I waited until Willie's had some of the bugs worked out in its first month or two. A lot of the things people have complained about seem to be on the improved side. The service model is a little unusual. You order at the counter, get a number on a stick with the order printout folded onto it, you take it to a table you choose where a server comes and grabs the order printout, then brings your food, then you pay the server at the end. At first I saw more moppers and bussers than I saw servers, but we got helped pretty promptly. The food did not take too long. My companion order a grilled chicken sandwich (not on the menu) and sweet potato waffle fries. I tried a dinner, chicken-fried chicken with slaw and mashed potatoes. The food was good though not amazingly so, though to be fair we didn't try things on the wild side. The mashed potatoes looked a little grey, but that's because the skins are mashed in and they were actually really good. The other highlight was the sweet potato waffle fries, perfect crisp, not overly seasoned. I had a beer instead of the premixed frozen beverages. My chief complaint is the noise amplification from high, hard ceilings and concrete floors and other hard, flat surfaces. The clamor of kids even four tables away made conversation a little tough. Plus, they pipe in music, which frankly they should keep only in the bar area if possible. read more

Willie's Grill & Icehouse - Chicken-fried chicken, mashed potatoes, slaw. Sweet potato waffle fries in background. - American Near Me - Leander, Texas

We have now visited this location three times, and unfortunately, after our most recent experience, we will not be returning. On our first visit, the bartender repeatedly interjected into our conversation, which made the experience uncomfortable. On our second visit, with the same bartender, our food took over an hour to arrive while customers who ordered after us were being served. When we mentioned the long wait, the bartender offered us chips while we waited--which we appreciated--only to find that the chips had been added to our bill. We decided to give the restaurant another chance, but our third visit was just as disappointing. We ordered drinks and meals at the bar. The Willie Cheeseburger with bacon was extremely dry. We had only requested that the mustard be left off, yet the burger had so little cheese that it was difficult to even see it. I ordered the strawberry chicken salad. The Bartender actually came and told me they were out of grilled chicken but could do the deep fried. He went to put in a new order as the kitchen brought my meal out. Instead of sliced grilled chicken, there were only a few small pieces of chicken scattered throughout the salad. It was disappointing both in quality and portion. Three visits gave us more than enough opportunity to form an opinion. Unfortunately, neither of us was happy with our most recent meal, and when combined with the service issues we've experienced on previous visits, we can't recommend this location. We wanted to like it and gave it multiple chances, but we won't be returning. read more

It appears that Willie's Grill and Icehouse is going to be a huge temptation for me! I just can't get enough. My most recent visit Xavier was my server. He reviewed my order with me, brought me my food -and checked on me. I was craving the catfish and the onion rings ...... so that's what I ordered and it was just as delicious as the last time I had it. Next time I have to sneak in some hush puppies because I saw some and they looked very good. If you enjoy catfish, I honestly don't think you'll find any better. The batter is cornmeal based and light, not greasy ---the fish, white and flaky. One of the nicest things that happened during my visit here -was Milly who was the very first server I had at the new Leander Willie's Grill and Icehouse-- she saw me coughing-(my drink went down the wrong way ) and remembered me and came over and rescued me with a drink of water. We had a nice conversation. She is a wonderful young lady! Something that I didn't know about Willie's & and that's absolutely incredible ...is that they support their servers going to college. We didn't get into all the details, but it sounded like an excellent program and she is taking advantage of it. (Whomever put this in the employee benefits, deserves a huge pat on the back because many companies don't offer those kinds of perks anymore!!!) she is so committed to getting her degree-it is so nice to talk to a young person that has such strong determination and is willing to work and go to school. She's learning a lot of different roles at the new restaurant and I suspect she's good at all of them. Willies, please don't ever take catfish off your menu, I also love all the seafood boils. I'll be back. Strongly recommend that if you're in the 183A area near Crystal Falls that you take advantage and have yourself a meal. Everything my family and I have tried has been delicious. read more

