Jul 28, 2026 | 5:00 pm
One of San Antonio’s longest-running ice houses will soon melt away. Little Joe’s Ice House at 7405 Old Pearsall Rd. is closing on August 1 after 57 years.
“This bar has been more than just a place to get a drink,” wrote the business on Facebook, “It has been a living room for the neighborhood. Together we have celebrated birthdays, hosted many leagues (pool, darts, shuffleboard), watched ball games, mourned losses, and built a family within these walls.”
Joseph Van Hecke Sr. opened the watering hole in 1969 with wife Laurine, juggling raising a brood of nine children, farming, and tending bar for almost four decades. Three years later, he opened a trailer park, followed by the Country Gold Dance Hall in 1979…