Up in Nisswa for the weekend and have made it over 3 times so far. Sampled all of the beers on tap and liked them all but keep coming back to the IPA. Great outdoor seating area. Perfect for an outdoor summer day. Jason behind the bar was great. Chris the owner was in on Sunday, brewing, helping bring orders out and making sure it ran smoothly. I'll definitely be back, maybe even later this week! read more

Stopped in again this afternoon to check out beer selection. Had a empty Groweler in car, maybe a refill if there was something I had to have. Well I walked out for the third or forth time this Summer. Absolutely the worst sevice you can imagine or maybe they were closed and fogot to lock the door. Went to liquor store and heading to Gull Dam tonight. read more

Food and Beer was actually pretty good. The service left a lot to be desired though. My family and our friends went there after a hike. We ordered consecutively our friends first. The host gave us number cards so we went and sat outside at a picnic table. The "server" brought most of our friends order after about 10 minutes so they began eating. Once they were about half done we still had not received our food. Their kid's drinks were missing so they went to the counter to ask and saw most of our food sitting on the shelf to go out. My wife finally went in to check on it because our kids were getting upset and the friends were nearly done. No apology or reason why it wasn't brought out. It was all just sitting in the kitchen window. Lots of brew pubs just have a pick up window and have you bus everything yourself. Perhaps the owners should consider that. Also fun that you pay when you order so I tipped them 20% feeling optimistic... read more

The service was great, the location is fun! Starting strong and I can't wait to see how this brewery grows. I gotta say... A good brewery has fun names for their beers. So I can't wait to see what names they come up with. All in all good quality for all the basic beers but I can't wait to see what others they come up with. read more

Please make time to experience this unique brewery and restaurants. Seriously plan some time here. The service takes a bit but the food is fresh and the beer is fantastic. read more

I would love to give this place a 5. The beer, food, and aesthetic are awesome. The angry swarms of bees, however, ruin all of the fun of outdoor dining. PLEASE address this! read more

Great beer but if you plan on getting food, also plan for a long wait. Waited 40 minutes for my hot dog. Multiple people went up to the counter asking where their food was before I did. Pretty ridiculous. read more

On a recent trip to the beautiful Brainerd Lakes area, had a nice bike ride to the charming city of Nisswa. Understanding that a new brewery opened, I was excited to try it. It was Sunday afternoon and I was surprised to see the bar filled with guests, along with people on the deck enjoying sunshine and beers. The bartender was very engaging and suggested trying the "Flight"; a sampling of 5 of the breweries beers. Coming from Colorado, where many breweries abound, I was pleasantly susprised with all the beers on the flight being top notch. Stout and IPA new favorites. Look out Colorado, Minnesota certainly knows how to brew great tasting beers. The tasting room is very warm and inviting to conversation with other customers, and the bartender, even though a large gathering of people, was very engaging and made sure all the guests were having a good time and taken care of. He was very passionate, not only of making sure the customers were being served, but also of the beers and the brewing process. Also was able to give instruct into the brewing process and describing how the beer is brewed, fermented and what each piece of the shiny stainless equipment was used. This is a must stop visit, had a great time staying much longer than planned. Cudo's to the bartender whose pictured on this site- he knows how to orchestrate a great experience. Also stars to the brewer, who has outdone himself on all the beers. A definate revist when in town read more

Came in today with family for a beer and sandwiches. A very pleasant younger blonde behind the bar and an overly cranky brunette. The cranky one dissed the Jack Pine brewery which violates the craft beer "all in the same business etiquette". Also no refills on root beer which equates to no incentive for sober drivers. That is just bad societal behavior and as an fyi the happy folks at Jack Pine do offer free refills. The sandwiches were pretty good. It is just hard to get past a bad attitude. One thing that is almost universally true is that brewpubs and tap rooms are filled with happy people. You never see a mean drunk or an owner/worker who would rather be elsewhere. Here we found the exception. On to the beer. Had the Red and the IPA both rated pretty good. Neither were remarkable but I was going to buy a growler for back at the resort but now I think I will check out Gull Dam Brewery. Be back in a bit with the skinny on those guys. I figured there would be a response which would try to obfuscate the issue. Cranky service is cranky service. Beer brewing is a happy business. I have hit many of the breweries in this state and reviewed several of them here on yelp. This is the only one that rates one star. read more

Long wait for food and the greasiest Cuban sandwich ever. This is a tourist town, would think they'd have it together!