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If you enjoy mystery ingredients and experimental menu honesty, Willie's Grill in Leander might be your spot. I ordered the Smoked Gouda Cheesesteak, which the menu claims comes with "peppers." What they actually mean is "jalapeños hiding in the shadows." The heat was so unexpected that I had to send the whole thing back and order something entirely different. When I brought it up, the shift lead/manager casually told me the menu was a "test menu." Fascinating. I didn't realize customers were part of the experiment. At least my soda was cold and my fries were fresh! If this is their idea of a strong opening, I'll pass. ‍ read more

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The food service was fast and the server was sweet as can be! Our kids loved the kids play area, it was clean and gives the parents a little reprieve during dinner. The fried pickles were hands down some of the best I've had! Crisp, Thinly sliced and seasoned perfectly. Cesar salad was lack luster and didn't have much flavor and the lettuce seemed to be old. My kids loved their hamburger! Happy Hour specials are amazing and very cheap even on Friday! We will definitely be back to try some other items. read more

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Service was 5-star. The the chicken-strawberry-cranberry Balsamic Salad was ample and very good. Wife got cheeseburger and fries, and said it was as good as any she has. Had. They also have a full bar including craft beer. The prices are average with other places of this genre. We only had water to drink and the bill was $27.00 before tax and tip. These were the lower price items on the menu. We would go back again if we were in the area at mealtime, but not make a special effort, as there are many places like this closer to where we live. read more

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You only get one first impression and Willie's Curbside made sure it was their best! I ordered a shrimp plate with grilled shrimp, mashed potatoes and veggies. I arrived, parked in their designated stalls and before I even attempted to figure out how to notify them I was there, someone was standing at my window with a bag!! Now that's what I call great service. Once I got home the food was in my belly. Loved the mashed potatoes with the skins left in along with the creamy texture and buttery flavor. Yum! Veggies cooked nicely (could've used a bit of seasoning). Shrimp was good but a tad overcooked. I appreciated that there were 8 of shrimp though! I shall return to Willie's and will even go inside next time to see if the dine in service is just as good as curbside, read more

Willie's Grill & Icehouse - Grilled shrimp, mashed potatoes and veggies - American Near Me - Leander, Texas

First visit to the new location. Food and service were both very good. Not crowded. Chicken fried chicken was very tasty. Not loud bc there were very few customers.?. read more

We had the chicken fried steak and chicken sandwiches. I would give the CFS a 3. It wasn't bad, nice and crispy, but it needed some seasoning like garlic and onion powder. The mashed potatoes texture was okay, but we are they a brownish gray? Onion rings were great! The sandwiches were average, fries too. Place is nice. read more

Went for Father's Day and one person in our party never got her food. The flow of the business is weird. Order at the counter but you have a waitress that doesn't do anything? Just very strange. Food was ok, not great. Our "waitress" didn't even know the menu. Not recommended. read more

Newly open this past week. Everything was good. Kind of a going out for a good time vibe. Lots of TV screens with sports. I got one of their burgers with Onion rings. The onion rings were fresh handmade (delicious). My wife got the chicken bites, which were also fresh handmade and delicious. You order at a counter, then take a number to your table, and they bring the food to you. I am guessing they carefully matched parking spaces to capacity, as parking lot was full, dining room was full, but we ordered almost immediately, and you find your own table. Servers did a great job, and food came pretty quickly. All in all a very good experience. read more

6 STARS ******Absolutely delicious!!! Better than any Willie's I've ever been to! Met my friend and we sat at the bar after work about 730pm. My burger was cooked to perfection! Juicy and super delicious, full of flavor. My friends bacon jam patty melt was awesome! (Sweet potato fries were a little salty imo & and would be really good served with a chipotle aïoli). The onion rings were massive & so delicious. Personally, I would cut the width in half but everybody has their preference. Either way, they were still delicious crispy and cooked to perfection! Hats off the the cook! Jacob the bartender was great, made recommendations for food and he was spot on! A server that's ready with a recommendation when asked & has an opinion is top notch in my book :) The Texas Rose drink is just pure deliciousness. Y'all have to try one -- or two!! And that frozen jack and Coke mmmm ..was delicious! We will definitely be back! read more

