The Airliner

We really liked the gluten-free Pizza crust. The Vegetarian and Supreme Pizza were really good. A classic Bar/Restaurant in Iowa City (since 1944)

Handled a very large group well. Server was excellent and personally deserving of all 5 stars. Drinks were VERY well made and delivered quickly. The pizza is Iowa pizza, so take it or leave it - it’s a preference thing. The Italian beef was spot on, with a fantastic giardineria and ultra crispy fries. The building was adequate, with plenty of space to accommodate a 25+ person group. The restrooms were atrocious, hence the low atmosphere rating. It’s a bar in a college town, so I get that - but was not what I wanted to walk into when washing my hands after dinner.

Came here with coworkers on Tuesday for our first time and will definitely be back. The food was great, exceptional variety of drinks, and our server, Angelina, was super nice and funny.

We called an order in, they forgot to put it in the system. When we finally got our pizza, it was wildly underwhelming - hardly any toppings, bland crust. 0/10, would not return.

Pizza was 50% off when I stopped in which was an incredible special. Luis provided amazing service the entire time I was there. Definitely will be back again!

Pizza was good, but I'd struggle to call what I got a "Chicago style deep dish" I'd recommend whomever is making the menu to research that style of pizza and either make that or take the option off the menu. It was a good pizza however, so I am not complaining, just not as described. Half Price deal on Tuesday was good, drinks were average price, server seemed uninterested

Overpriced... $82 including tip for a small pizza, a basic cheeseburger and 4 beers. maybe I was overcharged and didn't notice until looking at the charge online. The cost doesn't align with the experience.

Pizza was incredible. Very busy place during football, so expect partial wait on service, but all in all great service.

The food - especially the pizza - is amazing. If you are going on a game day, it can be bonkers in here, but it is also kind of part of the fun! Service is good. This place has an amazing history-go check it out!

I attended the University of Iowa between 1974 and 1978. And yes, I'm dating myself! During those times, the drinking age in Iowa was 18 and the Airliner was Fraternity/Sorority Central. For whatever reason, I decided that this wasn't my kind of place, although I did enjoy walking by to admire the "beautiful people". Fast forward to my 2023 Homecoming weekend visit to Campus (almost After all these years, the Airliner is still standing, as are other bar legends like Joe's Place and the Deadwood. That's 50 years later if I can believe it. There have probably been some management changes and refurbishments, but all 3 of these places pretty much look the same. I was due to teach a class the next Monday and met the previous Thursday to plan that. After that, an early afternoon Lunch was in order, and I decided to check out The Airliner. There's a great story back in 2019 when U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand made a campaign stop at the Airliner. The first floor was packed, but that didn't stop a student from pushing past the campaign crowd and saying: "Sorry, I'm just gonna get some Ranch (dressing)". And in 1 key sentence, welcome to one key aspect of Iowa Culture. Another one is Busch Light beer of which I more wisely chose Guinness during my visit to the Airliner. There was also no campaigning going on inside when I arrived, although it is GOP caucus time. Of course, heavily blue Iowa City wouldn't be much of a campaign stop anyway. Past that, my booth seating was comfortable, service was friendly and efficient, and my blue cheese burger (with salad) was very tasty. And now that the drinking age is 21, the party dynamic is no doubt different (and maybe quieter), even during daytime hours. It was a fine outing through one aspect of Hawkeye memory lane.

Supreme pizza was great! Thin crust too. Didn't have a wait time but still busy establishment. Service was right on.

We were right the cusp of a three star review versus a four star review. On the con side, the buffalo chicken salad isn't the greatest, parking is really tough with meter spots that only last an hour, and the bathrooms are probably not my first choice of bathroom as they were pretty dirty. Actually, the chicken on the salad is good and the homemade ranch dressing is very good, but the Buffalo sauce was more Tabasco based than a Buffalo sauce. On the plus side, the burger is really good, the atmosphere is pretty cool, and the staff is incredibly friendly! Additionally, the prices are insanely good!

Had the red eye burger (egg on top) and it was very good. Waffle fries were ok, a few were burnt. Service and bar were great as well. Very cheap compared to similar places. This was only 7$!

