Cliff Hanger Cafe

Came here yesterday on valentines day. We had just got done doing a hike in Torrey Pines state beach. We googled some lunch spots and found this one. We are sandwich people so we thought to try it... and it did not disappoint. We loved the amazing view of the ocean and the gliders. It was like lunch and entertainment in one. It really was relaxing. I ordered the TURKEY TUSCANY but sub ROSEMARY BREAD and my fiance got the HAM TEXAN. Both were delicious. The rosemary bread is so good! The lady taking our order was super nice. The ambiance was beyond beautiful because u are on a cliff with the ocean view and air and the San Diego sun.. Note: it may seem confusing when you walk up but yes it's the blue building connected to the gliderport. Also it's a dirt parking lot.

Fun place near UCSD to hang for a beer and ocean view! The wood fire pizza is yum but the pesto sandwich we got was whatever.

It's a great location, with stunning view, and casual terrace. Perfect stop after a visit at the Salk. I removed one star only because the parking has very deep levels, so you must be very careful if you have a "low" sporting car. Truck / SUV owners, you are fine, plenty of dirt and dust for you.

We came here to try the pizza and beer while we watched the Paragliders at Torrey Pines Gliderport. We ordered a Meat Lovers and Pizza Bianca. Both were so delicious but the Bianca was outstanding! We enjoyed the beer as we waited roughly 20 minutes for the wood-fired pizza. Kudos to Chris, the pizza master!! 😮‍💨🤌 We look forward to next time!

We stopped here for an afternoon bite and happy hour after hiking. It was the perfect place to unwind and people and whale watch.

Unique location at the glider port where you can have lunch and watch paragliding with amazing views of the coastline. Good sandwiches and nice people.

The food was fantastic, pizza was honestly perfect. The staff were very friendly and a pleasure to deal with. The pizza guy makes his own pesto, it's the best I've ever had. He should be selling that stuff in jars you can buy.

Underrated sandwich with low expectations comes pleasant surprises. Watermelon Fresca tasty as well but damn the views and the hang gliding watching is impeccable. And if you wanna see a bunch of random naked people just hike down below to the beach. 🤓

This is perfect spot to watch Torrey Pines Gliderport lifting off the cliff. Ordered: #8 Chicken Acapulco Wind Sandwich Ambiance is nice outside. The service was excellent, and the food was delicious. Don't forget to check-in for a free bag of chips.

Great view and enjoyed seeing the riders take off .....a good way to enjoy the weather, have a drink at the bar, and worth the visit

I was staying at the Estancia Resort and Spa down the road and wanted a cheap breakfast nearby. I came across "Cliff Hanger Cafe" on yelp but wasn't sure if they would have much food/drink options. I wasn't expecting much but when I finally arrived they had a lot more than I expected. Not only that but the quality was great. The kitchen seemed to be a mobile trailer with hot griddles and the chef was cooking everything fresh. My boyfriend and I shared a breakfast burrito. It was huge and really delicious. Definitely a great spot to grab lunch or breakfast if you're checking out Gliderport.

tik tok convinced me to go here and reality was not the same. the food was not good, everything lacked flavor. They gave us a cold soup, pepperoni on pizza tasted weird, bland sandwich in which the avocado was brown, even the bottled diet pepsi was warm, like who wants a hot soda, especially on a hot day! The only thing decent was the sante fe salad and a nice view. But seriously, In this economy it's not fun wasting money on bad food. Truly bummed because we were looking forward to coming here.

Great little Cafe on the Bluffs. Good sandwiches, friendly service and you can't beat the weather.

We came here to people-watch and watch the gliders take off. Nice place to chill with a drink and some pizza

Absolutely stunning views of the paragliders taking off and landing. The pizza made fresh in a wood fire oven was amazing. Fantastic spot for a casual lunch in a superb part of San Diego!

Beautiful views, great people, and dog friendly. What more can you ask for? Aside from their regular menu of sandwiches, burgers, hotdogs, they also have pizza. Got the Blanca pizza with tomatoes and pepperoni on top but the cashier wrote peperoncinis instead lol anyway it still was delicious. The hotdog combo with fries was good too, nice toasted bun and fries that needed salt but good thing they had some. You need to try their ranch here- pretty bomb. Beware of the wasps and yellowjackets here because they quite literally robbed me of my limonata Sanpellegrino by going inside and flying around me the whole time. Anyway, definitely a must visit if you're in the area. Plenty of parking but it does get pretty packed.

