We enjoyed Easter Sunday breakfast at Crosswinds. Breakfast is served all day. We were seated promptly at a window where we had a great view of the Mogollon Rim and the airport runway, where small planes land and take off. We both had sunny side up eggs, bacon, hash browns, corned beef hash, delicious fluffy pancakes and bottomless coffee. Everything was piping hot and delicious. They also have a full menu for lunch and dinner. The burgers served at the table next to us looked awesome. This place reminded us of a typical diner back east in New Jersey: happy servers, plentiful and delicious hot and fresh food, great coffee and fresh baked home made pie. So if you find yourself in Payson and need a great meal with a family friendly vibe, go to Crosswinds. They have plenty of free parking too. read more

Ever since I started flight training, I have been told that Payson has great pie. Now that I'm a private pilot, I decided to fly in from Phoenix with my friend for breakfast and pie. We arrived around 7:30am, which was right before it started getting busy. The view is pretty cool. The restaurant is overlooking the runway. After checking in at the front, we were given a table within minutes. Then, our waitress came up and asked us what we wanted to drink. Eventually, we decided what to order and she came back to take our order. The food didn't take long--I'd say about 15 minutes. The food was delicious, to say the least. We both ordered a Western Omelette and shared an order of French Toast. I also took an apple pie and some other baked goods back home with me. The pie was also delicious! The only reason for my 4 stars is because of the service. Some of the employees seemed annoyed to be there and help us. While I understand that the restaurant was busy, you should still maintain composure and try to remain calm under stress. Having worked at a restaurant, I understand the feeling, but you can't let it get to you. Other than that, great little restaurant. I'd come here again. read more

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We stopped in after hearing they had great food and were excited to give it a try. The setting is definitely a highlight -- it's really cool getting to watch the planes land and take off while you eat. Our server was very nice and provided friendly service. As for the food, it was a bit hit or miss. The bacon was delicious, but the chicken fried steak left a lot to be desired. It had a very flour-heavy taste and not much flavor overall. I wouldn't order that again. The French toast was pretty good, though nothing especially memorable. We grabbed a few pies to go and are looking forward to trying them. I'll update my review once we've had a chance to taste those. Overall, I wouldn't say the food was "great," but the unique airport atmosphere and good service made it a decent experience. read more

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The service is off the hook! The food is pretty good and the prices are reasonable. The thing that stands out is the view. This airport diner sits high above the trees of Payson and you watch planes come and go as long as you want. We had omelet's and steak and eggs. Everything was cooked to order and the sourdough is baked in house. When you leave, take home a handmade pie! Give it a try!! read more

Never 5 stars....always room for improvement... Was in Payson for a dump run and wound up at Crosswinds! NO mistake! This place is good to say the least. Very unassuming, located at the Payson airstrip (WHO KNEW???). Parking is ok, handicapped is located in a weird spot and should be in the main parking but hey. Food was good down home cooking. French toast was good with real maple syrup and butter. Eggs nicely seasoned and honestly one of the best eggs, outside my own hen eggs, that I've had in a restaurant. Sausage patties were nicely seasoned and tasty. While there I saw two planes and a helicopter fly in and land...AMAZING!!!!! It's just such a nice little cafe with a lot of history, so if you're in town, make the exception. Located off airport road about 1 mile off Highway 87! Our server Gina, was lovely and friendly! Sorry no food pics...I was starving read more

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Don't bother, after waiting 45 minutes for our food and watching everyone else who came in after we did get served, we left. I'll never go back. Such a shame. read more

This was my first time trying Crosswinds Restaurant came with a local group of ladies for their monthly get together. The decor was perfect for an airport restaurant. Little planes hang from the ceiling & photos lined the walls. The service was great especially with the busy lunch crowd, the place was packed & there were seven of us at our table. I ordered the ham & cheese omelette but added mushrooms this comes with hash browns or home fries but I opted not to have them but kept the toast. It was tasty but the omelette was kinda dry & I prefer my ham diced instead of sliced thin but that personal preference. I also ordered a slice of lemon meringue pie to go for later. 2 of the ladies ordered the eggs Benedict special which they raved about. 2 ordered different hamburgers which they said was delicious. 1 even had biscuits with gravy that was absolutely delicious (yes, I sampled a bite) This was another wonderful dining experience. read more