Had great service, very friendly staff and wonderful food. In a nice older place Ddfdddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd I don't like having word limits in order to write a review

My Italian beef sandwich and sweet potato fries were cold so I asked the waitress to have them microwaved to get them warm. She was great about it. She also brought some au jus for dipping which was really hot and tasty. However, the bread was hard around the edges. The meat was pretty good. Just a little grisly. The fries were warmer, but not very good. The place is old with rips in the seats and the bathroom was filthy with toilet paper all over the floor. My grandson did say his burger was really good.

This place has 3 stars? Weird. This is a dive bar that somehow serves food. If you come here for dinner, you have made a HUGE mistake. If you came here for cocktails, you have made a huge mistake. If you came here for beer and then a pizza to try to sober up before ubering back to the dorm, you came to the right place. First, I ordered a makers and ginger ale. It looked (as in color) of a margarita. It even came with a lime. We stopped by on a Monday and they had a wing special. I ordered the garlic parm wings. They were cold and lacking flavor. The server seemed nice, but service was slow and she seemed like she was a bit stoned. (No judgement from me, I might want to be stoned if I worked here.) The best part was the random panties hanging from the stall door in the ladies restroom. This is a very specific place for a very specific purpose and if you are looking on Yelp for places, this place is not for you.

No good for me. This pizza was way too salty and we order the supreme, it barely had any toppings (see pic) I usually expect a thick, full pizza when getting a supreme. Not my kind of pizza.

Came in on this Monday night for some pizza! I went to college in Iowa City so this place is very nostalgic for me. This place is quaint and has the best Hawkeye decorations. Our family had late sports and needed an option that we could sit and enjoy our meal without the early closing time. It was also my Birthday...so this was a fun option. My husband and I enjoyed our draft beers on special and our pizza had sausage, pepperoni, onion, mushroom & olive and half pepperoni for my oldest daughter. It was delicious. My youngest daughter opted for the kids chicken fingers which she enjoyed. I love this place. The food always hits the spot and staff is great and always served up with a friendly Hawkeye smile. :)

From out of town. Stopped here for a quick bite with kids before an event Great sports bar, ambience with lots of local football memorabilia Service was super friendly The pizzas were fantastic

This place as great service. The staff is young but attentive. The food is priced much better than other places on the same block. Maybe their rent is lower, but I highly recommend. Oh, mid day afternoon staff needs better hiring. Probably just a manger over 50 years old

Ordered takeout pizza a couple of times, the meat craver's (pictured) and the supreme. The staff don't seem to be welcoming or friendly, they typically seem to be busy but I haven't had any issues other than having to wait a bit longer for them to help me. Pizza is good, not anything incredible but definitely hits the spot if you're looking for something greasy and cheesy. I only go on Tuesdays when they have the half off on pizza because it's a great deal-- $13 for a huge pizza that could feed at least 4.

Bar pizza has a special place in my heart. It's not pretentious. It's not reinventing anything. It's tried and true. It hits the spot every damn time, with ice cold brew in hand. The Airliner serves up the classics on a not so greasy crust-- and it's no frills, but fabulous. Plus, on Tuesdays, enjoy half priced pizza and $2 domestics. Other deals include: $4.99 wings on Monday, $6.99 Italian Beefs on Wednesday, $1 slices of pizza on Sunday... and a plethora of drink deals from $2 domestics on Wednesday/Friday to $4 big beers on Thursday! Expect a college town, worn in establishment with lots of seating options. The Airliner is the perfect place for a large group. (AND they actually have a private space upstairs! Perfect for parties, reunions, etc.) Twenty something year old waitresses will attentively wait on you with a smile. Pricing is on point, as is portions. Park in the Capitol Street Ramp. We actually just came on a Friday and got any large pizza and a pitcher of domestic beer for $20! Can't beat that deal. My kiddos INHALED their cheese half and my family of four even brought food home. This is an Iowa City institution, having lived here for something like 75 years?! Come get a cold one and enjoy some za at The Airliner.

