I was so excited by Annie D.'s review of this place yesterday that I knew I had to go here, stat. So, Leah G. and I headed here right after the Elite party yesterday so we could get our hands on some of those amazing-sounding drinks. When we arrived, we saw that there was a $5 cover for a jazz artist that was playing tonight, but the hosts told us they wouldn't actually charge a cover until 9:30, and if we were still there by then, they'd just charge us the $5 on our bill, which I think is a very reasonable practice. We were seated in the upper level, which gives a great view of the stage below. I can't wait to see a show here...it's perfectly intimate without being overly clustered. I like that. Our waiter was quick to attend to us, and was awfully nice. Note: they do all their ordering on iPhones, so they aren't texting while you give them their order! We ordered the beet salad and the bacon and green chile burger and just split them both. SO tasty. The beet salad came with two delicious deviled eggs, sweet beets, some arugula, and a nice thick bacon. The burger was also excellent-very flavorful and big enough to share. To drink, I ordered the La Samba, which was an orange-cinnamon caipirinha. It was served in a large shot glass for $5, and the flavor was so warm and spicy I can't wait to try it again. We finished with the rhubarb pie, which was a perfect ending to our meal. We both decided that we absolutely need to go back, and with the prices, we absolutely can afford to. Our meal, for three items and two drinks, was $34. I can just tell this is going to be a huge hit. read more

Icehouse - Beet salad - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Happy birthday to me! I was given my pick of pretty much any place in the Cities and decided to come here based upon the favorable yelp reviews. I give this place 4.49 stars. Everything about the place was five stars for me but the food. The ambience is very cool, modern and unique. They had a nice jazz duo on the main stage providing nice background music. The cocktail menu here gives Marvel Bar a run for its money. As I was not driving, I had quite a few - namely the man with forked beard (a dark and stormy), the full, grown man (somewhat like a dark and stormy but with bourbon thrown into the mix), and on blueberry hill (blueberry gin collins). Really liked them all, but I think on blueberry hill was my favorite (I am in touch with my feminine side). It was a very refreshing, summertime drink. Our server was a five-star rockstar, except when it came to her speaking volume. She was a real low talker as Seinfeld would say, but otherwise she was Ms. Johnny on the Spot. As to the food, better than meh. Some items stood out more than others. I knew it was tapas/small plates coming in, but the food would come out and it would be like really, that's it? If you are a dude with a healthy appetite, be prepared to part with some serious cash if you want to leave full. I definitely recommend the crab cake mac & cheese. The smoked chicken was pretty good as well, but a little too much fat on it to be completely to my liking. I think maybe if I were to come back for the lunch menu sometime, I would bump this place up to five stars. All those sandwiches listed seem like they would be more my style. The cheesesteak in the picture up top seriously looks like the bee's knees. read more

After three visits to Icehouse (happy hour, dinner, and show), I will call myself a "fan." Each time, I've received awesome service, sipped on a delicious mixed drink, and had a fun time. Not to mention, their gorgeous space has something for everyone. Want to listen to some live music? Check their website for upcoming acts. Group dinner with friends? Grab a table in the back room. Make out sesh with your boo? Make your way to the top floor balcony. (Not that I have or anything...) For drinks, I recommend the Full Grown Man (bourbon, rum, with house ginger beer & bitters) or Red-Headed Stepchild (rye whiskey collins w/ laphroaig & strawberry). Great stuff! But really, all of their cocktails are fantastic. There was some "Devil" drink they used to have, but I don't know if they serve it anymore. Regarding their food, I've indulged in their Icehouse Burger (onion confit, triple cream, truffled bordelaise), beets (smoked trout, pickled horseradish, dill, crème fraiche), smoked wings (hot pepper sauce, bleu cheese, marinated celery), and house cut fries. Their food is solid, generously portioned, and not too salty. However, I think that the prices are a couple bucks more than I would like to pay, but it's cool. I visit Icehouse here and there for a fun time with friends. You should, too. read more

Icehouse - Top floor view. - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

