Dallas has gotten another food hall with the recent debut of Victory Social, a multi-concept dining destination in the Victory Park neighborhood, just steps from the American Airlines Center, home to professional sports teams the Dallas Mavericks and Stars.
Victory Social comes from Hospitality Alliance, which formerly operated the Exchange food hall in Downtown Dallas and Crockett Row in Fort Worth, Texas, both under different management today. Veteran chef Josh Harmon oversees everything culinary at the new venue.
“I’m a big believer in the future of food halls in the right place,” said Hospitality Alliance chief executive officer Kevin Lillis, explaining that one location can provide a community with everything from coffee and meals to cocktails, packaged goods, and groceries. In the case of Victory Social, the neighborhood has six new unique dining concepts and a full bar.
The 12,000-square-foot space is decidedly more upscale and modern than your typical food hall. There’s custom millwork and mosaic marble tile, big windows, a patio, and a private dining room.
The six concepts include Rise & Thyme, an all-day cafe serving coffee, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, bagels, and tacos.
Birdie is an original concept from Harmon that blends Southern food with Asian-inspired techniques and serves fried chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, fries, and potato salad as well as assorted pickles, kimchi, and other ferments.
Park Bistro focuses on fresh soups, salads, and sandwiches.
Itzá Cocina is like a contemporary taqueria, with homemade tortillas, marinated meats, grilled vegetables, and fresh salsas available in tacos, burritos, and bowls.
D’oro Italiano — named for its gold-tiled pizza oven — serves Neapolitan-style pizzas and fresh pastas.
Lastly, Victory Grill features house-butchered steaks and seafood, with dishes like steak frites, lamb burgers, and grilled salmon.
No matter which concept, or concepts, a diner chooses for their meal, they can also order from the central bar, selecting drinks from an extensive wine list, beer list, and craft cocktail menu.
Outside of the six restaurants and bar, Harmon is offering a full-service dinner experience in a dedicated portion of the space, which can be reserved via Toast. Sample dishes include duck fries, Berkshire pork cheek with fermented garlic sorghum, and grilled prawns with smoked scallop cream and fried pepperoni crumbs.
“We’re pushing boundaries here in ways that keep me on my toes daily,” Harmon said in a statement. “Taking risks is the only way to grow in this industry, and opening this eatery is a reflection of our commitment to reshaping the multi-concept dining experience. I could not ask for a better place, or a better team of restaurant pros, to help bring Victory Social to life. This is a huge undertaking, but I’m all in and we’re excited to share this space and lineup of quality eats with the community.”
Veteran chef Josh Harmon oversees all the culinary concepts. Photo credit: Hospitality Alliance
The private dining room can be booked for events, parties, and special dinners, with custom menu options ranging from coursed-out, prix-fixe experiences to family-style dining.
“We want it to be unique, so we want to be able to take and fulfill requests for special, meaningful dishes,” Lillis said. “We just need the right amount of lead time. We’re talking large format dining experiences or things that require a few days of prep — aka things that can’t be on a traditional menu. We’re excited to make that happen.”
Hospitality Alliance has worked on multiple food halls over the years, and Lillis is still bullish on the concept. He thinks they’ve nailed the model with Victory Social.
“Our model puts the risk back onto the central operator, but allows you to adjust for all the different periods, whether it’s times of day or times of year,” Lillis said. “It enables you to be the living room/third space for the community that people need in our current environment. People are increasingly working from home more often — or at least not in their offices — so we want to be in as many spots where there is a combination of business and residential as possible.”
Hospitality Alliance has three more concepts in the works at Toyota Music Factory in nearby Irving, Texas. Shoals Smokehouse is open now, serving barbecue, sandwiches and drinks. Jaxon Texas Kitchen, a reprise of the downtown Dallas location which closed last year, and Pistil Cocktail Lounge, are coming soon and should be open for business in January.
