On the corner of Market Street and Gilbert Street, Dave’s Fox Head Tavern, or simply The Fox Head, is quintessentially Iowa City.

The watering hole's local notoriety and nearly 100-year tradition has earned it a spot on USA TODAY’s Best Dive Bars in America list for 2025 , which includes speakeasies and beachfront dives across the nation.

How old is Iowa City's Fox Head Tavern?

The Fox Head Tavern is one of Iowa City's oldest bars, opening in 1934, a year after Prohibition ended. The Northside neighborhood bar has stayed down-to-earth, owned by the same family since day one. It's now owned by Dave Alberhasky.

The Fox Head is better known as "The Writers' Workshop bar," where the creative community of Iowa City gathers, breaking away from the downtown hustle and bustle for a more re

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