Great fine Loved the atmosphere and wait staff. Go to go…read moreretro with bologna sandwich with shiner bock

This was my first visit to the Ice House. I'm going to call it a brew pub. We were here to try…read moretheir speciality hamburger for the downtown Burger Brawl. They have 8 to 10 different beers on tap, and however many in cans. They have appetizers, burgers, and sandwiches on the menu. I think a couple of salads too. The burger we tried was called the Peanut Butter Smash. A bacon cheeseburger with peanut butter and house made strawberry jam. It was very good! And the French fries were some of the best I've ever had! The best burger we have tried in the Burger Brawl so far! Whether you need a drink or something to eat, give Ice House a try!

They no longer serve food just a FYI. The service was slow and they were not busy when I went. Sat…read morethere with an empty glass until I could catch the waitresses attention. To top it all off, when I went to pay the bill, the auto tip options started with 30% and up to 45%, no thank you, custom tip please. There are much better spots downtown, avoid this one.

They no longer serve food...any food. It wasn't horrible just hoped for some food and ambiance.read more

This place is just great. Dipped in for happy hour on a Wednesday. Nice size crowd, a group in…read morethe lounge and a birthday party set up on the high tops. I found my way to the bar and pulled up a seat. Immediately created by Amber, the bartender. I don't know how she feels about being called a mixologist( is that cool anymore?) but she knew her way around some spirits! For my first drink she mixed me up a classic old fashioned. Nice balanced drink. I ventured through some of their other specialty cocktails. I just couldn't get enough! A few hours in and it was time for dinner. The hot honey pepperoni pizza hit the spot ! This is a great addition to the soda district. Come with friends or make some new ones when you get there ! Can't recommend this enough, Abilene

Service and ambience were top notch! Caleb (bartender) was phenomenal! Amazing craft cocktails,…read moregood vibes, and fantastic service! 1000 out of 10! Check it out!

I will forever be amazed by cool places, especially when they appear in unexpected cities like…read moreAbilene. Located on the second story of a beautiful building in downtown Abilene sits Grain Theory, a brewpub and coffee shop towering over the city. It is a mixed indoor-outdoor space with plenty of shaded outdoor and cooled indoor seating. Looking at their tap list, my girlfriend and I were impressed by their unique beers to try. I started with the Strawberry Peach Tonic (Fruited Hard Seltzer) and she had a Bella Rose (Rosé IPA). Both were served in cool glasses, with mine being tall and skinny and hers being almost like a wine glass. Shocking to nobody, mine was quite fruity while her Rosé IPA was hoppy with an underlying rosé flavor. Next, I ordered their Oktoberfest (German Märzen) and she had their Season's End (Belgian Dubbel). She described her drink as tasting like a Biscoff cookie. My Oktoberfest was quite malty, and I was a big fan. To close, we both ordered their Luscent (Belgian Table Beer) because small beers are back in fashion and I wanted to try it. It was obviously very light but still had a good flavor that was very bready. Nice and easy to close out our drinks with. They also have food and coffee that we didn't try, but the food looked sensational from what we saw others eating. They also have plenty of board games and card games to play while you're at the brewery and many beers available to take to-go. My only minor complaint is the lack of TVs in the brewery. Maybe it's a purposeful decision, but Texas Tech was playing football, and it would be a great place to watch the game. The bartenders are very friendly and willing to let you try and sample as many beers as you need to make your decision. Grain Theory feels like the kind of place every small Texas city wishes it had. I am very excited to come back here and try more beers, especially with how excellent the space is. RIYL: Cool-shaped beer glasses or a rooftop bar

Okay, on a whim, we stopped by after a Firefighter pension conference. The place is clean, relaxed,…read moreand the people are friendly. We ordered the buffalo chicken fries and the bratwurst. We also had the Wayfinder beer and a double express (yes, I had both). The fries were perfectly balanced with a touch of heat and a hint of blue cheese flavor. With the Wayfinder Pilsner, it was AMAZING! The bratwurst was traditional in its meat, with sweetness added to the onions. Mustard was mild but added the right amount of flavor. Altogether, I would eat here once a week if I lived in the community. Delicious and highly recommended!

I saw a special the BCBG was running. Every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at lunch, sandwiches…read moreare BOGO free. Off we go! The dining room and full bar are very nice. A large covered patio and outdoor stage are great for live music. Some Sunday nights are blues jam, which I intend to go to! Anyway, the food was great. We tried the club, chicken sandwich, and the Bahn Mi. Excellent! We will definitely be back!

Pretty good - easy atmosphere - didn't really like the food options and beer wasn't as cold as we…read moreremembered from our first time. But we would go back.