This place is soooo cool (pun intended). Its surprisingly big inside, with an upper level seating area that circles the bar and a nice patio, too. They play jazz music and it perfectly adds to the chic but not snooty atmosphere. I was lucky enough to be seated at the chefs table. What a perfect spot to watch the kitchen and the entire restaurant, with a top notch view of the stage to boot! I was told the table was made of reclaimed barn wood. Seating for 10 and large velvet curtains for added privacy makes this particular table the perfect party spot, too. The menu is small but just the right size for the small plates and snacks they serve. I still had trouble deciding what to order. I ultimately decided on the porcini vegetable burger, topped with teleggio (cheese) & spinach. Man was it delicious. Served with some house made spicy pickles it made the perfect meal, but wasn't something that would make you full. I decided not to drink because I had a long drive home, but they had plenty of nonalcoholic beverages to choose from and the balsamic strawberry lemonade was calling my name, loud and clear. Holy-moly delicious lemonade; I can't wait to go back and try more flavors. I also recommend getting the Wisdom of the Century, the last item on the drink list, its free and very refreshing (seriously order it, and see what you get). One person in my party had the blushing belle (pomegranate hibiscus gin-tini with vanilla cream foam) and I had a taste, it was amazing, seriously delicious and I will be having one the next time I visit. The servers enter your order on iPhones and the food and drinks all arrive fairly quickly. Once you are done, they scan your credit card on the iPhone too, so no worries about someone stealing your info (I have had it happen to me before at an unnamed restaurant that I have reviewed). They take Discover Card too, so that is always an added bonus for me. The only snafu of the evening was they ran out of menus so my party of 8 had to share 3, but really, it didn't matter so I won't knock them down a star simply for that minor issue. We kept our menus the entire meal, in case we wanted to order more, so I would guess that is what others also did that night. It might be a tad expensive for what you get, but its worth it, go visit Icehouse you won't regret it. I can't wait to go back. read more

Icehouse - The menus - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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I've been coming here for 10 years. Something changed and the food was horrible compared to previous standards. I got the meatloaf and my wife got the smothered burrito as our server recommended them. The cauliflower appetizer our server recommended was good. Burrito was cold and nothing special. Chipotle is better. The meatloaf? Laughable. Terrible presentation, cranberries were not tart, canned corn on the top? (We live in the land of corn at least get some real sweet corn!), and any Tuesday night meatloaf at home was better. This used to be our special occasion place. We were chuckling the entrees were so bad. Not worth the money. Maybe their sandwiches are better? I thought they would seat us by music when we made a reservation but didn't ask. Sipping shots are good but have been the same for years. We're not going back, which is sad after a decade of coming here. read more

Stopped by with my boyfriend for brunch and was not disappointed at all! Quite the opposite really, I had one of the most delicious and decadent thing I've ever put in my mouth. I had the crispy duck leg with a fried duck egg over duck filled brioche topped with a melt-in-your-mouth duck liver foie gras. Yes. Oh my lord, yes. Everything about this was yes. From the deliciously crispy and moist duck leg, to the duck meat pouring out of the brioche as I cut into it. Oh the foie gras, such a tiny morsel, but packed with huge buttery flavor. Topped it all off with a peach amaretto mimosa, a drink I believe may have been made for me because it was too perfect. Excellent. read more

Icehouse - Duck brioche, do it - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

I have been dying to try out the Icehouse, and when my friends finally agreed to join me for brunch, I was pumped. Atmosphere: Seriously an awesome venue. They had super cool lighting, with the glass Einstein bulbs in a clear vase. They had a man singing and playing guitar on stage during brunch and he was great. They have a lower level and an upper level, I really want to go to a show at the Icehouse after seeing the venue during the day. Drinks: Their drink list is awesome. I've been drying to try their famous Homer Bloody. I'm trying to become a bloody fan so my friend got it and let me have a few sips. It was amazing. The mix was thick and spicy, but not too spicy. The bacon was crisped to perfection, and of course, the mini donut. I will for sure be getting one my next brunch visit. As for myself, I had the Escape Velocity coffee and alcoholic drink. It was incredible. The cold brew coffee had great flavor and how can you go wrong with caramel and vanilla cream? It was sweet but not too sweet. I could have sipped all day. Food: For brunch I had the Savory EClaire. This was an interesting dish. Their presentation on this dish could have been a little better, it looks very strange. The EClaire itself was filled with cream and glazed just like a normal EClaire but it also included bacon. It was very good, however I most likely wouldn't order it again. It was basically a glorified doughnut with bacon and an egg. My friend ordered the Brisket Hash and it was so good. A bit spicy but that is what made it. Service: The serivce was pretty good. The servers take the order on phones so the order is put in right away. Over food came out so fast because of this! The only thing that I don't like about the phones is that it causes the server to not be as personable with their tables. Overall I am extremely excited to come back and try their lunch/dinner and have a bloody of my own. I'm a huge cuban fan and my friend told me they have the best cuban that she has ever had. read more

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This daaarling place is hard to find because of its dark, nondescript exterior, but it is so worth it! It is located right across from Pho79/Caravelle. I just valet park ($6) in the lot directly next to Icehouse (between the new Black Sheep Pizza and Vertical Endeavors). The cocktails menu is more "man-ly" (aka strong!) bourbons and whiskeys but there's a drink or two in there for those of us with a sweet tooth. They have sinful appetizers and the ever elusive (at least in the cities) Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich. At least my belly hasn't come across another location? (if you have, please write me so I can immediately go buy a dozen macaron ice cream sandwiches and eat them until I pass out from a sugar coma) There is usually a live band playing and the half dozen times we have gone, the bands have been great! Great food, great atmosphere, even better drinks, and three gigantic macaron ice cream sandwiches per serving to end the night. Totally worth the $6 valet parking. read more

