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    The Airliner

    3.2 (151 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated 3 weeks ago

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    THE AIRLINER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Loud
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - The Airliner

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    Reviews With Photos

    The interior of the airliner
    Tina T.

    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 outside of a restaurant
    Eric B.

    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.

    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.

    Happy Dad - Death Row Grape

    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!

    Cheeseburger with fries
    Jonathan H.

    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!

    Red Eye Burger
    Jesse L.

    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$!

    Italian Beef

    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.

    Supreme 16" pizza.
    Shanna L.

    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.

    Meat Cravers Pizza

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    1 year ago

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

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    3 years ago

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

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

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

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    11 years ago

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    4 years ago

    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.

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    5 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    Page 1 of 4

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    Sam's Pizza

    Sam's Pizza

    3.5(100 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    Service was great, but the place was basically empty except for a handful of college kids playing…read morepool and drinking. The wife and I are in town to attend an event at the University of Iowa and we just needed a place to grab a quick dinner on the way back to the hotel after a long day of traveling. We sat at the bar, and as mentioned, the bartender was friendly and attentive. We ordered cheddar bacon fries as an appetizer and a small thin crust Lola Pizza - which had spinach, garlic, red onions and pepperoncini peppers. The cheddar bacon fries probably sat in the window because they were delivered with the pizza. Not a huge deal, but they weren't very flavorful. The pizza was better.. crispy crust, good sauce to toppings ratio, but sadly it really didn't stand out enough for me to recommend Sam's. There are just too many better options downtown for better food.

    Sam's Pizza rarely disappoints. From its thin crust to its (best in the area) deep dish-- there's…read moresomething for everyone. Don't miss out on Happy Hour. Which is Tuesday - Friday (they're closed Monday) from 3-6pm. Snag a $3 Domestic Pints or get $1.50 off Craft Pints and a whopping 30% off most apps. This is our go-to for a large group, as there is plenty of seating. Generally service is prompt and professional-- though it can be pretty hit or miss. The food always comes out piping hot! Parking can be a pain-- there's limited meter parking behind it.

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    Sam's Pizza
    Sam's Pizza - Custom pizza

    Custom pizza

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    The Airliner - pizza - Updated September 2026

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