Hidden Gem: The Blue Fox

Students of legal drinking age at UAA may — at times — find themselves looking for a good spot to hang out after classes. Students may not want to carpool or drive downtown while Ubers and taxis are getting very expensive these days. Other bars in town such as Williwaw Social or The Gaslight can be a bit too noisy for some people. 

Way back in the day, there used to be a student accessible pub in the Student Union, where the Den is currently located. Many students may have viewed a pub on campus as convenient and fun but one can imagine why some people would be opposed to it,leading to the inevitable shut down of the pub. 

Have no fear though, as there is a lounge that is even closer than the Student Union — if you live on or near campus — and it is called The Blue Fox. 

The Blue Fox is the perfect example of a college dive bar by virtue of nostalgia. While not as trashy and dive-y as some dive bars may be, this is the perfect place to kick back after a long day of classes or a stressful day of testing. 

If you thrive in a bustling environment, this bar can also be the perfect place to finish some schoolwork while sipping on your favorite cocktail or beer. In fact, this article was mostly written while sitting at either the bar, or at one of the many tables that The Blue Fox offers. 

The Blue Fox is within walking distance to campus, and even has a path directly to it from the West Hall parking lot. All you need to do is take the sidewalk from the parking lot and once you arrive at the next street, walk forward until there is a strip mall on the right. As soon as the strip mall is in view, The Blue Fox is in that strip mall. 

The Blue Fox also offers something that is essential to both drinking culture and college life — cost effective food that is commendable as above average. More than above average, the pub has genuinely good food — order the cheese curds and you won't regret it. 

There are also specials on food for every day offered from 5-9 p.m. with the exception of Sunday, which has an all day special. The specials — in order from Sunday to Saturday — are chicken fried steak with fries for $13.00, five wings for $6.50, two corn dogs for $5.50, reindeer dogs for $6.50, beef tacos for $1.50 on both Thursday and Friday, and halibut with chips for $17.00 on Saturday. There are other specials such as lunch options and daily soups, plus $2.00 ice cream sandwiches every day. 

In addition to the food specials every day, most days of the week are associated with events held at The Blue Fox. Monday’s host an open-mic night from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. 

This creates a good opportunity to listen to local talent or reach out to management to get an opportunity to perform on stage. 

Tuesdays are trivia night, which starts at 7:30 p.m. and group sizes are limited to six participants. Winners will have their photo taken and posted among the rest of the “Glizzy Gang” — the name for all of the previous winners of trivia night. 

In addition to receiving recognition for winning, your group will also be granted rewards. The current reward for winning first place is $50 cash. Second and third place still receive rewards but they will be of a lower caliber. 

On both Wednesday and Friday, karaoke takes place from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Every other Thursday, hosts live music from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. featuring local bands from Anchorage. 

If students are not interested in karaoke or trivia night, do not lose faith in a fun time just yet. 

The Blue Fox has a pool table in the back that spends most of its time unused. There is also a dart board that is often ignored, just ask the bartender for the darts and a marker to keep score. 

If students are in hot water with their significant other, you can try to win a stuffed animal from the claw machine — or you can spend all of your money on the Galaga and Ms. Pacman arcade machine. 

If you happen to be a nicotine fiend The Blue Fox has a vending machine where students can get their fix if they forgot to come prepared. The Blue Fox is the pub definition of “Jack-of-all-trades.” 

Students are sure to find something that they can associate with by showing up on any day of the week. 

Whether students are looking for a calm night with friends — or a rowdy and rambunctious night of drunken karaoke — The Blue Fox may be worth exploring. 

Good food, strong drinks and entertainment within walking distance — what else could suit the college lifestyle better? 

The 50th anniversary of The Blue Fox is on May 5. What better way to celebrate graduation than by grabbing a $5 Milagro Tequila shot or a $5.50 glass of champagne?