Went to Icehouse after a day at Hammocks Beach State Park (which was phenomenal!) and enjoyed a good meal. Â The crab tostada was amazing and the grandwich was delicious. Â Although they did not have hush puppies, our party of 8 (including children) enjoyed our meal. Â The waitress wasn't the most attentive, but overall it was a good experience.
Review Source:My husband and I went here on the recommendation of someone. We were very disappointed. First off, we waited one hour before going into the restaurant. Then after we were seated we had to wait nearly twenty minutes before our waiter even came to our table! Â We then placed our order and everything seemed to come out at once. We couldn't finish the soup before the salad was out and then the apps came out before we finished either of those. The crab bisque was not worth the amount it cost. Finally when the food came we had to wait for refills and the box i asked for. The bus boy talked to us more then our waiter did. And finally on top of the mediocre food that was overpriced the waiter finally apologized for taking so long to help us. I would never go back. I had better food at cheaper places!
Review Source:We've been long time fans, and have yet to have a bad meal here. You can eat at the bar, inside dining room, or outside on the waterside deck. It's a bit noisy and crowded in the bar area, but outside is quiet. It's best during the off season when the tourists go home, but it's worth the wait anytiime. The fish tacos, shrimp & grits, burgers, fresh fish entrees... eveything is great. If you can't make up your mind, try the fried sampler platter, which they bill as an app, but it's really a meal for one. They also have a large micro brew selection and for about 5 bucks you can get a sampler of several different beers.
Review Source:Friends and I have been vacationing in Emerald Isle for the past  33 years. Since we all enjoy cooking and trying out new recipes, never had any impetus to dine out. As my husband is soon to retire, decided to try The Ice House. Our party of 16 were all delighted in the quality and variety of the food. The crab dip was exceptional , and the Margaritas were"to die for". Waitresses were very pleasant and accommodating. As a group we have decided that this restaurant was worth breaking tradition for, and
look forward to returning next year. Our group hails from, Maryland,Texas,N.C.,N.Y.C.,Vermont, Â and Ct.
Lately I have been trying to be more critical with my reviews and focus on every aspect of the experience, not just one or two things. This place is five stars for sure. Myself and two colleagues went out to dinner here last night (we're in town for work) and were blown away by the service, food, and local beer selection. Jessica, our waitress, was terrific, offering great suggestions for food and drink.
We got the crab dip to start. I'm from NC and am critical on stuff like this, and I have to say I couldn't have been happier. We all ordered the surf n' turf (original, I know) and it was delicious. The filet was done perfectly, the shrimp was juicy, the crab was on point. Definitely recommend.
Like I said, I'm from NC, so I'm critical of places like this. The Ice House is the epitome of a good ol' dockside restaurant, with the bar and local band to boot. GO HERE TONIGHT!
This place was great. I went with a couple coworkers after a long shift, and we shared some crab dip, and I ordered the chicken cajun pasta for dinner. I enjoyed all of it. I had never eaten out at a place in downtown Swansboro before, but I was pleasantly surprised here. It's a cute little place overlooking the water. Good service. It's a nice place for a fun time on a Friday night.
Review Source:This place was wonderful. We went early on a Saturday night. They had a large party but it wasn't overly loud despite the close quarters, which is my only "complaint". The dining area was a little small.
The food was excellent. We had the calamari appetizer, which was perfectly done. It came with two sauces, a Thai chili sauce and a marinara. Both were very good. I had the Shrimp and Grits and it was absolutely fabulous. Flavorful, slightly spicy and wonderfully creamy. My SO had the Blackened Mahi. It was grilled and flakey and perfect. We will definitely be coming here again.
