What a neat little place. Interior is gorgeously decorated ; there's plenty of patio seating and there are also TVs outside so a good space for game days. We came on a day that was quite sweltering hot and they do have large fans that kind of helped. The food that you order comes out and quite generous portion sizes! And several of the hot plates are definitely piping hot when they arrive! My friend got the Spicy Rita drink which was refreshing like Agua Fresca. Its base is Watermelon juice. She also ordered the Dutch pancake was delicious like custard and flan. It appears like a Thin layer crepe but fluffy filling on a hot skillet. Crumpets are kinda like an English muffin sliced with side of butter and two berry jams. Fresh hot tasty and crunchy. Not crumbly or dry. Short rib crumpet was like this delicious breakfast sandwich with thin sliced short rib well marinated! Service was awesome. Dog friendly patio and they offered our sweet Rosie some water, and scrambled eggs if desired. Awww My favorite was The Galaxy lavender lemonade. It was not too citrus heavy and you actually get a delicate infusion of lavender. It comes in a kettle shaped pitcher you can share among friend in cute little shot-sized glass cups. I tried the strawberry salad since I wanted something light and cold on a faltering hot day. Again portions were very generous. Staff was very friendly and checked on us frequently. I'm curious to try the happy hour wings at a different time. We came here for brunch and it was great despite the hot weather. Would love to try their food at different meal times. read more

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I made a reservation for my parents who came down from OC! Pros: - Easy reservation through Yelp! It looks like they have more seating outside than inside. - There's a variety of brunch items that are not your typical brunch items! We ordered shrimp corncake and short rib omelet. The omelet came in a little personal skillet. Very cute food presentation! - Service was nothing to write about, but not in a bad way! We didn't really interact with our server much. Cons: - The ceiling fan was crazy intense. Pretty fair considering it was hot, but I kind of wished that we were seated inside instead with AC. - Shrimp corncake needed some crunch IMO. I'm curious to try to try the other food items and it seems that people like this place for HH. read more

The Hangout - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

10000/100000! So delicious! Their happy hour is totally worth it! The vibes are chill. Service was super fast. We ate their chicken & beef sliders! GET THEM. So flavorful and juicy. Their wings... the LEMON PEPPER! If you're a lemon zesty person, these are the wings for you. Check them out. Our first time was memorable. read more

Stumbled upon this stop while we had family from out of town visiting and decided to stop in for breakfast. The place can be a bit tricky to find if you're not familiar with the area, since it shares a parking lot with the Adam's and Wine Liquor store. It's a chill spot to grab a bite to eat, our server was attentive and helpful. Both the classic pancakes and the Dutch pancake were delicious and priced well. read more

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Super cute spot. Food was great. Drinks were great. Service was spectacular. Will be back!! read more

The Hangout - Shrimp Corn Cake. Short Rib Omelet - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Thanks (once, again) to Yelp, we've not only discovered a new area of San Diego... University Heights, and found another fabulous drinking & dining destination! Jason quickly greeted us upon arrival, making us feel comfortable -- like we were regulars -- from the start. Fabulous Happy Hour (Thursdays - Sundays, 3-6 PM). We enjoyed their $7 cocktails (strong-&-tasty; impressed by the big, clear ice cubes!) and Seasonal Flatbread, $13 ( chockfull of fresh-&-colorful ingredients atop a thin cracker crust, served with a fresh-&-flavorful homemade sauce). In addition, the Potato Cake,$13, was deliciously savory. Off the regular menu, their Shrimp Corncake, $17, was rich and had a wonderful marriage of flavors, served with a refreshing side salad. We'll most certainly return when in the area -- just wish it was closer. read more

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This is one of my favorite dog-friendly spots. They have a nice shaded patio with a decent amount of seating so I feel comfortable taking my dog. They also take reservations! :) I always get their dutch pancake (with everything, of course!). Their omelets are pretty good, too. I agree with what other reviewers are saying about presentation - these are some super Instagram-worthy foods and drinks! Especially the lattes! read more

The Hangout - dutch pancake - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Finally tried out this spot on a day off. Walked over with the pup and got to sit in their shaded outdoor area where there were other dogs galore. This might be one of the best happy hour spots in SD. Lots to choose from. We got some wings and sliders to eat. Their cocktails were refreshing. The staff was welcoming and attentive. Everyone around us seemed to be having a great time. We will definitely be returning to try more of the menu and potentially sit inside (looks nice as well!) read more

