ICE Restaurant and Bar

Fantastic food and atmosphere, great for lunch and dinner. Come here before a Hens or Walleye game for some awesome appetizers and drinks, too. I’d suggest the Wanda Salad, Ice Bites, their Flatbread Pizzas are delicious, and the Ribeye has always been cooked perfectly to order. Highly recommend.

Was here for Restaurant week. Tried the steak kebabs with rice pilaf and carrot cake. Delicious! What a wonderful find! Will be back again!

Visited for restaurant week. Had crab cakes, salmon on risotto and gelato. My only complaint about the food was the risotto, it was more like a thick rice than risotto. It had good flavor but was over cooked and lacked the sauciness of risotto. Service was excellent on this busy night. I would certainly go there again.

Affordable lunch menu and decent variety. Went here for a work birthday lunch and was pleased with the service and food. I felt our large party was a bit overwhelming for them during lunch, but they handled it well. Lots of options and would like to come here again.

I’ve worked down town for close to 7 years and feel like I’ve got a pretty good idea of what the better restaurants are, however I can say this is not one of them.
Before getting into the negatives, I do want to highlight the positives of Ice. They have a diverse menu, which includes soups, salads, sandwiches, and fork and knife meals. If you are looking for a drink, they also have a full bar, which has several flat screen TVs. The atmosphere is also extremely modern and the space feels very open, even with being in a basement.
One of the biggest positives of ice, is their French Onion soup. If I make the effort to go here anymore, it is just to get a cup of this magical soup. The flavor of the soup is amazing and they even cover it in cheese and melt it down with a torch or something. However, even their soup has started to go down hill a bit. First, they don’t fill the cup up as much as they use to. I think every time I go, I get less and less. Also, I was offered to get a bowl, which ended up being what I always thought was a cup and the cup size was basically the same amount, just in a different shaped container.
On to a few more negatives. I feel as though Ice is constantly understaffed. They maybe have 3 or 4 servers working the floor. Their staff is very friendly, but between their speed and the kitchens, you know you are not getting back to work on time. One would think that with it being a lunch place catering to downtown they would try to get people in and out quickly.
Today, after walking in the door and being seated, you could look around the restaurant and just see how visibly frustrated all the customers were, looking around to see who their server was so they could order. If this place could put their customers first, run at a quicker speed, and get some consistency in the kitchen, I would give it a higher review.

This place has changed a lot in the past year. Much better! Love the place, food and service! Great place for a party too! They have private rooms you can reserve.

How disappointing our last visit was. 1 server and 1 bartender on a Friday night. Our server ran her tail off to try and provide good service. One of the people in our party did not get her meal until everyone else was done and we were ready to leave for our concert. They were ill equipped to handle a few tables let alone a Friday night crowd. With so many other nice places to eat downtown, they are sure to be trampled by the completion. The food is on point too so it’s too bad.

I live and work downtown. We needed a place to go to watch the draft but we’re so exhausted that getting in our car and driving somewhere was out of the question. Ice is right down the street so we took a walk. When we arrived, it was dead but the bartender was so sweet. She helped me pick out a drink. I’ve never had a cosmo before and she talked me into it. It was so delicious.
Their menu is very limited. Obviously we were there to watch the draft and even though it’s a formal atmosphere, it had a bar and two tvs. So i thought there would be more selection. If you don’t want a steak/​chicken/​or fish dinner. Your only selection is the iceburger. Which is fresh and you can tell everything is fresh and homemade burger. The bun is soft and delicious. It’s a good burger and great fries for 9.99. Their appetizers are even to fancy. The only bar food appetizer they had was fried provolone which was their version of mozzarella sticks but instead it was provolone.
I guess I was hoping for… I don’t know… nachos or potato skins … or even chicken tenders. But you won’t get that here.
Sometimes they have live music. But they didn’t then.
The food is always good. The service is good. The menu is just lacking some thing. But otherwise it’s great

