Ice House Lounge & Restaurant

The Ice House was suggested to us by the hotel desk clerk.  

There is a "bar" side and a "restaurant" side. We were there for dinner and not interested in drinks, so choose the restaurant side.  

The dining room is not unattractive.  It's clean and the booths are roomy.  You won't escape the ever-present television set.  This one was set to rotating advertisements for local businesses and real estate.  At least the sound was off.

The service is, at best, scattered, perfunctory, and unwelcoming.  The server got water to us quickly, but made a face when we ordered tea instead of the suggested beverage. It was nearly five minutes before we got those, then she disappeared before we could give her our appetizer order and we didn't see her again for 15 minutes.  My dinner companions and I had decided that if she didn't show up within two minutes, we would leave money for the teas and go elsewhere.  She must have read our minds and showed up just under the wire. Our orders were taken in a distracted, bored manner, and that's the last we saw of this person until she brought the check at the end of the meal.  Another server brought our food, a third filled our drinks (after we flagged her down), and still another grabbed empty plates while passing by.  

We ordered onion rings, which were better than average, but far too salty (making flagging down that server for a tea refill more of a necessity than a wish.)   We ordered the night's special, which was pork wrapped in bacon with choice of potato side and breadstick.  The meal came with a salad.  The salad was mostly iceberg lettuce with some cheese, croutons, and a pale, hard section of hot house tomato.  Thankfully, the dressing came on the side because it, too, was very salty.   The pork was tender, juicy, and cooked just right -- although I would have expected a higher quality of bacon than the transparent, fatty bit that was skewered to the meat.  (My companions' meals weren't skewered, but mine had a think metal pick in it.  I guess they forgot to take it out.  Be cautious of that because it is not easy to see and quite sharp.)   Mashed potatoes come smothered in a white gravy, which I wish I'd known.   Once I spooned off the gravy so I could taste the potatoes, they were pretty good.  None of us could figure out the deal with the breadstick.  We decided the texture reminded us of a Krispy Kreme donut, and it even had a slightly sweet taste to it.  It was OK; it just didn't seem to fit the meal.

Notice I've not said anything about vegetables.  That's because there are none.  Pork, starch, bread, iceberg salad...that is it.  Not a vegetable to be found unless you want it a deep-fried cauliflower appetizer.  When I asked if there were any vegetable sides, I was told I could get cole slaw "if I really wanted it", but it would be extra.  

We skipped dessert as we all felt a little heavy and salt-laden after the meal.

It sort of is what it is.  It's not terrible, but it's not great.  The service is in no way professional nor attentive.  A vegetarian would likely not be able to find anything on the menu to eat.  (Fortunately, we're pretty omnivorous, but I'd still have liked something a little healthier than iceberg lettuce.)   The prices are a little high for what they're serving, but won't break the bank.  

Would we go back again?  Probably not.  It just wasn't that good.  We found there are other places not that far away that had better service and food just as good.

Ate here for a family dinner and it was very good. Everyone was satisfied with their meals and the waitress we had was very nice.

Rocky road with Ice House. In their old location, I feel they became complacent. Then they built the big shiny new place and things were looking 4 stars all they way. But time goes on and things sort of fade. Still a solid meal. Lots of options.

If this place were being voted on as just a bar it would be 4.5stars. It's where the locals all go. Drinks are a little pricey. Had a lot of great times in the bar there, at least from what I can recall.