If you have kids and you want a chill place to come visit with a place for the kids to play, this is your spot. It is big, nice layout and has an enclosed playground. Staff is friendly and have enough people that you are not waiting very long for a table in or out doors. Food. This would be my only hesitation/complaint coming here. It is ok but in no way great. I have had many things on the menu from breakfast eggs, waffle, biscuits, to burgers, fries and more. Best described as mediocre IMO. Lacks in flavor/seasoning by a lot and can be over cooked. It does the job of putting food in front of me but would not hype it up in any way. read more

Such a good restaurant for brunch! I love this place's golden waffle the most, but their brunch selections are beautiful too. Mom tried avocado toasts with wheat choice, she loved it so much. I tried their combo meal with: tortilla soup, house salad, and loaded potato was just a wonderful as well. I definitely come frequently, bring more people with me. The location for Escarpment is good as well. The servers working at this location are so kind, professional and fun to interact. They were being really patient for customers who needed time to select the menu. Very well trained. The pricing range is very good too. Not too expensive as other brunch cafes tends to be, it is rightful prices with the good amount of food on dishes. Reasonable pricing, good amounts, delicious quality and taste. read more

See all

I LOVE Waterloo. For any meal breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. The service is always great and I love the variety of the menu, especially as someone who's gluten-free. Their cinnamon pecan gluten-free pancakes are to die for. read more

Love this location! It's so perfect to be able to watch the kids play while we eat. Service was excellent. Food was meh. Burger was good. Chicken fried steak was mostly breading and a tiny portion. Don't bother with the sweet potato fries. They're limp and tasteless. Problems in the kitchen with the cookie dessert led to ordering the brownie which is not a brownie at all but a mediocre dry chocolate cake saved by chocolate chips. Go for the playground. Get the burgers and fries! read more

Best family oriented restaurant and perfect for all ages. Very affordable menu, great burgers, Tex-Mex and soups. Excellent long term staff, great playground - kids just love this place! Local soccer teams, dance students, and a favorite stop for our firemen. Cool merch, gift cards, and ask about the pies! Never a dull moment. Its my first choice for family and friends. read more

This was such a pleasant surprise. We were looking for a place for lunch that our family could all enjoy but we were all looking for different things. This place we had driven by many times and never stopped off. So glad we did. All four of us thoroughly enjoyed our plates. Super tasty salads, catfish tacos, hamburgers and the best most amazing thin and crispy sweet potato waffle fries that everyone kept taking from me. They are a must side dish ! Be sure to get your own so you don't have to share. Place has a great ambience, spacious tables, outside play area, clean restrooms and nice staff. We will be back. read more

Waterloo Ice House Escarpment - Outside view - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

We've enjoyed our recent trips - Good food, service, and outside options. Service used to be fairly slow but the last two visits its been great! read more

This was on Saturday night January 13th around 6:45. All I was looking for was the order I paid for. Even gave a tip when I completed the purchase online. Have always had good service when dining in but carry out was very disappointing. Thank you read more

The Emily's Pan Roasted Chicken was succulent & crispy chicken breast skin with mashed potatoes & green beans was delicious. The young waiter had full command of the restaurant's technology to process the order. The wait staff knew to offer the children's icecream from the kid's menu. Peanut safe for our son. read more

Waterloo Ice House Escarpment - Emily's Pan Roasted Chicken - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

This for management to realize. Bulldog hotdog $11.95! Bun was dry, a pinch, it crumbled. Cheese oh was it supposed to have some, I do not recall. Chili was lacking being cooked, just to cover the crumbly bun underneath, the weiner was good quality thats about it, which I did enjoy. I'd been wanting a hot since seeing the advertisement for July specials. Here it is July 18th, thinking if this is a special for the month, let it be served especially delicious! read more

It's in the hood and I sometimes forget it's an option. Solid food and good service. Noisy at times but great for after soccer lunch. The kids can play out back while parents relax is a bonus! read more

