The Dakota East Side Ice House

I've traveled to San Antonio many times. In the spirit of the Texas Restaurant Association..."Eat local, Eat often" This is definitely a local favorite spot found a little bit away from the "been-there-done-that" Riverwalk area. This eclectic staple has everything needed to enjoy an exciting dining experience. My initial impression was hole in the wall small bar vibe followed by a friendly face at the bar. The bartender quickly greeted us and handed us a couple menus and said "please have a seat and come back to me when you're ready to order". The menu was simple but full of surprises to a classic menu. For example, they had a hotdog that screamed TexMex meets Chicago. The layed back bar vibe was accompanied by an amazing small live performance. A must stop if you are in the downtown/East San Antonio area.

What a cool place. Jazz jam on Thursday was awesome! Food is top notch.

The most welcoming and amazing spot in all of San Antonio! You won’t find a place like the Dakota. Nothing but hilarious comics and amazing musicians. The open mics are personally my favorite, it’s like a box of chocolates… ya never know what you’re gonna get!!! :) (PS: the protein Quesos are the bomb!)

Tasty food, especially the glizzies. Outdoor seating is great too!

Super "bro" vibe here I was here on Juneteenth weekend during an 'Open Mic' there were some really tasteless "n" word jokes directed at me specifically. I was also referred to as a Puerto Rican, and jeered at about speaking Spanish. These are 'typical' and 'familiar' race jokes, they're simply not funny in presentation or otherwise. They stage comedian(s) getting fake booed as their going up to the stage. This place was def gentrified, but the patrons seem to have no respect for the space or the energy that lives there. This place lacks talent, and has a bro vibe of all the guys basically thumbing each other up. Talent is lacking entertainment wise and professionalism and ethics on the business side. How funny thisentity no doubt was probably owned by a person of color. On a side note, The bartender was extremely accommodating. 🙏🏽👍🏽

Stopped in after the annual Las Nuevas Tamaleras and enjoyed a delicious pizza fresh salad. A beautiful way to end the night. Outdoor large patio n many tables. Great service! I'll be back for more.

I love everything about this place. It feels like coming home! Such a vibrant, fun atmosphere. All of the staff are so friendly and welcoming, such a pleasure to come here, especially Wednesdays and Thursdays - open mic and jazz nights respectively. I love that there are two menu options now. Kent and his team are fabulous! The Dakota Ice house is the jewel of our neighborhood.

Cool, funky atmosphere with a laid-back outdoor seating area. When we went there was a live music jam featuring the Harmonica Organization Of Texas where various harmonica players took turns sitting in while the band played several blues standards. My wife and I had the delicious wedge salad and tasty pork rinds for an appetizer.

We discovered this little joint by accident while cruising the neighborhood looking for properties one hot Saturday afternoon (long sentence I know!!) and my ohh my was it a delicious treat. The energy when you walk in is that of magic. It's a small place but mighty. Reminds me of a place you'd find in New Orleans where I grew up. Super funky! The food was FANTASTIC also. The Brisket Tacos omg!! A perfect place for some cocktails and chillin. Wish we could have been there for the entertainment but maybe next time. Parking was a challenge but that expected for the area. Our server was an angel, absolutely a lovely gal. We highly recommend!! Looking forward to coming back with the doggies.

Great Jammers! Great food. Fast service. Cooooool drinks! 5star. Got the queso and tacos which were all bomb!

Always a treat. Great food, service and entertainment! Family and dog friendly is a huge plus. We love lounging outside sipping from their great beer selection.

This place truly caught us off guard, but in the best possible way! We met up with friends to check out a band called Soul Grammar (which rock btw) and ending up having THE BEST TIME! From the atmosphere, the views, to the food, it was all great. We ordered $20 bottles of Prosecco and a few IPAs, along with Smoked Wings, Waygu Frito Pie and an Italian Sandwich. The food is actually amazing! We loved being able to go right up to the side window and place our orders easily and then have everything delivered to our table. They have a huge patio area with tables so you can sit outside and enjoy the music and food when the weather is nice (as it usually is). The bandstand features a backdrop of the Alamodome and the tower of Americas which makes for epic photos. The bar area inside is super cute and has a small stage where they do smaller shows and karaoke during the week. Cannot wait to get back to Dakota!

