Urban Axes - Axe Throwing — Restaurant in Somerville

Had a bit of a strange experience here. Overall, I got a rude and ego-centric vibe from the management, but to be fair, their strictness seems rooted in safety concerns for the customers.

Here’s what happened:

I came with two friends for a last-minute visit, so I had no prior knowledge of how the place operated. Since axe throwing is done in pairs, I waited while my two friends went first. As a first-timer, I felt nervous and started watching tutorials on my phone while the coach was talking to them. The space was echoey, and I couldn’t really hear what was being explained.

When I thought it was my turn and approached the coach, he suddenly snapped, saying, “No, I’m not letting her do it—she clearly didn’t want to and wasn’t listening when I explained the safety rules.” He then turned away and refused to let me explain or even apologize. I was stunned—I hadn’t even spoken to him until then.

I went to the front desk to ask for help, and they said they’d call the general manager. While I was waiting, another coach nearby—Shelby—who was incredibly kind and skilled, started giving me tips. He was the only one who made me feel welcome. Unfortunately, the GM came over and immediately told him to stop talking to me. She then launched into a lecture about how I had broken the rules, again without hearing my side.

Even though I apologized and said I understood, she snapped, “No, you couldn’t possibly understand—I haven’t finished talking!” I stayed patient, let her finish, and asked if I could join the next session with Shelby instead. She refused, saying I had to stick with the original coach and that coach assignments are random.

At that point, I asked for a refund.

As I waited for my friends to finish, I began writing this review. That’s when the GM returned, stood behind me, and said, “Hey, are you writing us a bad review?” I said, “Just a mediocre one,” and that led to another heated exchange. She accused me of being disrespectful and inattentive, but finally, I got a chance to share my side of the story.

After hearing me out—and perhaps realizing I was serious about posting a review—she softened her tone. She admitted both sides could have handled things better and gave me four $10 coupons (each session is $30/person, and four people can book a private session) so I could return with a group of four and request Shelby as our coach. That was a nice gesture, but by then the experience had already taken a toll.

What could’ve been a fun, low-key activity turned into a surprisingly stressful ordeal. If the original coach or the GM had simply spoken to me calmly and fairly from the beginning, this could have been avoided.

Final thoughts:

This place might be great if you already know how to throw or if you're lucky enough to be paired with a supportive coach like Shelby. But if you're a first-timer, be aware—it’s strict, not very forgiving, and definitely not the kind of place where you can relax or learn at your own pace. The rules are only explained once, and if you miss it, there’s little room for second chances.

That said, I’m leaving a neutral 3-star review —credit to Shelby for his kindness and professionalism, and to the GM for eventually trying to make things right and prioritize safety.

Bonus tips:

You can join a league if you’re really into the sport. A group of 4 can book a “private session” and request a specific coach —which I highly recommend...

Our time at Urban Axes was one of the top three activities on our recent vacation. This was my second time to their location in Somerville, and they did not disappoint. With in-laws visiting, they expressed interest in trying this activity because it's not available where they are. My first visit, about six years ago, was for a Friday night. While this had worked for the group back then, I decided an earlier reservation on Saturday would be best to avoid crowds. We had the entire building to ourselves and had the most wonderful coach, Shelby (I may not remember your name correctly, and I'm VERY sorry). Shelby provided the basics for the in-laws and a refresher to my husband and myself, then was on point with all suggestions. His keen eye and tips enhanced our performance as players, and we all were able to land bullseyes a few times. My in-laws are both left-hand dominant, and Shelby had no difficulty reversing his techniques so they could be efficient axe throwers. The other aspect I really enjoyed was the relaxed atmosphere. While competing, there are electronic scoreboards above the lanes, and the coach keeps track of points, but the objective of your time at Urban Axes is focused on the experience. The coaches want everyone to learn how to properly throw an axe and discover a new and highly enjoyable activity. Other companies are fixated on the competition and bragging rights, but we all walked out with the biggest smiles cause we all won. I highly recommend reserving your time at Urban Axes for any group. It's a fantastic experience and you'll have the best time...

I want to give 5 stars because I had so much fun, but I would like to see some improvement in their processes first. You go thinking you're paying for a lane for just you and your people but if there's less than four of you then you could end up sharing a lane with strangers (perhaps this doesn't happen on a weekday but it did on a Friday night). This isn't necessarily a bad thing but when you pay thinking you're getting a lane to yourself for an hour and arrive to find out that's not the case it's a bit disappointing. Also, if anyone in your group or the other group doesn't show up on time to hear the safety instructions they aren't allowed to throw at all. They just lose their money. No rescheduling or anything. If they show up a few min late and the instructor has already gone through safety info they make everyone else wait (cutting into throwing time) until the late person hears all of the instructions too. So cushion your traffic time!! Haha. We were under the impression the safety instructions would last 5-10 min but it actually ended up being 20 minutes, leaving 40 for fun. Suggestion for the company would be have people show up 15 min early and go to a separate lane for instructional & safety info/practice before heading to your actual lane at your scheduled time to throw. Also their parking lot is on the right side of them if you are facing the front of the building. It's simpler to get to by taking the alley behind their building and circling around instead of busting a U-Turn in the middle...