Sorry man, I get inflation and everything, but this place hasn't earned the right to charge 3.95 for a cup of coffee, and a mediocre coffee at that. I've looked at all the other menus in town and this is the highest I've seen, even more than the elevated diners. Come on, guys. More expensive than the airport!! read more

Waterloo Ice House Escarpment - Overpriced mediocre coffee - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great place to bring the kids, have a burger and beer and just kick back for an hour and a half. It won't be your favorite burger or chicken salad but if you have kids you will absolutely be back, for sure. You can beat a place with the ONLY playground in Escarpment Village. Waterloo in general is an Austin institution and I get why. Only problem with places like this are they feel so big you can feel forgotten about. Service was fine but just slow and forgettable. It was mid day so that can always lead to that. All good though. If you're in the area though, and the kiddos are hungry and you want to kick back, this could be your place. UPDATED (8/20/19) I received a message from a team member here named Veronica and she has absolutely stepped up to make me feel like my experience would never happen again. Really great to feel like they cared since I absolutely did. As someone with years of service experience, great job Veronica. Talk to you soon! read more

I don't know what has happened to this place but my food was awful. I don't eat a lot so a kid's meal works. I got the hamburger and fries which Waterloo fries used to be some of my favorite. Hand cut and crispy. What they served me tasted like they had freezer burn. I had my friend taste them in case it was me and, nope, the fries were bad. The server (who was really good) got me a new order and they were equally bad. My friend said that her burger was okay and she had tator tots which were fine. I might go back for drinks but i don't think I will be eating there again. read more

I'm a regular here and their food never fails to impress. Their tots are iconic, the atmosphere is cozy, and the staff is amazing. Shout out to John, who drew us dinosaurs for us to color. He reminds me that there is still good in the world. read more

See all

They're trying hard and doing a great job. Nice casual ambiance. Ultimately this is the local version of a Chili's. The food quality just isn't there. Stick to simple dishes. read more

This is a small chain of restaurants in Austin. They serve burgers and comfort foods and have a bar. Pretty basic place. Never going to win any culinary awards but can fill you up with some relatively good food. Whats' to like? 1. Very friendly service. 2. Quick service 3. Decent Burger - I had the Texas Chili Burger. 4. Basic but clean ambiance 5. Oh, and tater tots. Who doesn't love tater tots? 6. They phoned us taxis. What's not to like? 1. Very basic place. With the exception of the super friendly server, nothing really stands out about the place. 2. They used shredded lettuce on their burgers. I hate shredded lettuce. You may not. So, this may not matter to you. 3. Chili is basically out of the can. 4. They did not ask how the burger should be cooked. So, it came out well-done. Burger would have been much better at medium or even medium-well read more

Waterloo Ice House Escarpment - Texas Chili Burger - Waterloo Ice House - Austin - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

Sit in the bar, those people are fun. The locals/ regulars remind me of cheers. Alec and Josh keep that place clicking. Order the bar nachos... secret menu. read more

Crawfish season is ending in June. Come get your live crawfish boil while they last. You can't get crawfish this fresh anywhere in Phoenix no matter how much you pay. And these crawdaddies were huge. Normally Americans don't eat the yellow stuff inside the crawfish but this is the most nutritious part of the crawfish. Many Asians eat it because it is great for your health according to Chinese Medicine. The key to eating the yellow stuff is to pick ones that have bright yellow color and suck it out. If the color is dark yellow or pale yellow, do not eat. Generally I never eat this in Phoenix because the crawfish is never fresh enough, even when you order "live crawfish". But with fresh, live crawfish here, this stuff is very nutritious. Great experience here. I love the way the managed the all you can eat crawfish. You can get in line when you need crawfish. Wait is 1-2 minutes. Very fast. Beats having to tell a waitress you need another order of crawfish and then wait 15-20 minutes. Nope. Not here. Whenever you run out, walk out to the live crawfish boil outside and get your next crawfish tray. You can get 2 trays at a time. Service was fast with the crawfish which is amazing because this place is packed to the bone and it's a pretty huge place with plenty of outdoor and extra room seating. The boil started at 12 Noon. I arrived at 12:01 and already there was a 20 minute wait. lol. There was a live band playing music. Not the best but hey, it's free. I don't normally drink alcohol. But hey you can't go to an Ice House, eat crawfish, and not order beer on a hot day in Austin. It just doesn't work. For beer, I tried the Live Oak Hefe on tap. Great refreshing taste to wash it all down. I got the Tortilla Catfish to go with cheese tater tots and bacon green beens. The catfish was the best I had all year as compared to what you can get in Phoenix. Very fresh. Great taste and the green dipping sauce was awesome!! The cheese tater tots were great as was the fresh juicy green beens. This place rocks!! I will visit here whenever I am in town. read more

