78Smash
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Smash Score👍 Solid Smash
Iowa City's #1 restaurant on TripAdvisor, known for its double smash Pullman Burger and house-made pickles. A downtown landmark since 2015 with critical endorsements from Little Village and the Iowa City Press-Citizen.
Photos via Yelp.
Pullman Bar & Diner opened in January 2015 in a long, narrow downtown Iowa City space whose curved ceiling subtly references a dining car - the Pullman name honoring the American railroad heritage. The restaurant is the centerpiece of Gold Cap Hospitality, the group led by former NFL kicker Nate Kaeding alongside Iowa City restaurant veterans and Big Grove Brewery alumni. The concept: a chef-driven American diner with locally sourced ingredients, craft cocktails, and none of the TVs.
The Pullman Burger is a double smash - two 4oz patties hit hard against the flat top, achieving a full-coverage crust across every square inch of beef. American cheese goes on during the cook, melting into the patty rather than sitting on top. The house bread & butter pickles are made in-house and have drawn singular praise from critics. Little Village called them 'the most perfect pickles.' The Mo Burger is the bolder sibling: the same double smash build with cheddar, bacon jam, avocado, and chipotle aioli - the Press-Citizen pick for one of Iowa City's six best burgers.
Pullman Bar & Diner is primarily a diner. The Smash Score reflects the featured burger specifically, not the full dining experience.
The Pullman Burger seems like a throwback to a simpler time, when burgers were a diner staple - juicy and buttery, with the most perfect pickles. The stuff dreams are made of.
The Mo Burger at Pullman stands out as one of the best burgers in Iowa City because of its combination of flavors and textures - the bacon jam adds a sweet and smoky contrast to the subtle heat from the chipotle aioli.
Iowa City's new Pullman Bar and Diner brings fresh concepts to the diner template.
The Pullman burger is highly recommended - and the fries are 10/10.
Food is just outstanding. Unique menu, friendly staff, high quality food - and some of the best coffee I've ever had.
Doesn't take reservations - plan for a small wait. It's not a huge place.
Watch out if you're visiting on a game day. The University of Iowa crowd makes this tiny place impossible to get into without a long wait.