|
|
||||
|
Fabulous Margarita’s and Ice Cold Beer accompanied by
Parade friendly food from Rita’s on the River and Johnny Rockets Contact Rita’s on the River 210-227-7482 Or ritas@ritasontheriver.com Banquet information please email catering@ritasontheriver.com. ICE HOUSES of SAN ANTONIO Imagine a place that serves cold beer, homemade food and plays the music you want to hear. Add doors that open wide to a summer breeze blowing through the shade of pecan trees, and you've defined the South Texas fixture known as the "Ice House." Part bar and part convenience store, the Ice House is neither. The Ice House phenomenon is virtually non-existent outside South Texas or much north of the San Antonio city limits. What began as a reflection of early 20th-century lifestyles and the merger of Hispanic and German cultures have evolved into an enduring San Antonio neighborhood institution. While some Ice Houses are found in Corpus Christi, the Rio Grande Valley and Houston, San Antonio is recognized as the home ground of a cultural institution, which first appeared in the 1920s as distribution points for block ice for ho me iceboxes. Legend has it that a milkman dropped off some of his load to make his route a little easier. Residents found it convenient to pick up some milk when they picked up their blocks of ice. San Antonio brewers thought what was good for milk was doubly so for beer. German immigrants and Mexican-American residents had long lived in the same neighborhoods, sharing a cultural bond of sitting in the shade with friends and family, drinking a beer or two. In the late 1920s there were 42 Ice Houses, growing to 287 by 1970. Since then, the number has declined and only about 60 "real" Ice Houses are in the city today. Some still sport remnants of the wood structures used in making 25-pound ice blocks for neighborhood iceboxes. Ice Houses are unique to each neighborhood, eccentric, entertaining and open air to the passing traffic, creating an atmosphere that welcomes the whole family. Friends gather to play dominoes. Many serve home-made food, Bar-B-Que and even hold annual chili cook-offs. Rita’s on the River is reminiscent of the Ice Houses of San Antonio. Rita’s is a neighborhood place, on the banks of the San Antonio River, where people gather after work and on weekends, to enjoy some local food, drink some beer and listen to music. And everyone knows that beer kept in a box chilled by ice is the best.Want to work for Rita's on the River? Click here! |
