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    Pilot Light

    4.4 (253 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Pilot Light Photos

    Business Info

    PILOT LIGHT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Pilot Light

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    Menu
    Annabelle R.

    No online ordering system. Tried to make a phone order for takeout, but no answer after several attempts, which was unfortunate with a 45-minute wait on Mother's Day... at least that's what we were quoted after ordering and paying at the cafe counter. It actually took 30 minutes, and by that time some seats had opened up inside, so it worked out as we decided to dine in. There were plenty of picnic tables available in their outdoor patio as well, though it was sprinkling during the lunch hour this past Sunday. The eatery had a beautiful and inviting setting, with gorgeous flowers set up on the tables and window sills, adding a nice touch to this special holiday. Got the pesto chicken sandwich with a salad, and sausage egg and cheese wrap with garlic fries instead of potato hash. These dishes were large in size. The sandwich had layers of deli chicken slices and a unique pesto-sun dried tomato spread, with a fresh and colorful salad on the side. The breakfast burrito was fat and stuffed with gooey melted cheese, scrambled eggs and mild sausage with just a hint of spice, and the pile of fries was thin-cut and loaded with minced garlic. Everything was delish! I do wish they were serving their regular menu on this day instead of a special Mother's Day brunch menu, as some favorites were unavailable. But with a satisfying meal, friendly staff, and a good sized parking lot for convenience, we had a positive experience overall.

    Burrito
    Jed N.

    Rustic cafe connected to the Half Moon Bay airport, which means you can sit outside or by the windows and watch small planes come and go. When we went, they had a dog adoption event. Food from classic toasts to burritos and even shakshuka. The drinks are creative and refreshing. Bathroom has a stall. Recommend coming here to avoid crowds instead of the restaurants by the jetty if you're having a beach day.

    Avocado toast with the best potatoes
    Yuliya Y.

    Aspiring pilot so I came here to watch the planes take off and land. Probably the worse day I came, when it was foggy so I only saw one doing a touch and go. But the food made it worth it. The avocado toast was soooo good. The avocado was perfect and everything was seasoned to perfection. I cannot praise this breakfast food more. I don't even like breakfast that much. But this was amazing. I got the kids pancakes for my baby and she loved them. She doesn't eat pancakes at home... the orange juice was fresh squeezed and the iced latte was delicious. I would come here over trying a new spot. It felt very welcoming, family like, and casual. They had an airplane toy outside for the baby to play on. I will come back when I fly in for the $100 burger.

    Stanley R.

    I love a good airport cafe. No not at LAX or SFO. I am talking about the charming little general aviation airports that are scattered around the state. I grew up in a town with one of these diners and one of these airports. The menu is limited but what they have is really good. My smoked salmon toast was delicious. The coffee was excellent and the matcha (if you like that) looked very tasty. Loads of Parking. It was busy or Sunday morning. You have a great view of the runway. The incandescent mustard in full bloom was gorgeous.

    Double stacked pancakes with fresh berries
    Leilani V.

    We ordered everything pictures plus a plate of Fish and Chips and a watermelon lemonade that was absolutely refreshing! It's was Mother's Day when we came here and the wait was pretty decent considering how many people were packing every restaurant everywhere. The nearly 40 minute wait was well worth it once we were served our meals. The stack pancakes were thick but very fluffy. So delicious. We loved the fish and chips too. Very crunchy and fresh tasting. My Dutch Baby pancake had a very interesting flavor profile and I would order this again when I come back. I highly recommend this brunch spot if you're ever in the Half Moon Bay Area. There's an outdoor seating where you can see private planes either departing or arriving. Such a treat especially for the kids. The restaurant is also dog friendly for outdoor seating which is nice. My husband has been talking about taking me here but never got around to until last week for Mother's Day and well, I will dare say, it was worth the nearly 6 year wait!

    shakshuka
    Catlynn N.

    Was driving down half moon bay and saw this cute place where you can dine and watch planes fly by. It was a really homey cute inside and gave proper family diner vibes. Pretty average pricing for bay area ($18-$25pp). I got their breakfast burrito and shakshuka. Their bacon was thiiiiiick, and I loved it. It was served with potatoes and salsa, crisp and clean. Only complaint is I wish the tortilla was a bit more crisp. Shakshuka was okay, a bit sweeter that I am used to but I believe that's due to the corn they put in. Was closer to a tomato chili with eggs on top. It was still good, but not quite for me. Boyfriend liked it though. Very interested in trying their burger and dutch baby next time. Service was good, brought out our food despite having a buzzer and remembered us. TLDR: Great place to soak in some sun, quality food, cool planes.