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Great service, but the kitchen is still finding its footing!? My wife and I dropped into the new Willie's Grill and Icehouse in Leander for an early dinner today. Since I joined the rewards club, we kicked things off with a free app: the onion rings. They were massive, well-seasoned, and came with a solid ranch, but unfortunately, they missed the mark on texture. They arrived pretty limp and felt a bit undercooked rather than having that satisfying crunch you want from a breaded ring. For the main event, my wife went with the chicken tenders. They were "okay," but suffered from the same lack of crispiness as the appetizer. On the flip side, my cornmeal-breaded catfish was the star of the table--perfectly fried and delicious. Sadly, the fries served with both meals were a letdown; they were underwhelmed and, frankly, a bit soggy. The saving grace was the excellent table service. Our server was incredibly attentive, prompt, and kept the experience smooth. Since they've only been open a few weeks, we're chalking this up to "opening jitters" and a kitchen still getting its rhythm. We'll definitely give them another shot in a month or so once they've had time to perfect the fry station. Check out my photos for a closer look! read more

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I'm still trying to figure out what exactly I was tipping 18% for at Willie's Grill & Icehouse. After 3-4 passes to find parking, You walk in and: - Wait in line to order your own food - Grab your own cup, ice, drink, and straws - Wander around hunting for a clean/open table Only after you've done all of that does a server come by, introduce themselves as if they're about to provide full service... and then basically just deliver your food. You're refilling your own drinks the entire time, yet they still run your card with a minimum 18% tip baked in. And the food? Meh at best. I genuinely couldn't tell the flavor difference between the fried pickles and the country fried steak -- everything tasted like the same fryer. If this is meant to be fast-casual, price it and tip it like fast-casual. If it's full service, then actually provide service. Right now it's the worst of both worlds. read more

Called to find out what their specials were because we always get the catfish at the other location. Didn't have the lunch specials so ended up driving farther. Saved us like $24. Hope you all will have the lunch specials like other locations, since you're much closer for us, but don't mind to drive elsewhere to save us some $$$. read more

First order of Nola crawfish was in a mayonnaise like sauce? It was gross. Ordered mushrooms and it came out with mostly onions which I didn't order with it or want. Couldn't get the crawfish out of the shell because it was overcooked and they were tiny . Replaced the order and they were tiny and smushed and dead ones in there. Also my corn had old and brown smushed parts on it. It was just awful. Fried pickles were more like hard crunchy potato chips. I will not be coming back. read more

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Process to order: Wait in line to order your own food - Grab your own cup, ice, drink, and straws - Wander around hunting for a clean/open table The attitude of the "female" taking order was bothered....we had never been unaware of the process....sorry You (carli) had a bad day :( The bartenders "young" ...friendly and welcoming....the server super friendly and attentive...( Ratanda) read more

We went on Friday and it was arguably busy, no surprise there. Our server, Sam (with the Arkansas hat) was so wonderful. We needed two tables to accommodate party size and he got the channel changed to stream the UT softball game for us. We were so grateful even with how busy it was he was attentive and helpful. Thanks again! read more

The food tastes frozen, canned, and microwaved. There is no chance it is fresh like they claim and if it is, what are they doing to it back there? The "queso" is canned nacho cheese with taco bell grade meat in it. Everything we tasted was made with the same care and quality I expect from a roadside homeless man selling sushi. Stay away, even Applebees feels luxury compared to the food here. Ambience is basically Texas Road House meets Culvers. Nothing bad to say about the service but that only goes so far when you're brought dog food by a smiling face. read more

