Papa's Ice House

Okay, so let's say you are driving South on the service road for I-45 South of Rayford-Sawdust and you think you need to double back somewhere but using the back roads...and so you see a gas station and barely see a street name sign and turn and start down a road that goes dark (at night) and then you see a weird sign (whose LED lights are quite working right) and you hear a low murmur and see cars parked near a large workshop looking place with garage doors and it's lit and people are wandering around and cars are parked everywhere....
it's a vampire movie and you're gonna die...right???

Located in the weirdest of spots, this is the epitome of a destination location.  

Open aired design, bar stools that are too short for a tall bar, old wooden lineman like wire spools as tables in one area, plastic chairs and tables in the other.  A stage in the corner (with 4 stage lights with CLEAR gels on them) shining down on it.  A patio area and a sand volleyball court.  

And did I mention it's HUGE?  It is.

I know, your mind is thinking....WHA THE FUH??

This is Papa's Ice House.  
Where bands open for Karaoke night (what?)
Where they play country music during the set break of an all African American R&B band.
Where you're just as likely to be sitting next to a white collar success story as a hick who isn't sure about how this whole Sun/Moon thing works.

It's a conundrum.  

So it's AMAZING for people watching.

Two of the times I've been there, I've seen people almost get into a fight.  I haven't actually seen one yet, so, there's that.

Where I have had several drinks with friends over the course of a night and even ordered a beer or two on my tab and had no tab yet go over $15.  I don't know what the drinks cost, but that seems kind of odd...yet is the reason I'll go back (I love economical).  They do a "strong" pour, too...well, most of them.  One or two folks there will do something akin to "ooops, I spilled vodka on  your cranberry juice" as well.

The food was typical bar food done well.

I dunno...I mean, I go back to just see what will happen next and because it's open until late and CHEAP!!

But it's hard to tell people "you gotta go".  It's good to have around if you need to go.

This is one cool bar.  It looks as if it used to be shop with big garage doors.  They open the doors and allow people to go in and out at will.  They have a volley ball court as well.  Great place for big groups.

Cool place.