Victory Brewing Company

We forgot to take a picture of the place while we were there so we're "borrowing" this one from Victory's facebook page.

As part of our adventures in southeastern PA, we also got to visit with some old friends. For Dave this meant meeting up with Darby and for me it meant Victory. So we decided to combine the two. The first time I went there it had been open at most 2 years. Let’s just say trying to find it was an adventure, they only had a small open sign at the time. My dad and I almost missed it completely thinking that all that was in the warehouse where it is located was a warehouse. We drove past it then had to turn around and realized that from the other direction there was a small sign in one of the doors. We weren't expecting to walk in to a large bar with open seating areas and several pool tables. They have definitely changed since 1996 when they opened. They now have 24 rotating taps and have brewed more beers than I can count.

Service

The service was very quick. We were seated almost immediately upon arrival and we came at probably close to peak diner time. They have a lot more seating now than they used to. Our beers came quickly as did our food. We weren't waiting an hour for food. But with the pleasant company any time we waited seemed little. We had no place we needed to be and no one expecting us to be somewhere by a certain time.

Food

I got the jerk chicken grinder and Dave got a pastrami sandwich. The homemade chips were nice and crispy. The jerk grinder had a decent amount of spice to kick you in the face if you aren't expecting it. This made it a perfect jerk sandwich. I hate when something says jerk and has no kick to it. Dave’s response to the pastrami sandwich was “good. Lots of meat.” That’s about as high of a compliment you can get out of him. They serve very eclectic pub fare, from southern to German. Their main plates show how eclectic their food is: gnocchi, soft tacos, baby back ribs, and fish & chips. They also have pizzas and plenty of specials each day.

Atmosphere

Victory has had a drastic overhaul since I was there last. They used to have a massive bar as soon as you walked through the door, which is the door close to the merchandise area now. They have a new larger door with a waiting area. This is located were the pool tables were. The bar has been moved and the area that was the bar is now seating and brewing equipment. This is the area we sat in and I didn't get to explore further back into the restaurant. It used to be a very open seating plan in the back, where the bar has been relocated. I also remember it being very bright and light inside, I’m pretty sure with windows up along the top. It has a darker feeling now, not too dark. They’ve also utilized some older copper brewing equipment for lighting fixtures, which gave it sort of a slight steampunk vibe. There are a few windows to see some of the brewing equipment through; they also do some brewery tours. They host a ton of different events through out the year, from beer pairings to tappings. They seem to have something going on all the time.

Beer

They have 24 rotating beers on tap at the restaurant. While we were in the area they had a specialty line called the Craft Brewers Conference Draft Series. They also cask condition several beers and have those on draft at different times. Their beer ranges from ultra hoppy to light and citrusy to dark and mysterious. Victory definitely has something for everyone. Look for an upcoming review of the beers we decided on, which was a really difficult decision, did I mention 24 drafts. They have a pretty large distribution area now, something like 34 states and internationally. So if you can’t make it to the brewery you should be able to find bottles somewhere close.

Overall

Victory and I go pretty far back. I have seen them change and come of age. They are very different from other breweries that have been around for the same amount of time. They are ever expanding and will soon be opening a second brewpub location in Kennett Square. If you are in the Philly area, you must take the time to get to Downingtown. Personally Philly’s brewing scene is a five pint scene. It has so many breweries to try that this area is amazing. This and Sly Fox are, to me, two of the flagship breweries that are a must if you head to the region.

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