It was my first time here. They had been open a few weeks. I had the catfish/shrimp combo with fries. The catfish was tender and perfect. The fried shrimp were over-fried. French fries tasty. The service was very slow but the place just opened and it was packed. We sat at a table in the bar. Great bar! Very cool. The seats at the tables are high and wood with no cushions and very, very uncomfortable. One thing to note: If you order food in the bar you get waited on, otherwise for general dining room you stand in a line to order your food. Prices were ok but I ordered a well bourbon and paid $5 more for it than several other great restaurants in town charge. hmm... I will come back for the catfish. read more

This place was great when they first open!! It has really gone down in the short time they have been open. It has been a real disappointment!! Burgers are not good, they remind me of making a burger in a pan on my mom's stove when I was a kid with the lid on. Chicken nuggets are ALWAYS burnt, queso is always so watery.... We are done going here, or at least giving them my money. read more

We've been longtime fans of Willy's Ice House in Georgetown, so we were really excited to try the brand-new Cedar Park location. Unfortunately, our first visit was pretty disappointing from start to finish. We ordered at the counter--snow crab with corn and potatoes for me, plus a small dinner salad (which I specifically asked to come out first), and a cheeseburger for my husband. After sitting down, our waiter came over and had us repeat our entire order in detail, including sauces, which was confusing since we had already ordered. About 20 minutes in, I asked about my salad and was told the kitchen was backed up. Another 15 minutes later, my food finally arrived--but everything came out at once (so much for the salad first), my husband's burger was missing, and my meal was completely cold. Not lukewarm....cold. I brought it to the attention of what appeared to be a manager, who did handle it professionally and eventually brought out a freshly remade plate. I appreciated that effort. However, by the time my replacement meal arrived, my husband had just gotten his burger and was nearly finished eating by the time I could start again. Not exactly the dining experience you hope for. The waiter then came over asking what was wrong, even though he clearly already knew, and proceeded to make excuses about the kitchen instead of just acknowledging the issue and moving on. At that point, I just wanted to eat my food while it was hot. To make matters worse, when we received the bill, we had been charged for TWO snow crab plates. After pointing it out, they removed one--but that was it. No apology beyond the bare minimum, no attempt to make things right (a discount, dessert, or even a simple gesture would have gone a long way considering everything that went wrong). To be fair, the food itself, once corrected, was good. But between the service issues, timing problems, billing mistake, and overall environment, this visit fell far short of what we've come to expect from Willy's. I understand new locations have growing pains, but this experience missed the mark in too many areas to ignore. Hopefully they can improve, because we've always loved the Georgetown location. read more

We went to Willie's for a Father's Day/birthday meal. We were turned away as they said the kitchen was backed up and they were only taking drink orders. This was at 2pm. If you want to eat here, beware that you can be turned away. If this continues and they can not figure out how to handle big days like Father's Day, then they will continue to lose business as they did today. Several people I saw went to another restaurant close by. We love Willie's but will think twice about going to this location. read more

You get a lot of food. Had the catfish and shrimp. Very good. You order from the counter when you walk in. People standing there can't pick what they want and it takes time if there is a line. Sitting was uncomfortable with wooden seats in the booths. Restaurant was quit warm. A/C not working well. Flys were buzzing around. Servers came by way too often. Gave me a feeling like they wanted you to hurry up and leave. Got my check half way through my meal. I will return for the food but the needs to back off a little. A/C needs to be turned down and flys need to leave. read more

The server was really nice, but for a weekday when the restaurant wasn't busy, the food took forever to reach us, was undercooked, and was disappointing overall. read more

Mac and Cheese brisket balls are delicious. But the building and inside is always super warm (like AC is working too hard, or too small for the place). We like going there but be prepared to sweat. read more

We stood in line to order for 30 minutes. One we sat it was another 45 minutes for our food to arrive. There was a hair on one of our dishes that the manager insisted was mesh and wanted to argue with us. We did not ask for anything other than a replacement and when he returned witha partial replacement he again stated it was mesh and never offered an apology for anything. Staff was very but the food was average at best and if they keep that manager around the business will not thrive. read more