I really wanted to like this place. The staff were very nice. But the beer I had (the blonde) was just ok. The location is incredibly small and cramped. It is adjoining a restaurant and I got the distinct impression that the brewery was started because the restaurant owners wanted to have their own beer on the menu. It was just so small. I felt like it was somewhat half assed. If you want a brewery taproom make it large enough that a stroller can fit through. There was just bar seating and window seating. I wanted to like the place but if I find myself in Nisswa again, I will likely look out for a different brewery. read more

We were in the Brainerd Lake area and went to Big Axe and had there N.E. IPA. It was fantastic!! We had it on Wednesday and enjoyed the beer and the great service so much that we went back on Thursday!! We can't wait to go back and try there other beers read more

Beer ok. People are nice but way, way too slow. Over an hour wait for nachos and pulled pork sandwich. Nothing to cook. All is prepared and just needs plated. Won't be back. If you want to stand in line for 20 minutes to order a beer and don't care how long your food takes, this is your place. Otherwise, Zorbaz is just down the road. read more

Seriously delicious IPA. Friendly staff. You can get a little bit of food but not an extensive menu.

Good beer. Good service. Good burgers. GREAT brisket. Stop here while in Nisswa. Sit at the bar and sip a spell.

I've been through Nisswa every summer since I was a kid and this place is a welcome addition. Fun, tasty brews served up by friendly staff. We did a flight recommended by the bartender and enjoyed them all. Purists might grumble, but the rest of us are just glad to have something cold, fresh and fun in an area with very limited options. Send 'em some biz and keep it local :-) read more

Came on a rainy summer day. They were sold out of many food items. Great selection of beers and a super friendly staff.

Absoutely disgusting food service establishment. As a industry veteran & former employee I witnessed an unbelievable level of dirtiness in the food & beer making spaces. And the bar fills with flies in good weather because of it. The health inspector needs to visit! The beer is actually good when not contaminated ... Will never order food there after seeing where it's prepared! read more

Great place to go for a beer and chicken wings. If you have never been here you are just plain missing out.

Terrible. What brewery doesn't offer a tasting of their beer before you buy it. How are we supposed to know which beer would you suit our tastebuds?? Not to mention, it wouldn't hurt for the staff to smile a little more. What happened to the Minnesota nice? Disappointed. read more

Beers are marginal at best. Blond had a good flavor. Not a typical blond. Bitch in the coffee shop actually had the audacity to ask us if we thought the restroom was a public restroom when we were on our way out. BAD MOVE. WONT BE BACK. Place is too cramped to even bother. read more

Very good food. Juliette rocked it out in the kitchen. House brews were pretty good. I had a flight and tried four different brews. The food was so good. Great cheese curds. Wife had the cuban wrap and I had the brisket sandwich. Great house made chips. Server was very respectful and polite. read more

Big Axe offers a cute and cozy environment, good beer, and friendly service. I have been promptly served with a good beer and a smile during every visit. The outside patio is lovely during the warm months if the inside feels a little too cozy :) read more

My friends and I stopped here on a whim, best choice we made our whole trip! The watriess Stephanie was amazing with food and beer descriptions, was very helpful with my big crew! Loved the hoppy taste of the blonde beer they had on tap. We definitely will be coming back! read more

Stopped in last weekend w/another couple and our kids. First impression was great-very unique! Shortly after taking our first sip of beer, the two townies next to us proceeded to flagrantly show off their drunkenness with every other work being a loud vulgarity. When asked politely to please consider their language due to our children and other kids being present, we were met with a "I don't give a fuck-this is a bar" and other assorted rude responses. As the bartender stood their looking just as ignorant as the two drunk townies w/o doing anything, I considered my options. The thought of kicking both of their drunk asses was enticing, but if I am asking them to model appropriateness for the kids, so should I, right? So I asked the bartender what he was planning on doing here? The stupid meter went up even more by his continued silence. It was clear he was not removing the locals. So I told him that he or the townies could eat our tab ($50 currently, would have been over $100 if we stayed). Not sure who ate the bill-but not me. Go to Gull Dam Brewery just south-a lot nicer and family friendly for sure! Although these two yahoos were there too earlier playing cribbage together they we quiet there wearing a lot of camouflage, minimal dental care, do not shave at all, cross-eyed, with 90% of speech being vulgar. You were warned! read more

Loved it! My friends and I went on a retreat to a cabin in the Nisswa area and were told to check out Big Axe. Such a great place. The staff was friendly and inviting, the brewery itself is handsome and comfortable. The beer is great and the owners are very knowledgeable. We sampled the food, and it was yummy and was delivered to us quickly. Can't wait to bring my husband to Big Axe on our next trip to Nisswa. read more

Pretty good food over all, very bad cream soda but I really don't care. The only thing I'd change is make the meals for kids larger, because they don't give much. read more

Very cool little brewery/restaurant. Beers are very interesting and the food comes out quick from the restaurant side. The buffalo wings are top notch. They seem to sell out of growlers by late Friday with lake traffic but that's just a small criticism. read more

