Victor’s, 1230 N. Van Buren St., is really perhaps the Milwaukee bar scene’s biggest anomaly.

Initial and foremost, in accordance to the supervisor Vic Jones, it’s a nightclub that, just before COVID instances, attracted 450 individuals and required 11 bartenders on the weekends. But it’s also a supper club with gargantuan portions recognized for its key rib, fish fries, seafood bisque and do-it-yourself desserts. And it’s a helpful tavern where people today from all corners of the town belly up for inexpensive beverages, a energetic sports bar, and – final but surely not the very least – a pick-up spot recognised for having an abundance of accessible older girls.

“Certainly, we’re recognized for having ‘cougars’ listed here,” suggests Jones. “I consider the Marquette guys commenced it. Just one continue to phone calls me and says, ‘Vic, is there any cougars down there?’”

But Jones is brief to include that Victor’s performs several unique roles for lots of distinct persons of all ages, races and sexual identities.

“I phone it the ‘United Nations Bar,’” suggests Jones. “We attractiveness to a wide vary of people. The younger people come in this article late for the club, and as they get more mature they eventually notice we have food items and they get started coming for the steaks and fish fries. It is complete-circle.”





In 1967, Jone’s father, Victor Jones, Sr., opened the swanky-but-minimal-essential location. The elder Jones and his spouse started off courting at 12, got married at 18 and experienced 7 young children. These days they are 92 – together for 80 several years – and neither of them have at any time smoked or drank an alcoholic beverage in their total life.

“My father nevertheless will come in below almost each individual day. If he can walk, he’s here,” suggests Jones.

Like most bars and eating places, Victor’s struggled for the duration of the COVID-19 shutdown and subsequent mandates, but survived in portion thanks to their loyal prospects who supported the company by getting get-out foods. Jones is happy no a person ever traced a scenario of COVID again to Victor’s, even although he contracted it himself, but most likely from his son.

“I’m fortunate. I did not experience ill just after obtaining it. But then yet again I’ve been sticking my fingers into gross things all around listed here for 40 decades now. I have built up quite an immune technique,” he suggests.


Following 15 months, the nightlife is beginning to return to normal at Victor’s.

“We missing the dance flooring for a few months through COVID, and that was hard. But it is really excellent to have my DJs back,” states Jones.

Jones, who worked as a DJ at Victors for 15 several years, prefers the new music to have a diversity that matches the clientele.

“I inform them ‘play what you would perform at a wedding’: old things, new stuff, sing-along stuff,” claims Jones.

Couple adjustments ended up produced to Victor’s for the duration of the shutdown other than the fish fries went from all-you-can-take in to a set part.

“It’s so substantial no a single can end it anyway,” claims Jones.



And it is real. On a the latest Friday evening we stopped in for a fish fry and still left on the brink of the proverbial meals coma. Our meal begun with bisque – deliciously creamy and loaded with refreshing seafood – together with an overall round loaf of bread glazed with butter and honey.



We then moved along to the fish fries we requested a frivolously breaded perch and a beer battered cod. Both of those came with 3 massive pieces of fish, a tiny trough of tartar sauce, cole slaw and a choice of potato. With potato pancakes not an choice that evening, we chose the loaded baked potato and the tacky hash browns.

Just as Jones predicted, we couldn’t come any place near finishing our dinners. This did not stop us, having said that, from stating yes to the carrot cake, designed by Jones’s sister Susan Clark, even though we could only ingest a couple bites. (It went amazingly perfectly the up coming morning with coffee.)






The dimension of the parts mirror the Jones family’s generosity, which is a person of the lots of good reasons they have remained in organization for so lengthy. In advance of COVID, Victor’s was known for its absolutely free buffets in the course of sporting events, free of charge pizzas and significant, inexpensive beverages generally produced with “call” liquors.



“When you order a Scotch and drinking water, you get Dewar’s, but for the selling price of a rail consume. Exact with vodka soda. You get Skyy,” claims Jones.

Jones states the family’s generosity commenced with his father and is just one of the primary reasons why he’s stayed with the small business for so long. On the other hand, at age 65 and right after in excess of 40 a long time in the company, Jones is contemplating about the future of Victor’s. He and his late wife made a decision long ago that their a few kids would not just take above sometime, and none of the other siblings or their young ones are interested possibly.



Jones won’t come out and say it, but plainly he is a huge purpose why people return to Victor’s. He’s tender spoken, funny and a listener as perfectly as a conversationalist. When a standard sits down at the bar Jones suggests, “I’m sorry sir, but I’m washing glasses. You’re gonna have to make your very own drink.” The client chuckles and moments afterwards, his signature cocktail – a Cosmopolitan – is in front of him.



“You have to like men and women to be successful in this small business, which I do. Individuals talk to me why I’ve stayed below so extensive. I have had other options, but I continue to be simply because of the endlessly friendships – I met my spouse right here – and my staff members is often great,” claims Jones. “And my mother and father are truly excellent individuals to do the job for. They are both of those definitely genuine. Truly great individuals.”



Victor’s is open every day from 4 p.m. to bar close. The kitchen area is open till near.