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I am a huge fan of this area for restaurants, but most of the restaurants I typically go to on Nicollet tend to be hole in the wall places. This was no hole in a wall, I immediately loved the atmosphere of Icehouse, it had a polished yet rustic and homey look that was very inviting. The service was impeccable, the servers were equipped with lots of menu knowledge and iphones to take your order. The memorable items we had were the market fish (halibut), gnocci, duck plate and dry rub buffalo wings. Every plate was well seasoned, great textures and good quality local meat (bonus!). We were quite full from our dishes but decided to splurge more by getting the blueberry pie with corn ice cream. It was a nice combination of flavors and love that they make everything from scratch. Prices are great for what you get and when the server asked how our first visit was I could only respond with two words: "Fucking Amazing". Enough said. read more

Icehouse - Ploughman's Plate - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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So glad we found this place! We landed in town on a Sunday and found out they had a Cuban band performing that day from 4-7:30 $7 entrance fee. Nice crowd, nice drinks, nice area, what more can you ask for Sunday Funday! read more

Icehouse gets very little wrong in the rising scene of the Minneapolis new American food genre. And by very little I mean that I'll be going back here for sure. As a self-proclaimed technorati, any new innovation in restaurant tech gets me into a "I'm so glad I live in 2012 mood." Icehouse waiters use iPhones to take orders. Why is this cool? No more hassle about splitting bills; easy to change the order; instantaneous transmission to the chefs. You feel like you're in the Apple store. Not only this, but their online menu is mobile-friendly, which is good for me and I'm sure many Yelpers who mainly use the app and are sick of trying to read a 2-pixel font on a restaurant's website. My party of six went at 6:30 on a Tuesday, however I would still recommend making a reservation as this place is ramping up in popularity (a la "Butcher and the Boar", another new American restaurant that recently sprang up). The Icehouse espouses the "small plates paradigm" by offering several (unique) smaller entree options. I have come to appreciate this model as it offers the diner a more varied experience while not putting all your eggs in one basket. Our party tried a good portion of the menu but some of the highlights included the dry-rub buffalo wings (these were amazingly flavorful; just order them!), market fish, gulf shrimp, and swiss burger. It's easy to order too many things if you're feeling hungry, but I find that as we went through the meal, to order as you go was an efficient solution. Icehouse is not the place where you have a huge entree and call it a night. You have to carefully navigate their very unique drinking menu ($5 sippin' shots will have you intrigued) and order a few small plates. The waiter made a recommendation to get a salad, small plate, and drink, and that would be enough to fill us up. He didn't know he had some very voracious consultants on his hands, but I think his suggestion is good for the average diner. All in all, I can't wait to come back here. read more

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Yeah, not so much? Attended the Surly Wet release here recently. I won't knock the place for the absolute horrendous parking situation it finds itself in, but seriously, I felt like I needed to pack snacks and extra water for the walk back to my car. It wasn't crowded either... The place is average looking inside, sort of what you imagine when you close your eyes and imagine a bar in Minneapolis, though I can't imagine what a band would sound like in here with the brick walls and metal balconies. The food? Distinctly average, if you are lucky enough to actually get consumable food in your order. I'll explain. There was a special Surly menu on said release evening. One item on the menu was a "Bender brisket" sandwich. Mine was average. It didn't suck, and for $6 I guess it was fine. One of my companions ordered the same thing, but instead of brisket he got a giant muslin bag full of spices and a giant string in his sandwich. And I mean giant. Once removed there effectively was nothing remaining in the sandwich. This is a serious error. I guess the muslin bag looked *slightly* like brisket, but not so much so that it should fake out someone who serves food for a living. In fact it shouldn't fool anyone who has a least one semi-functional eyeball and an understanding of the fundamental differences between MEAT and a GIANT MUSLIN BAG OF SPICES AND STRING. And since the same someone who put the bag on the sandwich might also be the same person who created and placed the bag of spices in with the meat in the first place, and therefore might have reason to suspect that there is a giant bag of spices somewhere in the meat, and they should probably be on the lookout and make an effort not to serve it as meat. Because it is not meat. It is a giant bag of spices. With string. But everyone makes mistakes. But then we come to the service recovery. Upon waving the server down to point out the giant bag of spices and string (now featuring a bite mark in them) and the resulting severe lack of meat on the sandwich, what is a server to do? Our server asked if we wanted him to replace the sandwich. The customer here never, in fact, received their order. YES WE WANT IT REPLACED. The implied question was, "are you okay with the two pieces of bread that used to be around the non-food item we attempted to serve you, or are you such a fussy-pants that you want an entirely new sandwich?" Dude! You served a giant freaking tea bag in lieu of brisket. Yes, please kind sir, if you could find it in your heart to provide for us what we ordered, we would be so eternally grateful. Again though, mistakes happen. I would call serving a giant non-food item thinking it was food a mistake. I would call asking if we wanted to replace the food we didn't get in the first place a mistake. I would also call not getting an apology, or a visit from the manager, or at least a slice of bread comped on your bill a mistake also. A nervous grin, a pat on the back, and a "whoops!" was pretty much all we got from the server. I guess we didn't look like the type of people that the staff cared enough about to make any effort at recovery. Which sucks. In the end, nobody died, and we walked out of the place with a story to tell. But not one of the five guys at our table will come back here either. They served Surly so they get two stars. read more

