American Ice Company Reviews

The pickled veggies are awesome, the quest Blanco is good as well. Nice neighborhood bar feel to it. I'd say the worst part about this place is the stools...not very comfortable, sit at a table or outside. Good prices, not too expensive.

I have patronized the American Ice Company a number of times. They have a great selection of beers and provide a nice dose of comfort foods (swachos, brisket sandwich or platter) given their limited kitchen space.
Constructed in what looks like an old warehouse, it's great use of an industrial space which opens up to a large patio with picnic tables (of a beer garden-esque style). A definite neighborhood favorite.

Cool Place. Neat drinks. Bad sign, hard to find. Grilled cheese was awesome.

I couldn't be happier that American Ice Company is the closest bar to my condo door. Although a bit overcrowded on Friday and Saturday evenings (what good bar in DC isn't?), I love going and sitting outside or at the bar on a Sunday afternoon or any other night of the week. Highly recommend their Veggie Nachos.

Great atmosphere with a wide selection of food and drinks!!! Even great vegetarian options!!!!

Great bar and place to hang out, worst half smoke I've ever had.

Loud as hell on weekends! Like can't talk to people and getting migraine sort of loud. Good beer pitchers though.

Good spot for food and drinks. It can get slammed though, so come early if you want a table. Especially on the weekends.

Great beer selection and the pork nachos were amazing! A very nice spot if love to visit again.

The beer is fantastic, bar and atmosphere inviting. The swachos were awesome but I would have appreciated a few more ingredients. Became cold blocks of cheese by the end.

Food was great and the staff friendly!! We will be back!

Hipster central--they serve canned beers with a mason jar that you can fill yourself.

Basically a dive bar with a hipster vibe. The outdoor space is nice.

The nachos with steak here are amazing. I really like the energy here. Pretty fun and chill. Staff always seems to be in a good mood too which is really nice.

Good bar. Works diligently at being a hipster dive bar but ultimately it is a yuppy DC bar. Prices are about $6-$8 for drinks depending on what you are ordering.

Wants to be hip but trying to hard. Go somewhere else.

Great place to sit outdoors and enjoy some good beers and cocktails. Dog friendly.

Great vibes and solid on tap choices. Come on Sunday afternoons.

Eh, nothing special. Very crowded and hot. Hipster vibe.

Love the outdoor patio and that the main bar doors are open in nice weather. The draft beer comes in mason jars and they have good cocktails too. The BBQ is also delicious. Great place to stop on the way to 930 club!

Great chill bar. Everyone loves it in the summer but I love going in the winter when their cocktails really warm you up.

Great spot for beers and grub. Got the swachos and they were very tasty, but can't say the same for the chili (it was just chili). Vibe, beer selection, comfort and friendliness of staff all good and I would definitely come back. It's nice that it's a little of the beaten path of U Street, too, which may mean it's less crowded than some of the regular haunts on that strip. All in all, a recommended watering hole for when you're thirsty.

Great DC bar. No dancing if you're into that, but good atmosphere with outdoor patio and reasonable prices.

Always a cool little spot to go before or after a show at 9:30. Love the swachos!

Ice House is a real hidden treasure in Northwest. A quick walk from 9:30 Club, this is a great place for pre/post show drinks and food. The atmosphere and decor are really great and they have a great draft beer menu. They have a basic barbecue menu, but the food is fantastic. Check this place out!

Best kind of neighborhood bar. Great people, great vibe, great beer!

Great bar with a medium sized patio. The bar food really sets the place apart. You can order BBQ and other snacks from the bar at anytime during the night. The food quality isn't gourmet but hits the spot.

Nice No Frills Bar with some good drink specials and beer selection. Good Food and Service, won't break The Bank for a night out.

Cool atmosphere. Year round outdoor patio. Amazing swatchos

Love the nachos. Atmosphere outside is really solid on a nice day

Good BBQ and selection of beer. EXTREMELY loud so don't expect to be able to hear yourself.

Serves some decent food selections with an Excellent outdoor area with bench seating. Perfectly situated near 930 club for pregame activities

This is my go to before concerts at the 9:30 club. Limited food menu but all is good. Pretty good drink menu and the staff is always friendly though sometimes distracted.

When American Ice Company first opened, it was the coolest thing. It's on the edge of U Street so you felt like you stumbled upon a hidden gem. The decor is unique and half the restaurant is outside heated with heat lamps during the winter. The service is good and the food fine. That's where I give it a three star. The food isn't amazing, but it does it's job. It comes out on a cheap paper plate and is smaller in portions but you pay DC prices for it. They have an okay beer list and have Crispin hard cider in a can. Four years ago, it was the bee's knees of DC, but now it's another average restaurant for locals to hang out in.

Nice patio and good beer selection. Although I like drinking out of mason jars, I feel like you get less beer for your money. It's a pretty happening spot so expect it to be crowded and noisy. I like that it's off of the main U street drag and is a little hidden.

Good service, cheap drinks and some.decent food. The queso and nachos are OK, the pickled veggies are great. You can get a tall boy Tecate for $5!

It's loud but it has reasonable bbq. Great place for a group.

Great bar with patio. Excellent beer selection and food. One of my favorites to go out to for happy hour.

Great patio, drink selection, and decent menu. Perfect place to grab a drink before or after seeing a movie at Atlantic Plumbing.

My second home! Do yourself a favor & order the Swatchos... add their hot sauce... and a cold Radler!

The nachos we're really good. Service was adequate.

Order the swachos! Enough food for 2-3 to share. They used to serve pitchers, not sure if they still do, but they were a good deal. Nice outdoor seating, but watch out for smokers if you don't like second hand smoke. Dog friendly as well.

Craving for ribs? Try theirs. It will make you crave it more as you eat it! Awesome bartender, and a great food.

A nice space for drink specials before going out on U Street - this bar can get somewhat uncomfortable with the smell of cigarettes lingering in the air. The beers on tap are top notch and the comfortable atmosphere is a great place to meet up with friends before taking a night out on the town.

Stumbled upon this place last night before a show at the 9:30 Club; loved the look of it and the fact that they have outdoor seating; beer selection good but pricey and I don't get the jam jar glass thing? Why is that considered to be the "cool" thing these days? I'd rather drink out of a beer glass, to be honest...The food was a real disappointment, though!! We had the BBQ platter with pork and brisket (and beans and slaw) - the beans were good, the slaw was ok but really needed salt but the meat was anything but good - very dried up, especially the brisket - dry, crumbly pieces...the pork was a little better but rather boring tasting...We continued on to Garden District, where the brisket is out of this world and they serve German beer on draft!! I still liked this place, but it needs improvement on the food front - and maybe better pricing....one buck off just one of the beers on draft for a Happy Hour deal is really not wonderful!!

Love this place when they don't have the bouncer who won't accept my temp ID.

Really cool space. The night we went was super crowded so the service wasn't awesome but had a great time.

This bar is great, the ambiance is cool and chill, the drinks are good AND cheap.

It's a pretty straight forward bar with some good drink specials throughout. No frills, no pretentiousness. Can get quite crowded during peak hours.

Swachos with pulled pork and queso brings me back every time....

Great beers, food and atmosphere. Always have a good time here.

I love their swatchoes. They're honestly the only reason I go their.

Long but mostly unremarkable beer list. Food is served on paper plates. Not sure if that's supposed to contribute to the aesthetic, but it seems wasteful.