I love the idea of an icehouse, or any place serving buckets of cold beers in an open-air setting, with burgers and hotdogs on the grill and more than enough room to watch the game, so for Fantasy Football-Watching, week two, I checked out Luke's Icehouse, a newish bar near the Washington corridor.

The Crowd

Despite its location, Luke’s clientele is not the typical douchey Washington crowd. Mostly in their twenties and thirties, small groups of guys and only guys wearing polos (no popped collars, thank goodness), casual button-downs, and cargo shorts sat around eating burgers, watching the game while reaching for their beers.

The relaxed vibe was great but, frankly, too quiet. It wasn't a Texans game or Luke's two-for-one burger night (Thursday) which perhaps were reasons for the near-empty bar, but I thought Monday Night Football and a reverse happy hour would bring in more of a crowd.

While the exterior of Luke’s Icehouse was certainly promising, with a big Texas star and oversized wrap-around porches the spaces aren't well connected and lack any sense of flow, so it often seemed like we were the only people there. Great for bitchfests with my girlfriends, not for getting into the football game.

Score: Fumble (0 points)

Televisions/Game Viewage

Though the patio picnic tables are spread out, each one faces its own flat-screen television, and the staff is happy to change the channel to whatever you want to watch.

Score: Touchdown (7 Points)

Drinks

Considering the amount of draft and bottled beers Luke’s offers, I was suprised that there wasn't much I wanted to drink. They have your typical Bud Light and Corona, along with a few Texas beers such as Shiner and Rahr & Sons thrown into the mix, but for me the selections were really odd. Fortunately they have a full bar so I was able to supplement my Saint Arnolds Amber with a Jack Daniels.

Score: Field Goal (3 Points)

Food

The hubby ordered the All Day Burger (bacon, American cheese, and a fried egg) and loved every morsel of it. The yolk oozed on the bacon, creating a perfectly creamy crunch, but he onion rings , while crispy, tasted prepackaged.

When my friend requested fries with “a shitload of ketchup,” our waitress laughed and brought out an entire six-pack holster filled with ketchup bottles. The fries were thick cut, cafeteria style but without the staleness.

The size of the nachos can almost rival those at Twin Peaks. Unfortunately, in this one completely unique case, size isn't everything. The chicken on the nachos were dry, and the cheese was a weird mix between gas station liquid cheese and melted shredded cheese. While I enjoy fake liquid cheese (admit it, you do too) and regular melted cheese, I’ve never had them together and I hope I don’t again in the near future.

Score: Field Goal (3 Points)

Recap: 13 points

I don’t really see a reason to go back to Luke’s Icehouse. Nothing was bad, but nothing was great. There are plenty of places around town with good burgers and better beer selection.