Great place and great location. Always open and friendly with plenty of entertainment. Definitely a recommend.

How can you serve bean and cheese nachos for $9 with NO beans. Are beans expensive?? I'm so mad and so tired of these crappy places overcharging for GARBAGE. It makes me sad. We came here and I was like, we should support local. STEP IT UP LOCAL. No wonder it's enpty. At least the beer was cold and the bartemder was nice.

Casual place with inside and outside seating. They got Jukebox. Dos Equis bottle $5.41! When I walked up to the entrance a staff member was arguing with a potential customer. Customer was angry and aggressive. He was to physically hurt the staff member. I intervened and customer calmed down slightly. Not sure what set him off but ai came inside to relax after the zMLK march. Beer is nice and cold and refreshing.

Have been wanting to check this place out since they opened, so a group of us decided to head out early on a Saturday and enjoy some food and drinks at this Eastside Neighborhood Bar on a nice SA winter day. The patio area is large and great for groups, while the inside is a bar going down the length of the inside that started to get packed with people as we ate and drank outside. They are really a beer and wine bar, with lower alcohol (like wine vodka). Beer selection was good and they pour a large pint + of draft beers. The bartender was friendly and gave some recommendations for food (I will have to come back for the carnitas!). We decided to go with the Sishitos & Sausage and the Nacos for my vegetarian friend. It was a good start for our night to hold us over for our bar hoppin' night!

Love the staff. Bring your dog. Inside or outside is fine. I ordered the biscuits with chopped brisket, bbq sauce, and pickles. Everything tasted great and the chef brought it out himself. Two side salads. You can get chips but I got an extra salad to be healthy. They make their own ranch here and it is so good! Top it off with a little balsamic. An amazing salad. Well done!

We got into town late and they were close to our place. We walked down to check it out. The staff was great. So friendly. The food was great. Pizza was great and the Spicy chicken sandwich was the bomb. It is a funky little neighborhood dive Bar that we will be going to over our stay. Sorry, we didn't take any pictures because we were real hungry.

The Dakota is one of the only bars I know that has a weekly jazz jam (theirs is on Thursdays). My boyfriend and I have been coming here for awhile, but I love the ambiance of the place and the music. My favorite dish is of course the Hardcore Corn because I love elote and hot cheeto's. It's great getting to come out after school and listen to the jam sessions. The full bar is a great plus.

I can't believe that I haven't visited The Dakota East Side Icehouse yet, considering I go to every single UTSA Football game! It's within walking distance of the Alamodome will be our new post game after party spot. While we were there the owner was talking to us about the incredible back story behind this charming East Side hangout spot. The tacos were great, but that pork queso is addicting! Most importantly, this is a very inclusive business, so bring everybody, your dogs, your kids, your besties.. I mean everybody!

Good hole in the wall spot near the Alamodome to grab a bite and a drink. Great service, friendly staff. Food was just ok. Worth returning.

This place is a gem! The food is excellent, and I mean all of it. I sat down for an early dinner and had the brisket tacos which were amazing. I'll put it this way, I ordered another meal (briscuit biskets) right after because I couldn't get enough of it. Highly recommend!!

A class act watering hole the staff is excellent very welcoming a definite must stop foid is excellent

It was a spur of the moment decision to have lunch and drinks at Dakota. This is an up and coming location in the outskirts of downtown San Antonio so be open to who approaches you. We had the pleasure of being approached by Lawrence, a special needs local. The Barista called him to the bar and served him an A&W. We wanted to do our part so we decided to buy Lawrence a hot dog after asking the server for his recommendation. It sure felt good seeing Lawrence's reaction when he was told he was getting a hot dog for lunch. He clapped and danced when he was told about the treat he was getting. Talk about a feel good moment! Our entrees consisted of Asian Brisket Taco (delicious!!!) and the Oliver Pizza (not bad!). I came hungry so I devoured my tacos whereas my husband doggie bagged his pizza . Parking is not an issue since there's a lot beside the property that accommodates several vehicles. In all honesty, I'd come back but this time, I'll make sure to dine or drink while there's a band to entertain the group. Pretty cool spot.

