Up North Axe & Tap occupies the former Chili U location. There are entrances from Milwaukee Avenue and the parking in the back. If you're interested in the axe throwing, enter on Milwaukee Avenue as the restaurant is in back and easier to get to from the rear. You can enter either way. I didn't get a chance to check out the axe throwing part during this visit so I won't discuss it. We met another couple and entered from the parking lot at the rear. When you walk in the vestibule, you can only enter or exit on the left as the right side corner of the restaurant is used for live music. On this occasion there was a singer/guitarist playing when we arrived. The other party was seated already so we made our way to the table. There are a bunch of tables and seats at the bar. And the place was packed. Clearly people knew the singer and were there in support. The speakers were turned up and it was hard to hear the conversation at the table. It's a nice menu and has a lot of options. This would be a good spot for our Burger Club, as there were a few options to choose between. In addition to the burgers, there were other handhelds, some nice looking entrees, salads, and nice starters. I opted for one of their burgers and asked for it medium rare. It was perfectly prepared and was quite delicious. My wife got a salad and added chicken. There was a ton of chicken in it. It looked nice and she said it was good. Our two companions ordered burgers and a chicken sandwich respectively and also commented on how good the food was. Our server was very attentive and was constantly refilling drinks before being asked, asked how we were doing, if the food was to our liking, and cleared up finished plates. By the way, their ranch is a dill ranch and is quite tasty. I'd give five stars, except it was extremely loud and hard to hear. read more

Went on a Saturday night with my best friend and it was surprisingly not too busy. Service was great and the food did not disappoint. Axe throwing with more restaurant seating in the back with a bar cute aesthetic. They don't have steak sauce for the steak, but the garlic butter makes up for it. We also tried a couple of their Old Fashioneds, solid variety and really good. Definitely a good experience overall! read more

Up North Axe & Tap - Up North Burger Filet Mignon 8oz - Sports Bars Near Me - Libertyville, Illinois

Stopped by to meet friends for dinner. Super hamburgers and chicken sandwiches. The bourbon burger and the Grizzly were both top notch. The quality of the meat was superb and they were cooked exactly as ordered. Our sever Michael was super helpful with the menu and what dishes to try. He provided friendly service. Definitely coming back with family. read more

I absolutely love Up North Axe and Tap! I have now been here twice: once on a Friday evening when they had live music, and my second time was during a more chaotic night with Bears fans packing the back to watch the game on their multiple TV's. Upon entering, you'll walk directly into the axe throwing area, where you'll be greeted by a hostess, and asked to sign waivers. You'll then be given very detailed instructions and server will grab your drinks/food. After axe throwing, there are a few other games you can play, like darts, just in the larger room for bigger groups. You can also move your party to the back to enjoy a game, or live music depending on the day. The food is solid bar food, at average prices, and they have multiple old fashioned options, along with signature cocktails (the Moosey Mule is my favorite). Axe throwing is $24/person for 30 minutes, or $30/person for an hour. You can have up to 7 people at an axe table, and there are four lanes. The staff here is so friendly and helpful! I highly recommend for a date night or with a group of friends. read more

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My wife and I first came across Up North Axe & Tap while strolling through our downtown area--axe throwing was already on our list, and the inviting atmosphere of this new establishment drew us in. We were greeted by Mark, the head chef, whose creativity in crafting unique flavors elevates traditional American comfort food. Shortly after, James, the owner, stopped by our table to welcome us personally, which immediately set a tone of genuine hospitality. On our first visit, we kept it simple and ordered handhelds: the brisket sandwich and the grilled chicken sandwich. Both were outstanding--flavorful, juicy, and cooked perfectly. The fries were light, crispy, and not greasy, a refreshing touch that complemented the meal. Paired with a craft cocktail made by our friendly server, Jarod, the experience was excellent from start to finish. It felt like a great spot for a casual lunch date, and we left eager to return. On our second visit, however, the service wasn't quite at the same level. While still decent, it lacked the warm energy we had enjoyed the first time. We tried the cheese curd handheld and the Up North Axe signature sandwich. Both were good, but they didn't quite deliver the "wow factor" that the brisket and chicken had given us on our first trip. Overall, Up North Axe & Tap shows a lot of promise as a new restaurant in town. The food quality is impressive, and when paired with attentive hospitality, the experience is top-notch. I highly recommend starting with the brisket or grilled chicken handhelds, and I look forward to trying more from their menu--especially the steak--on our next visit. read more

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The service was slow and although not that busy it was painful. The $30/hr for 6 people to axe throw was absurd. You should limit the number of people on a lane, charge a lane fee but $180 for one hour of axe throwing felt too much. The vibe is great but that backroom tap could be much more with the live music. I'll be back for that and will bring a few friends to enjoy the food. Our table had brisket fries (average), brat (good), flatbread (good). The check arrived at the end and was frustrating because the food and axe bill were together and our party had a mix of people axing, eating, and drinking.... Toast was not super user friendly to split bill based on our individual items. Once again, that cost of $180 for an hour has me feeling annoyed and not wanting to bring friends back for that portion . It's almost like, once and done. read more

Food and the ax throwing is good. Be wary if you are 21 and still have a vertical license. They will not serve you alcohol. My daughter turned 21 and the same day we took her ax throwing. We were disappointed she couldn't order a drink. Didn't have an issue with other establishments in the area. read more

