Pullman

I like the idea. A very small place. atmosphere: diner chic, cozy, trendy, comfortable — not stuffy or fussy and you won’t feel under or over dressed. I just didn’t see anything on the menu that jumped out at me. Good non-​the-​less. Not worth a wait, but a good place to eat.

Best burger I have had in years! French onion soup was also excellent. I highly recommend this place. Service was also excellent. Only gripe, music choice was a little harsh and loud. With that said, a guest ask to lower volume and the request was graciously taken care of. Long live Pullmans and crew!

So happy that Pullman exists! There are a ton of reviews and pictures, ALL giving you excellent reasons to drop what you are doing and head on over to Pullman.
atmosphere: diner chic, cozy, trendy, comfortable — not stuffy or fussy and you won’t feel under or over dressed
service: awesome, our server was so kind, helpful, patient and prompt — she answered all of our weirdo menu questions about food and drink
the food: delish quality, portion and speed — the kitchen is behind the counter, if you sit on the stools you can watch them make your scrumptious masterpiece
the drink: what a fun bar menu! Great brews, wines, and fun cocktails — feeling brunchy? get the bloody mary or one of their yummy coffee adult beverages.
If you are in Iowa City and are in need of sustenance and libations — go to Pullman, you will not regret it!

A very solid diner with a hip vibe. Chef Sal has his line hoping with a pro’s prowess. Start with a Bloody Mary heaped with a generous helping of pickled garnishes and a bacon strip stirrer. For breakfast, the corned beef hash with chunks of honking meat is awesome as are their egg dishes. Note — you may need to ask for two eggs as many of their dishes feature a pretty, but lonely, sunny side up egg. The French press coffee pot is also another reminder that this isn’t your typical breakfast grub.
For dinner, the marrow bones can best Chicago joints. The chicken gets a lot of hype but I thought that the burgers are better. They are no match for Shorts but the special sauce is a tribute to Shake Shack. The skirt steak is also a winner — especially when combined with an Old Fashioned from their well stocked bar.
All in all, this is a place that could hold its own just as easily on the upper east side as Washington Street.

You know when you’re like, «gosh I need a hip place to invite my date too», but you’re also like,“boy golly do I like diners”, and then you’re like, «wait I’ve put on too much of a bourgeois front to take them out to a diner I can’t misquote Foucault and make up detailed knowledge of craft beers over at Hamburg they’ll see right through it»?
Pullman is good for that sort of situation.
(They’re honestly very, very good, though).

Food was great, service was Greater! Rachel was one of the best we have ever had. It is easy to miss, walked right by it.

I loved the atmosphere, it had the feeling of a hipster diner, but done really well. They played good music, and the service was good. They have all day breakfast items available. I went during dinner and enjoyed my meal. Their wings are really good and the fries are amazing easily one of the best I’ve had. They serve alcohol, and their desserts looked good, but unfortunately I was too full. My biggest criticism is the lack of menu items, they may have different options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but I felt like my options were very limited which I felt like what picked for dinner was me just settling rather than actually wanting it. Other than that Pullman fully delivers as a diner.

Great staff and fun to eat at counter. Amazing to watch them prepare the delicious food. Fried chicken was a 10.

I absolutely loved this place! My boyfriend took me for dinner on my birthday and we both didn’t know what to expect. We sat at the bar right in front of the grill and prep area and it was so much fun. I love watching people cook and sitting there was a new experience. The cook staff always referred to the head chef as «Chef.» It was fun to listen to their conversations and watch them make everyone’s orders right in front of us. «Yes Chef» «Hey Chef,» «Chef did you hear about…» Next to the food, the cooking staff were the best part. Pullmans is diner food, but fancy diner food. My boyfriend ordered a sandwich that was topped with hollandaise and a fried egg, we split an order of fries (seriously try their aioli it’s delicious on fries) and I can’t remember quite what I ordered but I do remember that it was fantastic. We also ordered drinks and I my cocktail was similar to a spiked lemonade, but better. Not too strong, but not weak. We walked out laughing, stuffed, and feeling like we found a hidden gem Downtown.
It’s diner food, but upscale with quality ingredients and new combinations on classics. Even the gentleman who was on fries, salad/​garnishes, and plating took his stuff seriously (eat the salad garnish that they give you because the dressing is also delicious ;) Space is tight though, so larger groups above 4 or 5 might have trouble finding somewhere to sit.

I would give them 4.5 but I don’t know how on his app. I also didn’t give a 5 because I feel like no restaurant is perfect even though some come really close.
We tried their fried chicken and also the duck breast with a cabbage side dish that was taaaasty! The restaurant kitchen is open and a customer can see what they do and that is something that’s unique and made me appreciate this restaurant more. We sat at the bar so whenever we had a question about the dish the cooks answered. The fried chicken was great with their tasty special habanero sauce and honey for the biscuit or chicken. We had no room for desert :(but that’s how good it was!

