The Famous High Pie at the Top Gun House — Local services in Oceanside

I recently had the pleasure of visiting High Pie, a coffee and pie restaurant located in the historic Top Gun house in Oceanside. As someone who is sensitive to gluten, I was thrilled to discover that all of the items on the menu at High Pie are gluten-free. This is a rarity in the world of baked goods and coffee, so I was very excited to give this restaurant a try.

The location of this restaurant is simply unbeatable, with a stunning view of the ocean and the Oceanside pier directly across the street. We decided to sit on the patio to take in the incredible view, and it was definitely worth it. The restaurant operates on a self-serve model, with a variety of coffee and pie options available for purchase at the counter. I decided to go with a "cup of Joe," which was their version of a quick coffee, and it was delicious. It was also incredibly affordable, with a price of just $1. My girlfriend ordered a small square of their cherry pie, which was packaged in a box and ready to go. Despite the packaging, the pie was still incredibly delicious. The crust was flaky and buttery, and the filling was sweet and perfectly tart.

Despite the self-serve model, the staff at High Pie were still incredibly friendly and helpful. They were available to answer any questions we had and made sure that we had everything we needed throughout our visit. The restaurant itself is located within a historic building that is known as the Top Gun house, where the original Top Gun movie was filmed. This added to the overall ambiance of the restaurant, and it was fun to be dining in such a unique and memorable location.

Overall, I have to say that High Pie is a fantastic restaurant that I would highly recommend to anyone visiting the Oceanside area, especially those who are sensitive to gluten. The location is unbeatable, with a stunning view of the ocean, and the food and service are both top-notch. Whether you're in the mood for a quick coffee or a delicious slice of pie, High Pie has something for everyone, and I can't wait to...

Overall, my visit here was disappointing. I should have known better when I walked up and noticed that they seemed to be promoting their Top Gun legacy more than their products. A bad premonition. Anyway, for starters, this isn’t like going to Marie Calendars or the Julian Pie shop. No 9-inch round fruit confections that you buy by the whole or the slice. To be fair, I knew that going in, I’d read that somewhere this was not pie by the slice. What I was expecting was hand pies. You know them, you’d recognize them instantly in a vending machine with a Hostess Pie wrapper. That’s a hand pie. I’m talking the original Hostess Pie, not the new snack size. Anyway, when I walked in and saw them for the first time, it was a total let down. These were not hand pies, these were finger pies. Like a ravioli. (No idea how these compare to the Hostess snack size pies, never had one.) Bummed, I figured I was here, should try them anyway. Got an apple and a cherry. First comment: Don’t like the crust, just doesn’t taste great to me. (I know that is personal preference.) Second, and to their credit, they are stuffed with real fruit. That is good. (I’m pretty sure Hostess pie fillings are more related to Jello than to fruit.) Next, however, is the fruit to crust ratio – which is wrong – too much crust, not enough fruit. Unfortunately, I think that is just the way it has to be with something this small. Again, pining for something bigger. Pies are supposed to be mostly fruit filling. As a final comment, I think they are overpriced for what you get. I wanted a different ending, but these are not the pies I’m looking...

I have always heard about High Pie and follow them on social media and when I found out we had a parking space and were in the area of course we had to go check it out!

The house itself is iconic and there are a few landmark signs around. As soon as you walk up towards the front door you see a replica of the cycle Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis famously ride along the Oceanside beach to the house. Lots of photo ops and interesting info around. Loved the pic of Goose and Ice Man inside where you pick up your pies.

Pies are $3 each and flavors available today we're cherry, blueberry, and seasonal (lemon and peach). There are even dipping sauces and an ala mode option. We opted for a dozen pies which was about $34 and two sides of lemon curd ($2/each). We got a variety of apple, lemon, and peach pies. The apple pie was tasty when warm, the peach was so good (even cold) and the lemon was super tart and refreshing.

At first it seemed a bit pricey but well worth the price. The crust is buttery and flaky and the hand held mini pies are stuffed with filling. The atmosphere is neat, there are a few seats indoors and plenty of seating outside. The staff was friendly enough and the wait time from ordering to getting pies and coffee was fairly quick. I would for sure stop by if in the area, it's a great local piece of San Diego...