Waterloo Ice House Escarpment - Annual all you can eat live crawfish crawl - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

I can see why this place is such a hit in circle c. Food come in large portions, pricing is on point, service and staff are super nice, tons of seating, and an amazing play area for kids. It hits all the circle c marks. That said, the food is mediocre. Fried pickles were too salty, onion rings lacked flavor and crunchiness, the fried chicken burger was dry and tough. That said, I did quite enjoy the catfish bites, prob best part of the meal. read more

Service was great, the menu has a ton of options, their salads are awesome and the kids menu comes with ice cream. The play ground keeps kids occupied while you enjoy your partner. read more

Great place to take kids and a great place to relax and just chill. The food is excellent as well.

I wanted a quick breakfast with friends. This was ideal. Service was friendly and prompt . There is merchandise but the food is still good. Several vegan options. My friends enjoyed pancakes and eggs. The wait w for a table was reasonable. Located in a strip centre there is ample parking. read more

See all

We went to celebrate my birthday tonight at Waterloo Ice House Escarpment. I had the pork chop loin with mashed potatoes and green beans. It was absolutely delicious and cooked to perfection. I would certainly recommend this dish to people that eat pork. The service was excellent. Tonight we were even serenaded by a band in the back of the restaurant. read more

Worked there for a few months Shay the manager is the most annoying person on this earth. She is very rude all the severs are great but the management besides Steven is horrible. The food is 3/10 worst fries ever. Lots of roaches in the back of the place. If you go there ask for Josh or Steven they are the only two people that give a shit read more

The food at Waterloo is often kind of ho-hum. Inventive sauces and exciting, flavorful culinary inventions aren't really their thing. They don't put anything but salt on their diced potatoes, for instance. They make hearty, often fried fare in a friendly atmosphere where the severs have been working for years and years. It's a nice neighborhood place where you don't really have a favorite but you keep going because the kids like it. I've probably been to this Waterloo over 200 times, and I keep going, because it's local and friendly. If they stole one thing a quarter from the Kerbey Lane menu I'd be ecstatic, but I'll keep going even if they don't. read more

Y'all need to update your hours on Yelp because what is listed is incorrect. That said, love the quick service!

Great hash browns! I think they're my favorite part of coming to eat here. I usually do the ham and cheese omelette with a medium sized orange juice. Everything I've had here has been good. I occasionally switch it up and get a burger. The queso is a great starter to share with the table. The wait time on Sunday mornings can be a little long, so keep that in mind when planning. The playground out back is a super popular toddler hang out and it's super nice when the weather allows for the garage style glass doors to be opened on the patio. read more

Waterloo Ice House Escarpment - Half and half turned blocks. Entertainment for the whole family. - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

I had the breakfast burger/brunch burger; it wasn't anything amazing, but a big meal with a bunch of fries. The kids breakfast is a deal, but too much food for most kids. The playground outside is nice and has some safe AstroTurf and some interesting hills for kids to roll down. read more

I've been a Waterloo Ice House fan since there was only one location on S. Lamar, so I was happy to see one near my new neighborhood in SW Austin. This location is a lot smaller than the one on 360N x 2222 and fairly rustic with that old-Austin vibe. It has a bar in the front, an indoor table area, a covered patio table area in back, and a small playscape out the back door. Families eat there on weekends and some evenings, so it gets loud in there; otherwise, it's a good place for professionals to meet during the day for lunch or meetings or happy hour. The Waterloo menu has an array of burgers, salads, soups, tacos, and a full breakfast menu. The food I've ordered has been well-prepared and fresh. I'm addicted to their onion rings and will probably gain weight ordering them every time I eat there, but at this point, I don't care. Comfort food rules. They have happy hour drink specials each day of the week, including various tap beers and top-shelf liquor. The wait staff is extremely efficient and friendly. I've been impressed with every server I've met over the past month. It's a low-key, affordable place to grab a bite with a friend or the family or even by yourself, so yeah, I do that, too. As often as possible. read more

