As sports continue to take over the Vegas consciousness, now seems like the right time to revisit the very sporty Circa and check out the goods at a restaurant we missed when it opened last year. Victory Burger & Wings Co. is basically built around watching sports, an airy space with plenty of screens of its own, perched above the casino’s mega-sportsbook and connected to all the action.
It serves nachos, wings, milkshakes and excellent onion rings ($12 as an appetizer or $6.50 as a side), but it’s not some run-of-the-mill sports bar. Created by the same restaurant family that brought Detroit’s American Coney Island to sister property the D, Victory is actually the next Vegas gourmet burger spot masquerading as a modern casino sportsbook eatery.
The half-pound patties are made with a blend of never-frozen beef short rib and brisket, and the standard Victory Burger ($16.50) is topped with a thick slice of cheddar, bacon and special sauce, plus tomato, lettuce, onion and pickles. Equally delicious but more creative toppings can be found on the Martini ($15) with a creamy olive mixture; the Loco ($15) with roasted corn and peppers, jalapeños, avocado and queso; and the Fondue ($15), slathered with more of that cheese sauce plus red peppers and roasted artichokes.
These are perfect burgers, with the only possible drawback being a soft and tasty potato bun that might not be big enough to hold them together. Don’t worry, you’ll eat it before it falls apart. Overindulge with a shake blended with Cap’n Crunch (yes, with Crunch Berries) and strawberry sauce ($8), and you might be too deliciously distracted to watch the game.
VICTORY BURGER Circa, 702-726-5505. Sunday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 a.m.
