MLK Day holiday... reflecting on the monumental work that Martin Luther King did for civil rights as I eat my breakfast. It's been a minute since I've dined at Waterloo ice house. I asked Sam the manager why it is called a icehouse and he said back in the day they cooled beverages in through of ice. He also reminded me about the Waterloo name. This was the original name Austin, TX. We have Waterloo records, Waterloo water and Waterloo icehouse. I ordered potatoes and grits with pecans from Dawson, my server. He was pleasant and accomdating. These vegan options were quite tasty, one my more tasty meals on my fast. Important to note they are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In addition, they have an awards program. Parking is also plentiful. Interestingly, Water has a De-Dice night, where unplug from your device with an opportunity to save. Great start to my day off...very welcoming atmosphere. read more

See all

Been coming here off and on for years and we do like their varied menu. Lots of different offerings for lots of different tastes. Today I ordered the chicken fried steak with green beans, mashed potatoes and an extra side of gravy. Got to say I was a little disappointed. It seemed to me like the food was under seasoned a bit and the chicken fried steak had too much of a chew to it, so much so that I didn't really enjoy it. The accompanying green beans tasted okay though seasoned well. As much as I really like chicken fried steak, I'll have to rethink this restaurant's version because it's not the way I remember tasting from years back. read more

Waterloo Ice House Burnet Road - Chicken, fried steak, mashed potatoes and extra gravy. A little disappointed in the quality of meat, very very chewy. - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

I have been here several times and always get an excellent meal, from breakfast to burgers. The service is also very good. The servers are personable and professional. They ensure you are taken care of. There is both indoor and outdoor seating. I also love the old truck up front...classic! read more

Waterloo Ice House Burnet Road - Hill Country Breakfast - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

Remember a while back they had that week with the old style burgers for like $8!? Well that was awesome, but tonight I went for a patty melt and and didn't expect what i got. High quality bread and a full bag of tater tots on the side! The sauce is fantastic and might have special ingredients cause i gave my dog a bite and she's been psycho the rest of the night. Anyways...i only ate half the sandwich after eating so many tater tots on the way home...i can't wait to eat the rest tomorrow. read more

Waterloo Ice House Burnet Road - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

We visited from out of town on Saturday and decided to stop in, and I'm really glad we did. We were greeted right away and the whole place had a welcoming feel. We tried the fried pickles and wings and both were really good. Food overall did not disappoint, but honestly the service stood out the most. A young lady named Ally took care of us and made us feel super special the whole time. She was so kind and really catered to us without it ever feeling forced. Just an all around great experience. Would definitely come back next time we're in town. Thanks, Ally! read more

I came in. There were five wait staff hanging around doing nothing. Some people came in 5 minutes after me. They were immediately waited on. I gave them ten minutes. Not even an acknowledgment of my presence. You would think with an empty parking lot, your staff would be interested in having some business. I left. Again no acknowledgement as I walked out the door. Do better read more

These people do not care about their neighbors or following city ordinances. Plus the food is mid at best.

I wanted to update my review. Waterloo steel rocks. Lately my visits have been for breakfast. I meet with a small group (20 people) once a week and they knock it out of the park with great service and wonderful food. It really doesn't matter if you go with the migas plate, one of their unique breakfast taco concoctions, avocado toast, or the classic American breakfast plate two eggs, meat, potatoes, and bread... All simply delicious If you're looking for a great breakfast spot, check them out... Great food, good coffee, outstanding service. read more

Waterloo Ice House has such mixed reviews on r/austinfood and Yelp. My one brunch experience here was great, but I can't help but fear my next visit will change my opinion on it. I had a full stack of the cinnamon pecan pancakes, and my friend got the Waterloo migas con chorizo. We both thought the food was really good, and the portions were huge. Our leftovers were enough for another meal. I paid $14 in total for my meal, which is a good price for how much food there was. Our server was very attentive. read more

Waterloo Ice House Burnet Road - Cinnamon pecan pancakes and Waterloo migas con chorizo - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

