LOST VEGAS: The Holy Cow Casino - A Pioneering Strip Landmark Lost to Time
The Holy Cow Casino and Brewery marked several significant milestones in Las Vegas history from its iconic corner at Sahara and the Strip. Originally opening as Foxy's Deli in 1955, it became the Strip's first restaurant to openly serve Black customers, five years before official desegregation. Owner Abe Fox, an NAACP supporter, provided meals to prominent Black entertainers like Louis Armstrong and Nat King Cole who weren't allowed to dine where they performed.
Rainbow "Holy Cow" brewery sign
After Fox sold to mob-connected Moe Dalitz in 1975, the establishment operated as Foxy's Firehouse until 1988. Former NFL linebacker Tom "Big Dog" Wiesner transformed it into the Holy Cow Casino in 1992, complete with a 14-foot Holstein statue named Alphie wearing sunglasses and wrapped in neon.
Vintage Foxy's Deli storefront, Las Vegas
In 1993, the Holy Cow became Nevada's first legal brewery, after Wiesner helped change state liquor laws dating back to Prohibition. The establishment thrived until 2002 when post-9/11 tourism decline forced its closure. Wiesner passed away three months later.
Black Ivana Vegas casino sign
The property changed hands several times, briefly serving as a sales office for an unrealized condo project called The Summit, later renamed Ivana Las Vegas. In 2012, the building was demolished for a Walgreens.
Giant cow sculpture beside desert windmill
Alphie, the iconic rooftop cow, found a new home at Jim Marsh's Longstreet Inn and Casino in Amargosa Valley, 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas, where she continues to stand guard today.