to the evening. It was a lovely experience overall, even if a few dishes weren't entirely...

Fantastic experience!! My partner and I went on an impromptu dinner date and decided on Victory after looking through the pictures and reviews online. We made the best choice!

Dave, our server, was insanely attentive and walked through the menu with us, as it was our first time dining here, and gave his personal favorite recommendations and explained why they were his favorites.

My partner ordered the pork chop and was throughly impressed with the portion size and taste. I of course snuck a few nibbles and was also very happy with the taste.

I was stuck between Nanna’s Gravy and another dish, so I let Dave take the wheel and had him surprise me with his favorite of the two. He picked Nanna’s Gravy and explained the nostalgia that he associates with the dish and I was so very impressed with his decision.

We left with leftovers to eat for another dinner later.

Dave brought out the key lime pie and tiramisu for after our fantastic dinner. The tiramisu is a MUST!! It was such a nice treat that we enjoyed after a wonderful dinner.

I cannot stress enough how incredibly sweet and attentive Dave was. It was the perfect pairing with the dinner and gorgeous day outside. We will be back for another date night and with family....