    Huevos Rancheros nachos
    Nicole L.

    I came to Pilot Light for a Sunday brunch around 9:45, they were already quite busy! Back in the day, it used to table service dining. Now there is a counter you order at, and you are given a pager and pick where you would like to sit. They do have outdoor seating right next to the airport, this was pretty cool. We saw two pilots leave out the back gate and head to their planes and prepare for take off. They are also pet friendly, always a plus. I had the huevos rancheros nachos, they were really good! It came with 2 eggs, and I added the chorizo. My friends both ordered the eggs Benedict, one with salmon and one with bacon and avocado. All our plates were large portions, and their potatoes were delicious! So crispy, but needed salt but we grabbed shakers for the table. I also asked for a michelada and although they don't sell them, they accommodated making one on the whim which was awesome. It tasted great too, I had asked them to make it with the lager they have to offer. Overall, next time I'm in town for a hometown tour I'll def check them out again!

    Malcolm H.

    Perfect diner food at the Half Moon Bay airport. Great ambience, indoor and outdoor seating. Fun for small plane enthusiasts or anyone looking for a great vibe. I had the Shatshuka which was great. My wife had the French toast, which was mixed. The flavors and preparation were great but they used a cheap bread so it undercut her meal a bit. Overall a great find.

    3 egg scramble with chorizo
    Isabella P.

    So cute! Love coming here for just a plain old scramble and watching the planes. Good service, fast, usually not too busy. Worth the drive to have a cozy, unique breakfast

    Eggs Benedict with Bacon and Avocado and Country Potatoes. $17.00 worth the price and a repeat breakfast anytime.
    Jose V.

    Hello Yelpers and Foodies in the Know. We just happened to be at a Hotel in Half Moon Bay and we found this on yelp breakfast close by our hotel. It was at the end of the Airport and also had a gate for pilots of small planes to park and enter through a Security Gate. Really cool. I ordered the Eggs Benedict with bacon and avocado and Kim ordered eggs and bacon and we both had coffee. Both breakfasts came with Country Potatoes. At this restaurant you order at the counter and one of the staff will bring your Food. Coffee is self serve with free refills. I really liked the Breakfast there. Kim and I Recommend this restaurant. The Pilot Light. Thank You for Reading. Reviews help Consumers.

    Outdoor seating. Fresh air ooow
    Bri W.

    Pilot Light Cafe is OUTSTANDING! I saw a fenced off gate and drove right past it so I drove down tourist central but it was an easy turnaround. I had the eggs Benedict with smoked salmon and avocado. It was sooooo goood!!! The cutest little cafe around! Beautiful scenic view of the airway! Fast service. Went during late morning around 9:30am and my food appeared in front of me before I was even ready to comprehend and absorb the calming and peaceful ambiance. Such an amazing experience:-))

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    Great food, fast service great vibe! I plan to visit real soon. Glad we found a place that we can return to whenever we visit the area.

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    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - Pilot Light

    Are your breakfast potatoes gluten free?

    Our potato hash is fried in the same oil as items that contain gluten, but otherwise is made without gluten.

    Do you have gluten free options ? Gf bread and pancakes..?

    We have gluten-free items on our menu, such as huevos rancheros and shakshuka, among others. As a substitute for bread, we offer corn tortillas. Our pancake, waffle and dutch baby batters are made with wheat flour.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Dad's Luncheonette

    Dad's Luncheonette

    4.4
    (897 reviews)
    4.7 mi
    $$

    Came here on a Sunday around noon and there were a few open empty seats inside as well as some…read moretables outside, but there were people at the restaurant. it's an order at the counter type of place. ~the food~ - Hamburger sandwich: pretty good! I really liked the pickled onion and the choice of white cheddar. I'd say overall it wasn't as greasy as a full burger which I really appreciated! - Mushroom sandwich: out of the 2 sandwiches this one was my favorite! The Maitake mushrooms were very tender and flavorful! - Homemade Potato chips: staff told us that this tends to sell out before the end of the day, but we were lucky enough to get an order of them and they were very very good! The addition of nutritional yeast in the seasoning added a lot of great to the chips! - Herb salad: super refreshing salad, this salad is made with all herbs and the lemon dressing that they used was very light and refreshing, which I think balanced out the rest of the meal! ~overall~ I definitely recommend dad's luncheonette for a quick bite. The staff were very friendly and the food was really good. Everything tasted very fresh and not too heavy.