Crosswinds Restaurant - Ham & cheese omelette with mushrooms & toast (no potatoes) - American Near Me - Payson, Arizona

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The food at this place is your regular breakfast food. But the experience and the service is what makes this place special. The kids absolutely loved it and my daughter loved seeing the planes land and take off. The servers are great and ready to help even if they are not your server. We will definitely go back when we are in town! read more

Crosswinds Restaurant - American Near Me - Payson, Arizona

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Very nice restaurant located right along the air strip. The staff is friendly and the food is actually very good. Get ready for a little bit of a wait. The bathrooms are just one holers, bummer. read more

Sunday six of us went up to Crosswinds for breakfast from MESA area little chilly ride but still a beautiful ride 25 minute wait but worth every minute a couple of us had steak and eggs chicken fried steak pancakes kind of a mixture of everything and service was awesome. Food was delicious what more can he ask for watched a couple planes come in and out that's gotta be the best place to go in Payson. owner is always nice. Will be back. I forgot to take a picture of that delicious steak next time. read more

So keep in mind..it's Payson. There isn't a whoooole lot of gormet food options, but this one of my favorites here. I usually just get the 2 egg breakfast, but last time I got the chicken blt salad and it was so good! Everything was really fresh, chicken was great. It's a little, casual place- really good pies you can tae home too! read more

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This is my family's go-to breakfast and lunch place. Back in 2019 they went through a rough patch and we quit going, but for the past 3 years they have been, in our opinion, by far the best all-around Cafe in Payson. Judging by the factbthat they are never not busy, we are not alone. I just wish they would bring back the Eggs Benedict. And use better bread. read more

All meals are slightly more pricey than surrounding restaurants, but very reasonable within the price range. About $14 per meal. Their dessert cakes are very popular too. Very kind and friendly people working on site, if you ask, they will share many cool sites in town. Be sure to check airplane models if you like aviation related things. Very cool stuffs on the ceiling. Love the atmosphere! read more

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Although listed someplace online as pet friendly it is not. Only service dogs. Food is great.

Four years and *checks logbook* 14 visits later, Crosswinds is still my favorite airport restaurant and the pies are still fantastic. Beware the biscuits and gravy: the portion sizes are actually twice as listed. I once ordered the double, thinking the biscuits were much smaller. Had to recalculate my w&b before departing after that one. read more

Crosswinds Restaurant - A double order of biscuits and sausage gravy - FOUR biscuits. - American Near Me - Payson, Arizona

The food was amazing and the pie is most notable. Wonderful environment and service. Love watching the planes

Typical diner inside. Waitstaff are pleasant and efficient. The nice thing about is the view of the Mogollon rim, which is tremendous. Since it's at an airport you often get to see plane taking off and landing. Food is usually quite good. It's a bit on the pricier side of things. For a black and blue burger plate and two omelette plates it was a few dollars north of $70 before tip. When I'm in town I make it a point to go there. read more

A super cute small diner in Payson! The wait was not too long and our waitress was very friendly! Their food was hearty and big portions. I got an omelette that kept me full all day, which is perfect because we hiked the Tonto bridge after this meal. Lol! Will definitely visit again when in the area next, try to get a window seat so you can watch the planes take off! read more

Crosswinds Restaurant - American Near Me - Payson, Arizona

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I was worried this place (food) would be mediocre. I wanted to try it out for a long time because of the airplanes and views...... but the menu just screams basic. BUT IT WAS DELICIOUS It was busy when we went it. Took about 20 mins to get a table. Busy is a good sign. They serve breakfast all day and we were both really pleased with our meal. With the omelettes you get a choice of potatoes...... we got hash browns. They were pretty basic. My husband got the green chili omelette which he found amazing. He said he felt like he was enjoying a chili Relleno. I had the chili omelette because I wanted to try something different that I've never had before. Who would have thought chili would be good in an omelette? I have had better chili but it was good. Then you get a choice of toast OR A muffin! A big muffin. It was served warm and was so unbelievably good. Delicious delicious delicious. The service was great. Our waitress was amazing. Oh and almost forgot..... the sausage links were HUGE.... Fat guys...... best sausage links I've ever had read more