I have been here twice and the food was nothing to speak about either time. The first time I went with co workers. I had the crab cakes and calamari. Although they were fresh they were OK. The second time was with my husband and 3 yr old. I ordered the cornmeal crusted smoked paprika red snapper, with mashed potatoes, asparagus and buerre blanc. My husband ordered the shrimp and grits. The server asked what type of dressing we wanted with the salad we both ordered a Caesar. The salads arrived 15 min. later. They were warm and somewhat crisp. Our entrees arrived a bit sooner. Upon arrival I noticed the fish was soggy and the buerre blanc was full of paprika. The asparagus was charred. The entire dish was flavorless. No salt no pepper. There was no cornmeal on the snapper, the skin was soggy, and the masked potatoes had bacon and cheese in them. My husbands shrimp and grits were over powered by the onions and peppers, with spots of andouille sausage, and a mound of congealed grits. Needless to say neither of us were happy. We wanted to send it back but over heard the cook in the kitchen stating he wasn't remaking anything. If they wanted it remade they ( the patron) could come in the kitchen and cook it themselves. We received the check and couldn't understand why we were charged $4 for salads that we never asked for. Especially because the entrees were $20 each. Either way. Payed the bill and left a tip and hurried to another restaurant. We were hungry. We felt like we just wasted $60 on nothing..
Review Source:Of the places we tried during our vacation week at Emerald Isle, this place was my favorite. Â A live band, outdoor seating (but it was raining), good crowd. Â I had a special: Â pecan encrusted grouper - so yummy. Â My husband had a good red snapper dish. Â The waitress was very attentive with bread, refills, etc.
I would say the only "drama" we had was at the table next to ours. Â there were 2 young couples sitting there. Â One couple got up and left abruptly leaving the other alone. Â All the meals were delivered and the missing couple's dinners were finally boxed up in to go boxes. Â As we left our table after paying we asked what had happened and evidently the missing couple was having a fight of some sort. Â We did see them outside as we walked to our car and they were yelling at each other through the car windows...I hoped they worked it out and got to eat their dinners. Â The food at Icehouse was quite tasty!
Second time here eating, been here many times hanging out drinkin/partying. I had the shrimp and lobster ravioli wife had the shrimp and grits. My dish, and the wife can agree was like sex! It was by far one of the best I've had so far, hers was good just a tad on the salty side but still pretty darn good! Only reason for the 4 stars the clam chowdahhhh sucks, best I've ever had came from Charleston, SC. I will always continue coming here in the future and they do have most of the NC microbrews on tap as well.
Review Source:We had high expectations going to this restaurant. Â The location, atmosphere and service were great. Our server, we believe her name was Anne, was fantastic. Â While the food left something to be desired, she deserves 5 out of 5 stars. Â Her timing of each course was perfect. Â We had about 5 minutes of space between each course. Â Our drinks were constantly full and we often saw her visually checking to see how we were doing while she was serving other customers. Â Unfortunately, the food was not as great as the service. Â The seared Ahi was under-seasoned and the swordfish was not cooked thoroughly. Â It was raw. Â RAW! Â Sorry, Gordon Ramsey came out there for a second. Â The deserts sounded great when the list was presented and looked good when they came out, but came across as amateurish. Â The cheesecake was bland and lacked the richness a cheesecake should have. Â The lava cake was nothing of the sort. Â It tasted like flour and the chocolate was gritty. Â It was literally a piece of cake covered in chocolate instead of the a piece of cake that spills out liquid hot magma-cocoa that you can slather up with your moist cake. Â We will go back again in the near future and hope for better results.
Review Source:My husband and I have gone here several times, and have enjoyed it each time. Â The food was definitely better the first time we went -- it was in the phenomenal range -- but it has never not been good. Â The atmosphere is great. Â Being right on the water, it's romantic and beautiful. Â I have seen people bring their kids there, but personally, this isn't a place I'd want to take my children. Â In any case, Icehouse is one of our favorite places to go for a nice dinner, just the two of us. Â Definitely recommended.
Review Source:This was the kind of local seafood place I love to find . It sits riht on the water, and Swansboro is a cool, quaint little town. The atmosphere is that of a fun, laid-back fishing village kind of place. Our waitress was ok...not overly attentive, but not at all rude either. Â The seafood is very fresh and there is a wide variety of items and preparations, though my grouper was a little over-powered by some of the Italian ingredients. I like a place that gets creative and my meal was one of those things that sounded interesting, but they didn't quite pull it off. Others who had more standard preparations were very pleased. Would definitely go back on a future visit.
