The 8 oldest bars in Iowa

Traverse a century of history at these long-standing bars in Iowa.

Next time you feel the urge to sidle up to a bar and sip on a cold one as your favorite tunes blare from the jukebox, why not choose one of Iowa’s most historic watering holes?

Iowa may have instituted statewide policies prohibiting the manufacture and sale of alcohol four years before the nationwide ban in 1920, but as soon as prohibition laws were lifted in 1933, the Hawkeye State blossomed with a new crop of taverns and lounges promising cold pints, warm meals, and even warmer hospitality.

Luckily for modern Iowans, several of those original establishments across Iowa City, Des Moines, and Cedar Rapids still fling open their doors each day. From dimly lit dive bars to family-run bars and restaurants, here are some of Iowa’s oldest bars serving up historical charm and tasty beverages.

1. Breitbach’s Country Dining

Location: 563 Balltown Rd., Balltown

Holding the title for the Hawkeye State’s oldest bar and restaurant, Breitbach’s Country Dining opened its doors an entire decade before the American Civil War began. Since 1852, the family-run establishment in Balltown, located about 90 miles northeast of Iowa City, has been serving cocktails, wine, and beer alongside a full menu of home-cooked specialties.

After washing down a cold one, fuel up at Breitbach’s all-you-can-eat buffet, featuring soups and salads made from scratch by sixth-generation owners Cindy and Mike Breitbach and their team. Before you hop in the car with a hankering for barbecue ribs or hand-battered cod, note that Breitbach’s is closed Monday through Wednesday, and only lunch service is offered on Thursday.

2. Dave’s Fox Head Tavern

Location: 402 E Market St., Iowa City

In 2025, Tasting Table named one historic Iowa City tavern the best dive bar in the whole Hawkeye State. Established in 1934, Dave’s Fox Head Tavern is the oldest standing bar in downtown Iowa City, and it’s long been a haunt for the literary likes of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop crowd, welcoming figures like John Irving and Kurt Vonnegut throughout its hallowed history.

Dave’s Fox Head Tavern is no place to order a martini or a cosmopolitan; you simply make your choice of beer, whiskey, gin, vodka, or tequila to sip on as you peruse an eclectic menu of tunes on the jukebox, shoot a couple rounds of pool, or simply admire the intricate carvings that past customers have scrawled into the tavern’s worn, wooden booths for decades.

3. Little Bohemia

Location: 1317 3rd St. SE, Cedar Rapids

The oldest tavern in Cedar Rapids is located smack in the middle of New Bohemia, also called Czech Village. Little Bohemia opened its doors in 1936, and back then, it served customers looking for a cold pint and a warm meal following long days working in the nearby iron and steel works, meat packers, and other factories. Little Bohemia quickly gained a reputation for its steaming-hot goulash and its crispy, smoky pig ear and snoot sandwiches.

These days, its home-cooked specialties still attract hungry patrons, especially its breaded pork tenderloin and kielbasa, both perfectly paired with an ice-cold glass of beer.

4. George’s Buffet

Location: 312 E Market St., Iowa City

An Iowa City staple since 1939, George’s Buffet draws crowds each evening with its unbeatable combination of expertly cooked cheeseburgers, live music, and happy hour specials. Though there’s no buffet to speak of (and there never was), there is plenty to fill up on from $1 draws and $5 pitchers to the bar’s signature bags of hot nuts.

Guests say ordering a cheeseburger is a must—the plates arrive at your booth looking like diner specials from the 1950s with classic sesame buns and chopped toppings, all wrapped in wax paper. Before you visit, be sure to check the bar’s Facebook page for its live music offerings and event schedule.

5. Locust Tap

Location: 434 E Locust St., Des Moines

At The Locust Tap in Des Moines, eccentricities harkening back to the bar’s nearly century-old history keep guests on their toes and coming back for more. According to an article written for Des Moines’ Cityview, there are a few particulars guests should know when enjoying an evening at The Locust Tap.

For example, the bathrooms don’t have sinks; you’ll need to wash up in the nearby hallway. And the bathroom doors have been known to have faulty locks, so you may want to hold on tight to the knob. Finally, the pool table leans to one side, which could make you a world champion or a sore loser, depending on the angle you’re shooting from. Particulars aside, there’s one thing that’s kept regulars gathering under The Locust Tap’s tin ceiling since it opened in 1933: a wide, varied selection of strong and cheap drinks, served without pretense.

6. Joe’s Place

Location: 115 Iowa Ave., Iowa City

Though its modern rooftop patio doesn’t scream “historic,” Joe’s Place in Iowa City is serious about tradition, including forgoing cover charges for patrons every day since its doors opened in 1934. When Joe’s Place announced its formal opening, a 10-ounce pour of beer cost a nickel, and lunch was served for free during select hours.

These days, happy hour specials at Joe’s look more like $10 beer pitchers and $1 off drafts, but there’s still something free to snack on within the establishment’s ever-percolating popcorn machine. Visit during the second or fourth Wednesday of each month for music bingo, featuring specials like $1 off whiskey and well liquors.

7. Greenwood Lounge

Location: 3707 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines

Des Moines’ Greenwood Lounge just got a facelift in March 2026, but that doesn’t mean that history isn’t written into every nook and cranny of this watering hole, located next to The Ingersoll dinner theater. An old-school jukebox contains a diverse selection of jazz and blues that’ll wow any audiophile, but the real excitement begins at 7 or 8 p.m. each night with the start of live music. Catch a cover set from a local act, or nod along to a jazz jam featuring Des Moines’ veteran musicians.

Guests have been visiting Greenwood Lounge since 1933, and with its intimate environs and recent updates, it’s likely the dive bar will live on another 100 years or more.

8. Hilltop Tavern

Location: 1100 North Dodge St., Iowa City

When Prohibition ended in 1933, the north side of Iowa City gained its first neighborhood bar: Hilltop Tavern. Upon opening its doors, it was called Helmer’s Tavern, bearing the name of the owners of nearby Helmer’s Grocery, but the name was soon changed to Hilltop to pay homage to the long-standing name of the neighborhood, Rees’ Hill.

It has changed ownership and names several times in the nearly hundred years since opening, but even today, Hilltop Tavern retains its no-frills charm—and even some of the original interior décor. At this casual watering hole, patrons shoot pool and play darts between rounds of drinks and plates of home-cooked bratwurst and German potato salad.