Icehouse — Restaurant in Montreal

My friends and i went here because we were craving good American Style BBQ and after reading all the possitive reviews online we decided to give it a try. So here we go.

The Brisket sandwich was delicious, the potato salad had a "funny" aftertaste that I did not enjoy but my friends said it was "all right" and they "didn't mind it" the coleslaw was good but not great.

The "Jerk" wings had ZERO Jerk flavour, they might as well just call it "Faux Jerk" or "Tangy Spice Wings" because it was far from being a Jamaican Jerk. The BBQ wings were ok, not bad, kinda "hohum" though. When you charge $16 for 6 wings I expect something amazing and these were far from it.

The sauce on the Fried Chicken was delicious but the Fried Chicken itself was anti-climactic as it lacked flavour and tasted "old". At $22 for 5 pieces we had high hopes and the very least we expected was something fresh, flavourful and mouthwatering but it wasn't, sadly.

The BBQ Ribs were cooked well, and juicy but also tasted "old". Meaning, it was cooked a few days prior, refrigerated, reheated and served. The sauce coating it was good but not memorable. $22 for a Half Rack, which would've been fine if the Ribs were scrumptious and had that Kiss of smoke flavour synonymous with Texas style BBQ but once again disappointment set in as it lacked all of the above.

There was nothing "crispy" about the beef in the "Crispy Beef Tacos" and the flavour was quite offputting, so was the "mouth feel" . The texture was more akin to Canned Corned Beef and not like the little crisp nuggets of diced Beef that we were expecting based on the description. Not a fan at all.

All their homemade sauces at the counter were very flavourful and delicious. That being said none of the 6 or 7 we tried were very spicy....but like I said, ALL were very tasty.

Overall, my friends and I were disappointed with the food, found it to be pricey and do not plan on returning. Even with a 50% off coupon we wouldn't eat there again. If anyone asked me to recommend a BBQ joint in Montreal I wouldn't recommend this place. If they were in the area i'd tell them to go have a couple of drinks on the Icehouse terrasse and grab the Brisket Sandwich but ONLY if they're feeling a bit "peckish"! Nothing else.

To all the people that gave this place 4 and 5 stars, well all I can say is that your mom was probably a terrible cook and you grew up eating Mayonnaise sandwiches and no-name brand Hot Dogs. 🤷‍♂️

On a positive note, service was exceptional!! Our waiter was very patient, knowledgeable, prompt and professional. He was the best thing about...

I had high hopes for this place because I'd always pass by in the evenings and see how crowded it gets, but I can't say it really lives up to the hype. First things first, though: the tacos are superb. Come here for the tacos. The fish tacos are spectacular and decently sized (2 tacos for $8) and they're very worth it.

Now for the less exciting news: the fried chicken bucket (5 or 10 pieces) is supposedly one of the most popular items, and it's not great. They're dry and over fried (the crispiness becomes a bit hard and tough). Also, it costs $38 for the bucket of 10 (comes with cole slaw, potato salad, and biscuits--which we're good). But given that the chicken is the main part, after tax and tip, we paid like 50 bucks, and that is nothing short of criminal.

Also, our original waitress was vaguely patronizing and impatient with us. They seated us in the very back, right next to the washroom (we could smell it...). When she asked us if we were ready to order, we learned that they don't provide physical menus, and she told us to walk to the front and to take a photo of the chalkboard with all the food items (written in french, mind you...c'mon, a Texas themed restaurant doesn't at least partially have english menus?). Our waitress walks away and after like 10 minutes, she comes back and I ask what the most popular tacos are (the chalkboard menu isn't very descriptive) and she lists... all of them. So I turn to my friends to briefly check with them (we've all basically decided but haven't said anything yet) and not 5 seconds of looking away, the waitress loses patience and walks away from us, never to return. Another much friendlier server noticed us waiting and took our orders instead, and everything was fine from there.

In summary: Tacos: 5/5 Chicken: 2/5 Value: 2/5 Service: 3/5 Atmosphere:...

We've been to chef Nick Hodge's Icehouse 3 times in its opening year of 2011, and wanted to make sure it still had the mojo that made us fall in love with it, one year later. This little "hole" does not take reservations, but we were lucky enough to find an empty spot.

The interior of Icehouse is heavy on wood, which produces a cottage-like atmosphere. The place is tiny; consisting of a dozen or so tables (just about enough to seat 20 clients), an open concept kitchen-bar, and some extra seating against the far wall.

“Comfort” simply describes the food at Icehouse. The menu is written in chalk on a black board above the bar and consists of southern/Texan regulars: fried chicken, popcorn shrimp, BBQ ribs, tacos and burritos. It is not short on choices, and you will want to order everything on it.

The staff is welcoming and attentive. They'll converse with you and suggest what to order based on what you feel like eating.

Icehouse is one of our favourites. It was a hit last summer and we think it'll be another hit this summer as well. With the great food they serve, the hot sauces, the great vibe, and the edgy rock soundtrack, you'll want to go...