We welcome all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover). We got a fancy new Point of Sale system, so if you want to open a tab, all you have to do is hand your card over for a second and allow us to swipe it into the machine. You're all set, and you get your card right back! In the event you forget to close out your tab before your leave (hey, it happens! We understand
), we charge a 20% gratuity at the end of the night and close it out for you.
2. Nope. However, we often have some great crawfish boilers set up shop in the backyard on the weekends to serve up some tasty mudbugs WHEN THEY'RE IN SEASON! In addition, we usually have two or three crawfish boils a year. When crawfish is here, we post information about it on our page, so keep checking back!
3. Do y'all sell food? The Ice House itself does not sell food. However, we regularly host a rotating selection of food trucks on our property. In addition, the Tacos Tierra Caliente food truck is permanently parked right across the street. Ice House patrons are encouraged to purchase food at these establishments or bring in their own food to dine at our picnic tables.
4. Can I bring my kid to the bar? During limited hours, yes! Anyone under the age of 21 is welcome at the Ice House, so long as it is before dark and they are accompanied by a parent or guardian.
5. Can I bring my dog/food/games to the bar? Absolutely! We only ask that you keep your dog on a leash at all times. We have metal buckets of water strategically placed around the property for doggie water. If you are unable to find one, or you'd like to have one refilled with fresh water, please let the bartender know, and we'll help you get that accomplished.
6. Do you sell liquor? We do not sell liquor. In traditional ice house fashion, we serve strictly beer, wine, and cider. We also have bottled water and soft drinks available.
7. Can I bring my own alcohol or other drinks? You may NOT bring alcohol of any type into our establishment. However, you may bring any non-alcoholic drinks you'd like in any quantity.
8. Do y'all sell ice or dry ice? Believe it or not, we get this question a lot. No, we don't sell ice in any form. We are a bar! If you are searching for dry ice, it is our understanding that Randall's offers it for sale.
9. Do you allow smoking on your patio? If you're asking this, then you're a first-time customer, so welcome to the WAIH!!! We are essentially ALL patio, and yes, you can smoke here. In the winter, we wrap the building portion of our bar in plastic, and smoking is restricted to certain areas inside the "bubble" out of respect for the bartender and the other patrons, so just ask the bartender where you can be. And please keep your distance from others if you are smoking cigars. They are far more pungent than you think!
10. Are you gonna show [X game] on the TVs today? We have NINE screens (8 TVs and 1 projection screen), and FOUR TV tuners with DirectTV. We also have ONE Comcast tuner (using it requires us to unplug one of the DirectTV tuners), so if the network is available with these providers with our packages, we can usually accommodate you since we can show four things at once.
**We do not show any pay-per-view games or events, and we do not get the SEC Network or the Longhorn channel.**
If you come to the bar and would like to watch something in particular, please tell the bartender which NETWORK you would like if you know, and on which television you would like to watch. We will do our best to accommodate everyone, and we can usually do so, but there are no guarantees that you'll get the TV you want -- the most popular items are displayed on the most prominent TVs. We usually cannot accept requests during large events, but we do try to plan ahead with pre-programming popular games.
11. Do you sell buckets of beer? No, for myriad reasons (TABC has complicated and sometimes arbitrary rules for ice houses). We can give you a six-pack holder of beer, but **we cannot serve you beer on ice.**
12. Since you're a completely outdoor bar, are you open when it's cold/raining/hot? YES! A large portion of our establishment has a roof over it, so rain is no problem. When it's cold outside, we wrap the bar in a plastic bubble and put out radiant heaters. You'll stay nice and toasty! During the warmer months, you can lounge in comfort with the help of our misting fan system!
13. What activities are there to do at your bar? We have billiards ($1 per game), Golden Tee (~$4-7 per game), a basketball hoop, cornhole, ping-pong, playing cards, and dominoes! Unless otherwise noted, games are free; just give the bartender your ID for security and play away!
14. Do you have free Wi-Fi? Yes! Bring your laptop, phone, or tablet and come surf the web! When you arrive, ask the bartender for the password. We'd post it here, but it's subject to change occasionally, and we might forget to change it here.
15. I want to plan an event at your bar. How do I go about doing that? We love events, and we can host just about anything! To book an event or party with us, contact Pete at 713.542.9300. He's a busy guy and sometimes can't answer his phone, so it's best to send him a text with your name, the type of event you would like to have, the approximate size of your party, a number where we can reach you (if different from the one you used to text), and the date and time you are requesting. Pete, Frank, Brian, or Blair will get back to you to iron out the details. We can almost always reserve tables for you and put something on the marquee for your event, within reason, of course. Please note that we apply a 20% gratuity to tabs exceeding $100.00.
16. Can I book my band to play at your bar? Probably not. Houston's noise ordinance laws are pretty terrible, and we're an outdoor venue. Obtaining the necessary noise permits to host your band is not cost-effective for us, and we don't want to anger our neighbors. Accordingly, we very rarely book live entertainment.
17. I read this whole FAQ and you didn't address my question! What do I do? If it's not too pressing, send us a private message! Several bartenders manage this page, so we get back to you pretty quickly, often within 1 hour, and you'll never wait more than 24 hours to get a response. If that doesn't work for you (or we failed to respond), feel free to call the bar at 713.528.6874. Please keep in mind that the bartender fields phone calls while serving customers, so the best time to call is when we're not too busy. This is typically in the morning (between 10 and 12).