My husband and I were excited to try the "new" brewery in Nisswa. We invited another couple to join us for a flight and an appetizer. The guys ordered the beer. He girls ordered the appetizer. We decided to get the pretzel/sausage basket. We asked the cashier if we could get all pretzels and skip the sauerkraut & sausages. She was very pleasant and said of course. The cook also heard our order and said that wouldn't be a problem and did we want cheese? Yes we did. At this point in the conversation a man came over and said we needed to be charged an extra $6 for a bowl of cheese. We said a cup would be fine if we had to pay extra. He went on to say, "are you on a budget it is only a $2 difference". The beer and food were great. But his comment left a bad feeling with me. I found out he is the owner of the Stonehouse coffee as well as the brewery. He came out on the patio when we were finished and I decided to left him know his comment bothered me. I told him the food, beer and service were great but his comment was a bit unsettling. All I was hoping for was an apology. He didn't care. He told me he owns the Stonehouse and has for 15 years so he is obviously a good business owner. He told me he was joking and I shouldn't be offended. Another patron sitting on the patio overheard our conversation and complimented me on how positive and kind I was to the owner and how rude he was to me. I was looking forward to frequenting this brewery and am very disappointed with the disrespect from the owner. We enjoyed the Stonehouse a lot too...and now will have a hard time giving business to either place. read more

Excellent beer and friendly staff who kindly accommodated our biggish group of snobbyish beer drinkers. We out-of-towners very much appreciated both the delicious brews and the warm welcome. read more

We didn't try the food, but their beer was great. The Northeast IPA is among the best IPS's we've had. Must go.

Stopped in with family and friends while in the area for the weekend. Had an Imperial IPA and a Blonde and both were excellent. Kids had cheese curds and they were the best they'd ever had- something sweet in the crispy batter. Tried the C3 burger with olives, cashews and cream cheese on the server's advice. It was salty and creamy and well worth going out of my comfort zone. Wings were plump and crispy. Service was great, and from where I sat, I could see in the kitchen. The three women working in there were a well oiled machine and they worked HARD - while managing the register and getting beers from the bar all at the same time. Prices are not cheap - true of most tap houses- but it was worth it. read more

Awesome beers and incredibly helpful staff. Well worth the stop up north! Had the wheat and blonde and really led them both. Food looked awesome but we didn't try any the times we stopped in. Tap room looks right into and is almost part of the new area. Great job Big Ax crew! read more

Poor food and even poorer service. We ordered Tuscan Turkey sandwiches and for $3.00 per order upcharge, added sweet potato fries. After extremely long wait, waitress delivered two soggy sandwiches accompanied by mound of black, burnt fries. Waitress did not make eye contact and practically ran from table after delivering order with obviously inedible sweet potato fries. Waitress did not come anywhere near table again until delivering bill. If neither kitchen or wait staff care about quality of food or service, what else is being ignored in this restaurant? Save your time and money--go elsewhere. read more

Beautiful day to sit on the patio at the Big Axe! The sour they have on tap right now is fantastic...it paired nicely with my bbq bacon cheeseburger. :) Service was also fast and friendly. Well done! read more

The biggest disappointment in Nisswa. We understood the lack of several menu items due to the delivery truck not showing up. Apparently that gave them an excuse to serve the most unappetizing food I've ever seen. Fatty bacon on a BLT. Beer cheese soup that looked like the bacon grease had been poured in the soup kettle and turned on high. There was no acknowledgement of the inedible food and then it was a process asking for the bill to be adjusted to remove those items. I would say go for the beer but they were out of all of the types we wanted. The cream soda was pretty good. I'd recommending skipping this place all together and go straight to the Pickle Factory. It's hard to screw up a Hegges pizza. read more

We enjoyed a great breakfast on Easter Sunday at Big Axe. The food was good, hot and the Beer Mary was a nice treat. They serve Stonehouse Coffee which was a delicious way to top off our meal. I hope they have the same offering next year. read more

Had a new waitress who admitted she had little training on the menu; she tried hard but had no support. Sweet potato fries were fabulous! Watch what you order in terms of beer; they were out of one and just assumed what I would want substituted. The beer with jalapeño was great; the others were average. read more

My family and I are up here in Nisswa for a family vacation, and decided to give this place a shot. Glad we did! It took a long time to get us seated because they seemed to be a little short staffed, but once we got a table (which was very nice and in the shade), the service was fast! I ordered the BBQ pulled pork sandwich on a bun, and some of their house brewed root beer. The drinks came fairly quickly and the food came not much later. It did help that we came at an off time, so there weren't very many people there. Their root beer is delicious!! It has a great taste and I'd recommend it it to anyone who loves root beer, or is willing to give it a try. My sandwich was great! It had a good amount of pork on it which was very tender and the sauce and coleslaw that was also on the sandwich was delicious. It came with a side of seasoned kettle chips (which you could upgrade for fries, salad, or soup), and a pickle. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a great brew house and good food in downtown Nisswa! My dad also recommends the "Axe Kicker" (one of their brewed beers) to anyone over 21! ;) read more