We came here hoping for a quick lunch! We ordered some pretzel bites and a bloody beer to start with, both of which were delicious. And then we waited. And waited. And waited for our waitress to come back to take our lunch order. We probably waited 45 minutes to order our food. The staff kept saying it was "crazy" around here and that they were so busy. It wasn't. I feel like this place doesn't have their stuff together. I'm currently writing this as we're STILL WAITING for our food. An hour and a half later and I'd rather just leave than wait any longer. Extremely disappointing. read more

Big Axe Brewing - Worst nachos. The cheese is so hard. And they forgot our pulled pork. - Breweries Near Me - Nisswa, Minnesota

I love Nisswa and haven't really been through here since turning 21. I love the atmosphere of this place! The staff is SO friendly, and prompt service. The food is decent, but I wasn't expecting there to even be food, this is a brewery so come here for the beer. I had the blonde ale, and it was OKAY. I've had better. But I'll try their other ones for sure! read more

Big Axe Brewing - Blonde ale - Breweries Near Me - Nisswa, Minnesota

Given a number for the food we ordered and after 40 minutes, went inside to ask how much longer for an order of 1 chicken strips and 1 nachos. Mind you, it was NOT busy. Was told we didn't order. Then, Oh wait, they found we did. Was told the order didn't print in the kitchen. At this point, no apologies yet or any indication that someone even cared. I decided to cancel so we could get back to our travel north, hit the DQ instead. Was so disappointing and a waste of valuable vacation time with hungry kids. Will not be stopping or recommending. read more

This is such a nice relaxing place. The beer is fabulous, the staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. I had the beer cheese soup and my husband had the chili. Both were very good, as a matter of fact, I wish I would have requested the recipe for the soup! read more

Stopped in to Big Axe this past weekend on account of a local to tipping me off to it and for sure glad I did! Had a flight of beers because had other activities after, but all of the beers were fantastic and would rival any of the craft locales down in the Twin Cities! My favorite was the IPA on tap due to its great bitter hoppy finish and amazing clarity. Was even able to sample a peach wheat ale that is in the works currently. Staff were friendly and attentive. Prices were as expected too. The place was packed, but I did not feel as though I had to wait overly long for anything. The food available at Big Axe is separate from the brewery, but was also notable. The pulled pork and brisket were sampled and I wasn't quite sure when I got a brisket sandwich without BBQ, but I stand corrected, both were flavorful and the grilled toast that it was in was GREAT! The fries were average and the least notable part of the visit. To summarize, GO AND CHECK THIS PLACE OUT. You won't regret it!! read more

We have been 3 times, each successively getting worse. Memorial Day weekend staff energized but still in learning mode (which we attributed to just opening). The next time in we had to buy beer separate from food because they requested separate tabs. Order inside and they brought food out, but no wait service beyond that, therefore losing out on additional beer purchase(profit). Staff inconsistent and not knowledgeable of entire operations. Food is good. Have had sandwiches, salad and soup. Beer is good. Hope they can piece it all together because we were really excited to have a Nisswa brewery. read more

Great beer and a good menu. The owner knows what he's doing when it comes to making quality beer.

Beer only review. I wasn't expecting much from this place, I don't know why. I kind of in my head had it in the same category as Angry Minnow before I came, and so my expectations were low. I was wrong! The beers here are actually pretty good! I missed out on trying their stout, which I am now pretty bummed about, but I much preferred the beers here to Gull Dam up the road. When I am back in Nisswa (every summer) I'll be back here! read more

Took an hour after ordering to get our food. You have to prepay or we would have left. And they do not seem to care either.

Great location, although it was 90 degrees on the day I visited and they don't have AC. The beers are pretty simple style wise, but very well executed. Their red ale is kinda hoppy and definitely one of the best reds I've ever had. They have a small food menu as well. I had a BLT with fries. Nothing to write home about, but not bad for cheap bar food. read more

Big Axe Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Nisswa, Minnesota

Amazing atmosphere. Tried the flights and enjoyed all varieties with a Cuban Panini Wrap (a must try). Definitely a Cheers atmosphere as the other reviewer commented.... Everyone (total strangers to one another) chatting and hanging out like distant cousins at a family reunion. read more

Big Axe Brewing - Great staff! This is Jason. - Breweries Near Me - Nisswa, Minnesota

Ordered beer and food. The beer was good. Ordered the special of the day which was fajita salad. Was very disappointed how small of a salad it was. For $10 I would have expected at least a chicken breast instead of 6 small strips of chicken and little salad. My husband and son like their sandwiches. read more

Great Beers brewed on premise. "Cheers" style bar atmosphere with fun staff. Warm and inviting, enjoy a great beverage while admiring the actual brewing equipment. Also has home-made cream soda and rootbeer. Don't forget to take a growler of their great beer home with you. read more

Big Axe Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Nisswa, Minnesota

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Great beer, shitty service. It's not like the servers aren't trying there is just no system. Also, it seems weird to have one, gender neutral, bathroom in a brewery and restaurant. I'm sure it works in January but not the busy summer months. read more

