The last event at 1355 N. Loop 336 E. was a Super Bowl party. In February, the Houston Chronicle reported that The Icehouse Conroe finished with two nights of DJs and that game-day party. The closing announcement drew more than 300 comments. Eight months later the lights are coming back on under nearly the same name, run by a new team that says the name stayed familiar on purpose.
Conroe's new places to eat this fall are mostly being opened by people who were already here in some form. One reopened a room locals already know. Another started as a food truck and catering business and now has a storefront on Frazier Street. The national names are mostly showing up as state construction filings with dates in 2027.
Four names at one address since 2022
The Chronicle's February report sets out the address's recent history:
- The Shout House, a restaurant, bar and event venue, from October 2022 to early 2024
- Monarch Event Venue, for a short time after that
- The Icehouse Conroe, which held its grand opening in May 2024 and closed in February 2026
- Conroe Ice House, the current team, with a late October opening planned
The same report says ARJR Investments LP owns the property, according to the Montgomery County Tax Assessor's Office, and that the previous operator leased the space.
What the new team kept, and what it spent the money on
The new operators expected the question about the name. The restaurant's About page says the most common reaction to news that the "old spot" was reopening was "oh, you should have changed the name." They give two reasons for keeping it. The first is the word order:
"First, it is Conroe Ice House now, with Conroe first. This icehouse belongs to Conroe."
The second is money. The page says that rather than paying for a new sign and a new identity, the team is "putting that money into our people."
The site names the team as CEO Zeke Lizardo, General Manager Justin Marshall, Head Chef Chris Allen and Bar Manager Angie Davis. Marshall described the goal to Community Impact: "Conroe is home. We saw an opportunity to build a genuine gathering place for the community - family-friendly by day, and a bar and live music venue by night."
The About page calls it "a family friendly Mexican restaurant, Tex-Mex kitchen, full bar, and live music venue." It lists food trucks on site, patios, live music and private events as "what's on the way." Community Impact reported that the restaurant will run in-house food trucks plus supplemental ones, with a full bar serving local beers and cocktails.
The menu, as posted
The menu is the first concrete look at what kind of place this will be. Most of the prices are what you'd pay for a weekday lunch, not an event-night tab. Here is what the restaurant's online menu lists right now:
| Item | Posted price |
|---|---|
| Street tacos | $4 |
| Quesabirra | $5 |
| Queso | $10 |
| Burrito Grande | $12 |
| Shrimp ceviche | $17 |
| Bone-in wings | $15 or $20 |
| Smash burgers | $15 to $17 |
| "Little Amigos" kids menu | $8 |
The menu also lists $10 weekday lunch specials from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Weekend brunch runs 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with $3 breakfast tacos and $12 menudo. The kids menu includes chicken bites, a quesadilla, and mac and cheese. A $4 taco and an $8 kids plate fit the "family-friendly by day" idea.
Plan your first visit around the restaurant's own updates. The About page lists hours of 10 a.m. to midnight daily, the homepage still says hours are coming soon, and the brunch listing starts at 8 a.m. The team also writes that it is "still getting everything together before we go live." Community Impact reported a late October official opening, with a soft launch earlier in the month.
The first event on the calendar is this Saturday, Oct. 24: a family Trunk or Treat in the lot. The events page lists the time as TBA. The phone number on the About page is (936) 337-7177.
Frazier Street: a food truck gets a front door
Nana Soul Food got its storefront the other way around, with a cook people already knew moving into a new space.
Community Impact reported that Michele Thompson, a veteran and Conroe resident, started Nana Soul Food as a catering and food truck business. The brick-and-mortar location at 2017 N. Frazier St. was set to open Oct. 13, serving 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. that day. The menu covers classic soul food, including oxtails, macaroni and cheese, collard greens and cornbread. Thompson told the outlet that the lack of authentic soul food places in the area pushed her to open.
Those posted hours were for opening day, so check the restaurant's Facebook page before you drive over for a weeknight dinner. Going from a truck to a dining room usually means people who knew the food from catering or the truck can now find it in one spot on a regular schedule. Frazier Street gains a sit-down soul food option it did not have this summer.
Grand Central Parkway: the one new arrival with a track record
Spectator's Bar and Grill is the one new Conroe restaurant this month that came from somewhere else. Hello Woodlands reported that the Conroe restaurant is its fifth location. Community Impact reported it opened Oct. 13 at 1259 Grand Central Parkway. The menu covers brunch, lunch and dinner, with steaks, seafood and sports-bar food, plus a daily happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m.
Hello Woodlands listed these regular hours:
- Monday through Friday: 11 a.m. to midnight
- Saturday: 9 a.m. to 1 a.m.
- Sunday: 9 a.m. to midnight
The 9 a.m. weekend opening goes with a brunch menu of breakfast plates and brunch drinks. Between Spectator's 9 a.m. weekend start and the 8 a.m. brunch on the Ice House menu, Conroe has two new weekend morning options within the same few weeks.
The national names are on 2027 schedules
For now, the national brands headed to Conroe exist only as construction filings. Each of these comes from a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing reported by Community Impact, and every date is an estimate:
| Business | Location | What the filing shows |
|---|---|---|
| Whataburger | Northwest corner of Hwy. 105 and Loop 336 | Construction Nov. 1, 2026 to April 1, 2027; no opening date announced |
| Dutch Bros | 1100 W. Davis St. | Estimated April 2027, renovating an existing building |
| Skechers | 1306 W. Davis St., Ste. A | Construction completion estimated summer 2027 |
West Davis Street is where this shows up most clearly. Eyemart Express opened Sept. 8 at 1302 W. Davis St., Ste. G. Skechers has filed for 1306, and Dutch Bros is planned for 1100 a short way down the same street. For now, that stretch is gaining an eye doctor and two filings, while the new places to eat and drink this month are on Loop 336, North Frazier and Grand Central Parkway. Whataburger's Hwy. 105 corner is also on Loop 336, the same road as the Ice House.
For this fall, the Ice House's Trunk or Treat is Saturday, Nana Soul Food's oxtails are on North Frazier, and a 9 a.m. weekend brunch is on Grand Central Parkway. The Ice House's opening is still set for late October, and its own site will post the date first.
Keith has watched Conroe for more than 30 years, long enough to see many buildings like the one at 1355 N. Loop 336 E. change names and owners. If you're curious what a busy commercial corner means for the streets around it, or you just want to compare notes on where to eat this fall, Keith Robertson is glad to talk it over. Let's start a conversation.
