Victory Brewing Company

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

3.65/5  rDev -13.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 2.5 | $$

I went to Victory a few weeks ago with my girlfriend for dinner. They have a pretty diverse menu with pairing suggestions for most things. I had the tacos because it was taco night and they were 1/2 price. They weren't bad, but would not have been worth it at full price. My girlfriend had a white pizza and we both agreed it lacked flavor. The service was very good and the servers were knowledgeable of their beers.

The real reason I wanted to check it out was for the beer. I can get all Victory beers pretty easily at my local shops so I was hoping for some limited release type stuff. I checked online ahead of time to see what was on tap and got excited about two beers on-tap which are not available in bottles. Unfortunately I was told both beers had just run out (Ranch S IPA & Braumeister Pils). They had about 12 beers available and these were the only two they didn't have that were listed, but I was a bit disappointed because all of the rest of the beers are readily available to me all the time. Still, I did not leave dissatisfied because many of their beers are good (I recommend Yakima Glory!) and they were reasonably priced. Most are available in two sizes also which is nice. They also fill growlers for a good price.

The building is in a sort of weird shape and there are a few secluded restaurant areas which really don't offer much in terms of atmosphere. I recommend sitting at the bar or in the room where the bar is because it is much more lively and overall a better experience. Before you leave you can check out their gift shop which has nicely priced items sporting the logos of Victory and its beers ($2 logo pint glasses in several varieties). They also offer beer to go from the shop in bottles, six, and 12 packs, which is rare in Pennsylvania. I found the prices to be comparable if not a tiny bit cheaper than my local stores, but they do have everything that is in season.

Overall a decent place that I will probably return to, but I didn't have an overly impressive experience. I was happier with the gift shop and growler fill than I was with the food or restaurant portion.

02-02-2012 22:13:23 | More by NoLeafClover44

BHopp12

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +1.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

I have been to Victory several times for dinner or just a few beers and this place is fantastic. I live close to Victory and am very proud to have such a fantastic brewing company basically in my own back yard. The different events they hold are always fun to attend. The food is very good, the wings and pretzels being my favorite. Beers from Hop Wallop, Storm King, to the specials they may have on tap or nitro are all fantastic and great to try or take home in a growler. Which the growlers are very nice looking also.

Great place to eat, hang out, or pick up a few beers. Highly recommend if in the area

02-01-2012 21:00:21 | More by BHopp12

vicsju1991

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +18.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

Amazing place, went for dark intrigue day, and had an absolutely amazing time. Very clean and nice food area, very nice bar with excellent selection, and the growler fillers were excellent. I went through the main bar and restaurant on my way to the retail store. Everyone there was really nice and helpful, and never hesitated in answering a question, even if we were asking them for the third time. I did not end up getting the dark intrigue (i didn't know it would be distributed once we found out we got out of line and decided to wait for it) Amazing beer, Amazing people.

11-25-2011 03:32:51 | More by vicsju1991

smxr88

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 2.5 | $$

From the outside it doesn't look like anything special, but once you get inside its a whole different story. I entered through the retail store door, which is in the back of the pub and doesn't give you a good view of the amount of space, so I wasn't impressed. I went to the retail store first and expected a little more, but it was pretty small and nothing really exciting in there that really caught my eye to buy as a souvenir.

Once I actually got into the pub and saw the enormous bar and space they had I really liked it. Huge bar, plenty of seating for dining. Pretty much every bar stool was taken even though it was only around noon. Lots of activity. One place that Victory was lacking was in the quality of the food. It was nothing special. I got rib sticks with hopdevil sauce, but they were very cheap ribs. The sauce would have been great if they didn't cheap out on the ribs.

Overall though, good experience and I would definitely go back again.

11-19-2011 03:30:47 | More by smxr88

mcslain

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +10.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$

Victory re-designed its interior a few years back and at that time went from being a good brew pub to a great one. The inside is huge, clean, almost always bustling w activity, well staffed, and has a massive bar area (which I personally love, as I prefer the bar to a booth).

The beer of course is very high quality and there is always a huge amount of choices on tap as well as multiple offerings on cask. Growler fills are strongly encouraged and they actually have their own custom made growler machine, which cranks out quick perfect fills. That doesn't stop the line for growlers from backing up though, as Victory has really created a growler thirsty community of beer lovers with their inviting approach. Last time I was in I got a growler of Golden Monkey mashed up w Storm King Stout and it cost $10. Awesome. Huge thanks to Victory for keeping craft beer affordable w their growler pricing!

Food is very good with something for everyone, but it is not stupendous. It is not a gastro-pub in other words. I appreciate that though. Victory is a brewery, and the beer should be the center of the universe. If I want a real fancy $20-40 entree I can go elsewhere.

There is nice merch room in the back that sells all sorts of schwag as well as beer by the case and bomber. They do mix and match cases which is very nice, and the beer they sell here seems to always be very freshly capped - frequently within days.

Be sure to check out the cool table in the corner by the bar area made out of an old copper brewery tank. And also take note of the live monitor giving updates on the solar energy being generated by Victory's photovoltaic panels.

Overall this is simply just a great place with great beer. A real treasure for the Philly area.

11-08-2011 21:20:42 | More by mcslain

SFLpunk

Vermont

4.22/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

Visited 10.01.11 with some friends who live in the area. This place is friggin huge! I had no idea!