I was excited to try this unique microbrewery in downtown Nisswa while vacationing there last week. The brewery itself is very small, and was absolutely packed when we got there. Luckily, it was a nice day outside and there is abundant outdoor seating. The service was incredibly slow. I was with a bachelorette party group of about 10 girls all waiting to spend lots of $$ on beer and we waited nearly 15 minutes in line at the counter before anyone took our order. The beer itself was ok. I will say, the Amber was delicious and flavorful! However, I was left disappointed with the IPA, blonde, and brown ales, which were less carbonated than I usually prefer my beer to be. The prices are great-my flight of 4 samples was only $7. Overall, nice microbrewery to visit, but not the best for big groups unless it's a nice day outside due to limited seating. read more

If you're looking for a well crafted beer look no further. The brewer does an excellent job crafting very delicious well balanced beer! Out of the three breweries we tried last weekend Big Axe Brewing was by far the best! We met the brewer and his pride and passion for his craft was very obvious. He has a very bright future in this field! We also had a burger and it was okay. So far the general rule seems to be an establishment either does great beer, or great food. You have to try the beer! read more

While the taproom is cool and the beers are OK, the restaurant portion seems a poorly organized mess. Had to order at the counter, menus were at the printer?? Staff consisted of two high school girls who were clueless when we asked about items on their online menu (which we came to try) that aren't apparently on the real menu. When we asked about kids drinks, they just pointed to a plastic pitcher of water on the counter. Really poor service and a disappointment b/c we were excited to eat here. Food really wasn't anything as great others described. Small portions for the price. We won't be back except for maybe a growler. Conclusion: Come for a beer, but don't bother with the restaurant until they get their act together. read more

Food was great! Beer was great! Nice atmosphere also outside seating. Got busy at lunchtime on a Tuesday so that's a good sign. It lost a star because it was $90 for 4 people (we did order a flight and two apps)& the portions were small, didn't feel like america for that reason ;). Very good though, next cabin trip, will be back. read more

Stopped in last Fri for beer and apps in the tap room. Service was slow - we sat with empty beer glasses for 20 minutes and waited longer for food. Pretzel bites and wings were over cooked. We had to ask for plates, napkins and utensils. The worst, and most unbelievable, part was a contractor was in the tap room doing construction during business hours. Noise was so loud and disruptive, two men at the bar got up and left. Not sure why the work was done while paying customers eating and drinking were present!! The beer is awesome. They have a talented brew master. But, business will suffer if they can't improve service. This was our third try (beer brought us back), but given poor service all 3 times, we will NOT return. read more

So I'm not one to usually complain about a food joint. But we were waiting over an hour for food, which isn't unusual on a Sunday, but the way the associates handled the situation was horrible. We went up after about 30 minutes because we had only ordered a chicken wrap and a pulled pork sandwich. Nothing too elaborate. But we were instantly met with, 'Well, we're busy. I don't know what you want us to do? We're waiting on the chicken to finish.' Okay kinda rude, but we brushed it off. We all know chicken doesn't take too long to cook, but it was whatever. No, it was about 5 minutes before we got our food we asked a runner what was taking so long because it was coming up on an hour long wait. We were instantly met with, 'Well were busy.' And was walked away from. This got me a bit mad because instead of giving an apology of, 'oh I'm sorry we'll get that right out!' We were met with rudeness. And before you ask why we didn't leave earlier if it was so bad, we couldn't leave because they charge you before you get your food. He came out and gave us our food and we asked yet again, why it took so long? He gave off a frustrated tone when he talked telling us, 'Well we got slammed. It's not our fault.' I'm paraphrasing but that was basically what we were told. Because of his rudeness we asked for our meal to be comped or at the very least for an apology for not being told in advance, 'Hey we don't have enough staff, it's gonna be about an hour wait'. He then proceeded to tell us no on being comped and gave us a lackluster apology. Then proceeded to walk away when we called him out on it. Overall wouldn't come here again just because of how rude the associates/servers were. Also while we were waiting, 3 other groups were complaining as well because of the wait time and each time were shot down. Please train your servers/hosts how to communicate with customers who were less than satisfied. As someone who comes from retail, I believe no customer should be talked to like that. read more

Great beer! Stopped in today to get some growlers, server was super friendly and even offered my girls some root beer while we were waiting. Great experience. read more

Excellent location. Friendly service. The craft beers are excellent. The menu, while still developing, is satisfactory. Had the Cuban Panini and it was spot on. My in laws had burgers and said they were very good. My only gripe is the current ordering system. Food is ordered from the counter (no servers) and you need to order beer from a different area than the food. I'm sure they'll work out the kinks in time. Stop for ice cream after at Chocolate Ox across the street. Yummy! read more

Worst service ever. Do yourself a favor and order at the counter. We had to. Good beer. Decent food.