After months of speculating what this place is all about, I finally got to check it out yesterday. I didn't get to see the live music scene, but I'm kinda glad I didn't since the stage seems wayyy too close to some of the tables in my opinion. Perhaps this set up is to accommodate for the deaf people of the world (Hearing aids? No problem. We'll just seat you a few inches away from blowing out your eardrums). Equal opportunity rules. All that aside, this place wowed me with the food department since the crispy pork biscuit I got was mouthwatering. I'd definitely plan a return visit here again sometime to try out their other items. By the way, fellas, the waitresses here are HAWWWTT. Not sure if this should be included in the review, but I just thought I'd let you know. read more

I really want to love this place but its tough when the portions are so tiny and the price doesn't seem right for the offer. The duck was NOT good. And I'm a duck lover. Whatever came with it wasn't right. What was the chef thinking!? The Mac and cheese was great except it was the smallest portion I've ever had for $13. The server was not friendly. She was rather... EMO. I need someone high energy. Someone worth tipping. Someone who will come to our table and tend to us. Anyway, if you like your drinks strong, then this is your place. Maybe they decided to be generous with drinks rather than food. Ha ha. When I came it was a Friday night so it was quite busy and we sat in the corner next to the kitchen. We were on the other side of the restaurant so we didn't get very much interaction with the band playing. The stage where the band was playing is very tiny so the person who is singing can pretty much spit on your food if you're eating at atable right in front of them. Would I go here again? Maybe... read more

A lovely visit for lunch, and I have nothing but positive things to say! 1. Service: Nick, our waiter, was absolutely wonderful. He was charismatic and informative about the food on the menu. We spent most of our interactions laughing, and he definitely showed personality while serving. We could tell that he had worked here for several years because he knew every tidbit of information about the menu. He was prompt in refilling our waters and stopped by to ask us how our food was once we had received our dishes. Nick, thank you for making our first trip to Icehouse, a great experience! 2. Food: With Nick's second opinion, I decided on getting the Chuckwagon with a salad ($12). My friend got the veggie burger with fries ($12). The chuckwagon, simply put, was meat on blast. There was so much meat in between two buns. Pork cutlet and pit ham with a cheddar fondue waterfall & all the fixins'. It looks like heartburn, but it tastes like heaven. I chose the salad to balance out my meal, but I tried one of my friend's hand cut fries and I would recommend those any day. Perfectly seasoned and there were so many long ones...who doesn't love gigantic french fries? My friend's veggie burger apparently didn't even taste like a veggie burger. Our waiter said he's probably had hundreds of them since beginning to work at Icehouse, and I could see why! You really can't go wrong with the food here! 3: Atmosphere: The hostess walked my friend and I to our seats, and we were both confused at first because the front of the restaurant was completely empty. It made me think that we were the only customers when we first arrived. I realized that for lunch, they seat customers in the back of the restaurant instead of by the stage where they have performances during the night. I liked the chalkboards that specified different options, and the outdoor patio looked to be ideal for the spring/summer. Icehouse left a lasting impression on me, and I will surely be back! read more

Icehouse - Veggie burger - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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I was scared--my friend said that he had walked out twice so furious with the service prior to our visit. He's obviously not a Yelper--I know people who refuse to go back to a place once because of horrible service, let alone twice, and then to give it a third try! But we were all floored by how awesome brunch was last week. I had the mushroom-truffle crepe and a latte, and my friends a brisket hash and the special, which I think was a chilaquiles, but I don't think they called it that. My crepe was divine. Anything truffle is divine, let's be real, but this was really spectacular. Both my friends' meals were great. The service was actually quite good, smiley, apologetic when something went wrong, and just generally friendly. The bluegrass band, though, was the best part of the brunch. How COOL to have this folksy band playing while you are eating folksy food in a folksy place? I love you, Minnesota. This is something that can only work here, and it works well. I wish them the best! read more