Great pizza! I like to air fry the pizza when eating leftovers. They reheat extremely well and have delicious pizza! The sauce is great. The pizzas are consistent and I will be a repeat customer for as long as they are in business.

Very good service and food for a party of nine and we all got different pizzas and salads and drinks

Classic interior has been the same since the 80s/90s, but still a great place for cold beer and pizza. Burgers were very good and reasonably priced. Lunch service was great and plenty of frequent refills.

Joey and Max are the most considerate gentlemen who work at this bar and grill. They deserve a raise and more recognition. They are so awesome and personable to the customers!! If you go to this establishment make sure to meet these two men!! Definitely made the airliner experience memorable!! I can't say enough good things about these two!!

If nostalgia is your thing, The Airliner is your place. But if you are looking for quality pizza, there are much better places in town. Yes, the Airliner is an Iowa City icon but the restaurant seems to be living off past reputation. The Pizza is average at best. It lacks flavor and freshness. It is a fun place to go and is right in the middle of Iowa City, but don't go for the food or you'll be disappointed.

Good pizza joint in the college area. Salad was meh (as is the case with most good pizza joints). Just order the pizza, skip the salads, get the beer and run it off the next day.

Jack is the BEST bar back ever and should be promoted to bartender immediately !!! His water passing out skills are amazing

Just like old times 20-25 years ago. Love this place. Always buzzing with energy. The taco pizza is ok, but I don't go there for taco pizza. I go there for miller light! Ok, maybe not. Miller light was expensive back then. I think it was Natty lite. Anyway, brought the kids back. Kids menu was fine. Food is always ok. You just don't go there for the food. It's the atmosphere and the social. Ragbrai was in town so it was packed at 5PM. They have an electronic jukebox on the wall now. Of course, the screen showed Boyz II Men as the cover. Love it.

Major letdown. What's the appeal here if you don't want to drink a beer? Came in for a $1 slice on a slow Sunday afternoon. After five minutes of standing aimlessly, one of the waitresses realized we hadn't been helped and kindly seated us. Fast forward to sitting down. "You can have it if you want. I don't want it," that's what one server said to the other well within earshot of me, the "it" in the situation being our table. A woman came and took our order, and I'm trying to say this lightly, she also delivered quite the amount of attitude. She was not happy. Maybe she was having a bad day, but either way, it was cringeworthy to be waited on by her. She asked if anyone wanted ranch, without mentioning it cost extra. We'd find out on the bill though. The pizza dough was undercooked. I won't be back unless...nah. I just won't be back.

Cold pizza, under cooked dough, indifferent servers, What's not to like? Luckily there are dozens of other local places doing a better job on their pizza... That says all I have to say

This place has so many faces as an establishment it might as well be diagnosed with multiple personality business disorder. Part restaurant, part fratty bar, and part chill/dive watering hole. Depending on when you go. As a high school kid I would come with my buddies for the delicious dollar slices of pizza (they are now $1.75 but hey that was 10 years ago). As a college kid I would come to scam on 18 year old freshman, and now 10 years later I am back to watch football and consume as many slices of pizza before I explode! Great place and it's been around town for decades. Changed ownership and I wish they still had their infamous beer battered chicken, but still worth it for the Sunday slices! You're flying friendly skies at the Airliner! They have a special every day of the week ranging from $2 beers to $1 'you call its.'

The IC pizza joint, no dispute. Airliner crust never fails.Max who works there is a cutie too. Fire

I ate here during the jazz fest weekend while visiting friends during summer vacation. First, as a retired Air Force Officer, I really like the name. We had four adults and three children, and the Airliner accommodated us nicely in a small outside patio section in the front of the establishment. The waitress was attentive and pleasant. This is a friendly place to eat that has the usual comfort food you may expect to find in a pub. All of us enjoyed our burgers and pizza. I had the F-16 which is a burger topped with cheddar cheese, smoked bacon, BBQ sauce, and two golden onion rings. I also liked their beer selection.

Stopped in after some old alumni from back home suggested it. Crappy service, sticky tables and just not worth the outing.

