Victory Tap | South Loop
Victory Tap | South Loop — reliable italian in South Loop that keeps people coming back. A holdout in the best possible way. The staff makes it feel personal. [$$]
What 1,157 diners keep saying
What 1,157 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“This place has a wonderful neighborhood feel that immediately makes you feel comfortable and welcome. The food has that delicious homemade quality that is hard to find, and every dish felt fresh, flavorful, and made with care. What really made the experience stand out, though, was the service. Our server was fantastic and helped make the meal truly special. She guided us through the menu, offered excellent recommendations, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the visit. Her friendly and attentive approach elevated an already great dining experience. I would happily return again.”

“My wife and I have been coming to Victory Tap for the past couple of years, and it’s easily our favorite restaurant in Chicago. We’ve celebrated almost every special occasion here, and over time it has truly become our little piece of home away from home. The food is consistently incredible, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and every visit feels special. What really makes this place stand out, though, is Danny, our waiter. He has taken care of us so many times that he genuinely feels like family. Danny always makes sure we’re completely taken care of, goes above and beyond, and his fantastic hospitality makes every visit unforgettable. He’s personable, funny, and professional—dining with him is always a highlight of our night. Whenever we have family or friends over, a Victory Tap night is top on the list. We’re so grateful for all the memories we’ve made here, and Victory Tap will always be our favorite place to celebrate life’s best moments.”

“Tasty pizza and Jaime and Alexa provided the best service. I’m new to the area, so I’ll be back every week :)”

“Chefs request. This Griglia Misto was super delicious. I met the head Chef Rafael today; he was super friendly and kind. He asked me what I liked to eat and I said I was there for the happy hour. The fact that he took his time to meet me was priceless. I’m a people’s person. I love shaking hands. We need more Chef’s like him. I love Victory Tap because their hospitality is above and beyond. I always sit at the bar. Yaya, Adam are the best bartenders I have in the Southloop. Super attentive and friendly, and Eric the bar back is always making me laugh. I hope this staff never changes. I love them all and give them credit for being in this industry. I came from bartending/serving in restaurant and hotels years back and it’s hard work. Thank you guys!”

“They were not very crowded the Tuesday night before Thanksgiving. The food was delicious, and the service was great.”

“This was an exceptional experience. My daughters and I were in town for the weekend. We stopped in for an early dinner on Saturday. The food and service were exceptional. Our waiter Danny made our evening. Turns out Daniel is the owner. He treated us to lemon cello and an out of this world tiramisu. Always with his entertaining ease. If you’re in the south loop, this is a must stop!”

“This Italian spot is absolutely amazing. The food was high-quality and hit my taste buds perfectly. Started with a Caesar salad and the shrimp appetizer which was to die for. Then move onto chicken Parmesan with a side of rigatoni à la Vodka sauce and crumbled sausage on top. My waiter Cesar was absolutely amazing. He’s probably one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen at a restaurant. These days that’s hard to find. Do yourself a favor and come to this place with a nice appetite.”

“I had a great experience here. The food was delicious and the service was truly excellent—the staff is friendly and really goes above and beyond. I especially appreciated the generous portions and the spacious seating; it’s nice to have a meal without feeling like you’re sitting at the next table’s conversation. The decor is tasteful, though the lighting was a bit too dim for my taste. I actually had to use my phone flashlight just to read the menu! Aside from the lighting, it was a wonderful visit.”

“3.5/5 stars - Ordered the ravioli with marinara, though mine came with the vodka sauce though I didn’t order it with the vodka sauce. It certainly didn’t taste like marinara. Since it took awhile to arrive, I was hungry and decided to eat it anyway, I didn’t feel like waiting even longer if I sent it back. The sauce unfortunately didn’t taste like anything, the ravioli themselves tasted okay, I feel like it could’ve been cooked a bit longer. The free bread with garlic and Parmesan was excellent, loved the margherita appetizer pizza. For two people - two glasses of wine, one appetizer and two entrees with tax and tip was $80 seems steep but outside of the tip and tax it seemed reasonable for Chicago prices. I would’ve liked to have had my ravioli with the proper sauce. I tried my husband’s lasagna and compared it to my sauce, I definitely somehow ended up with vodka sauce instead of marinara.”

“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 spoiled food.”

“One of the more disappointing restaurant experiences I've had - there is not much nice I can say about Victory Tap, unfortunately. From the very start, I could tell that they're understaffed - the chef/owner is the only guy taking orders. He's nice, but he's got way too many tables and forgot some of our requests. The food was no better - I had an aioli made for me since I'm lactose intolerant that just ended up having no flavor. My friends' food also wasn't a hit. Can't recommend coming here to anyone.”
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