Review Source:We ate here over Memorial Day weekend with my family. They love the place, so I was looking forward to trying it. We started with an order of calamari, which was very good and not overly breaded as a lot of the calamari I have ordered in the past has been. I ordered the potato/bacon/bread crumb crusted grouper with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. The piece of grouper I got was huge (about double the size of a usual restaurant portion of grouper) and extremely filling. I found the flavor of the grouper to be a little bit too heavy when paired with the mashed potatoes. In the future, I may substitute the rice pilaf for the mashed potatoes.
My mom got a salmon special and my dad had a grouper and crab special. They both loved them. My brother and Josh both got a huge platter of fried foods that included shrimp, scallops, flounder, a small crab cake and french fries. I was very surprised to see both of them clear their plates!
Service was good and our server was very attentive throughout the meal, returning to frequently refill our teas and to check on us. The place was pretty crowded on a Friday night, but it did not take too long for the food to come out. The prices were slightly higher than some places in the area, but the portions were large. One of my favorite things about this restaurant is that it offers more healthy options than several of the other seafood restaurants in the area (i.e. more than just fried fish).
Never actually ate here. Â I was going to nurse my 3-month-old under a cover and was politely asked to do so in the bathroom. Â So we politely left, but I thought they were wrong. Â It's not like the place was super formal or a place where kids in general were unwelcome. Â Hence the single star. Â But I never actually ate there, so I can't speak to the food.
Review Source:I really should like this place -- it's quiet, comfortable, has a nice view of the water, has healthy stuff on the menu, and isn't overpriced -- and yet I wouldn't rush back.
Playing it safe, I decided to go with a burger, while my husband was a bit more daring and went with the sliders with rare grilled tuna and wasabi. My burger was good, but nothing special. I had hoped that it would be chargrilled, but sadly no. The fries were thick potato wedges, which while not my favorite style, were neither greasy nor underdone.
On the other hand, his tuna was very nicely done -- rare and tender -- but they need dial back on the wasabi or better yet make a wasabi sauce/spread. As it was, they'd simply smeared pure wasabi paste on the buns like it was cream cheese. I can only imagine his pain if he hadn't spotted it right away.
Tonight I had family in town and thought we would give it a try. It took forever to get waited on and when we got the food it was not that great 3 of my family members had mashed potatoes..they weren't offered any other kind of side..and they had whole garlic cloves in it! I've never seen anything so crazy! And when I asked the waitress about it she was like wow I've never seen that and said sorry..I would save your time and eat somewhere else..wasn't worth the 130 dollars I paid for sure!!
Review Source:Had a great time! The oyster rockerfeller was delicious. I will go back just that appetizer. My main dish was tropical shrimp curry or something like that. It was good, but a little on the sweet side. My husband got the seafood marinated platter and that was very good. Savory with a little kick to it. I think our meals were a little over priced; about $3 less is what I would figure even with the proportions.
We were there on a weekend night and the wait for a table took an hour long. The service was not so bad once we were seated. Our waiter was courteous and answered all of our questions and requests.
I was very happy this place welcomed chatter. There were many tables enjoying themselves and I didn't have to worry about speaking at a normal voice level.
The restaurant itself was small. It was a short, but narrow hallway to get to the restroom, which was also right next to the bar full of patrons waiting to order drinks. I would love to see their space expand or another location open up.
I can hardly wait to go back and try other recommended dishes: the lobster ravioli, shrimp and grits, or flounder.
It is always great when a local tells you of a spot and it is a total hit. Icehouse is a rather quaint restaurant right on the water with a rather extensive menu to meet all tastes while still maintaining quality and flavor of each dish. Â I began my dining experience with the Rockefeller Oysters which were awesome, full of flavor and topped with a unique sauce I have never experienced on other Rockefeller Oysters in the past. Â I went with the baked stuffed flounder for my meal which was exceptional. Â The presentation was beautiful and distinct. Â The stuffing was very tasty and the flounder remained naturally delicate and very moist. Â Our server was nice and accommodating to our party of seven. Â We all were very pleased with our dishes, both in taste and portions. Â If there was one thing I regret is learning about the pumpkin beer at the end of the meal. Â I had a small taste of this delicious "dessert" beer and was immediately in love. Â Should I ever find myself in these parts again, I will be sure to make Icehouse a priority visit.