Icehouse - Truffle mushroom crepe on brunch menu, $9 - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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We went to Icehouse on my birthday for brunch. I was VERY limited on time - I had a wedding to get to 3 hours away later in the day. I was honest and upfront and told my server. I said I might need to leave before the rest of the group. I don't really feel like my server remembered or cared about that. Not a huge deal, and NOT the reason for my updated two star review. I've been to Icehouse before and had a magical five star time. I ordered the brisket hash, because I had it before and knew how huge and filling it was. Perfect for me with my long day of travel ahead of me. Holy shit. It was NOWHERE NEAR the same dish as I'd had previously. It was potatoes, with approximately a dime size bite of brisket mixed into the whole thing with eggs on top. Brisket Hash should have... brisket, right? Not according to the manager that swung by. He said that's what it's usually like and I disagreed with him. I'd had it before and it was SO GOOD. This was... ugh. Disappointing for sure. I really only ate the eggs. He offered to get me more brisket or something else, but unfortunately, I didn't have time for that. The manager wanted to comp my cocktail, which irritated me. I liked the cocktail and felt like making me pay for food I did not like nor eat, was... not cool man. I think my cocktail was cheaper too. I can't remember for sure though. They tried to bring a birthday treat to me, but I had to jet. I appreciated the attempt though. read more

Icehouse - $5 sipping shot called Satan Laughs & Spreads His Wings. - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

With the several reviews about this wings, I figured I had to give them a shot....after all I love buffalo wings, Well I'm glad I tried them b/c they were good. However, I had a hard time calling them buffalo wings since they were not sauced. They were just dusted in a dry spicy rub, which was good. What I didn't like was that 1) the wings were small malnourished pieces and 2)the blue cheese was aerated, which made it bit watery once the wing was dipped. I guess they were trying to fancy, but I would have preferred the good ol' creamy stuff that coats and sticks the wing. I also got the empanadas which contained beef and potatoes; they were okay. Each (there were 3) came with an accompaniment, one of which was a fried piece of cheese; it was good. It was a thin white cheese (don't ask me what) with a bit of spices added. Sitting on the patio was overall pretty nice (and a bit breezy as I found once my napkin went flying), but at first it was distracting given all the students from Vertical Endeavors (next door) doing planks in the adjacent courtyard. With that said the distraction wasn't horrible, just more entertaining (after a while). Although, I enjoyed the wings it wasn't enough for me to feel like I need go come back. The menu options don't appeal to me and seeing that I live to eat....that's no good! read more

Good for shows! Urban concert venue in gritty but safe Minneapolis. Lovely food compared to most venues, I ordered apps and a burger and some cocktails. Probably would mostly come back for music as opposed to for the food or ambiance. read more

ICEHOUSE. I adore this place and I haven't even been to a show yet. I imagine that this place is even more magical with music. My girl and I went for Happy Hour on a super hot day last week and sat on the patio. It was well covered and had an awesome breeze wafting through the tables; it was perfect sitting outside even though it was in the nineties. Their beer, house wine and rail drinks are all on special for HH and they have a limited (yet still rad) food menu. I ordered a Pacifico and the "Daily Dawg" which was covered in pickled cauliflower. What a dynamite food and drink combo that was. They also have 4 different sundaes to choose from-ideal for July! This place is bomb; my only fear is that it will go all Muddy Waters on me and will be too popular and I will never get a table. read more

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I'm going to go ahead and give them 5 stars, even though they didn't have exactly what I wanted, but that was my own fault, not theirs. After a BRUTALLY dissapointing brunch session with my ladies, I was annoyed and cranky and wanted a DRANK. On my instagram feed was a beautiful photo of the Bloody Homer, a bloody mary topped with a donut. I needed it. So we went in there at about 3:30 pm on a Sunday. Unfortunately, they only have it during brunch hours and instagram didn't tell me that. The server was able to get the bar to make me the drink sans donut, because they were all out of the garnish. And the drink was delicious was strong and EXACTLY what I needed after the clusterfuck that we went through. Ellie E got a mimosa, and we each got apps, which were half price, and we didn't even realize until it was time to pay. If I'd have known I would have gotten more! I got the brussels and they were amazing, and she got eggplant and seemed to enjoy hers as well. Service was phenominal, especially because we told her about our terrible morning, so I think she definitely made it up for us! The rest of the food that we saw on other tables looked great also, and I look forward to coming back as soon as I can for brunch! read more

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Average food. The music venue area was probably cool, but didn't want to spend the extra money to sit over there. Drink was pretty icky.

I can cross this one off my list. Met my friend for brunch after we learned that our first place was closed on Sundays. We fervently searched for a new destination and wound up here. I was looking for a good place with a good Bloody Mary. Their selection was impressive. Mini Donut? Okay.. I'm thinking a Tom Thumb mini donut and a piece of bacon. Sounded good. Instead a mini donut with bacon sprinkled on top of the glaze. Ate the bacon, passed on the donut which I heard was stale. Bacon was meh. Mix itself? Weak and blah. Sometimes too many bells and whistles doesn't always deliver. The Bloody Lisa's skewer was attractive but again, didnt deliver a wow factor. I waivered between the Pastrami and Egg sandwich or the Breakfast Burger. I chose Pastrami. Again, bells and whistles, but not my favorite. It wasn't bad; just okay. Fries were good. My friend ordered the burger which she said was actually pretty good. Service was fine. Live music. All I can say is glad we chose to sit further back from the stage. read more

