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Looking around the rough-hewn picnic tables at Ice House, one gets the impression that Health Canada’s five to ten daily servings of fruits and vegetables are not the highest priority for the Texan-style restaurant. Still, with great enthusiasm, my companion and I shared a meal almost entirely composed of proteins: two orders of tacos (the pulled pork, which is accompanied by coriander, pecans, pork rinds and pickled watermelon, and the red fish, which comes in a pineapple salsa with black beans) alongside a half bucket of fried chicken. The latter came with the butteriest buttermilk biscuit I’ve ever tasted, a delicious smoky potato salad (quoth my companion: “it tastes like bacon!”), and a somewhat-too-restrained coleslaw.
But let’s not fool around with the sides: the meat is where it’s at. The fried chicken gave off a sweet ‘n’ sour aroma that was refreshingly distinct from the PFK quality we’re accustomed to in Quebec. The ribs, which we spied from afar (as we bemoaned our stomachs’ lack of fortitude), looked succulent. The tacos were on corn tortillas and while the flavours in each were perfectly paired, the fish tacos were disappointingly empty given their price and size. Nonetheless, the bourbon lemonade and the excellent, accommodating, helpful service soothed any momentary quibbles we might have had. Ice House has a lot going for it: a prime location at Saint-Dominique and Roy, a charming terrace as summer approaches and clever twists on foods that just aren’t available elsewhere in Montreal.
Ice House
51 Roy E. | Sherbrooke Metro
