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    Cliff Hanger Cafe

    4.0 (247 reviews)
    ModerateSandwiches, Cafes
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    CLIFF HANGER CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Touristy
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Cliff Hanger Cafe

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    Cheeseburger
    Julia G.

    It's was a gorgeous day with a light breeze and sun shining bright. Perfect to enjoy sitting on the patio while watching the paragliders. We planned to get a bite then head to the Birch Aquarium. Parking was easy even though the place was hoping. Ordering was quick and everyone was very friendly. You go to the cafe counter to order and pick up your food when your number is called. We ordered cheeseburgers and they were really good, perfectly cooked, well seasoned and served on a potato bun with ripe tomatoes and lettuce. Sooo good! I want to come back again soon.

    Sarah G.

    My husband and I stopped here for the views and a quick bite to eat while leaving La Jolla recently. It's located on the cliffs overlooking Torrey Pines Gliderport. Parking was a challenge - it's a dirt lot and things were packed on our mid-week visit. We both had chicken pesto sandwiches which were nothing special - the pesto was soaked through the bread, which the menu labeled as "rosemary bread" but appeared to be regular white bread. Service was fairly quick. It was extremely windy and yes, the ocean views were great. We didn't get to see much in terms of gliders. One woman was getting a paragliding lesson but wasn't at the point of actually taking off over the cliff, so honestly, not much to see. In summary, this is a super casual spot with nice views and so-so food. Oh and the only bathrooms available are porta-potties.

    Kerry S.

    Came on a Friday morning. The views are to die for! The large patio has plenty of high top seating plus benches with umbrellas, so it's easy to just sit back and take it all in. Didn't try the food (so I'm not sure about the quality or service) but grabbed a few beers and some chips and hung out until about noon. Super relaxing vibe overall. Was hoping to catch some hang gliders but no luck this time , but still a great spot to unwind! Saw a trainer testing out a sail, so I snapped a quick picture.

    Menú
    Helen K.

    Only had coffee but it was good and the server was very friendly. The most beautiful view possible of the coast, paragliders. Lots of outdoor seating plus dog friendly. Porta potas available. You can also take a hike down to the beach. The menu has a lot of choices so we will definitely come hungry ,!prices seem reasonable.

    Mark C.

    What a beautiful way to spend an afternoon. Drinking a few beers & watching the many paragliders set up, glide and then land. This is literally right on the same field & right next to them. We got there early so walked right up. Our bartender was so nice and offered me to try a couple variety of beers on tap. So very nice. After our mid-day walk along Black Beach we came back and the line was long to order with only the same bartender. But, it was a nice day so we took our time and chilled. Didn't order food since we had a big breakfast but still this is the place to be for a beautiful day in Torrey Pines/La Jolla.

    Cali sunset + Cold beer = Perfection
    Eid F.

    Perfect view! I love coming here for sunset. Best spot in San Diego (La Jolla) Cold beer! Chill Music! Friendly Service!

    Lauren J.

    First time coming here yesterday and the view alone is absolutely stunning. Such a cool spot to hang out by the coast/Gliderport or take a walk, and there's tons of outdoor seating for bigger groups. It's also dog friendly! The food, wasn't quite what I expected. I ordered the Chicken Pesto Sandwich, and it came out bland and dry, with very little pesto but a lot of lettuce. Just not the sandwich for me, which was a bummer. My friend's sandwich was made incorrectly, and because it involved an allergy, we had to have it remade -- the staff handled it kindly! If I were to come back, I would be open to trying something different on their menu! Quick note: no restrooms, only porta potties.

    Chicken Acapulco Wind
    Joniece H.

    This spot has *amazing* views of the water and nonstop paragliding--such a cool backdrop for lunch! I ordered the Chicken Acapulco sandwich and it was HUGE, super filling, and really flavorful. The only downside was the bees. They were everywhere the day we visited, and we ended up moving seats a few times because they kept swarming us. Not sure if that's normal, but it was definitely noticeable. Aside from that, watching the paragliders while enjoying a delicious lunch felt like "lunch and a show." On a perfect windy day, you really can't beat the views, the vibe, and the food!

    Amazing view!!!!
    Gerardo B.

    Nice view !!! Badly customer service ( Rude girl at the register) mostly sold out!!! Food is okay not bad...

    Menu
    Kate F.

    The good : amazing views and it's fun to watch the paragliding and the prices are reasonable . It's worth visiting for the views alone The bad: we came the Sunday during Labor Day so it may have been busier than usual but it took 50 minutes for us to get our food after waiting in line for 15 minutes to order. We ordered a salad and a sandwich. The people in line in front of us ordered pizza and got their food about 20 minutes before us. They only have port a potties . As we were leaving I did notice a portable sink to wash your hands which I wish I would have noticed before eating The food was just okay. I probably would have ranked it higher if we hadn't waited so long and was getting hangry after our Torrey Pines hike Parking - there is a giant parking lot and I got lucky finding a spot but you may have to park on the street .

    the view
    Sam S.

    Excellent casual spot with epic views and vibes! I love this spot for a casual drink or two (there's even live music sometimes!) but for a number of reasons, not a meal or a longer hang. Pros: good, reasonably priced drinks and the views and vibes can't be beat. Cons: almost no gluten free food options (only some salads w modifications); the bathrooms (porta potties); and the wait for drinks and food can be *long*. Also worth noting is the dirt lot parking situation can be tricky if you have an especially low car. Overall highly recommend this spot for a drink and to watch the hang gliders and generally take in the views, but we typically don't linger here long in light of the food/drink slow moving line and the bathroom situation.