Coming to this restaurant was such a treat! I came here to celebrate a friend's birthday. Although we already had a big group to begin with, the restaurant was very accommodating when we added a few more people to our group the day of the dinner. I did not know what to expect when I first got to the restaurant. However, I got super excited after looking at the menu. The restaurant has many unique dishes are not commonly found in other places. I wanted to try everything so I went for the prix fixe menu, in which I got choose one appetizer, one entree, and one dessert for a price of $35! My first course was the sweetbread carbonara with pork belly. It was good but the sweetbread was a little chewy. Au bon canard duck platter was my second course and it was unbelievably delicious! The duck breast was flavorful and not overcooked. The foie gras was divine and it just melts in your mouth. I wished that I had some toasts with the foie gras though since it was so rich. I usually do not order desserts but I am glad that I did not missed out on the salty caramel macarons. They were so delicious that I don't think my words can ever do it justice! read more

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I held off on writing my review of Icehouse until we'd eaten there for both dinner and brunch. I'd heard good things about both and was pretty excited about eating there. Icehouse did not disappoint. First of all, it's just a cool place. Tucked between a million Vietnamese places and just down the street from Glam Doll, the front of the place isn't flashy. In fact, you actually have to look closely, or it's easy to overlook the place. Once you're inside, it exudes a cool relaxed vibe without being pretentious. There's the main room, where there's a stage for the frequent live music. They get some great acts here, and the little stage works great for the purpose. There's a bar, and then there are tables both upstairs and downstairs. There's also a back room and back bar for those who are less interested in a view of the stage. Even though you can't see the stage, you can still hear the music back there, which makes it a nice option if you want to have conversation with your dining mates. Beverage-wise, I love the Icehouse. The have a good, solid beer list, and the servers actually know their stuff when it comes to describing and recommending. They also have a great cocktail list, and the cocktails are mixed expertly. If your'e there for brunch, check out the Bloody Homer, which is a bacon bloody served with a big piece of thick slab bacon and a mini maple doughnut on a stick. It is fabulous. But it's $11. It was honestly a touch too spicy for my taste, but I enjoyed the novelty of it. It's not a drink that I wouldn't order every time, but it is fun. My go-to brunch beverage is the Escape Velocity, which is cold pressed coffee, caramel rum and a white vanilla foam topper. Stir it up and it's extraordinary. Coffee and booze. Perfect brunch beverage. I prefer this over the Bloody Homer, but that's a personal taste thing. I am a coffee addict, after all. Also, random note: I adore the awesome big cube ice cubes they have here. I ordered a cider the first time we ate there and asked for a glass of ice to go with it. The cube ice is just so cool and happy. Call me crazy, but it really added to the whole experience for me. OK, so food. For dinner, we had the mushroom appetizer, which I highly recommend. It's a pile of beautiful mushrooms baked in a little cast iron pan over a bed of soft, creamy polenta. Just a killer app. I got the celery root gnocchi for my entree. I'm a sucker for brown butter sauce. Honestly, if I hadn't known they were made from celery root, I wouldn't have been able to tell. They were delicious. My husband got the steak and kimchi pancake, which he reported to be excellent. For dessert, we got the salted caramel macaroons, which were ridonkulous. Three big airy macaroons with salted caramel ice cream in the middle, drizzled with caramel sauce. Our waiter helpfully recommended slicing them in half down the middle, which definitely made the easier to eat. Delicious, every bite. But very easy to get up in the $100+ range if you go three courses plus drinks. Brunch, on the other hand, is a bargain and equally delicious. I would honestly rather eat here for brunch than dinner. There's a whole separate cocktail menu, including that bloody Homer. As a table, we ordered the salmon benedict, the brisket hash and the savory eclair. All were excellent. The salmon hash came with a generous portion of delicious smoked salmon -- not the type that's sliced and comes on bagels... actual chunks of delicious smoked fish, plus all the regular benedict fixins, including two beautifully poached eggs. Buyer beware, you REALLY have to like salmon to get this dish. It might be overload for some. The hash was also very good but was probably the least favorite of the three. The savory eclair was so intriguing that I couldn't help myself. It's a take on an actual eclair, with a fluffy, light crispy eclair shell and some sort of ridiculous creamy, savory pastry cream type stuff smeared on it. Then thin slices of amazing (and I mean amazing) pork belly on top and a beautiful sweet glaze. It's bizarre, but every single element works together and makes it amazing. Hey, I'm going to say amazing again! AMAZING! I am pretty sure the two guys I was with had ordering envy :-) Delicious. Most recently, I tried the crispy pork biscuit, which is pretty darn tasty. It's got a red eye sausage gravy over a nice fluffy biscuit, topped with a fried egg and served with a super crispy breaded pork cutlet. It was really yummy. The one thing I might complain about is that the entire plate is coated with a very strong mustard. It's good. It's tasty. But you really have to like mustard to get this dish. But if you do -- it's killer. I also have recently become a fan of the empanada. Even with coffee and cocktails, our tab generally works out to like $20-$25 a person, plus tip. Maybe $35 if you get two beverages. One of the best brunches in the Twin Cities, hands down, and a steal. Yum yum yum. That is all. read more

