Waterloo Ice House Southpark Meadows

I took my friend's 3 year old here while I was watching him for a few days. The waitress took our order and got us drinks very quickly, and then I took him to play on the playground while we waited for our food. He had only gone down one slide and his food was already at the table. He filled up on his French fries, so he only ate a couple of bites of his Mac and cheese, which we were able to take home in a to-go container. I got a gringo taco and a pulled pork taco, both were delicious, as were the black beans and rice on the side. I was able to pay pretty quickly after we finished eating which was really nice since the 3 year old really wanted to get back on the playground. It was a little bit more than I'd normally be looking to pay at a restaurant, but it was certainly reasonable for the quality and amount of food we got. The service was excellent, and our server Kerry was incredibly nice and helpful. The playground behind the restaurant is epic. The big jungle gym had 4 or 5 big slides, a lot of different climbing things, a few different sets of monkey bars, and one of those things you hold on to and glide back and forth on. some parts of the big jungle gym were a little difficult for the 3 year old to manage, but he did okay with just a bit of help, and plenty of kids who didn't look that much older than him were able to play on it independently. There was also a play house- like area with a bunch of musical instruments on it (although many were missing their mallets), and a smaller jungle gym for younger kids that had 5 or 6 more slides and a few different climbing places. There were also astroturfed hills that the kids were rolling down. The playground isn't only accessible through the restaurant, but having a table at the restaurant gave us a safe place to put our stuff while we were playing. Many people there with older kids were eating on the patio while their children played on the playground, and I'm sure this would be an excellent place to meet up with friends for drinks without needing a babysitter for parents of elementary school aged kids.

Waterloo Icehouse always has great service and tasty food.. You can't go wrong with their breakfast, lunch or dinner options. The huge playground out back for the little ones is finally now reopened. Waterloo is a nice spot to take the family. They have a full bar too. I recommend the rewards program.

We came on a Sunday afternoon around 2 and were seated immediately. Family friendly. Good options on kids menu and even comes with a desert for them. Atmosphere is really cool. Great place to watch football or having lunch with friends. …

Walked in to a "pick your favorite seat" sign and no hostess. Grabbed a seat, looked around counted 6 servers standing around doing nothing, and one sitting at the table next to me counting his money to leave. After waiting 11 minutes I asked the guy who had just finished his check out if anyone was working this section. He got our drinks and we picked another section, that I could see a girl working. Another five minutes to be greeted. This is my experience every time we come here. If my son didn't like the playground so much we would never be back. It's okay to be busy and have long wIt times, but at 3:45 it's dead. And when I can see 6 employees laughing it up around the restaurant doing literally nothing, it's unacceptable. The food isn't that bad, but to deal with this type of service it absolutely isn't worth it. Watching the manager, hang out with a bartender that's playing with a bouncy ball, while two other girls chat at the POS, while 3 guys behind the bar hang out, WHILE the guy from the kitchen is coming out bussing tables, while I wait to be greeted is insane. Horrible service. Average food. The only benefit is the playground. Next time we'll just eat before we come.

I’ve been a loyal customer of Waterloo Ice House for years—dozens and dozens of visits, from bringing my family to holding staff meetings and team lunches here. It’s always been a go-to spot for us, and I’ve consistently had good experiences. Unfortunately, that changed last Tuesday. I brought a new hire here for lunch and we both ordered the Texas Cheesesteak. While it tasted great, within an hour I fell seriously ill—and later that day, my new hire did too. It was clear we had both come down with food poisoning, and this was the only place we had eaten that day. Out of responsibility, we called the restaurant to let them know—not to ask for a refund, not to get anyone in trouble, but simply to give them a heads-up so they could check things out and hopefully prevent anyone else from going through the same thing. Disappointingly, the manager we spoke with seemed dismissive and uninterested. Rather than taking our concern seriously, they simply stated that their kitchen is clean and their staff follow protocol. Maybe they were being cautious not to admit liability—but that response left me genuinely concerned. This wasn’t speculation—it was a very real and unpleasant experience for both of us. Given my long history with this establishment, I expected a little more accountability and care. I truly hope they take this more seriously going forward. Sadly, after all these years, I won’t be returning.

I have been coming to this South Waterloo since 2007 or 2008 when I relocated from north Austin. My family and myself loved South Park Meadows. Basically I was over charged!!! I ordered 10 wings, cheese fries and a drink; then I added a cheeseburger “kids meal” which was up charged $1.20 for a salad instead of fries, on the menu there was a different price, like $0.89, then charged $0.79 for tomato, $0.79 for lettuce, $0.79 for pickles, and $0.79 for onions. When my $44 check came back I was confused. I asked the waitress why didn’t mention that they charged for each added veggie? She left the check and walked away, as if she didn’t care. The final bill was $52 because I always tip even when service is not that great. I pray that young lady learn to treat all customers fairly or at least communicate. I literally ask her if there were a price difference btw hamburger vs cheeseburger, yet she didn’t think to inform me of the severe up charge!!! I pray that these restaurants do better, the economy is not that great and overcharging customers is wrong. Yes, I left her a 20% tip because I don’t treat people the way they treat me.