I went here with a friend for the first time without reading the reviews, and now that I've read the reviews, I don't recognize the place some of these bad reviews are talking about! I loved this place! The beer was superb and the food was well above what I was expecting. I've come to the realization that some people must be incorporating their mood into their reviews. Well guess what? Your crappy mood isn't what this business is here to fix. And for those of you that are looking for a great selection of beers and food to boot, I recommend giving this place a try. read more

We were in for lunch last Sunday. Enjoyed one of the first nice days of spring by sitting on the patio. Had one of my top 5 Rubens of all time!! Juicy but not soggy, great flavor. Sweet potato fries were very tasty as well. The Root Beer and Cream Soda were both yummy and a must have. Good food and great service! Who can ask for more? read more

Stopped in for dinner and played music trivia. Great people, food, and beer! Highly recommend!

Nice patio for outdoor lunch. Service poor, took 40 minutes after ordering to get our sandwiches. The fries arrived limp, soggy and cold. Pulled pork sandwich was tasty but cold. The blue cheese brat would have been the best part of the meal except for the small undersized generic hot dog bun which fell apart before it could be picked up to eat. I cannot recommend this eatery and probably will not return as there are other good alternatives in Nisswa to stop for lunch when biking the trail. read more

I love the food. I love the quality beers. I love the experience. So, naturally, five stars.

Outside of not having 2 beers (ran out) and nachos made with canned cheese and mediocre at the best and fish and chips were way over done. Should of left when we only saw one other table being used at 5:30 pm. Won't be back again !! read more

Had a fantastic time at this new and quaint brewery. I was very impressed with the quality of their beer, and after only being open for a little over a year I can see this brewery becoming a fun stop when I happen to be in Nisswa. The staff are very friendly and the atmosphere makes you feel at home. I love that the stainless steel hardware for brewing is in plain sight, it makes you feel immersed in the process. The IPA is a great hoppy and satisfying beer that follows nicely with their Red Ale. If you're a Stout drinker as I am, you'll enjoy their 7.1 rich and flavorful brew. Would love to see them make a Ginger Beer for those Moscow Mules, makes for great summer drinking! All in all you can't ask for much more in a fine little brewery such as this. read more

Wanted some wings and had not tried Big Axe in town yet so gave them a try...not again. The wings were tiny and only got 6 in a portion for $10. Rip off. If in Nisswa go to Raffertys or the Legion on Thursday is the way to go. The problem with a bad first impression is that it the last. read more

I'm so glad we stopped here! The atmosphere was very cool and authentic. The bartender and waiter were so chill and friendly towards us, even though we were obviously tourists. The sandwhich was tasty and good quality, the Big Axe brews were delicious, and the beer cheese soup was velvety perfection. read more

Good beer, great people. I'm not a huge beer drinker but I enjoyed a light ale. Twice. Good food. I wish there'd be more choices in the bar on late evenings. I'll be back. read more

We came in at 1:00 pm for lunch and were told that the cook wasn't taking any more food orders until he caught up. We had to ask many times if the cook was now taking orders. Finally after almost an hour he took our order. What's wrong with businesses in this area that have a problem with getting help? read more

Salad extremely over dressed, burger greasy, place not clean, workers rude. Don't waste your money here.

This place is really dirty and very poorly managed. The tables were sticky, the ketchup and mustard bottles were so disgusting like they have never been cleaned, there were flies and fruit flies everywhere and it smelled. The bartender had no idea what he was doing and kept falling behind, I believe he wasn't even a bar tender they just didn't even have anyone else to fill the shift. All the waitresses seemed to have a problem with the computer system and kept having to come back to the bar to tell the bartender what they needed. This place needs a lot of work. read more

Great local brews! We loved getting the flights of beer. Highly recommend the Axe Splitter IPA and the Agro. The habanero beer was quite the experience as well! We ate the Cuban wrap at the kitchen and it was AMAZING. Great local stop. read more

Really want to like this place in downtown Nisswa, but the beer -- well, it's not consistent. Tonight, I tried the lager. It was so flat, I couldn't even finish it. I will kept coming back, and keep trying their concoctions, read more

We are locals, visiting here at least twice a month for beer and food so my review is based on multiple visits over the course of months. The burgers are amazing--juicy and flavorful. Sweet potato fries with the cream cheese dip is a tasty combo and portion size is worth the $3 upcharge. The seasonal beers this summer have been wonderful and unique. You CAN ask to taste a sample before ordering--we do it every time there's a new beer. The service can be a little slow but the staff has always been polite and helpful. The reason for 4/5 stars instead of 5/5 is because the staple beers can be hit or miss. It doesn't feel as though they always follow the same recipe. Taste before you buy and you'll be satisfied. They have Trivia on Thursday nights and live music most every weekend. read more

Outstanding brews and friendly staff. I think of Big Axe as the Surly of the north. I tried a flight-uniformly high quality, then settled in with a nice Nitro stout. Their stout is second to none in flavor and consistency. Ahhh, but the root beer is the best true-brewed root beer I've tasted. Not too sweet. I can imagine this being the root beer you would have gotten before Big Pop got hold of it. Beats even the New Ulm root beer. Bottom line - if you're going to a taproom 'up north' this one is a 10! Prices very reasonable. read more