Houston Chef Levi Goode Is Opening Otto’s Ice House in San Antonio | Eater Austin
"Opening this April in San Antonio’s Historic Pearl, a new watering hole and hangout is presented as a fun, boozy dedication to Otto Koehler, the somewhat controversial Texas founder of the Pearl. Local lore holds that Otto Koehler "had some issues with infidelity," that he "had affairs with two women who had the same name as his wife, Emma," that one of his mistresses reportedly fatally shot him, and that his wife Emma took over the brewery, running it successfully through the Prohibition period and beyond. The beverage program leans into that cheeky history with cold cocktails such as a drink called "Last Shot," described as "a refreshing play on a Holland Razor Blade made with mezcal, lemon, honey, habanero, and cayenne," plus micheladas, Damn Goode margaritas, honeysuckle frozen drinks, and more. Food will combine a wood-fired rotisserie and grill producing pollo asado and redfish on the half shell with casual Texas-meets-pub fare — street tacos, bratwurst on buns, Frito pies, nachos, and German soft pretzels — keeping the menu approachable and shareable. The concept explicitly references the nostalgia and history of Texas icehouses (storage-like facilities filled with large blocks of ice, often insulated by sawdust, used to preserve food and keep items cold; communal spaces where people drank together before modern refrigeration), aiming to capture an icehouse vibe from the 1930s and 1940s and to incorporate Texas beer memorabilia from the early, pre-Prohibition days. Situated along the San Antonio River across from Hotel Emma, the beverage house will offer scenic views and a century-plus-old oak shading a spacious backyard with an outdoor bar and plentiful seating. Houston chef and restaurateur Levi Goode — for whom this is a first foray into San Antonio — says, “It’s something special in the sense that they’re there, and they want to be there for the next 100 years,” he says. “To be a part of that and join their offerings speaks to the unique aspects of a Texas icehouse that are very interesting to me. It was right up my alley.” Goode’s other ventures include the live-fire restaurant Credence and speakeasy Sidebar (both opened in Houston’s Memorial City in 2024) and the family restaurant group Goode Company, which operates nearly a dozen Houston-area restaurants including Goode Co. Barbecue and Goode Co. Kitchen and Cantina." - Brittany Britto Garley