So excited to see a new business in libertyville! It has only been there 2 weeks (we were reminded many times), but the staff def needs more training! That's being said, the ax throwing was fun (again the service could have had a better explanation/training)... they need more than 1 page with the qr code to sign a waiver to throw. Website should have rules etc as we had no clue we couldn't have open toed shoes....but then we were told we can throw in flip flops if we sign the waiver (which had to be signed anyway....).... anyway... the cheese curds were yummy! The grilled chicken sandwich had good flavor. I would skip the wedge salad.... wish the server would have explained to us that once we start ax throwing they start a timer... our food came and we couldn't sit to enjoy as our timer was going, should have waited to order.... read more

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We stumbled across this place from the rear parking lot, looking to have some beers and snacks. Place is super cool, service is great, and food is premium bar food. read more

We happened upon it on a Saturday when many places had brunch menus only. Everyone was very nice and welcoming; from the time we entered, until the time we left. The food was fantastic. Will definitely go back! My husband got the up north burger. I believe it was elk, bison and wild boar. Juicy and perfectly cooked. Didn't get a picture of it though. The rainbow trout was delicious, as were the cheese curds. read more

Up North Axe & Tap - Rainbow trout - Sports Bars Near Me - Libertyville, Illinois

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Save your money very expensive for the food and the axe throwing. Service was poor, our waitress was the bartender so she was unable to tend our table while they had other servers standing around. The food was ok but the price and portion sizes too many other restaurants around that have better food, better service, and leaving with a better experience. $75 for 30 minutes, while virtual golf with way more technology is only $60 for an hour. Credit charge for using a credit card which they never informed me. Needless to say, I will not be coming back. read more

My husband and I walked by and we were welcomed by a nice young man to come in and try this new restaurant. Everyone was very welcoming and friendly. It had a hometown vibe in the middle of downtown Libertyville which I really liked. We tried the brisket fries which we aaaaaamazing!!! read more

The newest place in town, but it's picking up fast! Warm and welcoming staff and owners! Service and food is excellent! What a great new option for Libertyville. AND!.... another nice music venue for the weekends. read more

Wonderful! Food was great, beer was cold, and the staff was super helpful and attentive. Setting, drinks, food was all great but I was surprised how fun the axe throwing is! They do a great job at teaching new players, and it's really not that difficult once you get the hang of it! Will be back for sure! read more

Up North Axe & Tap - Axe Throwing Lane - Sports Bars Near Me - Libertyville, Illinois

Great Wisconsin supper club vibe ... Live music Friday night!!! Good food and Great Bourbon selection!! Loved it!

The food and drinks were very good. The bartender was very personable. My server was busy doing other things while I was there, otherwise 5 stars. read more

Don't miss this! Happened to be walking by and saw the just opened sign. We were greeted by the amazing chef Mark with brisket samples. Decided to stay for dinner. Drinks, Apps. Meals, Desserts everything was 5 star. Would order every meal again. We sat in front but there is a full back dining area with a different vibe. Our server Sharma and axe trainer Ashley ... awesome! And both owners were on hand to check on customer's experiences. Will definitely go back! read more

Beautiful Bar and great staff. The only thing better about this place is ambience is its food and Old Fashioned cocktail menu.

We arrived for our 5 pm reservation and were seated quickly. Our waiter was very personable and we ordered some drinks and apps to start. We got the onion rings snd fried pickles. The pickles were great! I do think they were def pricey for what we got. Close to 9 bucks and there were maybe4-5 pickle spears and 4 large onion rings so that wss a bit of a bummer. We all ordered burgers which were very good - i would most likely come back just to get a burger. Fries were ok- not super hot when they landed on the table. Our waiter also happened to be the bartender that evening and he was a bit slammed at times so um guessing they might of sat for a bit before coming out. Overall a very decent experience and the vibe was really fun buti probably wont be rushing back too soon as there are quite a few other places/pubs/taverns etc in town to check out! read more

Food and service were great. Cocktails are amazing. I feel like they should have advertised the restaurant first over the Axe throwing. I think people don't realize it's more of a restaurant. Fantastic and great add to Libertyville. read more

We went to Up North Axe today, are server was Sarma and the bartender was Will. She was great, she showed us around the place and what everything was. We saw how people could play golf, video games and axe throwing. Seemed very cool. Will made me two drinks that were great, the best was the expresso martini. Best I ever had. My husband favorite beer was on tap which he loved. Now the food, boy it was great. I had the brisket sandwich which was perfect and my husband had the grilled chicken. He really enjoyed his too. We will be back. read more

Didn't even open doors to go in and was already blown away by the attention to detail of Making you feel like your up north in the woods on vacation. great layout and plenty of room for tons of families and get togethers. moment I opened door I was greeted with smiles and attentiveness employees which with recent opening are aware of everything and knowledgeable. Drinks were made with intent to please guests and perfectly work together to please the taste buds. Food was presented and cooked excellent. Highly recommend to all ages, and gathering types. Will be back frequently. read more

We came here for happy hour dinner last night and absolutely loved the food. Husband had a special burger they do and I had a fantastic chicken bbq flatbread. In addition, their cocktails are very well done - like a high end cocktail lounge in ingredients and presentation. The restaurant is on the parking garage side of the building - you'd never know there was axe throwing going on in the Milwaukee ave front - they are nicely separated so the axe throwing doesn't impact diners in the restaurant. We were at a high top to eat and our server was the bartender. He was very attentive - just right. A young man did bingo at 7:00, which was efficiently run and fun - we won a couple of drinks. The owner told us they have live music on Fridays, which we'll come back for. Last comment: the to-go containers are worthy of the great food. Sounds silly but they're big enough that you're not packing food on top of itself and the carry bag they gave us (we were walking) let the food sit flat so it was still appealing when we got home. Sounds like a small thing but it isn't. We'll be back frequently for dinner - fantastic! read more