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The next-door liquor store bought out a former cafe and turned it into The Hangout which is now a brunch-focused restaurant in the University Heights neighborhood. I think you can use the parking lot of the liquor store, however I didn't try because there were open curbside spaces on Adams Ave. There was a large covered front patio for outdoor seating while an inside dining area including a bar could hold a smaller number of customers. A copy of the brunch menu and drink menu were placed on a stand in front of the patio. I sat inside at a table across from the bar. After perusing the brunch offerings, I selected two items of which I took one home for leftovers. The first was a Short Rib Crumpet made up of short rib, sunny side up egg, butter lettuce, beet sauerkraut, and caramelized onion. The ingredients were sandwiched between two griddle cakes (i.e. crumpets). The spongy griddle cakes resembled English muffins and were quite dry. The egg and onion were the best parts of this item. What I saved for later was the Savory Crepe Cakes. They could be ordered with chicken or short rib. Since I already had the latter protein in the crumpet, chicken was my selection. An onion spread was mixed in with the white meat inside the layered crepe cakes. A mixed salad and creamy mushroom bourbon sauce came with the order. The savory sauce was very good and tied the specialty dish together. The service from the waiter was decent. I think he was covering all the tables and was also the bartender during the mid-day shift. The crepe cakes were definitely the superior item which I rated with four stars. The crumpet was not as good as the ones I tried while visiting the Seattle area. It brought my overall rating of The Hangout down to a three star level. read more

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Lowkey a bit confusing when you come here because the Cafe 21 sign is still outside the location so unless you knew Cafe 21 became The Hangout or read reviews online, you come here very confused. They have both indoor and outdoor seating here but the outdoor seating here is nice, shaded, and has lots of plants. I was surprised that this place wasn't that busy on a Saturday because the food here was actually soooo good!! My friends and I ordered the Mediterranean fried rice, short rib omelette, potato gallete, and short rib crumpet. The potato gallete was sooo buttery and had layers of onion in between all the thinly slice potatoes and it was sooo crispy!! FYI the crumpet is so delicious but be prepared for very messy hands, worse than a burger LOL. Everything was very flavorful and well seasoned. Food was nice and hot. Everyone enjoyed their food overall! Only thing is instead of short rib for the crumpet and omelette, we received lamb kufta instead. Not sure if they were out of short rib but it would've been nice to tell us they were out of it and giving us lamb kufta instead. I might've ordered something else. I do wish there was also more attention to refilling water since we were only one of four groups there and several empty tables. But besides that, very delicious food, nice vibes. One of the servers gave me extra sauce to go for my potato gallete. The parking lot is a bit confusing because it looks like the liquor store right next door owns all of it? But I would be back and hope this place gets more business! read more

The Hangout - Potato gallete w/sauce (it's not spicy but it's good!) - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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The food was flavorful!! I didn't know the omelet would come in a skillet, but it did not disappoint! Our waiter was nice, but only came to take our order and was never to be seen again. I needed sauce for my food, but had to eat without it as it was hard flagging anyone down. The outside patio gave off green house vibes. Which was nice but unenjoyable as it was humid. read more

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We went there for brunch on Sat and were able to find parking right away. There's also a small parking lot in front. We sat in the outdoors seating area in front of the restaurant, which has a little roof over the patio area so it created some privacy from the public and felt intimate. I ordered the Mediterranean fried rice and it was so good. I wasn't super hungry, but because it was so simple and easy and tasty to eat, I was able to finish most of it easily. For dessert I ordered the tiramisu pancakes and it was well worth it. Wasn't too sweet and super easy to eat, highly recommend. Overall, service was fast, seating was nice, parking was easy, and price was surprising pretty affordable. Would go there again. read more

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Cute brunch spot along Adams. Friendly service, although it did feel understaffed for the volume of customers they had. Shared the chilaquiles, short rib crumpet, and shrimp pesto sandwich. Flavors in each dish was great. Short rib was overcooked. My favorite was surprisingly the shrimp sandwich. Shrimp was cooked just right and bread was buttery crisp. read more

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Love the food, customer service and the vibe to this place! Not to mention the happy hour is ALWAYS a hit. The wings, the flatbreads and margaritas are always my go to! read more

One of the best Happy hours, because they offer happy hour menu 4-6 during the weekend! They also have a lot of cocktail options, including French 75, which I liked a lot, I had two, both quality and quantity was great. My husband enjoyed the beer, and whiskey. We tried their happy hour wings in pesto and lemon pepper flavors, sliders and potato cake, all of them taste good. I really like their lamb protein options for potato cake and slider. My baby loved the meats and bread from the sliders as well. This is definitely a new good place for this neighborhood. The service is sweet and fast. The space is comfortable and cozy. read more