    Sharon B.

    The location is what makes this place great. It's nice to sit there and watch the paragliders practice, takeoff, and land. There's a beautiful view of the beach below. Service is ok. Ordered at the counter and was given a receipt with a number that they will call out when our food is ready is be picked up at the trailer in the back. Prices are $12 for a sandwich by itself. There were no sides included. I ordered the Chicken pesto sandwich and it was good. Bought an overpriced bag of chips and a small bottle of iced tea too.

    Margherita Pizza
    Rachel

    Ambiance : Multiple places to sit and chat with friends. Service : was quick and helpful. Food: honestly so good. Fries (Only available Saturday and Sunday) perfect. Ceaser Wrap sauced up and refreshing, had one half of it there then took the other half home, refrigerated it and had it later and it held up perfectly fine. Margarita pizza was cheesy and flavorful.

    Chicken Caesar Wrap

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    29 days ago

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    4 months ago

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    2 days ago

    Epic views, chill vibes, and a solidly socal cafe menu. It's the perfect spot for a meal after a hike down and walk along the beach.

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    5 days ago

    Amazing vibes and good food definitely a nice way to start off the day and there's a dog and falconry experience for extra points!

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    6 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    4 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 months ago

    Great spot, drinks priced as you'd expect. Limited food menu however easily overlooked due to the amazing view!

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    1 year ago

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    2 months ago

    Horrible. I had to wait a whole hour just for a sandwich. When I was ordering they said it would take around ten minutes. Do not recommend!

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    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - Cliff Hanger Cafe

    I use a walker. Is it easy to access?

    There is dirt and gravel in the parking lot and a bit of an incline going up to the patio. With some assistance, and getting dropped off, I see no problem. Enjoy!

    Is it dog friendly?

    Yes!

    Does the cafe have real restrooms or is it just the portapotties in the parking lot?

    Hi Tiffany, Unfortunately we only have port-o-potties in the parking.

    Is this place Kid friendly?

    Hi Denise, We are kid friendly. Kids love to fly and watch the gliders. But we don't have a specific menu for kids, we can just customize the order for them.

    Are there gluten free options?

    Good morning Christina, yes we have a variety of salads and we could also make you a wrap. Just speak to one of our chefs who will be happy to oblige.

    View All 6 Questions

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    This review is for visitors of patients dining in the Colors Cafe on Floor 1 (not for admitted…read morepatients). I had to be in Scripps Green for 3 weeks so I have experienced this cafeteria at all times of the day 7 days a week. As a smaller hospital I can understand the smaller cafeteria. However the options and availability of the food is pretty limited. While the food is fair with few hot dish items the salad bar is decent. The hot dishes consist of pizza, burgers, melts, soups, chicken tenders and then some featured main dish which always looks like it's over cooked sitting in liquid to keep it warm in the trays. Pretty much every day they have chicken teriyaki and rice for some reason. The best meals I have had from this cafeteria have by far been the breakfast. You can't really mess up bacon, eggs and pancakes I guess. Although go ahead and skip the french toast, as it is way over fried and crispy. They have pre made sandwiches and salads in the refrigerator cases. Bottles beverages, fountain drinks, coffee, ice cream, chips, cookies and more small sweets. They generally charge by weight for self serve buffett style hot dishes and salads. They really nickel and dime you on some things like charging for butter, ice and creamer. Other packaged items are scanned with a retail price. The staff is hit and miss. Some are nice and friendly while others are just slapping food around the griddle. There is plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Outside is so nice with the views of Torrey Pines Golf Course and the ocean in the distance. Here's the main gripe. They barely have any options and they don't have keep the menu available for the entire time they are open. On weekdays they say they close at 8pm but stop cooking at 7pm. So nothing is replenished after 7pm. If you go down at 7:30pm you get what ever is left over. And that can be just a slice of pizza or a leftover burger wrapped in plastic. On this weekend they close at 6:30pm and they were dumping the food trays at 5pm!! A whole hour and a half before the posted closing time. All that is left was chicken tender and a picked thru salad bar. The only real option was packaged sandwiches from the fridge. Not fresh food. I find this very disappointing being at a hospital where you would think they would be promoting healthy options. Also twice they have locked us out on the patio dining area, without warning. They locked the doors from the inside while we were eating outside a half hour before closing time. They would have seen us out there eating but still locked it. We had to walk all the way around the hospital to get back inside. They simply could have opened the door and said we are closing this section up early or something. Completely ride and inconsiderate. The location of Scripps Green offers no other options in walking distance so you are basically stuck with the cafeteria as your only option. There is a Hilton if you trek down the street a ways. They really need to broaden the menu and keep it available for patrons ALL THE WAY TILL CLOSING TIME. People are already under stress when visiting here, is it too much to ask to have food available when you're "open".

    TRUST THOSE WHO YELP REGULARLY…read more.. Nice enough self-service place with fair prices. Decent food and plenty of seating. Definitely a decent option without having to leave the hospital. Recommended

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    Croissant Egg Sausage Sandwich

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    Cliff Hanger Cafe - sandwiches - Updated May 2026

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