Victory Cafe
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Victory Cafe
Born and raised in Galena, Bruce grew up learning the way of life of buying (and eating) locally. So it was in his blood to own and operate a local restaurant and catering business here in Galena. After graduating college he ran successful cook-your-own steak restaurants in Central Illinois and then California.

After opening his own restaurant in Florida, Bruce met Nanette who had been working in the restaurant business her whole life. We married in 2002 and soon after having children moved back to Galena where Bruce operated a fine dining restaurant with wine paired dinners and upscale catering.
Services
When Victory Catering plans your event we approach it with you in mind. Let's face it, we like food, but we love our clients. We always give our best, because we approach each experience as though we are entertaining our very own family. We use only the freshest ingredients in the dishes we prepare and we work hard to create memorable menus.
Reviews (25)
Chloe' Oelker
Chloe' Oelker
Dec 19, 2021
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My husband and I just stopped in for breakfast. It was busy, and there was only one server working. I wish I could remember his name, but he killed it. He was on top of everything and making sure everyone had what they needed. If he was overwhelmed he certainly didn't show it one bit, being kind and attentive to everyone in the place. Not to mention the food came out hot and quick and it was delicious!!!
David F.
David F.
Nov 15, 2021
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Disapointed. Service was good, but food was ho-hum. Had the Benedict and it was just ok. Hollandaise sauce was just ok, the english muffins tasted a bit stale. The side of potatoes had almost no taste, needed some seasoning and/or onions.
Bobbi Pavelski
Bobbi Pavelski
Nov 01, 2021
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Decent food. Staff were unwilling to push two tables together to accommodate a group of 6, so our group ate at two separate tables within ~5 feet of each other. We asked if we could slide them together and was told no. Rather disappointing since we had three couples travel into Galena for the day. It would have been nice to eat with each other instead of isolating one couple.
Kathleen T.
Kathleen T.
Oct 20, 2021
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Looking for a place to have lunch in Galena we found this place. We really enjoyed our lunch. We ordered a Ruben sandwich and a Patty Melt. Both were cooked to perfection.

We are fans!
John Hermsen
John Hermsen
Oct 18, 2021
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Absolutely never go here. I am a local, I support local, even when our tourist are here. I am also a former business owner. We sat down and ordered coffee to start and my wife‘s coffee mug had fresh lipstick on it ….my wife doesn’t wear lipstick. Obviously this cup was not washed from the previous customer. The waitress rudely just said that sometimes the dishwasher can’t get it off. I showed her how I could run my finger through it because it was so fresh. She didn’t apologize just walked in the back. So out comes manager guy, obviously he had been tipped off about the situation, and
Ann Godley
Ann Godley
Sep 19, 2021
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Fun spot for lunch. Wait staff was lovely. Chicken sandwich on pretzel bun was good. Had a salad too. Nothing to brag about but it did the trick as we were hungry and ready to continue shopping.
Christopher Daniele
Christopher Daniele
Sep 18, 2021
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Thank you to Victory Cafe! We got married yesterday in Galena and they were able to accommodate our group of 16 for breakfast in the middle of morning rush today! Thanks Terri, you guys are fantastic!
Sincerely,
Chris : )
Bill G.
Bill G.
Sep 11, 2021
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Upon entering, what looked like your typical breakfast diner, we were "bugged" by the amount of flies covering our table. there were more pests than guests!! My table was literally covered with what we all know are winged maggots!! Realizing this, I then knew that it was my time to "fly". Most people wouldn't think twice about sharing their breakfast with these airborne little breakfast bandits, but let's not forget that before they wiped their little fly feet off on your pancakes, they were ankle deep in Fido's back yard masterpiece!! So Before you dive into
Steph L.
Steph L.
Sep 01, 2021
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This is our first time in Galena and we loved the breakfast here! I subbed gluten free toast for their breakfast croissant sandwich and it was delicious. The service was friendly and we only had a 10-15 min wait around 10am on a Saturday! We would absolutely come back here!
Lauren K.
Lauren K.
Aug 24, 2021
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We brag about your food and service, tell all our friends Victory is the only place to eat breakfast in Galena, but today that ended. Waiting for food when a place is busy is not a problem. But when you wait 30 minutes to be served 30 cents worth of sliced deli turkey on dry stale wonder bread which was advertised as Special Of The Day ... that is a problem.
Yahaira G.
Yahaira G.
Aug 08, 2021
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Regular breakfast diner on Main St. with a ton of outdoor seating.

Decent food with skinny omelets served with potatoes that could use more seasoning and salt. Basic coffee. Overall, no frills.