Brunch with nine fellas. An important brunch. Possibly the most important brunch of all time. This was the last meal my good mate, Tommy Tough Knuckles, would have as a single man. Naturally, we had to make it count. And the staff at Waterloo delivered. Nine of us. Four single tables pushed together to form one legendary spread. A crew of groomsmen, some looking fresh, most looking brutally hungover, all in desperate need of the food-and-drink combo that would carry us through the wedding. Mimosas won the vote. Five bottles of champagne. Our waitress? A mastermind--brought us the perfect amount of juice to mix all five. That level of precision? Elite. For food, I went with the chicken strip plate. Yeah, I know, a bit childish--but these weren't your run-of-the-mill kiddie meal strips. These were grown-man chicken strips, golden, crispy, tender, exactly what my soul needed. The plate came with mashed potatoes and a side of steamed broccoli and cauliflower. Now, I'm not much of a veggie man, but I knew these were the key to unlocking my peak physical performance for the night ahead. They delivered. To top it all off, the man of the hour got a free slice of chocolate cake and a cheeky smile from our waitress. Oh, how his life is about to change... Waterloo, you may not always know the impact you have on your customers. But on this day, you fueled a band of brothers and powered the groom through one of the greatest nights of his life. Legendary. read more

Breakfast was fantastic. Ordered the Southern Benedict and chicken was nice and crispy and egg was poached perfectly. Definitely recommend.

Came in the other day for brunch, the food and service was amazing. Dawson took care of us and he was so great. I really appreciate the hospitality and great French toast!! 10/10 would come back read more

Great food and service! Always go here to watch the game, Food is tasty. Thank you! read more

We went here for my birthday dinner while my parents were visiting. We sat on the patio with my little dog. I had the chicken fried steak and it was wonderful! The service was great and the menu had a good selection. Everything came out hot and fresh. read more

The food was great. I had banana cinnamon pancakes, and ate them all quickly. The food came out quickly despite our large group and the servers were friendly. The inside of this restaurant has a really nice style behind it and nice music which isn't too loud and blends well with the setting. It also has TVs to watch games or others things on. Overall, amazing experience, will eat here next time I visit. read more

Waterloo Ice House Burnet Road - Banana cinnamon pancakes. The butter had cinnamon in it and tasted great with the pancakes and syrup. - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

Breakfast is always good, the service is quick and they have MaineRoot Mexican Cola. Our family favorite!

First off let me say that I have been going to this location for years and never had any issues at all . However the last two visits that I have had this month have been awful. Food has been cold, orders have been wrong or missing something. No refills offered and barely received any service. We ordered queso and the guy who took the order didn't even put it in and he also sounded like he was still hungover. We didn't receive the queso until after we were done with our food and after we had asked to cancel it. My son orders a chicken sandwich and received a Turkey Burger. Everything was cold. I'm not sure who is in charge or who does the training but they need to do better and step it up. This is not the Waterloo I'm used to at all. Very disappointed . read more

There's a Kids' Meal Feature!! (Turkey meatballs over mashed potatoes, with green beans) I love my boring little routines (like tots vs. salad). I branched out today! Waterloo sweet potato fries are very thin and crispy, not the usual hunks of sweet potato that aren't even hot in the center. And the onion rings! The onion still has its essential character, the (light, delicious) breading is the perfect accompaniment. Had I known earlier how good this combination is, I'd have thrown over the perfect Waterloo tots earlier. Well, maybe: they really are perfect too. read more

See all

I found the service to be quite average.  It took a while for my server to notice me. It was a Sunday, in the early afternoon, and they weren't particularly busy with patrons.  But employees were busy with each other.  When I ate, I felt like I was dining in their space. My meal was tasty, though. My pancakes had light texture and were cooked just the right amount, and my eggs came out right. The only complaint is that a lot of the eggs came out in very small pieces, which made it difficult to pick up. I don't know if I'll return here. read more

See all

The Hill Country breakfast was perfect..... The hashbrowns and bacon were crispy, the eggs were not over cooked, and the English muffin was hot and buttered. read more

I moved to the suburbs years ago but my first apartment in Austin was close to this location way back in the early 2000s. I haven't had a meal here in years and today my visit was fantastic. It was just how I remembered it. My husband had the special burger and he devoured it I had the chicken fried chicken. My plate was perfect. I especially enjoyed the green beans! I never want to crunch those and too many places serve them that way. The service was great too. I'll definitely come back next time I'm in North Austin. read more

Blake helped immensely with my two young granddaughters on their orders. And the Mac and cheese was great...especially after we stirred in the remainder of our queso blanco. But the grilled pork chop was worth the wait along with those green beans. We are already planning to come back. read more

Highly recommend Waterloo on Burnet for every meal! The food and is always fresh and hot and the staff is super friendly and accommodating.