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Great little corner spot in North Park with a solid happy hour. We had the margarita, flatbread, and chicken pesto sandwich -- all were really good. Jason was amazing and such a great presence at Hangout. He really highlighted the food and the chef, which made the experience even better! read more

It is a good family hang out spot. They have food for everyone, kids to adults, experimental to conservative. Parking is easy and on the location. It is a decent place and price is reasonable. But nothing is a home run. So close, yet not there. read more

Eh - The menu though quite complex really did not excite my wife and I. Benedict with Turkey - i asked if i could substitute the meat - No and then told something about thanksgiving(?) I ordered French toast @ fruit. Being fair it was OK, good bread and the 2 little blocks of hard butter. My wife enjoys scrambled eggs - not available so she ordered Feta eggs. She was picking at it. I decided to dig in and the eggs found at the bottom were hard - sort of a bummer. I genuinely appreciate the Chef's menu selections which she/he embraces. Yet, surviving or flourishing comes down to being a little bit flexible is essential. I can say this having been an investor in a number of eateries over the years. The atmosphere is;welcoming, charming, and clean. They may want to split the volume controls between the inside and outside. While waiting for our brunch the volume of the background music went up a lot. We asked for it to be turned down and was bluntly told the outside wanted it louder - grudgingly it was softened yet not 5 minutes later it was up again. A split volume control will provide for both sides of your facilities clientele. I am not saying they are bad yet showing some flexibility to the people who re built this neighborhood over 40 years and live within a short walk should be considered. Give them a try it may be your cup of tea. For me though EH read more

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So, the name is apt because the music and furnishings are really comfortable. It's a place you really could feel yourself sitting in and spending time with a date or some friends. My Permanent Date had the watermelon margarita, which was delightfully complex, with the sweetness of the watermelon carrying the other flavors as a nice accompaniment. The meze platter is a fantastic shareable appetizer, and since the dips are seasonal, the ones I had might not be the ones you get, but they're flavorful, served with a nice assortment of brassicas, ribboned vegetables, and sourdough. My Permanent Date had the Hangout Burger with bacon, and that, in the words of Jules Winnfield, is a tasty burger! The sesame seed bun is house made, and it's just a super satisfying expression of a cheeseburger with all the trimmings. I ordered the short rib crepe cake, and I was expecting some kind of barbecue sauce involved, but it was a mild-tasting purée of short rib in between savory crepe layers. They serve you some slices, and it's saving you from yourself, because if you're anything like me, you'll eat the whole thing. The creamy mushroom "sauce" is more of a shmear. The mashed potatoes are a cheesy delight, and the side salad has a lovely light vinaigrette with lots of sesame seeds. Overall, it's a fantastic meal. read more

