Axe Throwing Bars: Where to Throw Axes and Drink Craft Beer Across the US

The best night out in most American cities is no longer choosing between the bar and the activity -- it is going somewhere that does both. Axe throwing bars have exploded across the country over the past five years, and the best ones treat the bar program with the same seriousness as the throwing lanes. These are not places where you grab a Bud Light from a cooler. They are venues with curated craft beer lists, house cocktails, and food menus that would hold up without the axes.

Nearly 200 venues in our directory operate as bars or have full bar service alongside their throwing lanes. Here is what you should know about the axe throwing bar experience -- and where to find the best ones.

Why Axe Throwing Bars Work

The combination is more natural than you would think. Axe throwing sessions typically run 60 to 90 minutes, with built-in breaks between rounds. Those breaks are dead time at a no-bar venue -- your group stands around checking phones. At a bar venue, those breaks become social time. Grab a beer, talk about who just hit a bullseye, trash-talk the next opponent. The bar fills the gaps in the throwing experience and keeps the energy up for the full session.

There is also a pacing benefit. A couple of drinks over 90 minutes loosens people up without impairment -- you are more relaxed, more willing to try the trick shots, more engaged with the group. Every legitimate axe throwing bar cuts you off from throwing if you are visibly impaired, so the safety concern is managed. The sweet spot is one to two drinks per session, and most venues price and pace their service accordingly.

What the Best Bar Venues Get Right

Not every axe throwing venue with a liquor license qualifies as a great bar. The ones that stand out share a few things:

A real drink program. Local craft beer on tap, not just macro lagers. Cocktails that someone actually designed, not just well liquor and mixers. Some venues now employ dedicated bartenders or mixologists -- a sign that the bar is a profit center, not an afterthought.

Food beyond snacks. The best bar venues serve real food -- flatbreads, tacos, charcuterie boards, smoked meats. If your group can eat dinner and throw axes in the same visit, the venue just became a complete night out instead of one stop on a three-stop evening.

Layout that connects. The bar should be visible from the throwing lanes, or at least adjacent. Venues where the bar is in a separate room lose the social energy. The best layouts let spectators watch throwers from the bar area, creating a natural flow between drinking and throwing.

Atmosphere beyond fluorescent lights. Exposed brick, industrial lighting, reclaimed wood, murals -- the venues that invest in design create spaces you would actually want to hang out in, even without the axes.

Standout Axe Throwing Bars Worth Knowing

Here are some venues across the country that exemplify the bar-plus-axes formula:

Live Axe -- New York City. Located on Manhattan's Lower East Side at 96 Lafayette Street, Live Axe pairs artisanal cocktails and rotating craft beers with a polished throwing experience. The cocktail menu changes seasonally, and the bar staff can actually make an Old Fashioned that stands on its own. This is the venue that proves axe throwing bars belong in cocktail culture, not just beer culture. Read our NYC guide.

NorthSouth Club -- Milwaukee, WI. Bars & Recreation runs this Walker's Point venue at 230 East Pittsburgh Avenue with 16 axe throwing lanes, 7 deck shuffleboard courts, and a curated craft beer selection that takes advantage of Milwaukee's brewing heritage. The bar occupies the center of the space, which means the social energy radiates outward to every activity. Read our Milwaukee guide.

The Mighty Axe -- Phoenix, AZ. With 31 hyper-local craft beers on tap -- all sourced from Arizona breweries -- plus craft cocktails mixed by an in-house mixologist, The Mighty Axe in North Phoenix takes the beer program as seriously as the throwing. This is the WATL-certified venue where competitive throwers come for league nights and stay for the beer list. Read our Phoenix guide.

The Axe Trap -- Winter Park, FL. Housed in a 1920s Art Deco industrial warehouse near Orlando, The Axe Trap combines a craft cocktail lounge with throwing lanes in a space that has more character than most bars in the area, let alone most axe venues. The architecture alone makes it worth a visit. Read our Orlando guide.

Columbus Axe Throwing -- Columbus, OH. The Brewery District location at 560 South High Street operates as a full-service bar and restaurant with a free-play arcade. You can eat dinner, throw axes, play arcade games, and drink craft beer without ever leaving the building. With a 4.9-star rating across 1,400+ reviews, the execution clearly matches the ambition. Read our Columbus guide.

618 Axe Bar & Grill -- Mt Vernon, IL. A smaller-market gem that proves the bar-plus-axes model works outside of major metros. Full bar, full grill menu, and a loyal local following in a town of 15,000 people. Sometimes the best axe throwing bars are the ones you do not expect.

