Small Town Big Fun

You might say the Hazard Tavern owes its existence to fate. If youbelieve in that sort of thing.

In late 1869, as the railroad pushed east from Sioux City, winter weather halted progress five miles west of Cherokee. Here, at the literal end of the line, the town of Hazard was established. The place was named—not, as legend has it, for a dangerous bend in the tracks—but in honor of Rowland G. Hazard, an industrialist and abolitionist from “back East” (who, not coincidentally, held a large stake in the railroad).

The Hazard Tavern site has been home to

Prescott’s general store, Matt’s Beer Parlor,

Barney’s, and Kenny’s Place.

By 2020, the building was boarded up and at risk of falling into disrepair.  So three native sons stepped in to ensure it would live on as an iconic Iowa small town tavern. A place where locals and visitors alike can stop in to share a good meal, a good story, and a good time.

Thus, the Hazard Tavern was born. Or, perhaps more accurately, reborn. The rest, as they say, is history.