The overall inside feel of the bar is pretty much what I was expecting based on outer appearances, I could easily see this place getting overly crowded on weekend nights. The bar staff didn't make me feel too welcomed when I first came in here to order a drink which is why I'm deducting a star. Otherwise the crab balls were pretty legit although a bit pricey for 4 of 'em but I do recommend them as a small starter app. Overall the place seems to be a fairly decent bar full of Hagerstown locals which appeared to mostly be a noisy middle-aged type of audience, overall though I wouldn't mind stopping in here again sometime.
Review Source:The Broad Axe has long been a part of downtown Hagerstown, however it has been renovated and reopened under a new owner, Bob Fausch. Bob has done a wonderful job of gutting and updating a space that had been tired, smelly, ugly, dingy and way past its prime. Now the space is cool, sleek, clean, bright and inviting. It looks like someplace that would be in an upscale warehouse district in Denver, Colorado or the Meat Packing District in New York City. Yes, that is what we now have in Hagerstown! Believe it.
The staff is wonderful. Haley, Shell, Bob and everyone else recognize the smiling faces that come in there and they greet everyone warmly. If you are a regular, you get the kind of treatment you would hope you would get at an establishment where you regularly spend a lot of money and spend a lot of time. The place is busy, busy, busy but the staff still takes time to chat with the regulars and make them feel welcome and not a burden or a bother (Believe it or not, there are plenty of bartenders in town that when faced with a "regular" will give a "I don't have time for this..." look to you as they hustle on to the next customer who may or may not have spent one plug dime in the place before then. When faced with those bartenders, the phrase, "Not knowing which side their bread is buttered on" comes to mind.)
They have a late night menu which is a boon to downtown Hagerstown. There is NOTHING else open after 9:00pm where hot food is sold (or ANY food for that matter. You can get something at Sheetz up on Canon Ave. :-P Â ) That includes all the other restaurants that are open on a Friday or Saturday night and have live music or dancing until 2:00am. For some unknown reason, restaurants in Hagerstown quit serving food though they will keep serving drinks until 2:00am (has no one heard that the less you eat the more drunk you get and therefore are more of a danger on the road? No?) That late night menu at Broad Axe is worth the trip to there and, honestly, we'll stop by there before or after going to other bars in downtown to get that food. Wings and some french fries are all I need at that hour and they have plenty at Broad Axe. I hope they'll make use of that swell Hamilton Beach milkshake machine by stocking some ice cream in the restaurant. Then we can have shakes too!
Ask for "Elektra's Juice" by name the next time you want to try a new mixed drink. It is a drink made from Malibu Coconut Rum, Whipped Cream Vodka and Pineapple Juice. Tasty! Haley made that drink up with one of the Broad Axe's favorite patrons who happens to be a bit of a mixologist in her own right. They named the drink after the female patron and everyone who comes in to the bar gets to benefit from Elektra's presence.
Notable Features:
-Outdoor patio. Big enough to get away from the smokers who congregate there. I have chronic asthma and cannot be near people who are smoking cigarettes even if they are outside. It helps me to be able to take a table far away from the smokers.
-The bathrooms have been refinished in tile and lovely fixtures. The old Broad Axe had painted walls with trashy grafitti scrawled or scratched into the paint. Hopefully the skanks who thought writing that mess on the walls was sexy have taken their business elsewhere. There is no sign of skanks in this new version of the Broad Axe and that is a good thing!
-There used to be a pool table in the back. It has been removed and there is a large, sleek sofa in the back. It is a great place to snuggle with your honey.
-The beer selection is still as good as ever. Drink specials abound. When Broad Axe was known as a dive bar, people remarked on the beer selection. That part has not changed (though, thankfully, just about everything else HAS changed over the old Broad Axe.)
-The food is fantastic. Much better than the yucky stuff that used to pass for food at the old Broad Axe.
A neighborhood bar, but a good one. Â Friendly service, quiet enough to talk, good food, fine selection of beers on tap and yet more available in bottles.
The food is bar food, but well done. Â I had the philly cheese steak, and it's always good to find someplace that has a clue as to how to do a cheesesteak right, since so many places do it badly. Â Mary had the crab cakes-- can't beat that.
So, overall I'd rate it well-- good place to stop.
This is a great local bar with good happy hour and a killer wing night. (Thursday).
Listen, these chicken wings are the biggest wings I have ever seen. I have no idea what kind of mutant dinosaur chicken these are coming from and I don't care. I only care that half of them are covered in spicy sauce and half in Jack Daniels BBQ so I can stuff them in my face. Also, they will let you order any combo of wings, so try one of each if that's what strikes your fancy.
They have a decent beer selection, a nice patio in the back when the weather is warm and a laid back crowd. Exactly what a local dive is supposed to be.
The Broad Axe gets a five star rating from me as a local favorite dive bar.
The beer selection is decent and affordable and they have lots of specialty drinks and shooters to choose from. The food here is good for lunch or dinner and also can be a good snack while drinking.
I've been a patron of the Broad Axe for about 10 years and it always provides a welcoming, no frills atmosphere that is a fixture in the changing downtown Hagerstown.
They have great specials (food and drink) and usually have live music on the weekends. Throughout the summer there is an outdoor patio to relax and enjoy the summer night while chatting with friends!
The Broad Axe is one of my favorite spots and I will always be there when I get a night out with my lady!!
The Axe is a friendly place with an outdoor patio and relatively decent beer selection. They also have a pool table, frequently host live music, and have karaoke on Thursdays. The bartenders--Maria, Becky, and Ashley--are what make it great... They don't put up with any shenanigans, but their mission is to make sure everyone is smiling, laughing, and having a great time.
Dollar specials are on Mondays (Coors Light), Wednesdays (Miller Lite), and Thursdays (Yuengling).
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