Waterloo Ice House

Waterloo Ice House

By Mark Collins Friday, 26 June 2009

Good conversation over cold beer, live music emanating from the speakers and children frolicking on the playscape are all what owner Ted Karam had in mind when he took over Waterloo Ice House in 1993. So if you’re looking for a quiet dining experience, you might want to look for something that doesn’t so closely resemble a neighborhood backyard barbecue.

“We call it ‘whole-family entertainment,’” Karam said. “We want to develop places where people like to go hang out. We didn’t want a business where we are just turning tables; we want people to feel comfortable staying for a while.”

Karam got his start in the restaurant business in the ’70s in Houston where he owned the Cliff’s Old Fashion Hamburger franchise and won multiple ‘best burger in town’ competitions. Looking to move to Austin to raise his children, Karam sold the restaurants and purchased Waterloo Ice House.

Realizing how hard it was to have a peaceful meal with children around, Karam wanted a restaurant where the kids could have a good time, too. Following that formula, Karam expanded his empire from the two original restaurants to the eight restaurants in the Austin area today.

“All of our menus are the same, but we change the look of each location,” Karam said. “That way, you get the dependability of high-quality food, but you get a different atmosphere depending on where you go.”

The food at Waterloo is never frozen, except for the ice cream, Karam admits, and everything is made in-house, from the biscuits at breakfast to the hand-breaded onion rings and chicken-fried steak at night.

The menu is comprised of classic bar-and-grill food with a twist.

Waterloo’s Queso Blanco ($5.75) is a Tex-Mex favorite made with white cheese and topped with green chilies, tomatoes and jalapeños. The remix is perfectly punctuated by the restaurant’s thick tortilla chips.

Tender pulled pork is nothing new, but combined with tortillas, pickled cabbage and jack cheese, it becomes Waterloo’s famous Pulled Pork Tacos ($7.95). The tater tots sprinkled on top give the meal an added texture and sets the tacos off.

Waterloo also knows how to stick with a classic when it works. The restaurant offers a variety of burgers, including the Peppercorn Blue Cheese ($8.25), Guacamole*Bacon*Swiss ($8.75) and the Texas Chiliburger ($8.50).

What's for breakfast?

The restaurant's breakfast menu is standard Austin fare, and most choices are cheap and filling, but the best thing about breakfast at Waterloo may be the hours it's available. Those who enjoy sleeping in on weekends will appreciate that breakfast is served until 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, giving one plenty of time to rest up and still enjoy the most important meal of the day. On Sundays in particular — when many eateries offer brunch accompanied by insanely long lines — it's nice to be able to get a sit-down breakfast without fighting a crowd.

The build your own taco ($2.50) comes with your choice of three items, and while it isn't the cheapest breakfast taco in town, it's size satisfies.

Breakfast platters include the migas ($6.95), huevos rancheros ($6.95), Hill Country breakfast ($6.95) and a couple of plates reseverd for only the hungriest of diners, the Texas All-Star ($8.95) — four eggs, four pieces of bacon or sausage with hashbrowns and toast — or classic chicken-fried steak ($8.95) — served with two eggs, hash browns and fluffy biscuits and white gravy. A buttermilk pancake can be added to any platter for $1.50, but for those seeking even more cakey goodness, Waterloo's blueberry ($5.25) or cinnamon pecan pancakes ($5.25) are a meal in themselves.

Waterloo Ice House Escarpment Village, 9600 Escarpment Blvd., 301-1007 • www.waterlooicehouse.com

• Mon.-Sat. 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
• Sun. 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

Waterloo Ice House Southpark Meadows, 9600 IH 35 S, Ste. D100, 292-7900 • www.waterlooicehouse.com

• Mon.-Sat. 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
• Sun. 8 a.m.-10 p.m.
• Bar open daily until 2 a.m.