Friday, April 11, 2014

Chris and Albie Manzo's New Victory Sports Bar and Grill at the Meadowlands Racetrack: Eatery by Day, Nightclub After Hours Opens April 12th

The Manzo brothers have opened a new restaurant at the Meadowlands Racetrack in NJ on the heels of their announcement of a new reality show for the Manzo family. Will we see this restaurant in Manzo'd With Children? 

Host Chris Manzo
The old Giants Stadium, now called Metlife Stadium, got a recent multi-million dollar facelift and so did the Meadowlands Racetrack with its new building. Both were due for an update. I remember when the whole “sports complex” as it was known as was built. The whole area was just one big swamp, and it smelled when one drove by. It was the back road for us locals headed into NYC, so it was a well-traveled area.

The entire area has been built up since then, with several hotels and a few restaurants in the surrounding area, but it is still rather open and the reeds and grasses of the marshes still can be seen swaying in the breeze.

In the new building at the racetrack now is a new eatery, the Victory Sports Bar and Grill. Coming from a family of restauranteurs (they own the Brownstone in Paterson), it is no surprise that it is another venture of the Manzo family. After opening up little Town in Hoboken, The Victory Sports Bar and Grill is the second dining establishment for the Manzo brothers, Chris and Albie.


The exterior of the building that Victory Sports Bar and Grill is in, easily accessible from Route 20
I rarely go to the Racetrack but went there for a Fashion Show headlined by Melissa Gorga. It was at this new restaurant. This restaurant is located to the left as one enters the racetrack building. You don’t have to pass anything to get to the restaurant, it’s a few steps from the entrance of the wide open lobby area.

RNONJ Melissa Gorga Headlined a Fashion Show at Victory Sports Bar 
The restaurant has several levels. On one bottom level is a large bar area with plenty of seating. There is a stage there. There is also another area with tables and chairs. Then there is a top level, maybe a few steps up, with what I presume would be more seating, thought the area will filled with vendors for the event I was at. I also assume the dancing would go on at the lower level near the stage. There are LOTS of big TV’s.


Chris Manzo was at this event, presumably making sure everything was going smoothly- which it was, and I asked him about his new place of business.

I asked him about the new venue and his plans for it.

“It’s going to be a club at night”, he said. I asked if it would be for a younger or older crowd, and he said “No specific age, just anyone over 21 can come”.

New Restaurant Owner Albie Manzo
The website states that the nightclub will open April 12, 2014. Called “Saturdays Revived at Victory” it is produced by Funbars.com, Chris and Albie Manzo and E-Rock Entertainment. Renowned DJ’s are slated to perform. There is also something different, there will be weekly entertainment by acts such as stiltwalkers, dancers, violinists, percussionists, robots and more.

Chris told me that he "built it from the ground up, that it was just dirt before." I also commented about the design of the interior, he said he was not involved in the design but that he was in charge of other things.

The food served at the event was fancy hors douvres, He said the menu “was different from this “ at the restaurant. According to the website, there is a variety of food at the restaurant at very reasonable prices. You can get a loaded baked potato for $5.95, a salad for $8.95 all the way up to a steak for $26.95. There is something for everyone. There are also specials from 5-9pm, with cute names like the Exacta Special ($12.95 for a burger and beer) or the Trifecta Special (30 wings and a pitcher of Bud). You can view the menu here: http://www.thebigm.com/uploadedFiles/VICTORY_12-05-13.pdf

It’s always great to see people investing in business in NJ, especially in South Bergen and the Meadowlands which has been seeing a downturn in activity with the advent of so many nearby casinos and now online gambling. And hopefully we'll see some of the restaurant in the new series, which is always good for business.

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