Ice House

[soonerguru]

Nope, they used to be open until 9 but pulled back to 7:30 then 7. Had a recent twitter back and forth with them about the matter...

FAIL. I have attempted to eat here three times, and every time they were closed. I don't care enough to keep trying. They could be OKC's version of Shake Shack, but they don't care, so neither do I.

Unless you work downtown, how can you even get to the park in time for their rapidly receding closing times? By the time you hit traffic, go home, feed the dogs, pick up your family, and drive like a maniac to get downtown, they are closing!

I don't know the proprietors and have nothing against them but they don't get it. They should just have a food cart during lunch downtown, because they don't seem to be making any effort to take advantage of their unique location.

Also, their marketing is a non-existent joke. In the old days, businesses used to actually advertise their services to reach their market. This business doesn't even seem to care to reach out to potential customers. Note: an inside joke is not a marketing strategy (and who is in on this joke, because this "concept" (hate that word) is incredibly and utterly inaccessible?).

It's a shame.

[shawnw]

My Twitter conversation on the matter...





Hmm... why does it shrink it like that...

[Urbanized]

LOL are you talking about the screen cap or the business hours?

[Anonymous.]

Once the weather is nicer in evenings, they will do better. The next couple months are a great atmosphere downtown. NBA playoffs, Arts festival, and awesome spring weather all at the same time.

I can totally see why they close early. Can you imagine keeping the thing staffed until 9pm just for a handful of orders? Bottomline, if it isn't 70+ degrees with them open, people are extremely less likely to go there. And once the sun has been going down, temps have been falling off rapidly. Evening weather should modify over the next 3 weeks and be prime.

[BBatesokc]

Rule #1 - "CONSISTENCY" (in service, quality and HOURS OF OPERATION).

You don't want to be the "Do you think they are even open" restaurant.

[shawnw]

Agree with the consistency. I was told 7:30 was the new "always and forever" hours and the very next day it was changed to 7. Seriously?

[gopokes88]

If you've eaten at Nic's before none of this should surprise you. Just the way he runs his business.

[Pete]

But this isn't run by Nic, he was just helping them get the food right.

[catcherinthewry]

But this isn't run by Nic, he was just helping them get the food right.

Maybe they're going to great lengths to recreate the Nic's experience

[Tavia]

I understand that all their seating is outdoors, so it makes sense that when weather is inclimate that they may adjust their hours accordingly. They post regularly to their facebook page when closing early. I am super excited to try this burger and fries!

[gopokes88]

But this isn't run by Nic, he was just helping them get the food right.

He is an owner/partner in it though.

[shawnw]

I understand that all their seating is outdoors, so it makes sense that when weather is inclimate that they may adjust their hours accordingly. They post regularly to their facebook page when closing early. I am super excited to try this burger and fries!

The night I tried to go at 7:30 only for them to be closed (but with the sign still saying open until 9, with no other posting around), I specifically went to FB and Twitter to see if they tweeted about being closed because I know they've done that in the past. Was very surprised they hadn't.

[G.Walker]

So if I wanted a bacon cheeseburger, fries and a drink, I am looking at $14?, eh kinda pricey. I will be at Braum's getting about the same thing for less than half the price, and I don't have to pay for parking.

[Garin]

I understand that all their seating is outdoors, so it makes sense that when weather is inclimate that they may adjust their hours accordingly. They post regularly to their facebook page when closing early. I am super excited to try this burger and fries!

Well you're going to be majorly disappointed , because it is the furthest thing from a Nic's burger in this city, Its not even in my top 10.

[Garin]

So if I wanted a bacon cheeseburger, fries and a drink, I am looking at $14?, eh kinda pricey. I will be at Braum's getting about the same thing for less than half the price, and I don't have to pay for parking.

I'd pay $ 20 bucks for a Nics hamburger

[BBatesokc]

I'd pay $ 20 bucks for a Nics hamburger

Agreed - an actual Nic's burger is one of the best. What they are serving is fine, but it isn't a Nic's Burger.

