Massive New Bar and Restaurant Hero Brings Healthy Eats and a Vintage Arcade to Victory Park

Victory Park has a massive new 25,000-square-foot bar and restaurant from 80/20 Hospitality, the group behind HG Sply Co., Standard Service and Gung Ho. Hero is now open for dinner and drinks while in its soft open phase.

For fans of HG Sply Co., the Lowest Greenville bar and restaurant that promises "simple, clean food," Hero is the concept's "big sister," according to a press release, "and brings the same menu focus of fresh, real food."

The "open-air" restaurant, just steps from the American Airlines Center, came to fruition after 80/20 Hospitality inked a deal to cater practices for the Dallas Stars, along with other professional teams and athletes.

“Our partnership with The Stars is what originally sparked the idea for Hero," Elias Pope, 80/20 Hospitality's founder, said in the release. "We are here to entertain and serve the fans as well as the players and look forward to our grand opening. For now, anyone can stop by for dinner, drinks and a round in the arcade."

Along with an 800-square-foot arcade with classic games like pinball, Ms. Pac-Man and NBA Jams, the restaurant has "two full-service bars with an open-air facade facing the south and east walls," according to the release. "At the opposite end of the building is a massive indoor/outdoor bar area dubbed The Meantime that seats 560 and houses an impressive 24-foot screen for game watching, concerts, private events and presentations. The 8,500 square feet of open air is climate-controlled and houses three full-service bars." Dallas custom T-shirt company Bullzerk also has a store inside the restaurant's main dining room.

As for the food, expect it to lean to the healthier side, like at HG. "Working with the Stars, we have adapted the HG menu philosophy to work for the needs of professional athletes," says Danyele McPherson, 80/20's culinary director. "This means continued focus on fresh and natural foods, but with the addition of more starch-based carbohydrates through rice-, pasta- and potato-based menu options. The food at Hero is fun, fresh and just like HG, offers plenty of choices for all diners' lifestyles.”

Just because it's healthy doesn't mean there won't be a bar — beverage director Matt Ragan says the drink program will be similar to HG's, with a "focus on using fresh pressed juices, natural, house-made syrups and infusions while creating fun, celebratory cocktails," Ragan said in the release.

Hero is open 5 p.m.-midnight Sunday-Thursday and 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday and Saturday, with lunch and weekend brunch forthcoming. Hero isn't the only new sports-minded concept in Victory Park; Dibs on Victory opened recently with a second-floor patio overlooking the AAC.

Hero, 3090 Olive St. (Victory Park)