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Icehouse didn't just leave me with a satisfied appetite, but a great memory. My date and I tried the house wines, brisket "burnt ends", heritage pork and the trio of ice cream. Expensive, but worth every penny. Brisket = the bits with extra fat on them...holy shit. If you got to choose what to get clogged arteries from, this is it. A+ Pork = Great apple butter. Kale tasted like an egg roll, which was cool. Pork belly was another thing I'd like to clog my arteries with. Pork ends were better than the middle pieces. A Ice cream = Just get the butterscotch. Paprika was interesting. Sweet potato didn't have enough flavor. A- House wine = White was better than the red. Also our waiter Dayton was nice "Cheers!" read more

Icehouse - Cheers! - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Enjoying live jazz on a Monday. Yes! "One smoking jacket, two dead hombres" FEELING that groove. read more

My earlier review tore into Icehouse for its obnoxious $22 foie gras and Bordelaise burger. I have since gone back to give them another shot and I've bumped them up to four stars because the food really is quite good. They didn't quite make it to a full five stars but I'll explain why, below. I went with my wife this time on a weekday (Presidents' day, I think) and we got to try some other things on the menu, namely the club sandwich and the catfish po' boy. They were both excellent. The wife would barely let me take a nibble of her sandwich because she was seemingly incapable of putting it down. I chalk that up to the crazy buttery grilled toast, thick layer of crispy chopped bacon and tangy mayo that combined to form an unstoppable power trio of deliciousness. She liked that they spread the bacon across the sandwich rather than just putting a couple of slices on like most club sandwiches because that ensures you get bacon in every bite. Makes sense to me and I've changed the way I make sandwiches accordingly. You should, too. The po' boy was an almost insurmountable pile of crispy, lightly cornmeal-breaded pieces of tender catfish loaded into a soft bun full of bib lettuce and giardiniera, with a sweet and spicy mayo that had just the right amount of tangy-ness. I was lucky that the wife doesn't like seafood, so I didn't have to share a single morsel. The fries that accompany the lunch sandwiches were fresh cut and done to perfection. The only disappointment was that there wasn't enough dressing on the sandwich and I had to flag another server to get more because our server disappeared for about 15 minutes after bringing us our food. Again, it's not like the place was slammed, so I wasn't sure what had happened, but the other server was friendly and a little ramekin was brought out promptly. The only other complaint is that the dining space isn't very well designed. Our table was on the back wall, perpendicular to the kitchen and there was always someone walking by through this narrow gap between my chair and the booth behind me. I kept feeling like I was in the way. We asked for a booth, but they reserve those for groups of more than two. It just had an overall effect of making us feel like we were an inconvenience. I think the place might be more open and inviting when they open the patio in spring, but given that it's called Icehouse, you'd think they'd embrace winter a little more strongly. In any case, it's a place for some really good food and pretty good service. Just stay away from the foie gras! read more

Icehouse - Turkey bacon club - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Great atmosphere with a good vibe. Service was a little slow but the music was excellent so we were in no big hurry. We liked the fact that there was only one sitting so we didn't feel like we were being rushed out the door. Ordered the fried green tomatoes and burnt ends for appetizers, both were delicious. Good portion size as we split among four people and we each had plenty. My wife and I split the creole trio and the smoked chicken & fruit salad, I would recommend both. read more

I've walked past here a bunch of times and what better night to stop in than when it's 90 out! Now I have to say, we only came in for some drinks and to enjoy the patio while we mentally preparing ourselves for some Thai food across the street (review to follow). That said from the second I walked in here I was very glad we stopped. The ambiance of this place is fantastic. They had a little jazz band playing, not to load but added to the feel. We stuck with the patio which is laid out in a nice little urban setting and is very comfortable and isolated a little bit from the street not to far off. The drink selection was great and I had a fantastic ginger whiskey something or other that I will make sure to search for on my next visit. It was a nice fresh ginger flavor, good clean whiskey taste and a little fruity but not too much! The service was great and after glancing at the menu I saw a number of things we will return to sample. Love the room, loved the patio and giddee-up on the cocktails! KT read more

If you are looking for a place to go on a date night, it is definitely a place to go for. It is such a flirty restaurant and brings a sexy vibe, where you just want to get a drink and look at your partner. The music and environment remind me of " fly me to the moon" from Thomas Anders. My friends and I had caramel macaron and it was delicious ( salty from caramel and sweet from ice cream and macaron). I didn't like the sherbet ( too too too sour) and ice cream ( too bitter especially for chocolate) read more