[Garin]

Agreed - an actual Nic's burger is one of the best. What they are serving is fine, but it isn't a Nic's Burger.

Blue collar versus white collar.

[G.Walker]

Well I am not rich, and have a family of four, $20 will go a lot further for me, than wasting it on 15 minutes of indulgence on a burger and fries.

[Garin]

Well I am not rich, and have a family of four, $20 will go a lot further for me, than wasting it on 15 minutes of indulgence on a burger and fries.

Its big enough to split four ways

[kevinpate]

LOL are you talking about the screen cap or the business hours?

Made me smile as well.

[BBatesokc]

Its big enough to split four ways

Only at the original Nic's. The Ice House burger is not that big.

[mattjank]

Bad hours strike again. My bride and I had a date night last night beginning with dinner at Flint before heading over to the Sunday Night Concert in the Myriad Gardens which started at 7:30. Dinner ran a little later than the start of the concert, so we decided to grab a shake and float for dessert at Ice House to enjoy with the concert. Walked over and got in line behind a group who were ordering food and waited for them to finish ordering before being told they were closed. Was told they had closed at 7, even though they were taking orders when we arrived at 7:45.

Just makes no sense to close up shop at 7 on a night when there is a concert beginning at 7:30 that you can plainly hear from the eating area. And with the winds yesterday, you could smell the fried goodness all the way at the far end of the clamshell lawn.

[DoctorTaco]

Bad hours strike again. My bride and I had a date night last night beginning with dinner at Flint before heading over to the Sunday Night Concert in the Myriad Gardens which started at 7:30. Dinner ran a little later than the start of the concert, so we decided to grab a shake and float for dessert at Ice House to enjoy with the concert. Walked over and got in line behind a group who were ordering food and waited for them to finish ordering before being told they were closed. Was told they had closed at 7, even though they were taking orders when we arrived at 7:45.

Just makes no sense to close up shop at 7 on a night when there is a concert beginning at 7:30 that you can plainly hear from the eating area. And with the winds yesterday, you could smell the fried goodness all the way at the far end of the clamshell lawn.

Similar thing happened this weekend. I was at the Children's Garden with my kids. Around 10:20 AM we were ready for a snack break so I checked my phone and saw that Ice House opened at 10:30 AM. So I wrangle my 2 and 4 yo boys out of the playground (not that easy of a task) and head over to the Ice House, getting there around 10:35 AM. Place is opened up and staff is sitting around outside, so I head up to the window to order.

"Sorry, we don't open till 11."

Website says 10:30, staff says 11. This is one of my absolute pet peeves about OKC. (See my repeated rants in Kaiser's thread).

[FighttheGoodFight]

Similar thing happened this weekend. I was at the Children's Garden with my kids. Around 10:20 AM we were ready for a snack break so I checked my phone and saw that Ice House opened at 10:30 AM. So I wrangle my 2 and 4 yo boys out of the playground (not that easy of a task) and head over to the Ice House, getting there around 10:35 AM. Place is opened up and staff is sitting around outside, so I head up to the window to order.

"Sorry, we don't open till 11."

Website says 10:30, staff says 11. This is one of my absolute pet peeves about OKC. (See my repeated rants in Kaiser's thread).

They need to work on their hours. I like the place just fine and the workers are nice but the hours thing can kill business.

Kaiser's hours are equally horrible.

[Anonymous.]

They were posting on twitter this weekend about how they were staying open extra late for the film festival things and posted photos of the staff at times as late as 11:30pm etc.

So I am not sure what happened Sunday night, especially if the gardens were being used for the concert. That seems like a mistake on management.


I feel bad for places like this and most of downtown. A random event can send thousands to the area at a time that is normally zombieland. Until we get a concetrated amount of people down here, businesses will have to pay attention and staff according to every single event. It is almost a full time job trying to figure out what events are when and where.

I will say Friday and Saturday this last weekend were huge for more of the downtown businesses. People everywhere.