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While having a small interior, and not yet having an indoor TV, The Hangout has still become one of my go to spots, let me tell you why. But first, you may have noticed that I leave a lot of 5 stars reviews, and The Hangout is about to add one more to that list. "WHY?", you ask, there's several important reasons that lead me to frequently encountering happiness and deliciousness on my travels. *Keep in mind, your Yelp rating is not your rating of the "Pefection" of the restaurant, Yelp explicity tells you to "RATE YOUR EXPERIENCE". Here's how I encounter so many 5 star experiences. 1. I do my research. I always read reviews, look at photos, etc. before patronizing a restaurant. Occasionally, I even reach out to Yelp friends to seek their recommendations or input. It's important that I know what I'm getting myself into. This also includes thoroughly reading the menu items before ordering. Hello! 2. I take intentional actions to manage my own expectations. I'm not heading to Denny's expecting an exceptional steak, and if I do, it's me who deserves the one star, not the restaurant. This includes timing expectations. I shouldn't expect quick service at busy times, especially when a restaurant makes things from scratch. Oh and don't always fall for the Influencer hype. Influencers get exponentially more views, and often more money, from saying how a great a place is. 3. I aim to have a good time. I find that most of the time, you get what you give. I like to think of myself as a happy, positive, energetic, and friendly individual, so that's what I'm bringing to the table. Lucky for me, that's nearly always the vibe that I get in return. Try not to be a Crabby Abby or a Donnie Downer and just maybe things will start looking up-not always, but I certainly think it helps. 4. This last one is kind of a wholistic approach that is sort of a combination of all the others. I strive for value. We all know how forgiving we are when the food is free. It's as if all of a sudden our tastebuds change when we know we've gotten a deal. If I intrinsically don't value donuts, or believe that they are a inexpensive item, I'm less likely to be satisfied with a $10 donut, even if it is slightly larger than the competitor's. (You all know who I'm talking about...sheesh). 5. Be Kind. If I have an experience that is somewhere between a 3 and a 4, I almost always round up. If the service wasn't great or at least friendly, I round down. Okay, back to The Hangout. I was looking for an awesome happy hour and boy did I find it. As soon as I saw a Thursday to Sunday 3pm-6pm HH that included $1 wings, I knew I had to try it. What I didn't expect to find was delicious $7 Old Fashions and EXCELLENT customer service-THANKS JASON! I came for the wings, and I continue to comeback for those delicious parmersan dusted lemon pepper wings with fresh lemon juice, tasty $7 old fashions, and the comical conversations with bartender Jason. Although they don't have blue cheese dressing for the wings, what I've found to be even better-per recommendation from bartender Jason, is to add fresh blue cheese crumbles to the ranch for an ever dreamier blue cheese experience. This has become my favorite way to enjoy wings, yeahhh. The bar top usually has activity, but it's not too busy at all. What you'll find is a number of locals who patronize this bar often, often enough for Jason to know everyone by name. Even after just one visit, Jason recalled me by name, just another example of the excellent service here. There are currently two TV's outside so you can even watch sporting events here. The patio is large and of course they allow dogs on the patio. The menu is simple and doesn't have a lot on it, however, even though I've only had the wings, the happy hour flatbread at $13 looked large and bursting with toppings. I also saw the "mac and cheese" come out of the kitchen, don't order the mac and cheese, please...lol. Huge thanks to Jason, John, and the kitchen crew for reliably providing a great experience! See you soon! read more

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Great ambiance and cute patio. Service was really lacking. No attention to anticipate any needs. Waited 10 mins for an orange juice and chai latte. 2 servers and 1 bartender. There was no supervisor present which could help with tables who are waiting on things. Came for Saturday brunch. Food was just okay. Ordered short rib crumpet and short rib omelet. For the short rib it's shaved thin like roast beef. The omelet is in a cast iron skillet which is more like a frittata. The eggs were grey in the cast iron dish. Couldn't eat all of it as it was weird looking. Hopefully they can get the service thing down. The food is easy fix in my opinion. Don't think I will be back here sadly. read more

MUST try when you can! Their signature lattes are a must and if you're a lamb lover, Def get anything with it. I had the ginger tumeric latte half/caffeine and it was a cross between a warm chai and a decadent latte. Their syrups are house made and you will not be disappointed. read more

The Hangout - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

My sisters and I came here for brunch, and we had such a great experience! I ordered the espresso martini and it was a 10/10! The Dutch pancake was AMAZING--seriously, OMG! I also tried my sister's short rib omelette, and it was just as delicious. The service was fantastic! Our server was attentive, friendly, and made some great recommendations that definitely did not disappoint. And I love that this place is pet-friendly! I can't wait to come back and bring my pup next time. Definitely a great spot for brunch--I'll be back! read more

A great brunch place to try. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it based on the menu but it was AMAZING! Definitely recommend the Trained Dragon is on of the best coffees I have had in San Diego. We tried different food the Overnight Oats and Savory Crepe Cakes is a must. Everyone was very nice and great customer service. read more

The Hangout - Trained Dragon, Hot Latte and Ice Latte - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Very cool spot with a friendly, cozy, and comfortable vibe--perfect for grabbing a coffee, a drink, or a meal. The outdoor patio is especially inviting and pet-friendly, which is a big plus. Our server was fantastic: super friendly, funny, and a master at the upsell (LOL). He kept us laughing and truly made the experience fun. The food was delicious too--everything tasted fresh and well made. read more

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Wasn't too busy when we got there but for took a while to make. Shrimp pesto sandwich had good flavors but felt light on the shrimp. Short rib was shaved thin and not as juicy as expected. Flavors were good though. read more

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Worst place I've ever been to in my life ... my wife and I were on vacation and we decided to stop by this dump only cause they said it was the new cafe 21 and the whole we were there the waiters were telling the customers ...."I'm sorry .....I'm sorry ".... ,the ppl next to us had complained that they could taste batter in their under cooked Dutch pancake which should have been our sign to burn rubber but tbh this lousy brunch set us back 85 bucks .... Plz don't make the mistake we did by coming here .... I wouldn't of fed this food to my dogs read more

