Beaver’s Ice House is one of those places that’s most successful when thought of as a great cocktail bar with decent food, rather than the other way around. Its bar, which was built by the Anvil folks, is the biggest draw for those in the know; yet gourmands will enjoy themselves so long as they keep expectations reasonable. Execution is pretty inconsistent, but when it’s on, the chicken-fried New York strip is incredible, with an impressively nuanced white gravy. A wedge salad is an overpriced bummer, and smoked lamb shank has teetered on the verge of inedibly gamey and underseasoned. Then again, mac and cheese is reliably delicious, as are crisp-exteriored fried boudin balls. The odds are better on slower nights, when Gulf fish specials have been respectable, and at brunch, when classics like migas and French toast are gussied up with stuff like smoked queso and liquor marinades.

There are several decent Texan draft beers and more American micros in bottle; some of the wines, although all offered by the glass (check for freshness), are respectable and totally affordable. Equally modestly priced are the excellent cocktails, a mix of faithfully rendered classics and innovative seasonal mixes like a “Fairfield Sour,” a Bourbon drink using Texas plums, lemon, and ginger. We love to sample the list in this minimal, modern setting of tree-trunk tables and environmentally friendly paints, or on the pleasant open, pebbly patio. And there’s pretty good food, too? Well, bonus.