The Airliner

Day started out great at the Airliner for the Gopher Vs Hawks game. We started the day with several drinks and a delicious breakfast pizza 🍕 The atmosphere was electric. The staff especially the bar tenders were amazing experienced pros!! Great wonderful time at the Airliner…the game didn’t go as well for Minnesota 😐

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)

Great atmosphere during a football weekend. It is a college bar... Enjoyed the food and drinks. It was very busy but our server was fantastic with refilling our drinks and getting our food fast.

Best taco pizza! Their salsa is fantastic! Service was great! The place could use a good update. Booth benches are hard as the padding has warn out over time. The floor is super sticky. Restrooms are ok, better than usual bar restrooms, however there is graffiti all over the stalls and my 10 year old daughter had a LOT of questions UPDATE 12/30/25 went from the best taco pizza to the 3rd worst taco pizza. They must have changed their pizza. The crust is way fluffier and thicker. That's not a bad thing, just prefer their other crust. Went on Tuesday for their half off pizza. Not sure of that's why this pizza was bad compared to the prior 2 times? There was maybe a small handful of crushed chips, and basically nothing for meat. Super duper disappointed. I ordered black olives on the side. First glance the were old and dry, but still tried it. First bite and almost broke a tooth as I bit down on something rock hard. Told the waitress, who couldn't care less. Changed from 5 stars to 3.

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.

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

This was really disappointing. We ordered Appetizers and pizzas. Are plates came out for the appetizer one of the plates clearly was dirty and they still served it up to us. The fries tasted like they've been fried in grease that has been there forever. The wings were okay but nothing great they were boneless and didn't have a lot of sauce on them. The only reason we ordered appetizers is because they told us that they were way backed up on pizzas. Two of our pizzas came out one of them she said oh they messed up on it they put taco seasoning on your Greek Pizza but still served it to us. I finally asked if they were going to make the Greek Pizza the right way and bring it out and she said oh you want us to remake that. Yes because I didn't order a taco pizza I ordered a Greek Pizza which is two totally different pizzas. Then we get our other two pizzas and the pizza is not even cut so I had to send it back. I finally got my Greek Pizza and it was still made wrong. I think the only thing that was done right was my son's pepperoni pizza and he actually enjoyed it. The whole overall experience was terrible. We had to get our server to give us more to drink. When we went to leave we asked for three small boxes for small pizzas. And the waitress told us no it will fit in two even though the taco pizza only had one slice out of it. Some of this may have been excused if it was busy but it was not most of their orders must have been take out this is really disappointing and honestly you probably better find better servers. The place is dirty and honestly I used to go here in college and I'm not sure how it's still open but I guess I must enjoyed it because I was a college student back then or it's just really gone downhill

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!

A beautiful fall day off on my Birthday so we stopped in for lunch. My husband, myself, and youngest daughter shared onion rings and taco pizza and my oldest daughter had a Caesar salad and fries. Great stop after the pumpkin patch. This place is so nostalgic and never disappoints.

Back in Iowa City for an extended period of time and saw my last review was outdated as the dollar slices are back - not $1.75 like they were years ago for some time apparently. They are once again a dollar!!! $1. However, that being said, they are smaller with less cheese, but I still appreciate the fact that you can get four slices for less than five bucks.

First time in the airliner, it's a pretty nice little restaurant. I had pizza. It was very delicious! Our server seemed very friendly.

The Airliner is a famous college bar, so we stopped in after an Iowa football game. Drink prices are incredibly ($3 for a cocktail), so you cannot beat that. However, it is overly crowded inside, and just general dirty. Everything is wet, it is about 105 degrees in the bar, and the bathrooms are truly the most disgusting bathrooms I have ever seen.

The Airliner always has a great atmosphere. I tried my first Happy Dad there last night and it did not disappoint! Highly recommend the Grape and Fruit punch flavors.

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!

Great gameday atmosphere! One of the first bars around Iowa City to carry Happy Dad! Definitely worth going to check it out!

The Airliner has a great environment, and they serve Happy Dad, me and my friend's favorite seltzers!

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.

I was at the bar for 25 minutes and the women would serve everyone BUT me. Granted, she served me prior, but wouldn't acknowledge me when I went back. I only had that one drink tonight. Absolutely insane. (I am of age too. Not one of the freshmen that goes to these bars).

Honestly great pizza! We went when they were offering dollar slices and they were nothing short of amazing. Taco pizza was phenomenal. Servers were very nice as well.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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!!

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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!

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!

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

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.

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.