Great breakfast. Chicken and waffles. Fantastic. Perfect waffles. The chicken was hot and fresh. Moist. Service was spot on. Sam did his usual great job. read more

My boyfriend stopped by my condo, having a bad day, while I was finishing up pretending to work. A post about trivia night at Waterloo Ice House came across my screen like a ray of hope. I knew what we had to do. We zipped up to Waterloo Ice House, and registered for trivia just in time. The place was packed, to the extent that we ended up sharing a large booth with some folks we didn't know, but they were cool with it. The night's entertainment was hosted by Get It Gals and was probably so popular because it was "general knowledge" themed. The questions were announced live, and answers submitted on our phone. It was a fun, easy system for nearly anyone to join and play. Since it was a busy night, it took a while for our server to come over, but he still did an excellent job. Since I didn't have too much time to get distracted by reading their extensive menu (or maybe that's just the excuse I tell myself for craving the most basic of comfort foods) I orders the kids' grilled cheese. That's one of my favorite foods, but only diners and restaurants like this do it right. However, their menu has something for everyone, and shouldn't be dismissed just because they're not trendy and new. They've been around forever because they continually serve solid food and solid experiences! There are so many reasons to recommend Waterloo Ice House, and I just found another one! read more

See all

Everything is great about Waterloo. Service, food and prices. Variety of food choices available makes it difficult to choose just one thing.

Let me start by saying I have been here twice before and the previous two times our waitress was phenomenal and the food was fresh, very good tasting. I really enjoyed the casual, come as you are laid back atmosphere. However, this most recent time was enough to make me say I am NEVER coming back again. I came in sat myself, got a beverage and looked over the menu for a bit - all fine. Got my food timely, very good tasting - fine. The issue came with my main waitress that was taking my order, it was very obvious she was less than happy to be waiting on me for some reason. But then when it came time to pay, she was over at the bar chit chatting with several of her colleagues. I waited for quite a bit, she never came but one of the bartenders saw me waiting and came over to ring me out. He was very kind, I paid left them a decent tip on the card machine. As I was going to walk out the door the waitress stopped me and asked VERY loudly in front of the other patrons if I paid. I obviously did since she saw me get rang out by one of her colleagues while she chit chatted. I informed her I did, I told her the amount and pointed to her colleague who rang me out. She starts having a loud fit about how she can't she it on her machine and she is holding me up from leaving. Her colleague shows I paid on his machine and I finally got to leave. Do not go, who knows what this shady woman was trying to pull. As nice as everyone else there is, crossing paths with her is not worth it. read more

Wash your hands!!!!! I saw one of the staff members sweeping (okay fine) then proceeded to dump the dust pan into the trash (okay fine)..Then checked the drink machine and refilled it, then started a new pot of coffee, then sat down at a table and started rolling silverware, then played on her phone for a bit.....then touched multiple plates in the kitchen. I won't be back! WASH YOUR HANDS !!!! read more

Consistently good breakfasts! The green salsa is awesome. Sam and Dawson provide friendly and quick service. They never let your coffee mug go empty read more

The food was delicious and much appreciated food definitely had to go back to back for more

We've been to this location many times and used to love it. We've unfortunately noticed a downward trend of late. The food and service have become erratic. Our latest experience was 1 star for both. We placed our order then waited, and waited, and waited.... over 30 minutes. We hadn't ordered anything strange or exotic. The whole time we were waiting, no one came by our table to check on us, refill our drinks, or in general just to let us know what was going on. Meanwhile nearby tables that sat down and ordered after us were getting their food and eating. We finally got our servers attention. The response was "you're next." 10 minutes later our food finally came out. Tables that arrived later were already finishing up and starting to check out. It was obvious that part of our food had been sitting under the warmer for an extended time while other parts were freshly cooked. Hash browns were soggy and ham seemed microwaved. Someone had clearly dropped the ball somewhere. There was never an explanation, apology, or any attempt to "make things good." I'm giving them an overall 3 due to all the previous great experiences we've had, in hopes of seeing this trend reversed. read more

