Brooklyn Ice House

No trip to Red Hook is complete without a trip to Brooklyn Ice House. Encouraging one to disregard whatever’s happening beyond its borders, shabby in corners with the old asserting itself despite new additions; with shockingly good food, a tight-knit community, and a surprising amount of depth despite its outward appearance—Ice House is Red Hook in microcosm. That is to say, it’s charming and every time I go, I wonder why I don’t go more often.

Like any neighborhood dive in any small town in America, the aesthetic at Ice House is incidental; people pass through and leave something behind. It isn’t selling the concept of a dive as has become so popular–one could even argue that it isn’t a dive at all, but more of a neighborhood bar. But that would be to ignore the signs of life scribbled on the bathroom walls, scratched into the picnic tables. It isn’t a dump, but it ain’t the Ritz. 

They’ve got a half-dozen or so taps but a surprisingly wide selection of bottles. These are listed according to origin, so if you care about that, you’ll be pleased. Other than that, it’s bar as usual: beer/shot combos, wine that does the job, an array of liquors that the bartender will be happy to whip into whatever cocktails are in their repertoire, which may vary wildly depending on who’s behind the stick. If you’ve got a cocktail in mind, you may as well try your luck. The thing nobody really talks about is that many dive bar bartenders have done a stint in cocktail bars or been trained by someone who has—you’d be surprised what they can pull out of their back pockets. It’s cash only. There’s an ATM, but it’s better to arrive prepared.

The food at Ice House is its big X-factor. It’s bar stuff: dogs, burgers, Frito pie, but it’s all well-priced and hits the right notes. The kitchen is tiny, so don’t show up with a big group and expect food to arrive with the tempo of a full-fledged restaurant. But everything comes out tastier and better-made than one might expect. The big move here is the pulled-pork sandwiches for $5, or two for $8, and a slice of Steve’s Key Lime Pie made right there, in Red Hook.

Brooklyn Ice House isn’t doing anything that other bars don’t. But it does have a feel no other bar has–that ain’t nothing. There’s scarcely a better place in the five boroughs to read a drink with a cold beer on a sunny afternoon, or to carouse late into the night with friends.