    Looking at other reviews after eating here, I think I'd go back to try the mushroom burger. I…read morewouldn't go back to eat what I already tried in this visit. Food We ordered 3 burgers, a curry carrot coconut milk soup, and their cream dessert. Burgers were nice, but nothing super special. They were served on sliced bread instead of burger buns. What made the burger interesting were the pickled onions and over medium/hard egg. The soup was fun to try, but not amazing. Carrots could've been softer, the seeds had a fun texture. Coconut milk could've been more blended in. My husband enjoyed the dessert. Service A fairly neutral experience. There's a long line to order, the cashier is nice enough, and then they call out your name to receive your order. Ambiance It's a cute little restaurant just off of highway one. Most of the seating is outdoors in the parking lot. There's lots of tree coverage. Inside the restaurant it has surf shack vibe.

    Photos
    Menu
    Menu
    Hamburger Sandwich
    Hamburger Sandwich
    Chocolate Cherry Coconut Pudding

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    Chocolate Cherry Coconut Pudding
    Sacrilege Brewery + Kitchen

    Sacrilege Brewery + Kitchen

    3.9
    (463 reviews)
    5.1 mi
    $$

    This brewery looked like a cool spot to stop at while exploring a small town. Being from out of…read moretown and on vacation, we inquired as to which beers were their own and which were recommended but the guy at the register was not very friendly or informational. When he brought us the beer, he set them down without telling us which one was which and walked away and we had to stop him in his tracks to ask. We ordered 2 of their own beers to try, including a pumpkin cream ale, though, it didn't have much of a pumpkin flavor. Both beers were also fairly flat. We finished off most of these beers but we would not return.

    I'd driven by Sacrilege Brewery + Kitchen many times and decided to give them a try! It seems like…read morethey're getting ready to shut down, considering all their furniture had auction stickers attached. However, they were pretty busy on a Saturday (late) afternoon. We snagged a picnic table in front of the entrance and went inside to order. My friend and I aren't beer drinkers, so we got some lemonade and iced tea to make our own Arnold Palmers. For food, we ordered Pierogies and Burrata Poutine for the table. The Pierogies were unfortunately super bland - edible, but nothing special. I loved the skinny fries in the Burrata Poutine and the concept of the dish sounded fantastic. However, the execution could've been better - the gravy wasn't my favorite and I wish there was more burrata on the big pile of fries. I also got a Chicken Caesar Salad for myself, which was very standard - exactly what I expected. My friends enjoyed the Pulled Pork Sandwich and Chicken Fingers with Tater Tots. Overall, not terrible, but far from my favorite brewery meal.

    Photos
    Sacrilege Brewery + Kitchen
    On the left: Hop Dogma Bodacious IPA and on the right: the house's own Steal Your Ace IPA
    On the left: Hop Dogma Bodacious IPA and on the right: the house's own Steal Your Ace IPA
    Fries with the beer cheese

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    Fries with the beer cheese
    Barbara's Fishtrap

    Barbara's Fishtrap

    4.0
    (3.5k reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    Went for lunch with two others. We shared all of the following and it was lovely:…read more Absolutely loved the fried mushrooms, fried fish and chips, fried tempura calamari!!!! Great with the lemon and I never use tartar sauce but theirs is GOOD and I actually finished my serving, which never happens! I'd love to try the fish and chips broiled next time. Key lime pie was good, especially to share. My table insisted on getting the chowder. Like people have said in other reviews, it's thick. It's its own thing. It has a lot of clams. It tasted like a cousins of gravy. As in by hits and gravy. It was good but I couldn't eat more than 4-5 spoonfuls. I wouldn't get it again but was glad I tried it. For dinner that night I just ate a pile of vegetables to offset the mountain of fried animals I consumed at lunch. It was worth it. Every single staff person was sweet, attentive and patient even though the crowds were relentless. Great casual spot. Come ready to wait. And enjoy!

    Came here after watching a recommendation from tik tok. And around 11 ish the line was not to bad…read more The usual wait time can be 30plue minutes. We tried the famous fish and chips, garlic bread with crab meat and topped with cheese and also the calamari. The fish and Chips you can choose cold slaw or French fries. We opted for the French fries. The fish is so juicy and fresh. One order comes with 4 pieces of fish and a good amount of French fries. They garlic bread with crab and toasted with cheese was really flavorful. It has a relatively decent amount of crab meat. It's fresh crab meat and it's not to salty of fishy like some places. The calamari are small squid pieces but fried to perfection. Not overly seasoned or oily. The tartar sauce was amazing with every item we ordered. Will definitely come back again for the fish and chips

    Photos
    The usual
    The usual
    Outdoor seating
    Outdoor seating
    INSIDE SEATING

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    INSIDE SEATING

    Pilot Light - breakfast_brunch - Updated August 2026

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