Smile Politely

Find pizza, pretzel bites, and more at The Axe Bar

What’s better than throwing axes, drinking, and eating delicious food? Nothing, in my opinion. The Axe Bar is the place to be in the Champaign-Urbana area it seems. Whether you are looking to throw some axes or just drink, you can’t go wrong.

I stopped by the Axe Bar to see what it was all about. It is located in Downtown Champaign, perfect for a date night or a night out with friends. Inside, it offers a very industrial vibe with dark red walls, black chairs, and of course, axe throwing boards all around.

Inside Axe Bar in Champaign, there are wooden bar tables with black backless barsools in a large open area. There are no partons pictured in the dining area. Photo by Anya Uppal.

Photo by Anya Uppal.

There were a variety of options on the menu for food and drink, and they all looked fantastic.

On a wooden table, there is a red basket lined with parchment paper and full of pretzel bites with big salt crystals. Photo by Anya Uppal.

Photo by Anya Uppal. 

To start off, the pretzel bites caught my eye, and I had to try them ($10.99). A basket of warm pretzel bites came with a side of beer cheese sauce. I couldn’t say no to that! The bites were well salted — look at the big salt flakes — and complemented by the rich cheese sauce on the side.

On a wooden table, there is a red drink in a pint glass with a cherry on top of the ice. Photo by Anya Uppal.

Photo by Anya Uppal.

To drink, there were also several options that caught my eye, but I had to try the Hatchet ($13.37). The Hatchet was made by muddling fresh lime and maraschino cherries and adding vodka and a splash of Sprite. This drink was a perfect fruity and light drink for a warm day.

On a wooden table, there is a black basket lined with parchment paper and full of curly fries and a meatball sub. Photo by Anya Uppal.

Photo by Anya Uppal.

Next, I had to get the meatball sub ($12.99). It’s a fan favorite, and when it came out, I knew why. The meatball sub had crusty bread smothered with gooey cheese, meatballs, and marinara sauce. The warm sandwich had melted provolone cheese and juicy meatballs topped off with mouth-watering marinara sauce. Served with curly fries on the side, I knew this was going to be a dish to remember.

On a wooden table, there is a silver metal circular tray holding a cut but untouched pan of pepperoni pizza. Photo by Anya Uppal.

Photo by Anya Uppal.

Lastly, I couldn’t leave without getting a pizza. They have a variety of pizza options, but I had to stick with my tried-and-true: pepperoni. Axe Bar’s pepperoni pizza ($22.99) was made with hand-tossed crust, marinara, Mozz, and pepperoni. The delicious marinara made for an amazing base. Topped with gooey Mozzarella and pepperoni, this pizza was a win-win. The pizza came out very hot and cheesy, and I think it had the perfect amount of sauce, cheese, and pepperoni on it.

The Axe Bar was a fun atmosphere with great food and drinks. I did not try axe throwing but I bet that is an amazing experience as well. Check out the Axe Bar in Champaign the next time you’re looking for a cool night out with casual food.

The Axe Bar
114 S Neil St
Champaign
M 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Tu+W 11:00 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Th 11:00 a.m. to midnight
F+Sa 11:00 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Su 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Top image by Anya Uppal.

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