It's Always Sunny Side Up at Pipes Café

Pipes Café defies all reason.

Abbreviated hours, limited parking and a cash-only policy seem like a recipe for disaster—instead, the brightly decorated restaurant on 121 Liverpool Drive attracts a steady stream of customers eager to partake of its delicious offerings.

Located across Cardiff Towne Center, I’ve passed Pipes several times without stopping. Open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., the restaurant and I have conflicting schedules. Nevertheless, after reading online about the uber-popular place, my curiosity got the better of me.

After finding parking along a nearby street—the lots belonging to other businesses surrounding Pipes have signs warning off the restaurant's customers—we were surprised to see a line trailing out the door and along the sidewalk.

“Every time my family comes to town, we come here,” said Graham Haines, wearing a hooded sweatshirt, shorts and sunglasses, a wardrobe staple for most Pipes diners.

When I asked Haines if he thought breakfast at Pipes was worth standing in a line winding around the corner, he motioned to the people standing in front of us: “It’s worth it to them.”

“It’s actually not as crowded as it usually is,” said Haines, who advised interested diners to try lunch at Pipes on a weekday, when it’s less busy than breakfast on a Saturday.

The inside of the restaurant is adorned with surf paraphernalia, including surfboards and posters. There are also shirts and travel mugs sporting the Pipes logo for sale.

The clientele reflects the bulk Cardiff’s population—young families with toddlers and surfers, young and old, filled the inside and outside of the restaurant.

The outdoor seating is appealing in that it provides more than enough room to park your family for their upcoming meal. It also provides a nice vantage point for the sunny weather for which Cardiff is known.

Don’t let the sun fool you, though—it’s still chilly enough in the morning for the spot’s very smart regulars to wear jackets and sweatshirts.

Haines also praised the restaurant's coffee, which is served at a separate bar next to the restaurant on its outer deck. “The coffee is good and inexpensive,” he said.

Sasha Eddy, a La Jolla resident who practices yoga just around the corner from Pipes, agreed with Haines’ assessment. After seeing the restaurant so often without going in, Eddy gave in that day and decided to try it out. “I went to do yoga and I was late for class, and I didn’t want to disrupt their meditation,” said Eddy, who sipped a California Mocha.

Eddy and Haines raved about restaurant manager Dana Trujillo, who also runs the coffee bar. “She’s pregnant, you know,” Eddy told Haines, who nodded.

Trujillo is a bright light at Pipes. Just three and a half weeks from her expected due date of July 22—she’s well into her third trimester of pregnancy—Trujillo puts an incredible amount of energy into her work.

She said the Pipes lattes, mochas and cappuccinos are most popular.

Trujillo has been at Pipes for 14 years. She has nothing but praise for Pipes owners Tim and Karen Fischer. “They’re good to me so I’m good to them,” she shrugged good-naturedly.

“We’re really family-oriented,” Trujillo said. “You could bring your family of four and feed them for $20 if you do it right.”

The coffee bar boasts an impressive list of drinks, including “Dana’s Favorite,” a drink named for the barista. Trujillo said it’s made of Mexican chocolate, two shots of espresso and a little bit of caramel.

“Something tall, dark and sweet,” she chuckled.

I ordered a Mexican Hot Chocolate, which went great with my Pipes Egg Sandwich—a toasted egg muffin with eggs, bacon, cheese, tomato and mayo for just $3.75. It sounds simple enough, but by the time that sandwich is in your hand it tastes like the best gourmet meal ever.

My husband was concerned because we had just $20 between us, but his worry was for naught—our breakfast of a Bacon Scrambler, Pipes Egg Sandwich and a soft drink came up to little over $12.

But more impressive than the constant line out the door and the good food are the people who staff the restaurant.

When the kitchen forgot to give a boy next to us pancakes, his server, Carissa Duncanson, brought pancakes and an apology. “Aw, do you want some bananas and whipped cream?” she asked. Within a few minutes, she returned with a little dish of extras.

Other kids at the boy's table stood up in amazement, saying, “Wow!” I wanted to jump up as well—it’s not every day you get that kind of service. I’ve had several experiences at other restaurants in which my servers barely mumbled “sorry,” much less offered free bananas and whipped cream.

Everything was peachy keen that Saturday morning at Pipes Café. I understood then why people keep coming back to the little restaurant on Liverpool Drive—it’s an amalgam of good vibes, delicious eats and nice people.

In an environment where coldness has begun permeating even our everyday restaurant stops, it’s nice to know there’s a warmer sanctuary serving mostly everything sunny side up.