Food was good, service was a little bit slow on a Sunday morning, but good vibes for brunch. The spinach and feta omelette could've had more flavor or feta, but overall food tasted good. If I were to come back, I'd probably order something different than the omelettes. read more

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Great ambience, very laid back. The food was so good!! I got the avocado toast. The BLOODY MARY was sooooo good!! Would love to try the place for dinner sometime soon!! Only thing is the coffee is 10$ hahahaa little pricy but maybe it's big !! Also really nice service!! read more

This place is such a hidden gem the service food and drinks are impeccable jason the bartender and server is what makes this restaurant stand out he creates a great atmosphere definitely recommend read more

The Hangout - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Great spot all in all especially for happy hour ! Definitely recommended for anyone in San Diego !

Loved our experience here! Jonathan (our server) was so great and made it so much fun! The food was good. Very flavorful and is somewhat American fusion. We sat outside and the vibe was great. Will definitely come back. read more

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Hidden gem!!! Mediterranean forward menu - in-restaurant baked sourdough, lamb fried rice, eggs and tomato (Shakshouka), potato pancake, crumpets., and oh so much more!! Thoughtfully crafted cocktails and coffee drinks. And the service team is amazing - it's our first visit and I feel like family. It's called the hangout because you won't want to leave. read more

The Hangout - Espresso martini & sangria - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

November 2025: As The Hangout gets its footing, I'm happy to say that this place is fantastic - it brings back the vibe Cafe 21 had before the pandemic. The Thursday - Sunday, 3 PM - 6PM happy hour is worth it! Where else can you find $7 mixed drinks in North Park? And Jonathan, at the bar, does a mighty fine job of making old fashioneds and margaritas. The happy hour drinks and food were great. It's hard to beat $1 wings and $3 sliders. I believe this tasty food is still being made by the Cafe 21 chef. read more

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Food, drinks, specials, happy hour, brunch. Good service, friendly. Check it out! Highly recommend. I had an old Fashion, raspberry daiquiri. Went for early dinner, but turned out it was Happy Hour, so I ate off that $1 wings, 5 flavors, $3 sliders, 3 diff meats. My daughter had a pesto chicken sandwich. She enjoyed it. Dinner is $17-19. Lots of drink concoctions with funny names. read more

We came in with a huge party over 30 people and they didn't blink. Well I think they were overwhelmed but they killed it on the service side. The wings were some of the best I've had in a long time. Lemon pepper for the win. The steak was honestly very bland and not a great cut either. Room for improvement but give these guys a shot they work their butts off! read more

Exceptional food at reasonable prices. Dessert was delicious too! Convenient parking.

The Hangout absolutely nails the aesthetic. The space is cozy, the restaurant and bar look amazing, and the food presentation is beautiful and very Instagram-worthy. Unfortunately, that's where the positives ended for us. We went on 2/22/26 without reservations and were seated immediately, which was great. However, it took about 20 minutes just to receive water. After placing our order, we waited nearly an hour for our food. It was busy, so we expected some delay, but there was no communication from our server about the wait. Service felt minimal and disengaged. Our waitress approached the table with, "Are you ready?" took our order, asked a couple of quick questions, and left. We didn't see them again until the food arrived. They asked, "Everything good?" waited a second, and then walked away. Normally I'm pretty easygoing about service, but the lack of communication and follow-up stood out. The food looked incredible but was underwhelming in flavor. Two of us ordered the Veggie Power Bowl, which unfortunately tasted bland -- like canned green beans, cold zucchini, tostada salsa, and pre-packaged avocado. The taro hash lacked flavor. The other two in our party ordered pancakes that tasted like batter that was just cooked through enough to resemble pancakes. Overall, it was disappointing given how great everything looked. Based on our experience, I'd recommend trying somewhere else. read more

It's so rare when we actually like all the food that we ordered! Mushroom Bourbon sauce was crazy good! Short rib crumpets and crepe cakes delicious as well! Beautiful serving and great personnel! read more

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Great happy hour spot! The vibe is calm and relaxing not to noisy and you can hear yourself talk and interact with others. The food is Delicious and they offer different food selections during different times of the day. Breakfast lunch happy hour and dinner are all served there. They have a great bar selection. The service is awesome and the staff are very accommodating. read more

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