New location in Leander. We decided to try it out on Mother's Day, 4pm. We had never been to a Willie's before and hadn't spoke with anyone who had. Upon entering, I was questioning if we would be seated by a waitstaff or ordering from, what appeared to be, a fast food counter. We ordered from the counter and were given an printout of our order and a table number. We scanned the room and found one available table, which was in a row of about 5 tables next to the bar. Immediately, we comment to each other how hot it is in here. Then I saw that every single door in the back is wide open. Flies are everywhere, landing on the table, hovering around. A tired looking waitress arrived at minute 9 and asked to see our printout. Then she asked us to tell her what our sides were. Isn't it printed on the order? No. Well, that's a problem! She goes and gets our drinks at the soda fountain. It's at this point we're observing a line forming at the front counter. Now we're wondering what happens to people that order and then cannot find a place to sit - do they just stand around?? The pick 2 appetizer arrived from a 2nd waiter who noticed there was no silverware at the table. The mushrooms were bland and we couldn't taste any seasoning. The breading on the fried pickles had a SANDY texture. The 2nd waiter brought our mains. The Texas fried chicken sandwich was a soggy mess and very bland - how do you eat more than one bite? Also, why do you slather mayo onto a hot sandwich that has cheese? The fries were overcooked and had a bad texture because of it. The second waiter brings our refilled drinks. The first waitress shows up with refilled drinks and gets mad at us that the other waiter brought them. I pointed out that the other waiter brought out all of our food and drinks and she has been MIA since she first glanced at our printed order. I asked her where the hell she's been and why is this ordering system so fucked up?? She tells us that if you sit in this section then you don't have to order from the front. What??? Where does it say that??? How do we know??? Finally, a 3rd waiter brings us the check. Now I'm hangry because my food is horrible, the confusion and chaos in this place is maddening and I'm mad that I chose to spend money and time in this circus on Mother's Day. Pretty sure the waitress is in the corner crying. Hey Willie's, why are you like you are? Ya'll need to rework your recipes and then have a major meeting to figure out if you are fast food or sit down dining. read more

Yall have to come check this place out. Awesome food and altogether fun environment. Prices are fair. Rowan and Bella took great care of us!! read more

Our server was the best part of our visit! She was so friendly and checked on us several times. The food...eh. Maybe we ordered the wrong thing? Chicken sandwich was bad. - chicken tasted like it had been frozen and popped in the microwave. Fried pickles were so salty we couldn't even finish half. I'm sure we will go again one day because we really like the one in Georgetown but it will be awhile. Also, I didn't realize you could order different drinks from the table and I got the frozen margarita when we ordered and it wasn't great. Wish I would have ordered from the drink menu to get more of an option. read more

It was just eh. The wings were overcooked and dry, the service was slow, the prices seemed a little high, and I'm not entirely sure why waiters are needed here? You order at the counter, refill your own drink, and someone else brings your food? Probably won't be back, Texas Roadhouse is right next door. read more

Great service, good food and drinks. The crawfish were well seasoned. Nice snow crab legs. Chicken fried steak was good but not the best in the area. Massive cheesesteaks. Strong margaritas read more

Weirdly strict about only one side per combo plate, decent but over salted seafood. Music is loud, patio is a mirages of clastic sheeting in good weather. Wanted our receipt then we sat down, they demanded payment via QR code. Altogether decent but over salted and weirdly strict. read more

Long lines. Shrimp came out cold. Fish was bland. And they forgot about my drink twice. Not returning. Not recommended.

Chasiti was our waitress and she was absolutely amazing. She was on top of everything and was super friendly. Not only was the food Excellent, she made our experience well worth it! read more

Channing was absolutely amazing and match my parties vibe immediately! we had a great experience with her!! food was spicy but amazing!!!!!!