Review Source:Thank god for yelp for bringing us over the bridge to Swansboro.
We found Icehouse and ate here 3 times in a row - lunch, dessert, dinner.
The food was really good all 3 times (had a burger, crème brulee, chowder and shrimp steamer). They use all natural ingredients and use high quality beef & chicken. They also have a really really good selection of microbrews (that is frequently changing).
The restaurant is situated right on the water. They have a deck too if you want to be outside while you dine. The service our first trip was awful - but the next two times it was excellent, so I think it was a one-off the first time.
Make the trip and give them a try!
When my wife and I come down to emerald isle for vacation every summer this is our go to place. Â By far our favorite restaurant. Â I have read other reviews that say that this place is over priced but compared to most other seafood restaurants in the area, this place is cheap. Â And the quality is unbeatable.
This year I got the Chef's Market Platter which came with scallops, shrimp, a petite crabcake and flounder. Â This platter was huge and I couldn't even eat it all.
My wife got the fish tacos which are amazing.
We will be very excited next summer to return to this restaurant again, just like every other year!
L.O.V.E.D this place!! Â We sat right out on the pier near the water and I Â loved every minute of it! :) Â I had the calamari and it was excellent...nice and fresh. Â Also got the fried shrimp. Â HOT AND FRESH! Â Would defincatly recommend going here if you are in the area! :) Â Service was great, automoshpere was great, location was great...everything was great! Â I can't stress that enough!!
Review Source:Soooooo good!
Our table ate:
Oysters appetizer - YUM
Crab dip appetizer - YUM
Entrees:
-Pecan crusted flounder - delicious
-The lobster ravioli - none leftover
-Shrimp & grits - holy cow!!! Best dinner I've ever had. Seriously the best food & most delicious restaurant experience. Someone else at the table got the same thing & thought the same!
Desserts:
-Cinnamon creme brûlée - my favorite dessert & the icehouse did it well.
-chocolate lava cake- amazing!
We ate outside on the patio & it was awesome. So worth the wait & will go back again!
I did not like the Icehouse the first time I went. It's on the water...so I expected it to be laid back. Boy was I wrong! We were in shorts and t-shirts and everyone else was in their Sunday best!
I ordered the tuna melt...and was very disappointed.
However, I always like to try a place twice. The second time was MUCH better. We ate outside, food and drinks were awesome. A much better experience and I would go back any day!
This place was way over priced. My mom came up from GA and she loves seafood so we decided to try some place new.. We spent $60 on one meal and a split appetizer. When we asked the waitress she said that the seafood was not even fresh! Wow, you are literally on the water. Anyway, you should check out Jordan's down the street.. waaay better.
I will admit I give 2 stars because the staff was very friendly and the clam chowder wasn't bad.
Just to let y'all know I visited this restaurant after the area just got dumped on by snow and everyone was returning to normal conditions. I love the location, what a beautiful view of the waterfront, just as it says in the name. Â
I got the crab sandwich, crab was great but I was dissapointed in the Kaiser even though it was toasted it still seemed dry. Â I would have told the waitress but she seemed somewhat moody. I'm sure I would have ended up with an unwanted addition in my sandwich. Â
Judy said she was happy with her sandwich and Momma loved her curry. Â It was a little sweet for my taste but Momma says it's her favorite. Â Aunt Carolyn's lobster bisque was super salty, what a shame because I wanted some. Â But the waitress was nice enough to take it off our tab.
Just a couple of steps away from great, the place has so much potential.
The service was great. I had the shrimp and grits. Holy guacamole it was fantastic. Food came out in a timely fashion and was lookin good. If you have a sweet tooth, the desserts are fabulous. Entrees are not cheap, but well worth it. The fried shrimp was also great. Calamari was a little small, although soft and tasty! Parking is a little tough, get there early on a weekend. Definitely will go back
Review Source:Jon-
Stopped by here with some co-workers after we finished our work at Camp Lejeune. The location on the water is great and the place just looks really nice and inviting.