This restaurant opened not much ahead of the pandemic and went through the restrictions they all did. But, we were told by a fellow diner, the owner rose to the challenge, adapted by selling foodstuffs to locals, and provided necessary items to those in need. Reason enough to support this business. Now, he's offering up his space to local groups. We discovered last night an amateur belly dancing group gathers here on Thursday evenings to practice, which made for a fun and lively atmosphere. The space is quirky and very casual. Lots of outdoor seating. Fun to look at his eclectic art. But you really want to go for the food. Small menu but tons of heart and flavor. Really big portions. Nice wait staff. Highly recommend for a unique experience.

The Dakota was so good & more than enough food. The service was great, staff was very welcoming & the vibe was cool & unique. I definitely recommend!

Fun chill place to hang out and enjoy some delicious food and drinks. Muffuletta is big enough to share!

I didn't really like here. The pizza was very flat. The pictures of it were very deceiving and I was not satisfied. It was about four pieces of pizza for a very high price. My husband also had a pizza and was unsatisfied. The service was very good and the people were really nice; it was just the food that left something to be desired.

Bottom line: bad ass local business! I dropped in here during a slow afternoon for a bite and drinks. I had the shisito peppers and sausage. It was an interesting combo for sure. They have a decent selection of beer and walls full of history to check out. I even got a t-shirt while I was there. They have outdoor seating and dogs are welcome here! This is a great spot to enjoy and they do events too.

Glad I came across this bar a lot of things are closing early due to COVID and I was in the mood for food and drink. I found them on Yelp and was sold when they had pizza and Pineapple eastsiders!. I got a basic pepperoni pizza and my friend got the guisada tacos they were both very good I would only say I would have wanted my pizza a little more crispy but that's just my preference and I know to tell them next time. The employee was very nice and helpful! Will be going back.

What a great find! They are located super close to the Alamodome so it's a great spot for after a UTSA game. There's so much seating outside and on Saturdays they do karaoke. It's got a divey but trendy feel. The staff were really nice and helpful. They only sell beer and wine which is really not a problem at all! They have mixed seltzer drinks that really taste like liquor and they have a high alcohol content. The food was so delicious!! I highly recommend getting the pork queso, wagyu beef frito pie, the crackberry pulled pork sandwich, and the sausage Mac and cheese.

the dakota was a nice dive bar spot. we came early on a thursday and wanted to get food. this place definitely caters more towards drinking, so portions were small and overpriced. staff was friendly, would not come back here but had an okay time.

Loved this Dakota! It has a great atmosphere, plenty of beverage choices and the food is fantastic. Definitely turning this into a regular spot for my Friends and I.

My wife and I stopped in this bar because they happen to be one of the few places that carry Highwheel beer. We were very pleasantly surprised at how great the food, service, location and ambiance were. Very cool place! Looking forward to visiting again.

Great service & great food. The atmosphere in the area just blended in perfectly as well. Great place to hang out and relax.

Great food, great vibe. Isn't she wonderful! Had a great medical grade haze and margarita pizza with an epic side salad!

Enjoyed another nice day at the Dakota! It was a beautiful day on Saturday. Friends and Family joined us. Jazz music sounded great. Vendors had some cute and nice items. Always enjoy the staff and owner....Very nice! Food is good. Nachos with sausage is awesome!

I 100% recommend this cool spot, the brisket sliders and tostada nachos are must. Service was great too!

Great food, service, old fashioned drink, and environment all around. I'll definitely be back. Highly recommended!!! Eric and Desiree give top notch service too!!!

This was our second visit to the Dakota after a so-so, very empty visit a couple of months back. Looking to grab some beers and relax in the area, we thought we could try this place out with some friends. The spot has really good vibes and is beautifully decorated but the atmosphere on a Saturday night was such a miss. There was live music right as you entered the bar and it was so loud that we couldn't hear ourselves think more or less even get a couple sentences in with our friends. The space is too small for a band. The place was pretty empty as well so that didn't help. We had one quick round and left to find somewhere else. I'm all about live entertainment but not at the sacrifice of the whole bar. Going to a concert, absolutely. Going with some friends to the Dakota on a Saturday night, we are going to pass.

