I have only been to The Airliner a handful of times, and only twice with friends to drink at the bar. One of those times was for the purpose of this blog. Whenever I have gone there it has been for drinks and lunch on the weekends, or for a student organization banquet upstairs.
The Airliner originally opened in 1944, and has consistently been a popular spot for great, cheap pizza ever since. People literally rave about how good the pizza is, and I will agree that it is delicious. The reason I have not gone there as much is because I think of it more as a restaurant than a bar. In fact, it is the only drinking establishment in Iowa City that was awarded an exemption to the 21-ordinance because 50 percent or more of its sales comes from the food. The good thing is, because the food is so important so is the cleanliness. It is one of the few bars in Iowa City I will say has always been consistently clean. Where other bars will have flies swarming around your food, or vomit on the bathroom floor I have never experienced this at The Airliner.
If you do go there later at night to drink it is best to find a table or booth to sit at and wait for a waitress to serve you. The area around the bar is very small and it is impossible to stand around it with a group of your friends. You either can’t get to the bar, or once you are there will not be able to leave it.
The Airliner has a long tradition as a great spot to go and watch the football games. During Sunday and Monday football games they have pitchers of beer specials that start at $4 during the first quarter and change to $5.50 by the third and fourth. On Tuesday nights they have $5 mason jars, similar to Brothers’ Mug Club, that you can refill at anytime for $1. The best in my opinion is $1 bud lights on Wednesday and Fridays.
Iowa City Challenge: 30 Bars, 1 Semester 