Service was friendly, but really slow. Mind you, there was a large group of 20 outside on the porch, but does that mean the rest of the restaurant gets nothing? Let's just say the salad was warm and the food a little cold sitting out there waiting to be served to us. And I won't mention the poor couple next to us trying to flag down a waitress.
We had the family seafood platter as a appetizer to start. The clams were tiny and overcooked and we got a pile of mussel shells and about 3 mussels. The shrimp was really garlicy and delicious, but were really hard to peel for some reason.
I had the chef's market platter. Crab cake was fried in some rancid oil, but did have a lot of crab meat. The shrimp were a little overcooked, the flounder a bit rubbery, and the scallops were slightly undercooked and a little slimy. All the food had great potential, but I would expect better from folks who serve seafood for a living.
My co-worker had the crab legs- that was a good deal! Two giant clusters and a baked potato. My other co-worker had a fried shrimp platter- for $18.95, he got a kiddie-sized plate with maybe a dozen medium-sized shrimp. He started talking about hitting the Sonic that we saw on the drive out.
So much potential here, but the price was about $5-8 too high for the mostly mediocre food and the slow service.
My brother took me here as one of the "better places to eat" near Camp Lejeune, where he is stationed.
I guess I should start by saying... I'm from NY. So, I have to give it 3 stars because it just doesn't compare --- BUT....
Good live music on Wednesdays - and the spot is in a  cute town.
Goods -
Crab artichoke dip (must get!)
The bread
Fish tacos!
Grilled grouper
Bads:
Pasta blech
All in all an ok dining experience - I think it would have been better for lunch.
I want to really like the Ice House, I really do. Â I mean the beautiful waterfront location and really, it is cute, charming, casual, and quaint. I've eaten here a number of times and every time the food is good, just not its $18 + price tag great.
The first time I ate here I had the shrimp and grits - it was one of those weird situations where I got bullied into ordering something I didn't want.
It went something like this:
Him: Â What are you going to have? I think you should have the shrimp and grits, they are delicious!
Me: I'm sure they are but I don't really like shrimp or grits. In fact, I was thinking of getting the ahi.
Him: You'll like these. Trust me.
An overly cheerful waitress approaches our table: What would ya'll like to order?
Him: She'll have the shrimp and grits and Ill have the ahi.
Me: {Insert surprised and aghast look here} Can I have another gin and tonic?
I could see how the shrimp and grits would be such a fan favorite if that's your thing - creamy, rich, Paula Dean approved clog your arteries instantly buttery ... grits are not my thing so I grinned my way through them. Generous portions, so to avoid permanent smile line damage I used extra night repair anti aging cream that night, but I digress... His ahi was quite good which pissed me off even more.
The 2nd go around at the Icehouse I ordered the ahi, finally! But this time it was unflavorful, unevenly cooked, Â and rather gristley, well membranous, (since fish don't really have gristle) probably because of how it was cut.
The service is always good - the wait staff is always really REALLY Stepford wife happy and perky.
I will probably go back - I mean I have to. Â 3rd time is a charm right?
First time I came here, it was excellent. 2nd and third time, meh - not so good. I had the grouper, which lacked taste and seemed frozen and had been sitting around. My fiance had another fish dish, which I can't recall at the moment, but it was also not too good. The waiter both times was great though, fwiw. I'm now looking for a new dinner place in the area - but still holding on to my Yana's on Sunday morning - OMG so good.
Review Source:Yuuuuum! Went to the Icehouse on recommendation from a friend that lives in the area and boy are we glad we did.
Gorgeous waterfront views and attentive waitstaff are two key highlights here.
Appetizers: Tried the crab tostadas and the hot crab dip. Wasn't a fan of the crab dip, seemed a bit too watery for me but the crab tostadas were yum!
Entrees:  I had the  Blackened Mahi with Coconut Shrimp. I was pleased to see that when they meant blackened it came out only slightly blackened so didnt have the charred taste. The coconut shrimp were incredible too. Came with a side salad as well, found the dressing to be a bit too watery though (especially for a blue cheese dressing)
Went back the next day to get lunch take out and went with the Fried Calamari and Shrimp combo, served with side of fries which was perfectly portioned.
Definitely a must try for this small area and I know I'll be back!
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