hunger games

Plano scores new Victory Tap Sports Lounge from Lombardi Concepts

Modern takes on classic sandwiches and burgers are on the menu.

Photo by Samantha Marie Photography

Plano's sports bar scene has a new player: Victory Tap Sports Lounge has debuted in time for World Cup soccer-watching, at 5973 W. Parker Rd. in West Plano Village.

The restaurant and lounge comes from Lombardi Family Concepts, the company behind Dallas-Fort Worth restaurants like Bistro 31, Toulouse Cafe & Bar, Taverna, and Lombardi Cucina Italiana. According to a release, Victory Tap is designed to serve as a neighborhood destination for game-day gatherings, happy hours, brunches, and casual dinners.

Victory Tap occupies a 7,600-square-foot space with seating for 250. In addition to food and drink, it offers guests a chance to get in the game with a professional-grade Formula 1 racing simulator, outdoor bocce court, cornhole, foosball, shuffleboard, and tournament events.

And of course, there are many TV's for sports-watching - 32 to be exact - and two video walls.

Just as important as the TV offerings are the food offerings.

Victory Tap Sports Lounge Formula 1 simulator at Victory Tap.Photo by Samantha Marie Photography

"Far from being an afterthought, the kitchen is central to the Victory Tap concept, with a menu designed to stand on its own as a dining destination," says the release. "Victory Tap bridges the gap between classic tavern favorites and premium dining, pairing familiar sports bar staples with elevated culinary touches, high-quality ingredients, and chef-driven execution."

The menu features sports-bar faves along with sushi, seafood, pizzas, sandwiches, and entrees. The list of highlights is long, so how 'bout a bullet-point list, by category.

Starters such as:

Chicken Wings in flavors such as Spicy Buffalo, Texas Dry Rub, Hot Honey, Thai Chili Garlic, and Texas Peach BBQ
Bloody Mary Deviled Eggs
Birria Brisket Tacos
Prime Steak Wedge Salad with candied bacon, roasted tomato, pickled onions, and blue cheese ranch
Mediterranean Salmon Bowl

Sushi and raw snack, including:

Tuna Crispy Rice
Fresh oysters
Parker Roll with tempura shrimp, crab mix, spicy tuna, cream cheese, avocado, jalapeño, sweet soy, and spicy mayo

Tavern pizzas like:

Chicken Pesto Pizza
Calabrese Pizza with Calabrese salami, hot honey, garlic oil, and Parmigiano-Reggiano

"Between the bun" offerings like:

Crispy Chicken Sandwich
Victory Smash Burger
Texas Burger with pepper and bacon jam, roasted jalapeño aioli, and Vermont cheddar
Chicken Parm Sub
Texas Cheesesteak with ribeye, white queso, onions, jalapeños, and au jus

Entree options:

Steak Frites
Roasted Chicken
Miso Cod with sticky rice
Rigatoni alla Vodka with crispy pancetta and basil

Food and drinks at Victory Tap.Photo by Samantha Marie Photography

The beverage menu includes Victory Tap's take on a Ranch Water with a guest's choice of passionfruit, mango or peach; The Red Card - a frozen cocktail with St-Germain, watermelon, raspberry, lime, prosecco and mint; High Quality H2O - Tito's Vodka, aloe liqueur, cucumber, lemongrass and sparkling water; Mango Lychee Martini - Patron Silver, mango, lychee, sour pineapple, coconut flakes; The Kucklepuck - Maker’s Mark Bourbon, barrel-aged stout cordial, angostura and a pretzel bites; and the Shake & Bake - a frozen cocktail with Grey Goose, passionfruit, pineapple soft serve, lime, vanilla and champagne.

Happy hour is available Monday-Friday from 11 am-6 pm and includes $1 off draft beer, $2 off spirits and wine by the glass, and select appetizers for $10.

The restaurant was designed by Filipe Pao Nunes and draws inspiration from classic athletic heritage, Ivy League traditions and timeless athletic clubs.

Victory Tap Sports Lounge Wall of sports memorabilia.Photo by Samantha Marie Photography

"A great restaurant becomes part of the neighborhood, part of the routine," says founder and owner Alberto Lombardi in the release. "With Victory Tap, we created a place for all of it — the big games, the slow Sunday mornings, the nights that stretch longer than planned."

Victory Tap is open 11 am-10 pm Monday-Thursday, 11 am-12 am Friday-Saturday, and 11 am-9 pm Sunday. Weekend brunch is served from 11 am-3 pm Saturday-Sunday.

Not Pizza News

Dallas pizza purveyor Cane Rosso to open cocktail lounge in Frisco

Imperial Room

Food at Imperial Room, coming soon to Frisco

An ice cream shop in Frisco is closing, to be replaced by a new bar: Cow Tipping Creamery, a soft-serve shop located at 3685 The Star Blvd. at The Star in Frisco, has closed after a decade. Its final day was July 14.

In its place will be a cocktail lounge called The Imperial Room, which will open in early September, according to a release.

The new bar will open next door to the Frisco location of Cane Rosso, and is from PILF Restaurant Group (Cane Rosso, Zoli's Pizza, and Thunderbird Pies), which also owned Cow Tipping Creamery.

The transformation comes as PILF renewed its lease at The Star, at which time they proposed converting the ice cream shop into a bar — a concept that PILF owner Jay Jerrier envisioned for years, the release says.

"We've loved being part of The Star for the last ten years, and Cow Tipping Creamery created a lot of great memories for our guests," Jerrier says. "But ice cream is an incredibly seasonal business, and we've wanted to create a cocktail lounge for a long time. The Imperial Room gives us the opportunity to build something completely different — something that complements Cane Rosso, while also allowing our team to stretch creatively beyond pizza."

According to the release, Jerrier drew his inspiration from New York cocktail bars such as Juniper Bar in Manhattan, a multi-level restaurant and sports bar located near Penn Station and Madison Square Garden.

Decor
The bar will comprise an intimate 600-square-foot space seating 25 to 30 people, and will be available for private parties and special events. Decor will consist of olive and navy tones, cozy booths, warm lighting, with a "classic cocktail lounge atmosphere."

Beverage
PILF Restaurant Group has drafted acclaimed Dallas bartender Gabe Sanchez, whose work has helped shape cocktail programs at some of the city's most respected bars, including Black Swan Saloon and Midnight Rambler, to create an original menu.

Food
The menu by PILF executive chef Mat Urban will feature shareable plates such as focaccia, Caesar salad, and n’duja toast; larger entrées such as cacio e pepe, vodka agnolotti, and a roast beef sandwich; and lemon olive oil cake for dessert.

Construction is currently underway, with an anticipated opening in September 2026.