The vanilla bean ice cream with cone was exceptional. Services was fast, even when it was super crowded. The sandwich could've done with more melt on the cheese, but nonetheless, it looked good. Everyone seemed friendly, and it was dog friendly too with great music for ambience.

This is a walk-up service with food cooked in a trailer/lunch vehicle where you bus your own tables. The food and ambiance were great. We enjoyed a delicious southwest roast beef sandwich and a Caesar salad wrap while watching the paragliders launch from the coast. However, the downside was that the cashier (K.M.) automatically added a 21% tip without my notice. I found the bill a bit high for my order, and only after reviewing the receipt did I realize what had happened. While I would have left a tip voluntarily, I didn't appreciate the cashier's attempt to slip this past me.

I have heard about this place for years, but couldn't find a lot online about it! My bestie was in town so we decided to make it an adventure, and I am super glad we chose Cliffhanger Café. Food: 5/5 It's a café, not fine dining! It's your basic burgers, salads, soups, and sandwiches! But they got it right. The portions are generous, and the food is solid. Service: 5/5 You order at the counter and then wait for your food. There is plenty of seating around, and the people working at the café were very pleasant. Ambiance: 6/5 You've got a love a show with your meal! We had the best time watching the paragliders takeoff and land. I was a little bummed because it was a cloudy day, and I was really missing the San Diego sun! However, the gray skies did not detour away from the gorgeous ocean views, and the fun ambience of the paragliders flying right over you! At one point and mom flew over us and her kids were at the table next to us and they completely lost it! They were so proud of her and went running up to her when she landed! It really doesn't get better. The energy and fun spirit of the paragliders trickles over to the café, and it's just a good vibe.! This place is totally funky! The parking in the dirt lot is interesting. However, this place knows exactly what it is, and I loved every minute of it! I am excited to bring people here when they visit San Diego.

Quaint spot next at the Gliderport cliffs with outdoor bench seating that serves soups and sandwiches. The sandwiches are delicious and the service is excellent; definitely recommend the Alpulco Wind.

What makes this place is the view! You get to watch people take off and hang glide off the cliffs. You get a beautiful view of the ocean with balcony seating. The downside are the bathrooms- it's a port-a-potty situation, so be emotionally prepared. The food is freshly cooked to order. The seating is all outdoors and more of a picnic table situation. You can hang glide without a reservation, so just show up and enjoy a snack while you wait for your turn!

Nearly walked in the back and demanded to know who made the food.....cause it was just so D*MN good!!!!! Like too good. But then you take into consideration people are cliff gliding...and that could be their last meal. So yeah..makes sense. Went back the next day. HEINOUS porta potty situation though. Pretty gnarly. Needs work. 1 star deducted.

Has a super view on Pacific. Can watch paragliding while eating. With yelp check in got free chips! Very cool! No bathrooms. Just andygumps on parking lot.

Cliff Hanger Cafe is a really great and affordable place to grab lunch. I had the chicken caesar wrap and my friend had a burger & fries. We enjoyed watching the hang gliders and the scenery was top notch. Parking can be a bit of a pain and the only restroom options are port-a-potty's; this is a very no-frill's beachside type of place but I liked the vibe.

It's convenient place to get food if you're by the glider port. They have chips, cookies, drinks, sandwiches, wraps, salads and burgers. Pretty basic stuff... The food tasted... OK. We ordered a cheeseburger with bacon added onto it. Not amazing but it did its job. The best part about it is the views of course. The staff was friendly but service was a little slow. Come check this place out.

The coveted 5 stars for a café on a a bluff is San Diego?? Damn Straight. Where do I start? The views are incredible. Overlooking the beautiful Pacific Ocean. The entertainment ranges from watching people hang gliding, parasailing, and generally hanging out and enjoying life. As if that's not enough, there's also a Falconry school. where people are learning how to use falcons to hunt. So cool. OK, the food, the sandwiches are freshly made, with layers of fresh oven roasted turkey, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes all on a a delicious white bread. HUGE and filling for $10 bucks!! This place is a must do in La Jolla. Experience it, buy a killer sandwich, watch the sky people, enjoy the ocean, pet the freakin falcons and enjoy life.