We were a big group and didn't arrive together, but as soon as any of us arrived our drink order was taken and filled and kept refilled through out the evening. When we were ready to order dinner, it came promptly, hot and really good (I got my favorite, Baja Bowl). We had a great time, and our server, SaraRuth, took care of everything beautifully the whole long time we hung out. read more

Love this place and tonight there was some great live, local music! We loved listening to Justin play the most perfect covers and a beautiful original song too. We didn't want to leave so we got their delicious cheesecake and more beverages. It's happy hour all day on Wednesdays. They have good deals most days of the week. Waterloo is a classic Austin institution. I'm so happy they are still so comforting and cozy. read more

10 out of 10 always. The food is always delicious and fresh. The servers are amazing and attentive. I love the atmosphere and music/TVs. Always a go to when I have friends or family in town. read more

Food is average and not the best but the drinks are great! They have a great happy hour deal where margaritas are only $5 and although the drinks aren't super strong they are very refreshing and flavorful! My personal favorite is the mango but the strawberry and blackberry are also really good. They have a nice patio so it's the perfect place to grab drinks and hang out and play cards. Wouldn't go for a meal but would go for drinks. Service is a bit slow but is nice read more

Waterloo Ice House Burnet Road - Margaritas - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

This is a nice little diner with all day breakfast. You order at the bar and they call out your name over intercom to pick up your food. We ordered the Brunch Burger & Breakfast Sandwich and cut them in 1/2 - both were delicious and just what we needed. You get exactly what you order here - nothing more, nothing less. Will work my way down the menu and provide updates along the way! read more

Waterloo Ice House Burnet Road - Brunch Burger & Egg Sandwich - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

I used to go to Waterloo with family and friends. I introduced a dozen people to this place. I was excited to try the chicken and waffles because they used to do a really great waffle. Well after waiting for an hour I finally got my food along with excuses for how it wasn't the cooks fault, the expo's fault, or the waitress fault, or the faulty equipments fault. My mom got her taco's that sat under a heat lamp for 45 minutes they made her sick. I was too pissed to even try the chicken and waffles. The manager came to us 3 times and begged us not to place blame accurately on any of the staff. I really will not ever go back to this place that I used to really like. read more

I hadn't been in quite a while but was welcomed by the relaxed and "old Austin" vibe... whatever that is, you'll know it if you've been in and out of town since the early 70's. I've been for breakfast a couple of times recently. Eggs over easy with hashbrowns. Sometimes I'm easy to please. Maybe the biscuits weren't on target that day. More like rolls and I'm assuming thats in part by whoever is in the kitchen that day. My partner and I walked out with smiles on our faces and thats worth stars a plenty. For me this is a solid 4 stars for being true to what it is. read more

Another try at breakfast: chicken fried chicken awesome, biscuits too doughy, gravy bit too thin- flavor bland. Coffee had no flavor, biscuits and gravy: doughy biscuits (should have got half order) 2 scrambled eggs looked like one and were very dry, eggs ordered with chicken plate were ordered over medium were runny inside and like rubbery plastic out. Bloody Mary ordered: taste good, presentation poor. Nothing but a piece of lime and olive with rim salt was delivered: ordered a large glass, double shot served in small glass. Had to order from waiter not our waiter, not bartenders either. read more

Waterloo Ice House Burnet Road - Half order avocado toast and 2 eggs over medium. - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

If you're going to eat from the regular menu, you better have some fat stacks available. They brought back a vintage menu a while back and that was the only way I could afford to eat here. I went every Thursday for a month. The staff behind the bar and counter are really nice but when I had table service I was super uncomfortable. I was with my really close friend and the waiter kept asking her to show him her tattoos so he could admire them. It got to the point to where I almost asked him to stop but she is a grown woman and could have navigated the invasiveness by herself. I joked that if she was my wife, he would have been trying to ruin our marriage on the spot. He never backed down the entire night and it made me so deeply uncomfortable. Otherwise, the restaurant has a true family vibe to it and I could tell that the manager really wanted us to have a wonderful dining experience. read more