Here are our thoughts from opening night at the new jogging trail-adjacent bar:
The Concept: It actually backs up to the Katy Trail. We parked on Blackburn Street, walked up a path to hop on the trail, and walked a few feet to get to the back entrance of the Ice House. Dozens of wooden picnic tables cover the patio. Inside it’s all wood walls, tin accents, one long bar, and (as we counted) seven flat-screens, featuring sports. To summarize: casual.
Who’s There: Families with kiddos, girls in sundresses, and sets of couples packed the picnic tables. Inside, groups of guys (college-aged to 40s) and gals (mostly 20s and 30s) with beers in-hand huddled around each table. Basically anyone who wants a low-key evening with some brewskies can enjoy this place.
Don’t Miss: Unfortunately, quite a bit was missing from our experience. Good news is they packed in a huge crowd on their first weekend of business. Bad news is they could barely keep the domestic bottles of beer in stock. They ran out of Shiner and Bud Light during our 3-hour stay, and we grabbed the last four cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon, we were told. Katy Trail Ice House boasts a long list of local beers on draft, but the taps weren’t set up yet. Food was already being served, so we ordered up a couple burgers and chicken sandwiches. It took a while to get the food, but it was worth the wait. Both were delicious.
What They’re Wearing: Beer attire. Chicks in heels regretted it with the patio’s gravel ground. Stick to jeans with tees, sundresses, and khakis with button-downs. Baseball caps are a go.
When You Enter, Make a Beeline For: A picnic table to order beers by the bucket under the stars.
When the Crowd Arrives: The crowd was there when we arrived at 8 pm. They were still there when we left at 11 pm.
Spotted: A lot of happy people.
Bottom Line: The fact that the place wasn’t completely ready for business was disappointing, but we’ll absolutely be back. You can’t hate on a no-frills bar dishing out beer and good French fries. Plus, with all the indoor and outdoor space, you’re always guaranteed a place to stand and sip.
Check out our nightlife gallery from Katy Trail Ice House’s opening night.
