Cardiff Beach Bar At Tower 13

The best fish tacos in San Diego! You also have to try the crab cake. Great view, good parking and the bartenders are fun.

I loved this place in its older incarnations of Yogis and Jay’s, but for some reason haven’t had the chance to stop in until recently. This is a great spot for ocean view dining (beach across the street) so you get nice ocean breezes and sunset opportunities. We came here for breakfast on a Saturday and were surprised that there was no wait and we got to choose a place right by the window and hang out for as long as we wanted. They have bottomless mimosas on the weekends as well as bloody Mary’s and other cocktails. They also pour a huge selection of rotating craft beers which you can order in flights of 3 including a «mystery» tap that even the waitstaff don’t know which it is, and it’s fun to guess. They should offer a prize or a discount if you can guess the exact brewery and/​or style.
The breakfast menu is not fancy, but offers all the staples including omelettes, breakfast burritos, and regular bacon eggs and toast. They have French toast as well. There wasn’t any fancy flavored pancakes on the menu, but this place is about enjoying the view and the bar, and they have lots of TVs if your favorite sporting event is on. The portions are huge and filling, so you will go away happy. I really enjoyed the breakfast burrito and a tried a breakfast beer flight (why not, it’s the weekend). When friends or family are in from out of town, this is definitely one to put in the rotation for reasonable ocean front dining.

If you’re looking for a mellow beachside bar that’s full of good vibes and good food, look no further! We’ve been hitting this spot up after our weekend surf sessions and they always hit the mark. The inside bar has pool, foosball, couches, and tons of TV’s to catch the game. The food is surprisingly good too. They have a unique menu that’s pretty solid for a casual beachside bar. I recommend trying out the nachos, ceviche, tomato soup, fish tacos or even their burrito. Its all pretty bomb and will keep you coming back for more. Cesar behind the bar is a legend and slings the best drinks in joint. In the summer, they open up an outside patio bar that lays down some rad reggae tunes. The dude that works out there is all time as well. Its dog friendly which is a bonus. So hit the beach and cruise in for a quick drink and some tasty treats!

This is my new favorite beach bar! It’s been located next the Cardiff icon Las Olas for several years but I never tried it out. Now I’m sorry I didn’t come here sooner! Not the fanciest of local rstaurants. Very casual atmosphere. Roomy space, booths, large couch conversations areas, bar tables, outdoor seating. Un-​obstructed view of the ocean. What more do you want! Food? They’ve got it! Nicely rounded menu. Still on the bar-​food side, but tasty snacks or meals. Good happy-​hour prices. Excellent mixed drinks. Lots of TVs for sports-​viewing. Unpretentious and friendly staff. Kids welcome.

Was looking for a bar when the husband and I took a random cruise through Encinitas. Found this place on Unilocal and it was a good choice! I’m a Bloody Mary enthusiast (lol) so that’s what I was looking for. Cardiff has an okay Bloody Mary, it’s all about the mix and theirs is alright. They do give a generous amount of vodka so that’s a plus! The prices are good and I’ll definitely go back to try brunch at the beach!

Classic, beachy, pub grub. Excellent service, good food, reasonable prices. Sunset view. Lots of TV’s on sports channels. Nothing fancy. Parking lot is always full, as it’s popular but I’ve never had a wait on a table. We’ll be back.

When this place was Yogis it was a 4-​star establishment. It has changed a lot since Keith sold out but to net it out — this place is awful now, from novice staff with attitude to the chewy food and watery drinks. I’ve been a local for 16 years, and everyone i know makes fun of this place… keep looking…

I miss Yogi’s, Keith and the gang. I came in for lunch and a drink and it was so-​so. The people were to into there selves and not really focused on the patrons. At least with Yogi’s everyone knew your name. LoL seriously. Just not the same ambiance as it was and not a friendly place. Wont be coming back.

Ordered take out for New Year’s Eve, expected a wait but only took 15 min to get food. Easy to carry boxes and food was still fresh when we got back to our place to eat.