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Charming small town restaurant at the Payson airport. The service was quick and friendly. The food is home style goodness. The restaurant theme is aircraft with windows looking out to the airstrip. read more

This is a great place to grab some breakfast and enjoy an amazing view. The prices are great, the staff is friendly, and the food is super tasty. The hashbrowns were some of the best I have ever tasted.. Stop by for a great meal with a view! read more

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Came for a slice of pie, and stayed for the great service. Definitely a "locals" fav, the place was packed.

Take home a pie, have a great breakfast, unobstructed panorama view of the rim, and pleasant and skillful waitstaff.

Server was excellent. Kitchen was pretty slow, but it was packed. as I am writing this I saw a server come back saying their table left without a word and they wasted a bunch of food. I don't blame them. Food was pretty bland anyway. 3 stars. read more

Good service. Excellent food. Best view of all the restaurants in the area. We went for breakfast and it was delicious. Service was friendly and speedy. read more

Great food, excellent service and the best pie I've ever eaten while watching private planes take off and land​

Breakfast all day (with generous portions!), a wide selection of homemade pies, amd a a side of planes taking off and landing. This is a cute little diner with an aviation theme. We had the sweetest waitress. Prices were reasonable. Saw a family land just to have brunch, then take off again - and I can see why one would do this! read more

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It was smelly and snuffy inside. While the food wasn't bad it wasn't anything special. Definitely not homemade. The Pie was good. The server didn't really come back to check on us and we had to go get our own check. read more

We flew in to Payson to enjoy a small bite to eat for breakfast, and it was certainly a fun experience. The interior decorations are true to the name of the place - lots of little model planes hanging around. The service was fast and friendly. The menu selection is expected for a breakfast place, and everything was cooked well. It's a comfy little spot, and after hearing about it from a few friends of ours, I'm glad we took a moment to stop in. Will certainly be back, see you soon Payson! read more

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I had a grilled ham and cheese. It came with fries. It was so good but I could not finish it all my friend had a delicious egg salad sandwich. We had to wait about 20 minutes for them to boil up some eggs. We were not in a hurry. Service was great. It Is at the small airport. We really didn't see too many planes but it is a great place for lunch if you like cafes. read more

Nice restaurant for a little Saturday morning breakfast or lunch. We flew up from the Valley to enjoy a while. We waited about 15 minutes to be seated for our party of two, interesting because a party walked in after us were seated before us. Great views of the runway to see all the other aircraft flying in! read more

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I flew into Payson yesterday to try the restaurant at the airport called Crosswinds. While it doesn't have direct flight line access, it's still pretty easy to go back and forth. The menu was quite extensive covering breakfast and lunch meals. I ordered the Ruben sandwich with fries and a soft drink. The drink was refilled without asking. The fries were crispy and flavorful. The Ruben was cooked well and the service was excellent even though the restaurant was packed. I spotted a refrigerated case filled with pies on my way out. I got the strawberry rhubarb pie which I found quite tasty. I will be returning read more

Crosswinds Restaurant - Pie case - American Near Me - Payson, Arizona

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My veggie omelette was SO good and the views were stellar! The whole family loved watching the planes out the window.

Wow. This unassuming little diner has something special and I can't quite put my finger on it. My pilot cousin flew us to Payson, AZ from Scottsdale in Phoenix. I imagined the highlight of the trip would be the flight, but the restaurant certainly rivaled it. It's designed to serve the tiny airstrip (hence the aviation name), but anyone would love it. It's classic diner - laminated menus, pies for sale, local advertisements on the menu, and sweet older waiters who exude friendliness. I figured the food (classic diner food) would be good, but I didn't expect it to be FANTASTIC. And it was!! It was a chilly day, so I ordered the Navigator Burger (bacon and cheese) with fries. My brother and I were feeling cheeky, so we decided to split an order of pancakes. What do they do to this food?!?! I've had burgers before, I've had pancakes before, but there is something exceptional about this place. The burgers were cooked well-done, yet the delicious char on the outside - I should've asked what their secret is. What was it that made this burger different? I couldn't tell you! Only that it's one of the better burgers I think I've ever had. The pancakes are massive and, frankly, perfect. They are soft, buttery, just the right amount of sweet, warm and fluffy. I could hardly stop shoving them down. There's something special about this place. I walked in with mild expectations, but I was blown away by the quality of their home-town service and exceptional cooking. They have a whole variety of homemade pies they sell by the slice or the whole, and we were quick to grab one for our family back in Scottsdale. read more