Last night, Vagabond had an amazing win that they weren't even aware of…read more We're friends with a couple who just had their second baby yesterday. The husband is stationed out of Dyess. Neither one of them really knows anything really about what is uniquely available to eat in Abilene. My wife and I were on our way to the hospital after picking up their kid from daycare when we were asked to pick up some dinner. We had offered to get them anything in town to eat while at the hospital. Given how they were new to town, their regular from Dominoes was requested. It was at this point I suggested Vagabond, telling the couple how for years it's been the best. The wife saw the menu and was impressed, eager to try it out. (We ordered 1 Lucia, 1 Carnivore, 2 Crawfish Hand Pies) The order was placed online, right as we left our driveway, I received a text confirming the order, which was followed up 15-20mins later by another one stating it was ready for pickup. It felt fast. As I walked in, I saw the traditional sights: the owner at the front welcoming everyone in, a filled up room with various parties enjoy their food and conversations, a staff working hard and yet ready to serve. I was told by the owner to go up to the bar where my order was waiting for me. I was in and out so quickly that I could feel the warm air coming off the pizza as I took it outside to my car. My one regret was not telling the owner on my way out how this meal would be the first meal for a mom who just gave birth. When I got to the hospital, the food was still warm. When both the mother and father had their first bite of the Lucia, they both had that 'wow' reaction to how amazing the taste was. Everything ordered honestly received a 'wow.' It was perfect. I have had Vagabond ever since they were out of a food trailer. Since then, it has been the place I always bring people to, particularly if they are visiting from out of town. It was the place where my wife and I brought our kid for his first restaurant meal. The consistent experience of it all is simply the best. I don't review places often, but last night was special. Never a bad thing to say thank you to a group of people who unknowingly wowed a father and mother in a hospital room. Thank you.

The last stop during my Abilene day trip was the wood-fire pizzeria Vagabond. We arrived at…read moreVagabond exactly at 6:00 pm, impressed by their cork decor outside the shop. We were immediately greeted by the server and seated just as quickly. The place was pretty busy, as one would expect on a Saturday at 6 pm, so it was great to be seated right away. The table was already set with two water cups, two plates, two sets of silverware, and two napkins, so we didn't have to set the area ourselves. Our server came shortly after with a large glass bottle of water and took our drink orders. My girlfriend got a bottled Dr. Pepper while I stuck to water. I also noticed they serve plenty of wines as well as a good selection of craft beers. They have ten different specialty pizzas, and we settled on their most expensive: the Carnivore. I say most expensive, but it was $20 for a pizza that fed two. It took about 10-15 minutes before the pizza came out, which is impressively fast. All pizzas are about 12 inches and are sliced into sixes. If you're hungry, consider an appetizer or a dessert, but to us, it was a perfect size with plenty of meat. The crust is thin and crispy, as one would expect from a wood-fire pizza. It was really excellent. For dessert, my girlfriend and I ordered their Saturday Morning Cartoons, which is a panna cotta with Fruity Pebbles that I enjoyed but she adored (I let her eat most of it). All in all, the meal was around $30 plus the tip I added. We were in and out in under 40 minutes, which was quite impressive for a sit-down pizza restaurant. I highly recommend this to anyone living in or visiting Abilene. P.S. My girlfriend wanted my Yelp review to note that their women's bathroom has hair ties, bobby pins, a Tide pen, and other items that you never know you'll need until you do, which gives Vagabond extra brownie points for going above and beyond. RIYL: An affordable meal for two.

This lovely coffee shop has delicious drinks and yummy food! I went twice last week! Both times I…read morehad the smoked salmon BLT that is based on a sandwich that used to be offered at Abi Haus ( no longer in business.) Big chunks of bacon. Chopped up salmon. Thick tomatoes. The owner said she knows it sounds scary, but I needed to try it. I'm so glad I did. It was a taste sensation! I paired that with their rosemary and olive oil chips in a bag and was in heaven. And I had it on Gluten Free bread, which was yummy, too. They cater to people with gluten or dairy intolerance. Even the pickle was gourmet! The tomato basil soup is super creamy and delicious, as well. I've also tried their coconut matcha green tea with almond milk at the suggestion of the barista and was thrilled. Don't be put off by the color! The ambiance is lovely here. You'll come back again and again!

Lowkey it ain't Sway anymore but still great place for a quick lunch and cup of joe. Ig last owner…read moremoved on or sold but I recommend to anyone visiting or looking for a place to study

Great bartender!! Good drinks! We were large group & we had so much fun. Thank you & we will be…read moreback.

What a find here. Drinks were wonderful with a great selection to choose from off the happy hour…read moremenu. Service was outstanding. Our bar tender, Michael was very attentive and personable. This place has an upscale feel without the price. Whiskey sour with egg whites, Old fashion, New York Sour were all excellent. Had to have two of everything minimum to make sure they were that good and they were.