I am new to the area and just visited Tower 13 for the first time. My friend was going to be super late so I had about an hour to kill at the bar by myself. The bartenders Danni and Cesar both took awesome care of me and made me feel at home. When the trivia night started, I teamed up with Danni and we had a good run — though apparently I’ll need to take her input more seriously next time ;-). I did not have a full-​blown dinner but I ordered sliders and they hit the spot perfectly. The location of the bar right on the beach is really nice, especially with the waves pounding loudly in the background. The interior is classic beach/​surf vibe, with a U shaped bar and tons of TVs for watching sports. I will definitely be back and would recommend it.

Great place to watch games. Good beer selection. The pinaapple tequila was great.

This place is great. I have been in a few times now. It is very bar like, that is what it is, casual. If you sit near the front of the place you can have a view of the sea across HWY 101, cars parked in front of you on both sides of the street but you CAN see the sea, I think that’s a big plus. Seems to get pretty crowed at times, it is one of those places that is trendy to go to when in the area. On my recent stop in it was pretty empty, just the front window bar tables were taken. My husband and I sat back about 5 feet or so at a side table and I was still able to look out at the sea, that worked for me! We ordered the wings, got them plain with the sauce on the side. They were quite scrumptious. Our bartender was quite attentive and friendly enough. I will keep stopping in.

I’m torn between giving it 3 or 4 stars but I’ll go with 4 today and revise later if I need to.
Reason for a lower score: they charged $ 4 for parking when I came on a weekend afternoon. My guess is that they were trying to dissuade people from parking here and going to the beach. Understandable, but don’t punish the people who are already coming into your establishment to spend money. Additionally, we came on a Wednesday for their prime rib special and they were out by the time we arrived at about 645. That’s not even late.
Reason for a higher score: the food we did have was pretty good and the service from the bartender was very friendly.

It’s no small wonder this place is usually M-​TEE.
Food is really horrible — even to drunk taste buds.
Drinks are not even decent.
Live music on Wednesdays is hit n miss.
And they close the kitchen whenever they damn well feel like it.
I’ve seen them tell new walk-​ins before 9pm the kitchen’s closed.
Knowing this I’ve called ahead at 9pm to make sure kitchen was open, and arrived 10mins later to «sorry kitchen’s closed».
Must be a horrible place to work/​own because everything reflects it.
Only reason to come here is ocean is across the street.
Peabody’s food and music are WAY better, embarrassingly so.

It is good for cheap drinks decent food and music ever. Great view of sunset/​beach always fun happy hr never toooooo busy. There «fused booze» will knock you on your butt.

I had such a great time at this spot. It’s right off the road and they have a large parking lot. I posted a picture of what appetizer I ordered… I wish I remembered the name! It was SO good. So fresh and delicious. They had a decent beer menu too, I had no trouble finding a good IPA I could enjoy. There was a band playing acoustic covers and they were really fantastic. The place had a really welcoming and laid back feel to it. On the five or sports bar side… nothing fancy. Great beach spot.

Beer Stop 117
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Cardiff Beach Bar is no bueno.
In fact, I don’t even know why I am adding this spot to my beer list. Oh well. Anyway, while the tap list is very large, Cardiff Beach Bar typically only has 3 – 4 really good beers. The last time I was here they had GF Sculpin and Wolf Among Weeds.
The bring problem is service. I had a coupon from TapHunter for $ 2 dollars off any appetizer. I show the waitress and shes like «ummmm…I never saw this before. This is fake». I asked, politely, if she can ask a manager about it. She screamed «don’t argue with me!». The table next to me says «he never said anything» and she just left after that point.
She does end up verifying the coupon authenticity; however, she never apologies for her little temper tantrum.
I have been here a few times and this is the same story over and over again. Its a shame because I can walk here but it isnt worth my time. I would rather use gas then come back here.
Also, please keep your taps clean Cardiff Beach Bar. Noone likes metallicy beer!

Good food, good beers. Great location on the beach.
But the service is a little slow. The prices a little pricey for what you’re getting (a fish taco and burger joint).
Still, fun spot. Give it a shot.