Hold My Beer -- Kenosha, WI. Six premium lanes plus 50 self-pour taps. Read that again: fifty self-pour taps. The self-pour model lets your group sample beers at their own pace between throws, which is genuinely clever. Add craft cocktails and a food menu, and you have one of the most complete axe-bar experiences in the Midwest.

Spartan Axe Throwing and Bar -- Crystal Lake, IL. Northwest of Chicago, this suburban venue fills a gap for the collar counties. Full bar service with a neighborhood-bar vibe, which means your group can throw axes on a Wednesday night and feel like you are at your local, not a corporate entertainment complex.

The Alcohol Rules You Need to Know

Every reputable axe throwing bar follows the same basic rules, though the specifics vary:

Drink limits while throwing. Most venues cap you at two drinks per hour while actively throwing. Some venues stop serving you alcohol 30 minutes before your session ends. A few venues allow unlimited drinking but pull you from the lanes if you show signs of impairment.

No throwing under the influence. This is universal and non-negotiable. If a coach determines you are impaired, you are done throwing -- but you can still stay at the bar. This is actually one of the advantages of the bar model: if someone in your group hits their limit, they can move to the bar and spectate rather than sitting in a parking lot.

Waivers mention alcohol. Every venue's liability waiver addresses alcohol consumption. Read it. The short version: you accept responsibility for your own judgment about when to stop drinking and throwing.

Bar Venues vs BYOB vs Dry Venues

The axe throwing landscape breaks into three categories:

Full bar venues -- the focus of this article -- have the highest average session prices but deliver the most complete experience. You are paying for the atmosphere, the drink program, and the convenience of not having to go somewhere else.

BYOB venues let you bring your own beer or wine (rarely hard liquor). The session cost is lower, but you supply the drinks. These are more common in states with flexible liquor laws. The experience is more casual -- think cooler-next-to-the-lane rather than craft-cocktail-at-the-bar.

Dry venues serve no alcohol at all. These tend to be the most competition-focused and family-friendly. If you want the purest throwing experience without any social lubrication, these are your spots.

You can filter for venues with bars on our axe throwing with bar page.

How to Pick the Right Bar Venue

Check the drink menu before you go. If the venue's website shows their beer and cocktail selections, that is a good sign -- it means they take the bar seriously. If there is no mention of drinks beyond "we serve beer," temper your expectations.

Look for food. A venue with a real food menu (not just bags of chips) has invested in the full experience. This also means your group can make it a one-stop evening.

Read reviews about the bar, not just the throwing. Yelp and Google reviews often mention drink quality, bar service speed, and atmosphere. Filter for those mentions.

Ask about happy hours. Many axe throwing bars run weekday happy hours with discounted drinks and sometimes discounted lane time. Tuesday through Thursday is typically the sweet spot for deals.

Check the layout. If the venue has photos on their website or social media, look at how the bar relates to the throwing area. You want a connected space, not a bar hidden in a back room.

Building the Full Night Out

The best axe throwing bar experience follows a rhythm:

1. Arrive 15 minutes early, sign waivers, grab your first drink
2. Get coached on technique for 10-15 minutes
3. Throw for 20-25 minutes, take a break, order another drink and food
4. Throw your final rounds, settle into competitive games
5. Move to the bar area for the post-session wind-down

Total time: 2 to 3 hours. Total cost: $40-70 per person including drinks and food. That is competitive with dinner-and-a-movie, and your group will have a better time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are axe throwing bars safe?

Yes. Every licensed venue separates the drinking and throwing with strict protocols. Coaches monitor participants, lanes are enclosed, and impaired throwers are removed from active lanes. Read our safety guide for the full breakdown.

What should I wear to an axe throwing bar?

Closed-toe shoes are required everywhere. Beyond that, dress like you are going to a casual bar -- jeans, sneakers, a shirt you can move in. Our what to wear guide has more details.

Can I just go for drinks without throwing?

At most bar venues, yes. Many people come to watch friends throw and hang out at the bar. Some venues charge a spectator fee, others let you sit at the bar for free.

Do axe throwing bars do happy hour?

Many do, typically Tuesday through Thursday. Expect discounted drinks and sometimes reduced lane rates. Call ahead or check the venue's social media for current deals.

How much does a night at an axe throwing bar cost?

Budget $40-70 per person for throwing, two drinks, and food. Weekday sessions can bring that down to $30-50. Group deals and Groupon offers can save 20-30%.

Browse all axe throwing venues with bars

Looking for the full experience in a specific city? Try our guides to New York City, Chicago, Phoenix, Milwaukee, or find a venue near you.