Crosswinds Restaurant - Navigator Burger, Pancakes - American Near Me - Payson, Arizona

Cute local place with a homely atmosphere. My husband got the chili omelette and that was truly the star of the show. My green chili omelette was fine and the biscuits and gravy were really cakey and dense. Wait staff was so sweet to our 11 month old son and very inviting. read more

By far one of the best airport cafe's/restauants out there. This hidden gem is tucked away on the north side of town, on airport property, I think, with easy access from the runway aircraft parking area for Payson (KPAN). Incredible value and good tasting food. The servers are polite and very accommodating with your requests. This is what restaurants should be. Take the kids, get a window seat, and enjoy watching the airplanes too. read more

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Best onions I have ever eaten, that batter was so flavorful and crispy. The bacon was cooked to perfection, a crunch with every bite. To top it off that banana cream pie was so smooth and melted in my mouth. Would recommend 10/10. read more

Crosswinds Restaurant - Navigator burger with onion rings - American Near Me - Payson, Arizona

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Best chicken fried steak sandwich and in biscuits and gracy! Views of Payson Airport are spectacular as is the staff, food quality and prices! read more

My wife and I had breakfast here. I ordered the Spanish omelette and asked if I could sub jalapeño instead of onion. I was told yes. When our food came out the amount of hash browns was so so small. It would have been like 5 bites. When I got the bill they had charged me a dollar for the jalapeños that I was told I could sub. I talked to the owner. This is small minded business . Don't insult the customer with buckle and dimming. read more

So after living up here for over seven years....we finally went to get breakfast here !! I knew the airport would be fun - as all airports are to me ( my first flight overseas was May 1956 ) - and hopefully to see some planes come and go. We saw some but because of too hot temperatures and, maybe, because it was mid-week, only three were 'in action'; on the flip side...I saw people walking out of the checkpoint on the tarmac and go over the side where there was nothing to see but some rocks and dry grass..and raise up a woman who had deplaned and fallen off the tarmac She got up with some help and seemed to be alright, but I couldn't figure how she'd ended up down there from exiting the plane - glad she's ok though! The Crosswinds is small-ish, I couldn't tell how many tables over in the back, with basic diner furnishings and 4-person tables arranged so they can be pushed together. I love aviation, airport, planes and pilots (I must be a weirdo, everybody else seems to hate airports), the smell of aircraft fuel, the promise of travel. The service was fine, but I'm sorry I didn't catch any staff names; at times a little slow or looking for things to do, but lovely, friendly ladies presiding over the rush. Reading the reviews made me expect a 'finer' experience food-wise, so there was some let down there but we still enjoyed the experience and will go back again. I ordered the Combo: 2 eggs, a ham steak and french toast - eggs were over easy and good, with a nice liquid yolk, the french toast needed a touch of salt (yes, most sweets need a little salt to enhance flavors) and 30 seconds more in the pan to get a bit of scorched bead. Not so good : I'm sorry to report the maple syrup was way! too !! watery!!! and it had little flavor to boot. Definitely not good to pour on pancakes/french toast. The people there for lunch were mostly older and a family with a couple kids next to our table, with nary a tweenie or teen in sight, making it quieter than restaurants with noise all over... and tv ...and music! Growing up in Europe where restaurants are made for chatting and enjoying the food, here in the US the constant noise levels are grating and unnecessary in an eating environment. We're definitely going back to Crosswinds to try out some other foods - chicken fried steak maybe? - and I do want to try some of the pies!!! Thank you to the ladies that brought our food over and for giving me a new addition to my food travels read more