This review is exclusively for bar time happy hour.
The décor is funky and cool. Kind of like an old boxcar, but still clearly not.
The service is excellent, both fast and friendly. Not at all hippy douche arrogant, as some places that look this cool can often be.
The drinks are a little pricey but awesome. I particularly recommend the drink with St. Germaine and cucumber-​mint. Delicious! Hubs has a thing for Old-​fashioneds and he loved his. Our friend loves Moscow Mules, and he said his was the bomb. We simply could not agree on who ordered best. That’s always a good thing to say about a bar.
I can’t talk about the food, because we didn’t order any. But we did sit at the end of the bar and saw the food come out because you can see it from the bar very well. Nice looking plates that made us want to come back for dinner some other day.
Pullman is gonna be a fave for sure.

Bloody Mary: Awesome!
Service: friendly and good
I’ve had a number things here, but what I order the most are the Croque madame and the simple breakfast. I’m not a huge fan of their potatoes, but that is more of a personal choice, rather than comment on their food. What I like about them is that they are efficient, meaning rarely a long wait, and consistently good food and drink. Their salads are always good, recently they had a Panzanella salad that was delicious!!!

Easily the best burger I’ve ever had. I don’t like pickles, but it was so well put together I didn’t bother to take them off. I wish I could eat here every day. Their chefs really know what they’re doing.

Amazing atmosphere, experience and food. Hands down the best burger in my life. It’s a must try!

Pullman is nicely situated in downtown Iowa City and almost always full of people. I went there with high expectations but soon realized that vegetarian options are not mainstream in american cuisine yet.
I have been to many american restaurants where there are hardly any vegetarian options on the menu and I can still find interesting things to try and enjoy. Pullman offered us a table at the bar with chefs cooking right in front. It was a nice experience to watch them make our food. The server was very nice, friendly and tended to all of our questions and needs. I ordered a breakfast sandwich after asking them about their vegetarian options! It was made with bacon and promptly corrected and made again as soon as I pointed it out. It was nothing special! We had their fries for appetizer and it was good, but its hard to screw up fries anyways. My friend had a steak and she enjoyed it well. We had a pie with ice cream on top and it worked out well for both of us. At the end of dinner we paid much more for the quality of food we consumed.
I think Pullman is a fine establishment but the food quality is not worth the price tag.

My girlfriend and I recently met up with her parents here. We chose Pullman since it seemed to have the highest number and best Unilocal reviews. PARKING: Even though Iowa City is a small city the street parking is pay and one hour. There’s a parking garage nearby. HOSTESS: There was a fifteen minute wait. The nice hostess took down our cell phone number and called us when a four top was ready. TIP: Prairie Lights Books is a great book store right next door. Perfect place to spend fifteen minutes.
SEATED: We were seated and our table was wobbly. I put some sugar packets under the feet so I didn’t end up with a lap of hot coffee. WAITRESS: Our waitress was fantastic. Let’s be honest, college kids don’t always give the best service. Not the case at Pullman, their entire staff is «Hy-​Vee friendly». MENU: I love restaurants that have a small menu and they do everything on that small menu well. One simple page of a food menu. ORDERED: It was 1:30pm when we arrived. I ordered the CROQUE MADAME (ham & Gruyère cheese, sunny side egg, sauce mornay, chives, served on Pullman loaf), a cinnamon roll and a cup of coffee.
TASTED: See my photo! The Croque Madame was beautiful. There’s a reason it’s on Pullman’s website large. It tasted amazing! The mornay sauce was a creamy savory compliment to the nutty gruyère and salty ham. ORDER THIS SANDWICH. The cinnamon roll was good but was served cold. It was have benefited from a twenty second spin in the microwave. The COFFEE was acclaimed Counter Culture beans. The drip coffee was only $ 2.50. Great cup of coffee.
My girlfriend ordered the OPEN FACED TUNA TARTINE (confit yellowtail tuna, piquillo pepper, olive, pickled shallot, cucumber, fresh herbs, aioli, farm greens). She wasn’t really liking the bitterness of the dish so I switched plates with her half way through. Here’s the one star reduction: I ate 90% of this raw tuna dish. I eat raw sushi at least once a week. I’ve never had any problems. This dish presumably gave me the «green apple two step». There’s a reason why there’s this disclaimer on the menu «Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness».
PIE: All good meals in Iowa should end in pie. I helped my girlfriend with her slice of Nutella pie. This is one delicious rich dessert. BUT be warned: This pie is $ 9 a slice. Read that again. As much as the Pullman’s average entrée price.
POST BITS: The space is gorgeous. It can get very loud with the hard surfaces and folks gradually talking louder and louder. The bathroom was clean. Cool house music.
CHANCE OF RETURN: ⁸⁄₁₀

First time here. Very good and considerate service. I asked the waitress what she would recommend and I took one of her recommendations. It turned out to be really good. The corned beef hash was very delicious even though at the end the beef turned out to be saltier than what I like. Very fast service. We were done in 40 minutes!