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Finally made it to the Icehouse for Brunch, but think I'd prefer this place for dinner. Eating brunch and trying to talk over the music got very old. It felt odd being in a concert venue ordering breakfast. That being said, our meals were 'good enough'. I don't think we were overly impressed. We ordered the French Toast & two orders of Brisket Hash. We found it odd that the 'side of bacon' we ordered was practically a 1/2 in cut of ham. ????? Next try is going to be dinner or post dinner at Icehouse- maybe my review wouldn't be so "A-OK". read more

Icehouse - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

We've wanted to try Icehouse for sometime and certainly were not disappointed, save for one dish. The drinks are inventive and tasty; I would recommend the sipping shots - you get all the flavor at a much more palatable price. They have a great bourbon selection, so for those that are into bourbon, or want to introduce themselves, it's a great place to go. As for the noise level, we chose to be in the side dining room because we were afraid the live music would be too loud for our conversation. However, we found that the live music was much more subdued compared to the cacophony coming from the large table next to us. We hoped that once the live music started, it would drown out some of the shrill sounds, but to no avail! Next time, we will opt for the main dining room with the live music. It could be that the acoustics in the separate dining room don't lend well to quelling noises. As for the food - the forest mushroom flatbread with poached egg is a must as well as the beet salad. We were disappointed with the foie gras dumplings in duck consommé; unfortunately, the star anise overpowered the dish and I was immediately taken back to some bad Chinese dishes I've had on numerous occasions during my frequent travels in China. This definitely could be a taste thing. I find that star anise is like cilantro, you either hate it or you love it. The short ribs were wonderful and well balanced with the other items on the dish. The scallops were cooked perfectly, but I had hoped that the "Bacon Candy" would have been a little bit more "crisp" and candy brittle-like. All in all, we will definitely go back, but next time will be for brunch! read more

Icehouse - Scallops with Bacon Candy. - New American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Wish we could give this place more than 5 stars! we are thoroughly impressed with the food quality, creative mixology, amazing service, and incredible vibe. best of all, they come at a mindblowing affordable price. the 5-course (which turns out to be 6-course because dessert was included) was a fine-dining experience and only cost... $25!! (whut?!) They also offer a 10-course for $40 but we were stuffed after the 5-course. Meanwhile, in the adjacent room of Icehouse, talented performers are bringing down the house with hip hop beats. hands-down THE BEST and most stimulating dining experience we have ever had. a shoutout to Christopher the bar manager - a true curator of liquors. read more

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If I could 0 stars, I would. If you are not a hipster and are a normal human being, please do not waste your time here unless you want a plate full of disappointment. A group of us stopped on our way out of the city and were ignored, given horrible service, and unreasonably bad food. The water was even bad, how does that even happen?! Wouldn't recommend to anyone read more

Enjoyed a early dinner out. Meal 1 = brisket-- tender to the point of wonderful and served with chef choice sauce. Side of delightful cauliflower- amazing! Meal 2 = house burger and fries with a side of Brussels sprouts-- the sprouts were great. Burger was excellently prepared but be sure you order the "doneness" you want - chef's preference is to the rare side. Dessert was shared carrot cake -- far from traditional but a perfect finish and served with a side of sorbet. Finished with coffee. read more

Yeah, I would definitely return, sit at the back bar, and enjoy this friendly, delicious restaurant again. Everything was delightful; the decor, the friendliness of the other diners, the servers. Deets (01/14/2016): Man about town, small cocktail, 5 Beet salad, 9 - totally excellent and amazing, these roasted beets, sized between marbles and ping-pong balls, were delightful; a unique dish in my experience Korean petite ribeye, 24 - beautifully served, perfectly cooked, accompanied with unique and delicious sauces; a must for ribeye fans TOTAL, 38 BONUS - good value for finer dining BONUS - an easy walk to the Minneapolis Institute of Art (new.artsmia.org) SHOUT-OUT to Stephen for making me feel like a regular read more

The food was decent, maybe priced a bit high for the quality. The real problem with this place is the service. There's an air of pretentious that is almost comical. Our server forgot about us and when we waved him down, we were clearly bothering him. Oh well, his tip reflected the quality of service. That is to say "horrible." read more

I got the veggie burger and wow, I wish all restaurants took the time to make veggie burgers like this. I almost didn't get it because I'm so used to veggie burgers being pretty plain at restaurants but WOW thank you Icehouse! I was blown away and am still craving it! My friend got the chicken sandwich and was equally impressed. Great drinks. Great service! read more

We visited their Jazz venue last night Oct. 3rd. It was unbelievable! We are from Miami and owned Business in Key West Florida so we know about Music quality . The "group jam" was so so good that I wish they can visit our beautiful City Miami. The talented father of the saxophonist came up on stage and did a WOW performance . The food was excellent , we had the Patricia burger and my husband a pork sandwich our waiter Page a super sweet and quick , the Cosmo and Manhattan drinks as good as my City. Don't go buy Minneapolis without experiencing this hidden gem . Good luck guys , Que siga la Música ! read more