We sat in the way back, left of the HUGE bar. Our server was very nice and attentive and let us sample a beer or two. The food was nice. We had the kettle chips, the cheese platter, nachos and soft pretzel as apps. I had the Wasabi Tuna wrap, very tasting and light.

They had a larger than normal selection of their own beers on-tap compared with other breweries/brewpubs. I was impressed with the number of hand-pulled offerings. I had a .3L Strangeways, .3L Festbier and then a .5L Strangeways cause it's so damn tasty. Sampled Victory Village and Harvest. I saw counter-pressure growlers being filled, but did not inquire after pricing.

We also visited the retail shop where we found lots of wearables and glassware, beer and root beer. Didn't know about the root beer until the shop, so I bought a sixer and a shirt.

I would love to visit this place again and would highly recommend it to friends, especially for a place to go with a large group.

10-03-2011 04:01:44 | More by SFLpunk

kangarooAdam59

Connecticut

3.8/5  rDev -10%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

A/Q: I thought the atmosphere here is great and they have a pretty nice selection of beers. I did not get to tour the brewery but would like to the next time I visit my family in Pennsylvania. Their gift shop seemed to be fully stocked with anything a beer connoisseur could imagine.

S/S/F/V: I had a soft pretzel for an appetizer and a cheeseburger that was really good. I was impressed with the service because I was there with a large group of people that day and the waitress correctly got everyone's food and drinks with minimal assistance.

I would definitely recommend any beer love traveling through Southeastern Pennsylvania to check this place out.

09-22-2011 00:48:52 | More by kangarooAdam59

PhillyStyle

Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +3.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 3.5 | $$

I have to admit, for not learning about this brewery while I lived in Philly (and on the Main Line); this is one of my favorite breweries. I am not sure that I have ever had a beer from here that I didn't like, so I thought that while I had the chance, might as well visit the brewpub.

Most here have described the place accurately. I visited on a Thursday night, so the place was pretty well packed. I sat at the bar and the bartenders did not have a moment to spare, filling growlers and pints faster than I have ever seen. Above the bar was a chalk board with the complete list of all the beers on tap and on cask. The service was pretty good for as busy as the place was and the food was perhaps a step above typical pub grub. The beer was excellent, fresh and served in the appropriate glassware. The only thing that could have made the experience better is if I could have taken a growler of beer with me. This is a great place and I highly recommend it for any BA.

09-02-2011 03:07:24 | More by PhillyStyle

jifigz

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Okay, so this is my favorite brewery and I have been there quite a few times. It isn't that close to my house but Victory churns out great beer and it is the brewery I have been to the most, probably why it's my favorite, I have a natural affinity to the place.

Okay, so the hall is big and open with lots of beers of tap, and if in season the particular and corresponding Victory seasonal brews are on tap. The tables are spread around and, as I said, it is more or less a big open space. If you are looking for privacy in sectioned off little corners or rooms, you won't really find it here. What you will find is great beer and some pretty good food to accompany that great brew. The gift shop is also stocked with cases of various Victory brews for sale along with glasses, shirts, books, etc, etc...

The service has always been great and they always took great care of me. Another nice sight I like to see is locals, who are more fortunate than me to live so close to an excellent brewery, constantly strolling in and filling up there growlers. I wish I lived close enough to regularly visit and leave with my growler filled to the top with some delicious Hop Devil, Prima Pils, or Moonglow. Anyways, great place. I highly recommend.

08-20-2011 20:56:15 | More by jifigz

BrittEBurke

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +4.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

I stopped by Victory for lunch a few weeks ago. The atmosphere (at 2p on a Thursday) was comfortable and laid back. The decorations are a bit sparse, but I don't know of many people who go to a brewery to stare at the walls. They have the top of a brew kettle hanging from the ceiling next to the bar. It looks great, but I imagine it could get obnoxious if you wanted to watch a sports game on TV and happened to have that fall within your sight lines.

We sat at the bar and were greeting with prompt, friendly service (I believe his name was Chuck). We chatted with him for a while and he helped us select the beers for our sampler. It was brought over quickly and thoroughly explained. As expected, all of the beers were excellent. My favorite was the Scarlet Fire, a well-balanced Rauchbier with notes of bacon. If you find yourself at the brewery, definitely give this one a try.

After the sampler we ordered the Berry Salad and, breaking my snobby I'm-from-Massachusetts-and-won't-eat-seafood-in-a-landlocked-state rule, the mussels. The salad was fresh and the mussels were delicious! They are steamed in beer and cooked with sausage. If you a fan of mussels, I highly recommend them. The paired very well with the Scarlet Fire. Throughout our stay our server was friendly and attentive.

After we finished our lunch, we decided to get a growler of the Scarlet Fire to bring back to Boston. Victory has the coolest and most elaborate growler filling process that I have ever seen. The growlers themselves are beautiful. They are placed in a machine that sanitizes them and then fills them using counter-pressure. Continuing with the theme of excellent service, the bartender explained how the machine works and then had us come over to watch the process. It is almost fully automated and keeps the beer fresh for at least two weeks.

If you find yourself in that part of Pennsylvania, definitely swing by Victory. Good food, good beer and friendly service make this place a must on any road trip.

08-13-2011 13:19:05 | More by BrittEBurke