With each new visit to Iowa City, I’ve been increasingly impressed as the town becomes more cultured in terms of its food scene. Previously I had been disappointed with the lack of such. The town’s locale and potential in the midst of a wealth of local farms had long been untapped. The collaboration with area chefs and the seasonal ingredients they had to offer was just not there. Until now. Before my eyes, I’m seeing the city move beyond the low, bar-​centric level it had long rested at. New restaurants are sprouting up with a passion for food and locally sourced goodness. Pullman is a prime example of this movement and its beautiful.
Items we ordered:
–Roasted Marrow Bones — bacon jam, fresh herbs, sea salt, crusty bread
–French Onion Soup — gruyère cheese, crusty bread
–Fries with aioli and gruyère sauce
–Griddled Turkey Club — pullman loaf, thin sliced griddled turkey, bacon, tomato, avocado, farm greens and aioli
–Simple Salad with Tuna — farm greens, pickled shallot, radish, red wine vinaigrette, fines herbes
–Double Pullman Burger with added bacon and fried egg — bread & butter pickles, special sauce, american cheese
–Spicy Chicken Wings — chicken tossed in a spicy, Chinese inspired sauce
–Simple Breakfast — 2 eggs, bacon, potatoes O’Brien, Pullman toast
The roasted marrow bones, french onion soup, and pullman burger were the standouts in my eyes. This was my first experience with marrow and I was a happy foodie. The richness of the marrow was supplemented with bacon and packed with flavor, so it acted as the perfect spread atop the crusty bread served alongside. The soup is all that you’d hope for in a french onion soup. Salted broth, dense and crisp croutons, and lots of melted cheese. The same can be said for the burger. Though certainly a messy eat, the combination of beef, cheese, bacon, and egg was just right.
Great service and a hip, relaxing atmosphere were the perfect pairing with the impressive noms. Keep rocking IC, and keep rocking Pullman.

My experience at Pullman this afternoon was more than pleasant — I would maybe even describe it as cathartic. After being escorted to a table immediately, our waiter very politely and descriptively explained the specials for their happy hour offering great suggestions to pair with one another. Their beer selection, bottled and on tap, is fantastic and reflects an understanding of craft beer pairing with their food selection. You pay for what you get here and you won’t be disappointed.
Plus, my waiter complimented my Han Solo frozen in Carbonite phone case so obviously extra points.

In line with many of the other reviews — we really enjoyed Pullman and I’m excited they’re in the area! We weren’t blown away with everything we tried, but were impressed with a number of dishes. Four of us ended up splitting a number of appetizers and entrée’s and it was a good way to go for dinner.
The atmosphere, as described by others, is reminiscent of a train car with some great décor, nice lighting and artwork. The ambiance is great as everything sets the stage for a laid back experience that encourages conversation. We sat by the front window on opening weekend and it was a good time to be able to chat and watch the goings on outside.
Drink menu is solid and had enough to keep all of us busy with a good number of legit beers and mixed drinks.
For dinner — the appetizer menu was where we did most of our digging and we were happy with what we had. YOU MUST TRY THE ROASTED MARROW BONES. We haven’t seen these outside of the west coast and they are fantastic. Spreadable and a little salty on crostini — in a word fantastic! The salmon tartar was excellent and something we’ve missed. The house made pickles and charcuterie plate were good. The brussels and cauliflower salads were solid and made for good sharing plates. Neiter were the best we’ve had, but were nice additions to the menu.
The main course options for dinner are limited, but it works given the fun stuff elsewhere on the menu. The signature dish is the friend chicken and it was middle of the road for us. The breading wasn’t super memorable and we’ve found that as the breading goes, so goes the chicken. However, the honey and house made hot sauce that come with it were excellent. Perfecting the chicken would make the experience with the honey and hot sauce something to really get excited about!
For dessert, we split the nutella pie and some ice cream — both of which were good and right in line with expectations. I’m excited to try the stout float at some point.
In the end, Pullman is an excellent addition to downtown and somewhere that will only continue to get better. Service was excellent, ambiance was warm and inviting and the food had glimpses of the magnificient! A welcome new spot in town and one we’re looking forward to trying again.