Working downtown this week, a friend and I walked to ICE for lunch. They were moderately busy, given the lunch rush, but we were seated at a table almost immediately. Both my friend and I picked the Monday lunch special: a grilled pizza sandwich with a bowl of tomato bisque. With a drink, my bill came to $ 9.28, which is very reasonable for downtown. The décor in the restaurant is tasteful, if not pretty standard for a more upscale, cloth-​napkin establishment. Our food was brought to the table surprisingly quickly, and we were shocked by the massive portion sizes! While we were expecting the scaled-​down lunch portions common at most restaurants, the sandwich was the full-​sized, two-​handed variety and the bisque not just a bowl of soup, it was a BIG bowl of soup! Best of all, the sandwich tasted great and the tomato bisque was fantastic! Additionally our server, Alison, did an outstanding job topping-​off our drinks. Overall I would rate ICE as being Very Good, and would definitely come back.

I should update my review, as my previous comments really weren’t representative of their quality and service.
I work downtown, so I only ever eat there for lunch, not dinner. I hear that dinner is quite fancy and impressive. Lunch is less so, which is confusing based on the trendy décor. But ICE is consistent. The quality of their food and service remains about average for lunch. The menu hasn’t changed much in years, so your favorite entrees aren’t going anywhere. They usually have some sort of lunch special, as well.
ICE can be counted on for a timely lunch break with quality food, and that deserves an extra star from my original review.

Business birthday approved!!!
The women at my office took me to Ice Restaurant and Bar for a birthday lunch and it was worth the trip! Jenny, our wait staff, was attentive and friendly and willing to accommodate and recommend menu selections for first timers. Her recommendations were delicious and perfectly cooked in a timely manner.
My recommendation would be to try Ice for the atmosphere, food especially the ice bites, and experience. It is a downtown Toledo jem!

My fiancé and I have been to ICE multiple times. A great lunch/​dinner spot to hit up before going to the games. Amazing relaxed atmosphere with fast and friendly service. Phones have rough service but the problem is solved with their free WiFi. I highly recommend.

This is a hidden treasure in downtown Toledo. People complain about the lack of activity in the area, but when there’s an event at the Huntington, it’s almost impossible to find a parking place on the street for Ice. Nonetheless, this is well worth a trip downtown, regardless of where you live in Toledo.
First, the décor. It’s a nice blend between elegant and comfortable. The «ice cube» lights are really interesting, although at times, it’s a little bright. The dining area is a mix of generous booths (wide and nice) along the wall and tables in the center. The bar is really wonderful, although I’m not a fan of TVs in an upmarket restaurant.
What is especially interesting is the house salad. It’s a mix of fresh greens, red onions, and fresh sliced strawberries with a homemade poppyseed dressing — that is not creamy. This alone is a standout.
Every entrée we’ve tried has been well worth the trip. A favorite is the pork chops — two, bone-​in chops that are bourbon glazed. They are to die for. The perch is another winner. Not everyone can do perch to perfection, but these are lightly breaded and perfectly prepared.
On our last visit, they had a large party, and everyone ordered the pork chops. They were «sold-​out.» While this was a little disappointing, I opted (with some trepidation) to try the N Y Strip steak. It was perfectly done to order (medium). I could not have been more pleased or surprised. Again — not everyone does steak well.
The sides offered are many, but I do love their garlic mashed potatoes. The baked potato is also a nice choice. Meals come with a basket of wonderful sourdough bread.
As to the service, it could not have been better. Our waiter and waitress (on all visits) were attentive without being pushy and over-​the-​top.
The one disappointment falls into the cocktail category. Their prices are most reasonable, but the pour is a little on the skimpy side. One important fact: the prices are beyond reasonable for the quality and service.
Regardless, the atmosphere, cocktails, and dinner all make this a clear choice for dinner. I give it five stars in the hope that they will survive to make downtown a destination.

I normally do not give 5 stars but tonight I have too. The food all around was amazing! The beef was cooked just right and I love the atmosphere is great. Drinks were good as well. The staff was very good! They were knowledgeable and fun to interact with.
I would not bring young kids here, to much of an adult restaurant.
I will be coming back a lot more! Great for date night too!

