When talking about food, ‘medium rare’ refers to cooking meat so the outside is browned with just a hint of red in the middle, striving to provide the perfect combination of tenderness and flavor. This column, much like its namesake, strives to provide the perfect combination of epicurean insight and Atlanta-area atmosphere.
Victory Sandwich Bar
A short drive away from Emory’s campus, somewhere in Downtown Decatur, there is Victory. More specifically, there is Victory Sandwich Bar.
Occupying a nondescript hipster white building that could have served as a mom-and-pop store in a past life, Victory lends itself to a comfortable, chic vibe that manifests itself in everything from the food to the mindless quirky movies shown on a giant screen occupying one wall of the restaurant.
Weather permitting, try to sit in the outdoor patio area and enjoy the open air with one of their famous Jack & Coke slushies (for those of age, of course).
One might think a sandwich generally qualifies as an ordinary and uninteresting culinary choice, yet one bite of a Victory sandwich will change your world.
The only thing that surpasses the pun-tinged sandwich names (Porkemon, Han Cholo and the Stream Machine are my personal favorites) are the delicious sandwiches themselves.
The smaller-sized sandwiches are meant to be ordered in different combinations, and with flavor combinations ranging from chicken and pepper jack cheese with sweet tea mayo to trout with Greek yogurt, radishes and cucumber — there’s something for everyone.
A must-order is the Pimento Jar snack.
The buttery, crispy bread fits perfectly with the pimento cheese and bacon jam and might be better than any Southern appetizer I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting.
With a popular and interesting alcoholic drink menu (asking for a Walk of Shame or a Spaghetti Western would not raise an eyebrow), Victory can get crowded around dinner time and weekend nights.
However, between the bar service and the surrounding shops and distractions in Downtown Decatur, waiting is neither time-consuming nor a nuisance.
The staff is friendly, knowledgeable and contribute as much to the aura of the restaurant as the old-school font on the menus or the industrial-chic interior.
The only detractor I have is the noise level when crowded, as it’s sometimes difficult to hear those at the same table without raised voices.
Overall, a great atmosphere, delicious food and a minimal impact on your wallet makes Victory Sandwich Bar the ideal spot for any occasion.
5 out of 5.
— Stephen Fowler, Student Life Editor
Stephen Fowler 16C is the political reporter at Georgia Public Broadcasting, the statewide NPR affiliate in Georgia. He graduated from Emory with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and covered the central administration and Greek Life for the Wheel before serving as assistant news editor, Emory Life editor and the Executive Digital Editor from 2015-16.