It's awful! When we came in, it wasn't that busy- I ordered our pizzas right away. I ordered a small Greek pizza and a large Supreme pizza. An hour went by- our server assured us our pizzas were coming out. Another half an hour went by and we asked the server if our pizzas were coming out soon. She said, "I'll go check." She came back with the small Greek pizza which is not worth $15.99 because it had no taste whatsoever, and said another server took our other pizza to another table. So we ended up leaving with the small pizza and not very happy with our experience at The Airliner. This is not our first rodeo in Iowa City either.

Macy Young is a G. we got to the bar, she came right up to us and got us drinks. nice place to meet some dudes in the bathroom.

We ordered online for delivery. Shortly after completing the order we got a call from the restaurant to make sure we got they type of wings we wanted. The food arrived earlier than the estimated asap delivery time and it tasted fantastic. We are so pleased with their commitment to make sure their customers get the food they want and the food is amazing!

Wow. Hands down one of the best pizzas I have ever had. Period. The Hubs is a Hawkeye grad and insisted that we make a stop at the Airliner per family tradition. FAMILY TRADITIONS ARE NOT MEANT TO BE BROKEN. We happened to be there during the college's spring break... meaning we did not have to wait to be seated in a booth- score! Additionally it was during the basketball playoffs so it was fun to watch in an actual college bar- so much more emotion! We could not make a decision between the chicken pesto pizza and the buffalo chicken (based on prior Yelp reviews). The waitress eased our concerns and said it was no biggie to split the pizza 50/50. I'm glad we did this because I still do not know which pizza I would have selected. There were great beer selections and a couple specials going on. Next time we are in IC, we are definitely keeping to family tradition!

Holy awesome pizza! A group of us got Pizza's on half price night (Tuesdays') and it did not disappoint. The Buffalo chicken pizza and the meat lovers equavalent were both amazing! It made me wish Tuesday came two or three times a week! Got delivery one night as well....in the middle of the year's biggest snow storm. Brother didn't just deliver it, he did it with a smile and with swagger that few have the chance to show!

Went to Airliner for the infamous dollar slices. I was expecting a large piece of fresh pizza but what I got was a tiny cold piece that looks like it should be 25 cents instead of a dollar. Very disappointed and will not be coming back.

Great Sunday deal - $1 pepperoni or cheese pizza slices. The slices are a decent size and they don't jip you on the cheese. I sat at the bar. The bar tenders were courteous, prompt, and attentive. Because of some of the other reviews on Yelp, my expectations were pretty low Re service. So it was a pleasant surprise.

Really want to like this place! I've heard it's an IC classic...but now I've gotten takeout and dined in and the experience both times was meh. The pizza is super cheesy and saucy, yet somehow the flavor is still missing something. I'm a pepperoni girl, so I can't speak for the specialty pizzas. I will have to update once I try them! The wings were great, not at all doughy and just spicy enough. The service is ok. Our hostess gave away a table when our party of 6 was next in line, claiming she couldn't find us. We were watching from the bar 10 feet away and tried to catch her attention before she gave it to the party who had just walked in....didn't seem like she looked, but could have been an honest mistake. Our server was extremely slow and seemed very distracted on what didn't appear to be a very busy night. I'm sure I will be back and, when I am, I will be hoping the third time's the charm!

Like everywhere in IC, service was slow and the place was packed. Still, the pizza was very good. Very thick cheese, and people were raving about the taco pizza. I personally preferred the meat lovers. Delightful! The thing that amazed me was that there was barely any room to move in the front room, but our group of 12 still got seated almost right away.

Half price pizza on Tuesdays! You could say I'm a frequent flyer at the Airliner. I usually order a thin crust because their standard crust is very thick and filling (but delicious). Their specialty pizzas are really good too (Taco, BBQ Chicken). If you're still living the college lifestyle, they also do $2 U Call It on Friday nights beginning at 8pm. Bonus points for having a popcorn machine.

We didn't go for the pizza, we went because we were hungry and for a sunday the place wasn't that empty. Which was odd because it was during football season and there were about 5 different games on. All but 1 was easily viewable from my seat, and my boyfriend could see that one, and I could see one that he couldn't. The service was good in my opinion, a little slow, but not so slow that we got upset. The food was good.

