Inside Ice House Inn
The Ice House Inn is an unassuming complex that houses much more than a bar with bike nights.
Facts about Ice House Inn:
- The complex is home to three individual buildings. One houses the kitchen and main bar, another is an open-air bar, created when garage doors are lifted around the exterior and the third is a pool hall.
- It's been family-owned for three generations.
- On Tuesday nights in the summer, bike nights attract up to 3,000 people.
Brothers Mike Mousie, 47, and John Mousie, 44, grew up in the business and now co-own the Ice House Inn. It began on Mahoning Avenue in Austintown in 1934, but since 1992 has been located at the intersection of Webb Road and state Route 46 on the border of Austintown and Weathersfield.
Mike Mousie says the name "Ice House" comes from the fact that before it was a bar, the business sold ice in the 1920s.
Now, the business is home near the busy intersection of Route 46 and Interstate 80. It has gown to include multiple structures, a diverse crowd and multiple draws, like pool and dart leagues, live entertainment and a new menu.
"We try to cater to everybody," Mike Mousie says.
The main building visible from the street houses the kitchen, main dining area, smoking patio out back, a bar and stage. The Mousies say on Fridays, they host a DJ and it becomes more of a nightclub atmosphere.
Saturdays, they host live bands. Most recently, it was cover band Dose. Coming up, this Saturday, The Rage will perform, follow by the Huckin' Fillbilly's the following week. The age for entry to live shows is 18.
On Sundays,they say Fast Freddie from 93.3-FM hosts NASCAR parties. On Thursdays, they have dart leagues.
Of course, as the weather improves, the Ice House Inn is home to one of the area's most popular bike nights on Tuesdays. Mike Mousie says he expects bike nights to get started in two or three weeks.
"It really transforms throughout the week," Mike Mousie says.
"You'd be surprised how much our crowd changes, even throughout the day," John Mousie says.
Every Friday throughout the year, the Ice House Inn is also packed on Friday nights for an all-you-can-eat fish fry.
But that's just the start of the menu. Five months ago, the Mousies brought in chef Chuck Wolfcale, who's worked at area restaurants for 30 years. Now, the menu has been redone, keeping the favorites from the old five-page menu and adding new selections.
"The food here is second to none in the area and you get lots of it," Wolfcale says.
On of the most popular items on the menu at the Ice House Inn are their wings. On Mondays and Wednesdays, they offer $0.50 wings in the following flavors: BBQ, Mild, Hot, Garlic, Gold Rush, Ranch, Teriyaki, Honey Mustard, Lemon Pepper, Butter Parmesan and rib sauce.
The menu is more extensive than wings. There are burgers, salads, pasta, steaks and seafood.
There's a plethora of appetizers, including traditional favorites like potato skins, hot chips, cheese sticks, cheese fries, loaded nachos, chicken strips, popcorn shrimp and spinach dip. Patrons can also order fried Italian hot peppers, Italian greens, fried mushrooms, fried clam strips, hot pepper cheese balls and fried pickles.
Beyond that, customers will find a full sandwich menu with regional offerings like the Po Boy, Meatball Splash, Reuben and Gyro. There's also the Ice House Signature Hot Italian Sub and the Rib Eye Steak, Turkey Club, Chicken Parmesan and Toasted Torpedo Philly sandwiches.
Behind the main building is Ice Breakers, a pool hall that opened about two years ago. Ice Breakers has 10 7-foot Diamond pool tables in the main room with plenty of seating around the perimeter and four 9-foot tables in an adjacent room. Upstairs, there's a loft with a pro shop.
Pool hall patrons are able to get food and beer from the main bar. There's a sound system throughout and a patio out front. The obvious feature is a giant, cast of a shark that hangs from the ceiling.
There is no age limit for patrons of the pool hall, although there the bar does enforce a curfew.
Mike Mousie says Ice Breakers is home to pool leagues Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. On Fridays and Saturdays, there are pool tournaments.
The Mousies say they'll redo the third building on the property for an April 30 opening. The Beach Shack will be open-air bar will be completed with sand and volleyball courts that'll be home to volleyball tournaments on Friday nights in summer months.
It'll also mean new events, like clam bakes on Fridays and a Jimmy Buffett night on Wednesdays.
So, what's the deal with their upside-down sign? John Mousie says his father once told him a story, which may or may not be true, about it being hung upside down accidentally and left that way.
He says his father told him that "People would come in, order a beer, just to tell me that the sign was upside down."
Either way, he says it caught on years ago. Now, it's now a part of their personality. From their T-shirts to their new sign to their mural inside by artist Jennifer Krezeczowski, the logo remains upside down.
In addition to the new mural art, John Mousie says they've also upgraded and increased the size of their bathrooms.
Throughout the Ice House Complex, it's a laid-back atmosphere with plenty of TVs throughout the complex, where the Mousies say the teams of choice are the Browns, Steelers and Ohio State.
Beyond that, the Ice House Inn caters to its wide-range of clientele with a wide-range of entertainment and food. It's also a safe environment, where John Mousie says they don't have problems.
The Ice House Inn is open from 10 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday. On Sunday, they open at 11 a.m. The kitchen closes at 11 p.m., except for Fridays and Saturdays when it's open until midnight.
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