the ice plant

i had a sour experience in this place. we drove all the way from tampa to st augustine for the easter weekend and last saturday i went with my husband and brother for dinner to ice plant. when we arrived we were told that we have towait40 minutes for a table but we couldwaitat the bar area and order appetizers from them, so we did. i ordered a glass of wine and a scotch, the bartender ask for our id’s and i handed to him mine, my husband and my brother’s. after he check them he told me he couldn’t accept my brother’s id because was from puerto rico. i told him that doesn’t make any sense since pr is us territory, you don’t need a passport to travel inside the us and is accepted for driving and traveling purposes. mike (the bartender, caucasian with a beard) insisted that he will not sell any alcohol to him because of his id that was the policy from the restaurant. i had friends that went to that restaurant last month with no passport and had no issues. on the table we ask the waiter if we had to show passport to drink even though my brother is a us citizen with a valid id and he said that there is no problems with that. i felt that this bartender was very ignorant and disrespectful, if you now a little bit about your country, you’ll know that puertorricans are us citizens, puerto rico is us territory and we do not need passports inside the us. so, if you are not “american” enough for mike, make sure to bring passports because he will not sell alcohol to you. what we felt from this bartender was racism and that’s not okay! i wish someone sees this review and do something about it.

we only had drinks and bar appetizers, but if the food is as good as the apps were, we will eat here often. we had the pretzel bread and the smoked fish dip. omg! the pretzel bread and the house mustard served with it were to die for. so good. the drink menu is also fun and the drinks were yummy.

the ambiance was sorta neck beard hipster, but i liked it. felt like a warehouse, in a good way. the waitstaff is dressed in 40s garb but were all super friendly. our server was excellent and split the bill correctly 4 ways.

can'twaitto get back here for dinner.

update: had the carpaccio with fried oysters, so very good.

what a true gem in downtown st augustine! my wife and i finally got to try it and we were suitably impressed. the place is really cool, not because of the ice, in an old historic building. we sat at the bar, and got to watch the wizard mixologists do their thing. awesome drinks! the food was exceptional as well. can'twaitto go back.

monday december 29m 2014 - pathetic performance by the host. we have been to the ice plant many times and enjoyed it, so this experience was very disappointing. we were with out of town guests, arrived at 4:30 and placed our name on the list for a party of 7 (there were three names ahead of us on the entire list). we were told that seating for dinner would start at 5:00 so we went to the bar to wait. 5:00 came and went, several parties being seated and served. when asked the "host" said he had towaitfor the bar manager to ok opening up the back section. 5:20 past, parties being seated in the back and still no call from the host. i stopped hime to inquire as to when we would be seated and received the same "waiting for the ok to open the back" excuse. at 5:35, we left, embarrassed for our guests and wholly dissapointed to the total lack of service (from the host; zack and the bar staff were attentive and professional). it is doubtful we will return to dine there and will certainly no recommend the ice plant again.

wonderful atmosphere! very unique place... but be prepared towaitif you go for dinner- line can be out the door..
drinks: i tried the most popular drink the florida mule. it was good but had too much ginger for my taste, and not very strong. i enjoyed trying it, but would not get it again.
food: salads were meh. however, our meal took a very long time since they had a large party arrive before us (they are not equipped for large parties - very small kitchen). they gave us a free appetizer of bacon wrapped dates and it was amazing!
i ordered the shrimp and grits. the grits were very heavy for some reason and had no salt. i wasn't a big fan of them, but the shrimp were good and the side of collard greens helped cut the richness of the grits. i wouldn't recommend this or order again.
but overall i would definitely go back! i would just enjoy trying different items on the menu. someone in our party ordered the buffalo ribs, and those got a thumbs up (the potato waffle that came with it wasn't good), and another person got a savory mushroom bread pudding with an egg on it and raved about that dish. she said it was rich and ended taking half home - but she said its one of the best things locally she's had.

the atmosphere makes this place! definitely give it a try. also i've hear you can take a free tour of the distillery there as well....

doesn't need my review. the ice plant doesn't need me to give it a good review. after all, there was a two-hourwaitfor a table of two this evening. that being said, my friend and i sat at the bar and had delicious drinks, decent service, and good food. i will be back. no other place like it in st aug. cheers!

just had the best cocktail and dinner at the ice plant! can'twaitto go back! s

love it!. my new favorite restaurant in town! the staff was great, really loved the host, nicky! he gave was history on the building as he showed us to our table and was well dressed to fit the decor of the place. my husband and i tried several drinks and loved each one. bartenders/chefs take the time to create each drink and dish fresh and it really makes a difference. i love the ice specially designed for each drink to keep it from being watered down as the ice melts. the food was delicious too, cooked just right and a very creative menu. we cantwaitto go back to try everything on the menu!

great new place in st. augustine!!. great new place in town. if you're looking for something that's not the normal "florida" cuisine", this is your place. food and drinks are top notch, very unique and different from standard fare.waitstaff is very friendly and knowledgeable. the care and thought that went into this place is obvious from everything to the period decor to the hand crafted drinks and superb food. i can'twaitto go back.

best new place in the entire state of florida. absolutely an incredible experience from start to finish. from the building restoration to the staff, unique craft cocktails and fantastic food. cannotwaitto go back and take some friends to share the experience, simply a must try.

very longwaitbut well worth it. the menu was a bit limited but the food was superb. a bar atmosphere more than restaurant, but again, worth it. kudos to the chef for fantastic presentation and high quality food.