Waterloo Ice House Escarpment - Black beans & rice side. - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

Perfect for a quick and casual breakfast, lunch, happy hour, or dinner. Good service at the bar and it's always full or fun Regulars. Very few bar menus have a great salad, this is one of them! My favorite is the Greek. read more

You can count on the food to be consistently good day in and day out. A great variety of beers and many of them local. Great fish tacos, chicken fried steak and even salads that hold up. This is the place you can stop in for a bite without it taking a big bite out of your wallet. read more

Waterloo Ice House Escarpment - Catfish here is awesome. - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

Best fried fish I've ever had anywhere, hands down. The queso picadillo and the service were awesome as well. Got two Summer Cooler drinks, mango and blackberry. I'd recommend the mango but both were great. If I could afford it, I'd eat here often. read more

Waterloo Ice House Escarpment - Texas Tortilla Catfish - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

Great service and great food at a reasonable price... I highly recommend this place and it's great for a family with children they have a playground... I ordered the wonderful Waterloo, chicken salad, and tortilla crusted catfish it was wonderful. read more

If you're looking to be inspired by your dining experience, Waterloo Ice House will likely not be for you. That said, if you're cool with a well-appointed if comfy setup and a pretty good burger, you'll likely walk out happy. They've addressed something with this room not approached with other locations: a separate bar area. This seems to help eliminate the intermingling of those there for a beer and a ballgame from groups eating out. I wasn't aware that was an issue, exactly, but there you have it. All in all, Waterloo's made this an easy lunch or dinner for those of us angling to bite into a burger or tot or, perhaps, a bowl of chili when the weather turns rainy and cold, like this weekend. read more

Waterloo Ice House Escarpment - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

Went to Waterloo after Jena reached out and invited me back. I ordered a burger and it was great. I'll definitely be coming back and thank you Jena for making it right. read more

We stumbled in as our plans changed due to storms. Nice place, nice service. Just nice, nothing over the top. No recommendations from server, I didn't get the concept and felt they could have explained what they were all about and recommended some items. Later I heard a server recommending dishes to her table, must have just been our guy. Food came out fast, real fast! Great because we had kids but we didn't finish our appetizer so it was a little rushed. Food was good, hot and fresh. Nothing spectacular. Great outdoor playscape so nice if you've got the kids with you. Good pricing for a family night and great ice cream next door! read more

Waterloo Ice House Escarpment - Brunch burger with sweet potato waffle fries. - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

We went for a quick bite and beer tonight and got seated right away, we chose the bar although we were offered the dining room or back patio room. The service was prompt and the wait staff checked on us frequently. We had wings, salad and baked potato and all were excellent. The bar manager bought all the remaining boxes of Girl Scout cookie from the Girl Scout that was selling them out in front of the restaurant and told customers to take a box on their way out. What a nice gesture. This is Austin at its best! read more

Long time customer of this location and continue to support through take out. They've done a nice job operationally with take out except for the fries. I know fries are tough to do well in take out but these were especially disappointing. I'm not sure I will order fries again but I'm all for second chances. read more

My family of 6 had dinner at Waterloo tonight and it was a great experience! All of the kids ate all of their food (which is unusual) and my daughter said the fish and chips were the best she had ever had! My husband and I shared the steak Philly and it was pretty delicious. Two of my kids had the pancakes and they said they were great. Staff was friendly and efficient. We are always looking for family friendly places to go and when they have a playground, it makes it that much better. We live in Round Rock and I would love to have a Waterloo closer to us. Highly recommend if you have kids and want to do something easy, fun, and has tasty food. read more