Efficient and friendly service.
Jerry S.
Jerry S.
Aug 03, 2021
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Swarmed by flies while trying to have lunch. Tea was terrible as was the ketchup. Food was okay but hard to enjoy while being attacked by flies. We ate inside which was mistake as all the flies were inside
Amy A. C.
Amy A. C.
Jul 31, 2021
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We loved this place. It was such a step back into time experience. Starting from our server, to the wait, and then our food everything was excellent. We would highly recommend this classy little down home diner.
World Traveler
World Traveler
Jul 17, 2021
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Mom and Pop Diner
We were looking for a reasonable breakfast place before leaving town and this one fit the bill. Located in an old building in the Historic District right in the center of town. We were greeted immediately by the host who sat us and offered coffee before we could even thank him. It's a non-pretentious cafe with spartan tables, chairs, and booths against the wall. The walls are decorated with famous posters and prints befitting a breakfast establishment. Our server, Katy, was friendly and efficient. We both had omelets, hashbrowns and toast and everything was hot, filling, and
Chandra J.
Chandra J.
Jul 10, 2021
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Good food; wait staff terrific. owner committed a federal ADA violation by denying us inside seating due to my service dog. Food took forever too
Retta C.
Retta C.
Jul 01, 2021
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This place was amazing. They offer outside dining and gluten free options.. great place
Rigoberto C.
Rigoberto C.
Jun 23, 2021
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PANCAKE BIGGER THAN YOUR PLATE! Not going to lie, that's what I read on reviews and on the menu and attracted me in! Never had a pancake bigger than my plate so why not try it for first time!

The location has outdoor and indoor seating and on a Sunday at 11, it took about 20 minutes to get a table for 2. Not bad. They serve breakfast all day so if you like to sleep in, this will be your go to for breakfast!

The pancake bigger than your plate is cool to take a picture of and it tastes good too. It's your typical pancake but with some syrup and a sip of coffee, makes for a great breakfast
Stephanie P.
Stephanie P.
Jun 01, 2021
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Well normally I don't like writing bad reviews but I must on this restaurant. First I just want to say the waitress could have had a better attitude, I do understand that working in a restaurant can be stressful and fast paced but you should always be friendly and never make the customer feel like your being a burden!! second we ordered our meals and I have to say it was the Worst breakfast I've ever had!! Not only was there absolutely NO flavor in the food but the portion of my omelet looked like it was for a toddler and the potatoes were the worst. The cook obviously does not care
Kristi B.
Kristi B.
May 17, 2021
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Best burger I have had in a while. Stopped in for lunch. Service was great. Food came out fast, hot and tasty. The pretzel bun was delicious. Sat outside on the street patio. Great idea in these pandemic times. Would recommend.
Melissa B.
Melissa B.
Mar 14, 2021
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Went here for breakfast while visiting. I ordered the victory garden omelet and omg it was nasty. It was drenched in oil and flavorless. So soggy!! My mom got toast and they gave her a jelly that was open and used. They sat us in a booth that they kept the high chairs behind so everytime they needed to grab one they had to reach over my head and grab one. Will never be coming back again!! The one star is is for the sweet hostess! Best part of this place was her.
James P.
James P.
Mar 11, 2021
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The food was really good. The kitchen was just horrible. It took 20 minutes from the time our order was placed to actually receiving the food. A little bit of ambiance, but the wait time was just a distraction.

Also there was a tussle with an older waitresses and a younger waitress. The younger was more active and working, and the older was not so active. And you guessed it, the older waitress kept on complaining about the younger waitress, which distracted from our meal, and made the older waitress look bad.
Breck S.
Breck S.
Feb 27, 2021
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Victory cafe is an absolutely incredible experience that I would recommend to anyone. We will be going back every time we are in Galena.

We were looking for breakfast and wanted to eat outside and enjoy the downtown and great weather. VC serving breakfast all day was a huge plus as most places stop serving at 11. The staff graciously boxed our food and we enjoyed it outside on a bench enjoying the beautiful downtown.

We ordered sandwiches and omelettes all incredible. The cinnamon rolls- also very good.

Shoutout to the staff Sol and Terry for making the experience absolutely the right
Leah C.
Leah C.
Nov 06, 2020
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Decent...

with some awesome bloodies and great service. got exactly what we expected for a divey diner, no complaints (just don't get the avocado toast = guac spread on a wheat bread...)
canned beers and grease... checked the boxes.
Tammy S.
Tammy S.
Aug 26, 2020
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We were in Galena for a night away, we were walking around the downtown area and saw the sign on the window and decided we would come back the next morning for breakfast m, we are so glad we did. We had to park a few blocks away but since it was a beautiful morning we didn't mind the walk. We wanted to sit outdoors because of the pandemic so we waited a little while for our table. We were seated at a nice little table with an umbrella which was helpful as it was a beautiful warm sunny day. Since we had never been there we were unsure what to order so we ordered a LOT of food lol. Everything
Emily V.
Emily V.
Sep 27, 2018
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We were in the mood for a nice breakfast and found Victory Cafe on a busy Sunday morning. It looked like it would be a really long wait, but ended up only being about 15-20 minutes before we were seated.

The place was hopping and I could see why! They had a good selection of breakfast options for very reasonable prices in my opinion. My dad and I enjoyed our eggs benedict. My mom said the bacon had a great smokey taste -- she ate it before I got a chance to try it so it must have been good!

Overall, Victory Cafe was a good place for a solid, reasonable breakfast, nothing fancy and pretty