Friends call me a potential lonely weird cat lady as it’s hard to get me out at night. I’m allergic to cats so that sentence doesn’t mean squat. So to dispel their cat theory, I organized for this group of 7 friends to meet here at Tower 13. No one had ever been here before so we didn’t know what to expect.
Tower 13 has some cool things going for her: 1) they have their own private parking lot; 2) happy hour until 6:30p; and 3) they’re a crosswalk away from the beach.
The restaurant is open and airy with a back patio.
We ordered:
COCKY MULE $ 6 HAPPY HOUR
This mule is made with herbal whiskey and I ordered it with soda water vs ginger beer. I liked this ice cold cocktail and didn’t miss the vodka that’s usually used to make this drink.
CAPE COD $ 3.50 Happy hour
3.50 is such a great happy hour price as this cranberry soda (vodka) was a STRONG pour.
SHOCK TOP DRAFT $ 4
My first trying shock top and it was nice. I liked the slice of orange garnish on the glass.
VODKA SODA $ 3.50
Friend said it was nice and strong
½ GNARLY NACHOS $ 5 HAPPY HOUR
The homemade chips were ok but that’s about all we had to say about these nachos.
SLIDERS $ 6 HAPPY HOUR
There’s 3 to an order and we saw plates of these being served to other tables. We didn’t think much of these sliders though.
CHICKEN WINGS $ 7 HAPPY HOUR
You get about 8 pieces per happy hour order. I asked for the wings to be naked (sauce on side) and I actually liked the order here. The skin was nicely crispy and the sweet Thai sauce paired really well with the blistering hot wings.
APPLE & BRIE
The melted brie was served on buttered toast and topped with an apple chutney. It was all served on top of alfalfa sprouts. I thought the brie tasted alright and the apple chutney paired well with the creaminess of the cheese.
TURKEY BURGER
Friend thought the burger was a bit dry but when was the last time you had a juicy turkey burger. The garlic truffle french fries — holy smokes — was so so so very good!
We all had such a fantastic time that evening. Service was great and Amanda, our waitress, was gracious enough to give out 7 separate checks that night for us. There was live music as well so that kept the place pretty fun (albeit a bit loud). We absolutely would return again.

I am always on a mission to find great Vegan bugers. This may be one of my favorites.
The bun could be better (although, a lot whole wheat hamburger buns suck)…
It is a great spot to watch sports and have brews on tap as well.
Go have an early dinner and walk to beach and watch the sunset… talk about a gift from GOD.

I came here the other night for trivia and tacos. I sat near the entrance of the bar so I only realized how huge this place was once I meandered over to the bathroom! Definitely a great place for big groups!
For my meal I got the shrimp tacos with a house margarita. On our beloved weekly holiday, Taco Tuesday, you get four small shrimp tacos and a side of chips and salsa for only $ 6! You can either get fried or grilled shrimp; I went with grilled and wasn’t disappointed. The salsa that came with the chips was delicious and had just the right amount of spice. The house margarita was on the rocks and wasn’t too strong, but not too weak either. Alcoholic Goldilocks approved! Also, the house margarita is only $ 3 on Taco Tuesday, so you can get your drink on without spending too much $$.
As for trivia, it was pretty darn hard! Maybe it was the lack of my own pop culture knowledge of anything before the 90s… It seems like there are a lot of regulars at this trivia. There were some older ladies that took home their answer sheets which is a pretty smart idea. The next time I come back for trivia, I’ll binge watch some movies from the 80s and hope I can get one question right :)

I haven’t been to Tower 13 since it was Yogis back in the day… Tonight, since the UFC fight was on, I figured let’s go check out Tower 13. Honestly, this location far exceeds that of the previous namesake. I really enjoyed the atmosphere, food, drinks and overall wait staff that was working on a Saturday night. Started off with lobster/​mangos as an appetizer, who would like that?! Had a buffalo chicken sandwich and a couple of local crafts while watching 2 guys beat each other in UFC. This is a great little spot to chill with friends, eat some really good food and catch a game/​fight.
Pros–
Great food
Beer selection
Service
Location
Promptness
Fresh food
Good meeting location
Right across from the beach
Cons–
Décor a little outdated
Crowded
Loud and tough to converse