First time here. Went to listen to music. Shotgun Annie. Beautiful evening at a lovely place. Lots of outdoor seating and very nice inside too. Will be going back.

Really good food, a community place, and great drink selection. Very chill and casual.

The Dakota is a great local spot for a casual lunch or dinner. Huge beer selection if you want to try something new and local beer on tap. I love the pizza, hand made crust and comes with a side salad. Their dressing is the best. The owner is committed to community fun - bands, markets and karaoke are regular. Easy walk from the Alamodome and plenty of off street parking. We are here every week, can't recommend it enough!

Cool, comfortable chill spot. Nice SA crowd, live music and well Managed awesome staff, Thx Madi and Genaro. Decent Craft selection. It's kind of like La Tuna but laid out better and little more comfortable.

Food was excellent fair prices good service good draft beers definitely recommend if you are visiting location to Wyoming street walkable.

Omg in love with this place. We have been living in the south east for half a year and like to check out the local spots. We finally made it here and I love it. Ordered the brisket tacos and carnitas tacos which were delicious. They have wine and lots of beer. Dog friendly is a plus the crowd is fun and chill. You have to come out. Great ending to our weekend.

Great Irish Red and Asian brisket tacos on naan, probably would prefer tortillas, but still tasty!

The brisket and chicken tacos were some of the best I've had in town. Normally chicken tacos are dry but not the ones from The Dakota. Then I had a brisket biscuit and that sealed it for me. Absolutely outstanding food!

The food is on point. They are close to the house, their food is delicious. What more can you ask? We have never dined-in, so I can't speak to that, but the atmosphere seems fun (we should probably do that) we haven't discovered disappointment in anything ordered so far (4 times). The customer service is amazing and the food (although always takes longer than quoted) is delicious!

The place is overpriced. The 6 bite "pizzas" are proof of that. The live music? Great. The ambience? Good. BUT, it's still overpriced for barely any service. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere, this place is not there yet.

This place has a good vibe and most importantly great beer selection and tasty food. I ordered the pork queso and brisket tacos. The queso was fantastic and I wasn't disappointed with the tacos. They have a few things on the menu like special pizzas that looked delicious also but will leave that for another time.

Great food, great service, friendly staff. We stopped in prior to a concert at the Alamodome and we're happy we found this place.

I'm from the east side of San Antonio and grew up down the street from here it used to be really bad here in the 90s, lots of crack and crackheads roaming these streets but it's cleaned up and to come back and see what's it's become is awesome. I'll definitely be coming back.

I've never been here before and i rarely write reviews but holy cow y'all need to eat the Firenze Dogs. Best hot dog i've ever had in my 26 yrs on this rock and i love hot dogs. Also beer selection is HUGE and A1. Get the queso cuz they bring it with pork rinds and that's THE move. Also safe and outdoors! Come w ur quarantine friends!

I love this place! It's eclectic and has such a great ambiance! I have always loved going to The Dakota! Their food is simple and delicious! It's like being at home with friends over for a nice evening! They've added seating outside with plenty of shade. Their frozen sangria is to die for!!!

The Dakota is such a laid back bar and grill. Everything on the menu is delicious! Definitely my favorite place to eat a meal with my family and enjoy a nice cold brew.

While yes, the common description for this place is an ice house, The Dakota is so much more than that; it is a growing part of the community. It's a great little bar with appreciation for the community history. The food is delicious. Among my favorites are the pizzas and the Hard Core Corn. The pork queso is legit, and made for sharing. Karaoke night is always a blast but so is the live Music. This place is a must stop if your looking to immerse yourself in the local experience, and all you need to do is walk in and grab a beer. I'm always impressed by The owner's commitment to the community and I see it all the time as he helps community (with street clean-ups, etc.) and welcomes individuals with open arms. Most recently during this COVID crisis he has been doing his best to help local vendors. Overall, he's just a great guy. He's also currently taking donations to feed individuals at a nursing home. What I'm saying is show the DAKOTA some love and Just Be Nice, Dammit!

The wings were soggy needed a little more crunch and the pizza was not pizza...it was a piece of flat bread with marinara and cold cheese on top...everything slid off. Wouldn't order again. The atmosphere is great and the queso was good the last time I picked up from them but definitely wouldn't order the winds and pizza again :/