Had a reservation for a party of 18. The staff was woefully unprepared even though the reservation was made a week in advance. Ran out of two menu options. I had the scallops over a mushroom risotto. The scallops were overlooked and chewy. The risotto was mushy but with a good flavor. I was disappointed in the food but the service was the worst part. Though at the end the servers did really try to make up for it with a real recovery. Sadly the food offered no such coup de gras.

Last year I use to attend Jazz Night at this restaurant every Thursday. Those nights they charged a small $ 5 cover and it was comped if your bill was a certain amount. I genuinely missed being able to go down there once a week for dinner but my work schedule just doesn’t accommodate those visits. Located below the ground level of the PNC Building, ICE is a beautiful place to have dinner. Clearly this place was put together by a professional designer, its dimly lit and a great place for a romantic dinner, enjoying jazz music and just plain relaxing.
Whoever is in the kitchen is very talented. The food is always delicious, perfectly cooked and presented. They have a full bar with televisions playing sports, but I always look for a booth along the wall. They’ll bring out your water and a basket of a variety of freshly baked and cut bread and butter wedges shortly after you sit down and try to decide what you want from your menu. I always am there to relax because Thursday nights were my one night a week off of work and I would want a cold beer with either the Ice Burger or more often the Fried Chicken Sandwich with a slice of Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo. I’m a potato guy and their fries made me very happy.
If we’re really hungry, I enjoy the crab cakes for dinner. The salmon is never overcooked and the steaks are juicy and tender. I have never came close to complaining about this place, but I am going with Five Stars because this is not only a place I am a fan of, but I want to keep going back and take my friends to show them how great servers, a friendly owner and a talented chef make for a great experience. This business is an example of what people want to see in Downtown Toledo.

I’m torn between giving them three or four stars so I’ll go with three.
They’re in a below ground space, our cell phones not working, with a dark, uninspired décor. And the chairs are very uncomfortable. Parking is a problem if anything is going on downtown. We ended up in a lot next door to the place which was nice because it was very cold and windy, but had to pay seven dollars for this.
But the food was pretty good. We had a flatbread pizza as an appetizer. It was just ok. The appetizers were half off, I think because there was a hockey game that night. The salad was good.
I had fish and chips, substituting a baked potato for the chips. The menu described the fish as lightly breaded, and it actually was. The fish was very good, the baked potato just ok.
So overall it’s good enough, not something to go out of your way for though.

All I can say is to check this place out before, after, or during a walleye game. $ 2 drafts and ½ price apps. It is well worth it.

Nice interior. Live jazz music. Order the perch — you will not be disappointed. Also, the desserts are homemade and the carrot cake is very good. Not sure how often we’ll visit as we’re not a fan of trying to park downtown (and there are plenty of places to eat where I can park for free). We’d go back though if we were downtown for an event or another reason (are there other reasons besides an event?). The circus was just in town the night we went but the place was only half full or so as it is not exactly a family dining establishment.

Four of us enjoyed early (5:30) dinner at Ice before a 7 pm concert at the Valentine. We all remarked about how pleasantly surprised we were at the quality of the food. Our basket of a variety of delicious breads was promptly refreshed without our our asking. Salads served with entrees were offered with a good choice of dressings, several made in-​house. Two in our party had the walleye, one a Wanda salad with French onion soup, and I had the 8 oz filet mignon. All very good. My filet was perfectly medium rare and delicious. Several sides were available including potatoes, rice pilaf and asparagus. There is a nice selection of wines by the glass and bottle and a large martini/​cocktail selection. The menu also includes a selection of more informal fare including 3 soups, sandwiches, appetizers, and flatbread pizza.
Service was pleasant, prompt, and attentive to our 7 pm commitment. We all felt that the prices were very reasonable. The central location of the restaurant allows for easy, free on-​street parking in the evening and a quick walk to downtown venues. This would certainly be a choice again, especially before or after a downtown concert/​event.