One of those places that ya have on your bookmark list, ya wanna get to, but its such a hidden - out of the way - where do ya park type of place that we just did not take advantage of it. Shame on us because 360 out of the year are pure sunshine so any day would be a wonderful day to make the trip out to La Jolla - but ya, moving on.... I am so glad I can say, I came here, I saw, and sadly, no I did not conquer...I did not parasail or paraglide, H E DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS to the NO. You have to be out your mind. However, it sure is FUN to watch people be fearless and jump off the cliff. Perfect set up to pull up, take a seat, and daze off into the view. Beautiful a-top of the hill, tons of parking, Gorgeous La Jolla, we were so happy to have came. I just gave it a 3 because, well...I would NOT eat at the Cafe. I would either, eat a meal before I roll thru, or go make a stop at a restaurant or eatery after my visit. The reason - well, not sure if its because we came at 1 PM, but everything was either sold out, picked over or modified. The one thing I was craving was crossed off the list. The prices were high for what seemed like mediocre or average 7-11 sandwiches...idk. I don't wanna sound harsh, but maybe bring the prices down? Just seemed a little steep and unfortunately not appetizing. I guess I crave more of a hot sandwich or French fries as a side to my "burger/wrap/sandwhich"... We decided to pass on the food. They did offer ice cream though and packaged cookies. It basically just seemed like a little cart at say Disneyland or seaward. The view and seating that is offered, well that is why everyone comes. I would come back and definitely enjoy the views, I would just bring my own food next time. Perfect picnic spot.

I want to keep this as my little secret, but it deserves a good reveiew. I come here on clear mornings to eat a yummy breakfast burrito and watch the gliders. Dirt lot and seating is hit and miss... but you can't beat the view/price.

Casual sandwich shop right next to the hand glider launch over the cliffs. Lots of picnic benches where you can get an amazing view of the La Jolla coastline and the gliders. Fun place to visit and enjoy the beautiful views of the hand gliders. The sandwiches we had were decent but not great but I like that they have a quick restaurant next to the glider port.

After a doctor's appointment, I chose this place for lunch. The service was prompt, the food was satisfying, and the atmosphere was exceptionally pleasant. I find it delightful to share a meal with friends and family here, taking in the cliff views and observing hang gliders. It's a great spot for both good food and a relaxing environment.

Very good sandwich shop; service was excellent - kind and helpful; AMBIANCE‼ located at the top of Torrey Pines glider port. VIEW spectacular ‼ - La Jolla to Del Mar; you can even catch a view of jets from NAS-Mira Mar. And they serve basic coffee BUT Cafe Moto‼ Definitely many return visits. Bring your binoculars. Handicap parking hard to find; restrooms portables but at least they have them.

Basic sandwich- not bad. Pretty spendy for what you get. Comes dry so don't forget to grab condiments.

I'd give this place a 3.5 if I could! The staff was super nice and accommodating and everyone was taking COVID precautions. I got the Turkey Tuscany Sandwich and, honestly, it was average. The rosemary bread was kind of dry and falling apart which I was bummed about. I also felt like the sammie was lacking flavor overall. However all the ingredients were fresh and the portion size was generous and made it an affordable meal. There were so many banana peppers in my sandwich and I was happy about that :) The view is beautiful and I love coming here to watch the hang gliders and the ocean waves below!

Fresh ingredients and very generous portions made with love, and an amazing view! The parking lot is nuts, no alcohol is served and port-a-potties in the parking lot for restrooms, but all well worth it.

Probably the best view in San Diego with good food. We had the chicken wrap and it was delicious. The only drawback is the restroom situation. There's only portable options and no hand wash station in sight or signage. That was very disappointing given that food is being served here.

Talk about a perfect view! Staff- friendly. Turkey California- DELICIOUS! Pesto sandwich- not so tasty. Caesar salad- not a fan of big chucks of lettuce, maybe chop it up a little more. It just looks like the lettuce cut for sandwiches. Still a nice relaxed setting, cool breeze, and awesome view.

Great place for a quick bite and you cannot beat the views! Just had hotdogs and fries, but they were great. Service was quick.

Sandwich's were very good and watching the gliders go by is very entertaining and of course cuts an amazing view.

Go check this place out! Amazing views and the gliders are taking off right in front of the picnic tables. In addition, we had an awesome lunch - sandwiches and salad - very simple but good quality was outstanding. I could have stayed all day!

Great food and a fun place to watch the paragliders! My husband had a cheeseburger and I had a turkey and avocado sandwich (which was huge!!). Both were delicious.

wanted to get a quick bite but the hours are wrong. it says it closes at 5 and i'm here before 4 and it's all shut down. it may be because of the winds right now but i wish they would've posted it or something on their website.