Great food, good location, and cool place overall. I love the ambiance, i love the decor. Sometimes i try to figure out which one i like more, the ambiance or the decor. I had a great server when I went, I believe her name was Mia. Highly recommend The Airliner. After all Ashton Kutcher was discovered here.

Enjoy this sports bar. Had burgers and beverages and had a good time. My burger was the F16 and the wife had the Cessna. Both were delicious. Paired with fries and lemonade this lunch was fantastic. Service was fast and friendly. Made our trip to Iowa very enjoyable!!

I went to the Airliner on a recommendation from a friend for their pizza. This was not a good recommendation. The pizza we ordered was cut in squares. There was cheese on exactly four of the slices. None of the outer slices had cheese or toppings. Going against my Midwestern upbringing, I complained. The owner came over, very agitated. When I lodged my complaint and asked that it be taken off the check, he yelled, and I mean yelled, "Stop!" There was no apology, no suggestion of fixing it. Just him yelling at me. And the kicker was, it was my birthday. The owner realized his mistake and tried chasing me down Clinton to apologize, but at that point, seriously give me a break. If that's the food and the "hospitality" the place offers then I'd highly encourage you to take your money elsewhere.

I went on line to make my choice of what I wanted for lunch. I chose an Italian beef with cheese, that would come with fries pepperoncinis and au jus for 7.99, I paid $10.60. I could have gotten a better sandwich at Arby's for a lot less and it would have been warm! NEVER GOING BACK THERE AGAIN!!!!

Good burger specials, tasty pizza. Frequently long waits and weak service. First and foremost: If you are looking to get lunch in under an hour you are out of luck. I've caught many a dirty look after slinking in 10 minutes late for a meeting due to another slow Airliner experience. Food is great, and would merit a 4-star review if not for the time and service issues. Get the BBQ or Buffalo Chicken Pizza. Any of their burgers are good too, and about $6 on a Thursday. Overall a decent downtown meal place.

The food at Airliner was very good; generous portions and not too expensive. Of course, being in college town, it was full of obnoxious, loud frat boys but don't let that stop you. I had the Italian beef sandwich with au jus on the side and fries and thoroughly enjoyed my meal.

my ex and i came here in february for valentine's day because it was late and we were hungry. the pizza was soup and it was absolutely disgusting. i will never be back.

Stopped by to have that pizza I used to enjoy 20 years ago as an undergrad. Found out that slices are only available until 3:00PM. The hostess team were great, but the bartender was awful. Come on bartender Kennedy act at least you are partially interested and when the customer gives you cash you return the change and your chances of getting a good tip increase. Went to Joe's bar and had a much better experience.

So incredibly disappointing - I've been coming here for years, and I want to keep remembering it the way it was, but I might be done now... my visit yesterday afternoon had several issues: 1) Such horrible service. Out of three employees that we interacted with, two of them were completely indifferent to us - we were pretty much ignored for a full minute while waiting at the sign that says "wait here to be seated". That might not sound like a long time, but it wasn't particularly busy and we started to wonder if we're just supposed to seat ourselves or what? Eventually somebody came and asked if we needed a table. Um, yeah? 2) They brought the pizza out with two plates, and one of the plates wasn't fully cleaned. Opened my roll of silverware and noted that neither my knife NOR fork were clean either. I guess I either hit the "trifecta" of dirty dishes or else this is a serious indicator of what kind of cleanliness factor the Airliner now has? Perhaps I should have been vocal at the time? I don't know that it would've mattered - the people working there just didn't seem to care about anything. I try to find the excuses for it (Summer? RAGBRAI coming in tonight? Millennial work ethic?) but I simply can't get past it. Sorry Airliner, get your act together - appears I'm not the only one that has noticed the decline.

I've been here twice in one week... both were carryout orders. The first order was wrong, but I had to come back for what I remembered years ago. Tuesday did not disappoint. Absolutely try the chicken Alfredo and the BBQ Pizza. They're both delicious!!!