Fairly convenient place to go (by car) after golfing at Torrey Pines (the more casual restaurant at the Lodge was slammed 2pm last Saturday). It was a bit windy but the sandwiches were good and the service was fast. Took advantage of the yelp free chips on check-in.

We've been waiting over 45 minutes for our food and when someone ordered sandwiches and received them in 2 minutes I asked where our order was and she said she didn't have a ticket with our name, and then was like oh wait we lost a ticket what was your order? It's not like we were sitting on the opposite side of the park we're sitting right in front and she seemed overwhelmed and flustered. Update: it's been over an hour and still no sandwich

Large portions, fresh ingredients, great prices, and a unique experience watching all the people parasailing along the beautiful cliffs of La Jolla!

Great sandwiches at a great price with paragliders taking off and landing with a gorgeous ocean view. Great place to grab lunch with locals and out of town guests.

I came here on Easter Sunday and was greeted by such a friendly employee. He made me feel welcomed and excited to be trying this new place. I ordered the veggie delight and while I waited, got to enjoy the ocean breeze, hear the waves crashing, and watched the hang gliders suit up and fly off. The location is incredible and the shop itself reminds you of a movie about summer at the beach. The sandwich itself felt homemade and generally tasted good, except the veggie delight comes with balsamic vinaigrette and seemed to be a bit too much on the sandwich. I would suggest ordering it off if you're not super keen with its strong taste. Other than that, the trip and environment itself is incredible and worth checking out for that alone!

Mainly grill food and lunch time fare, located right by the gliderport the food's nothing fancy...but the view! On a clear busy day with the colors of the gliders you just can't beat the serenity of watching them drift through the air with the heady cocktail of wonder, excitement, and a little bit of fear! Come enjoy the view and grab a snack. Living vicariously while eating doesn't get better than this!

It was a good sandwich spot with a nice view and def grab a bag of chips and watch the kites. I will say not to ask for their mustard packets though, they looked VERY old and discolored.

Left #3 Roast Beef La Jollan $9.49 (got whole wheat instead of rosemary bread Bc they ran out. Rosemary bread highly recommended by cashier!) Right #8 Chicken Acapulco Wind $9.49 I liked the #8 better but both were delicious. It was Very nice that they had ketchup, mayo, mustard Tapatio packets, chalulu bottle on a table for anyone to grab. There's a little spot next to cafe called the Gliderport that's worth visiting ! Also, a set of stairs leading to a beach below. Worth the visit!

Didn't have any food, just some drinks. But I can tell you the view is unbelievable. Along with a paragliders, hang gliders, falcons, it's an awesome place

When I parked in the driveway, I was left wondering if there was a café at this venue. As I kept walking, the café becomes more noticeable and everything came in full view with the combination of the para gliders and hang gliders take off; the refreshing cold air; the breathtaking sight of the ocean. Like most of the reviews say, the food is good (I had the half chicken pesto sandwich and their soup of the day), but what really draws you in is the atmosphere of this place. A hidden gem in Torrey Pines I give it four stars though just because the utensils could be kept under more pristine conditions. I feel like since this area is surrounded by much of nature, the café could do a bit more and provide silverware, rather than plastic utensils--just my personal opinion.

It's been a while since something has taken this blogger's breath away. You know those take your breath away moments. It's similar to the way kids gasp when they're so taken aback by an event or getting a new candy/toy or something. I think adults deserve the same lose your effin' mind moments. Cliff Hanger Cafe (and Torrey Pines Gliderport) in La Jolla recently gave me that moment. These lose your effin' minds don't come often in life so RELISH it when you stumble upon it because that's what I absolutely did. I'm not usually at a loss of words but the views and gliders made me BE STILL for the first time in a very long time. Which makes me ponder : Can you lose your effin' mind AND be still at the same time. Yes. Yes, you can. I had done extensive research on the menu but read (mostly) that it's a simple cafe serving mediocre food over fantastic views. So that didn't exactly light the fire under my a** to drive there on a humid muggy San Diego afternoon. There's a free dirt parking lot and bathrooms consist only of portapotties (yeah, I know, that in itself should warrant a -1 star). The views of the ocean and gliders taking off the cliff are almost surreal. You *literally* feel like you're one of the gliders jumping off the cliff with some weird parachute looking thing strapped on your back. Ok on to the food: You order from the cashier and wait for your name to be called when your food is ready. We ordered: BBQ SMOKED TRI TIP $8.95 This is served with red onions which friend omitted. It was a nice sized sandwich. I saw a smoker on the premises but not sure if they actually smoked this particularly tri tip there. Friend enjoyed the sandwich and said the slices of trip tip tasted nice. Turkey Club $8.95 I was going to add ham for another $1 but the nice cashier said she could do 1/2 turkey and 1/2 ham for me. The toasted sourdough bread, the plentiful meats (including crispy bacon), and the veggies (crisp lettuce and ripe tomatoes) made this sandwich a winner for me that day. CHICKEN DUMPLING SOUP $3.50 I never eat chicken dumpling soup as consuming just-flour dumplings is something I didn't grow up eating. Cliff Hanger Cafe usually offers two soups. I really enjoyed this hearty chicken soup and even liked the soft doughy dumplings as the dumplings absorbed quite a bit of the thick chicken broth. NOTE: Don't forget there's a 2nd level balcony/patio area where you can eat your sandwich and enjoy the views from a higher perspective Service was fine on our visit. I had gotten up to get more napkins when the sandwich man asked how the food was. I admit he was a bit curt (when I first picked up sandwich) but I didn't care (if someone being curt to you ruins your day then you must be having a super crappy day). So maybe talking about his food lightened up the mood or maybe my 'my life is so wonderful here' was infectious. Cliff Hanger Cafe, without a doubt, was one of the highlight lunches this year.

The Cliff Hangar Cafe is an awesome spot to hang out and eat food while you watch people paragliding. The view is really nice! My family and I had some food from the cafe which was great, but not anything spectacular. We ordered the BALT (A is for avocado and you know the rest ) with a side of turkey chili soup ( soup of the day ) , spinach salad, roast beef sandwich and chicken wrap. They don't have regular restrooms, but porta potties like four of them. They have hand sanitizer though to use afterwards near the cafe. Overall the atmosphere was great because it was a nice sunny day and you get to watch people paragliding over the cliff with a great view of the beach too.

This is definitely one of the coolest spots in San Deigo, and some place that we stop every time. The spot is breathtaking and offers beautiful picturesque views of the ocean and an entertaining spot to watch the hang gliders. This time we also watched falconry, which after looking up online, were very impressed to learn more about their program and vision. The food is ok. The sandwiches are a bit dry and nothing to write home about... but the view is so good, it doesn't even matter. 10 out of 10 must go!

If you are not a morning person, this is the place! It brightens your morning with an amazing view and the best breakfast place! Being a vegeterian its hard to bump into good breakfast places but this cafe serves some amazing mean sandwiches! Tried vegie sandwitch, loaded with fresh vegies and cheesemade my sunday morning the best! Recommend this place for an amzing view with awesome breakfast

Come here for the view and eat some food while you look at the ocean and hang gliders. The food here is fine, but the view and the relaxed atmosphere is the draw. I brought my mom here while she was visiting from out of state and she loved it. We shared a pastrami sandwich (the special of the day last Friday) and we both got salads. It was a basic lunch, but it did the job. We were satisfied and full after it and that's all I expected. The sandwich was fine. The salad was made of the "spring greens" (aka shriveled leaves), which is always a little disappointing for me. I wish I could just get some fresh iceberg or romaine. Also, the dressing on the Greek salad tasted like Italian. Unfortunately, no one was hang gliding when we were there even though it was a beautiful day. It's really fun to watch them while you eat. This is a great place for lunch. You can walk here from the west side of the UCSD campus or park in the dirt lot.

The food doesn't really have to be good because the scenery and the entertainment is pretty much why I went but my sandwich was really good!! Could have split it but I was alone - sight seeing on a business trip. The staff was friendly and the food was fresh and good! I highly recommend!!

The name says it all, Cliffhanger cafe is a cafe hanging off of the cliffs at Torrey Pines Gliderport. It boasts a panoramic view over one of San Diego's greatest beaches. This open deli-cafe offers sandwiches, chips and frozen treats to para gliders, tourists and beach goers and has tremendous potential. 3 stars means A-OK folks! They have a reputation for great sandwiches, however I can not confirm or deny this. I have stopped here on numerous occasions and discovered that their menu is primarily geared towards meat eaters and they will accommodate vegetarians as well. I would love to see a caprese or grilled vegetable sandwich offering to complete their product line for a health conscious clientele.