Hangar Cafe is a hidden gem right on the tarmac at Chandler Municipal Airport where you can watch the planes land and take off as you have a bite to eat.
It doesn’t get much better!
Fun place for people of all ages, even if you are a flight enthusiast. Yep, from toddlers to teens to seniors, everyone enjoys the close up of the planes.
This is your chance to actually walk inside the hanger. You get to see planes that are part of the flight school and other planes the mechanics are working on for their customers.
You can’t touch the customer planes but you can take a look inside the older flight school planes. The outsides are made of fabric as planes used to be so they are very easy to break.
You’re welcome to look in but they ask you do not touch or climb on the planes.Â
The gentleman there was very nice. He offered to take pictures of us as a family and also answer any questions any of us has.
When the kids didn’t have any questions, he asked about what they saw that was interesting and then proceeded to show them more interesting things about the plane.Â
MORE NEARBY FUN: 35 Things to Do in Chandler AZ: Best Fun Attractions & Options
He also let the kids climb up on one of the planes to see the inside of the seats only on a designated stepping area.
It was neat for the kids to go inside the hanger and saw men pushing a plane in the parking lot on the other side. The nice thing when you go is different things can be happening and different planes can be in the hanger.
Right next to the Hanger is Hanger Cafe. This is one of the best breakfast places in Chandler. There serve breakfast and lunch and are open from 7am – 2pm daily. They have an outdoor seating area that gives you a front row seat to the airport.
Inside there are dozens of model planes hanging fro the ceiling.
There is also a patio upstairs which is really nice. From right outside the restaurant there are stairs that lead up to an observation deck.
They just don’t serve food up here so it’s possible to get the space to yourself especially if you go during the week. Sometimes the food at great attractions isn’t well, great, but that isn’t the case at Hanger Cafe.Â
The is a casual, family run, american style restaraunt
You don’t have to eat at the cafe to watch the planes. You can park and walk to the hanger or see the planes from outside the fence next to the parking lot.
In front of the hanger you will see the airplane gas station. We saw a fuel truck fill up the tanks and watched a couple planes pull into the station for fuel.
While there are no formal tours, you can go in and see what the mechanics are working on.
How Much Does it Cost?
It’s completely free to come by and watch the planes. If you want to eat and watch, you’ll obviously need to purchase food and drink at the Hangar Cafe.
Breakfast prices range from $7 – $13 and lunch prices range from $10 – $12.
When to Go
Hangar Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch from 7am – 2pm seven days a week, so if you plan to eat, go earlier in the day.
Otherwise, visit by 5pm before the Hangar closes.
Getting There
Hangar Cafe is located in the Chandler Municipal Airport at 1725 E Ryan Road in Chandler Arizona.
Once you enter the airport, follow the signs to Hangar Cafe. Note: you cannot view the cafe from the road.
The road will curve towards the right and the sign will tell you to go straight. Don’t curve with the road, instead stay straight and head towards the parking lot. The airport fence will be on your left.
Where to Park
There is a small parking lot before and next to the entrance of the Hanger and the cafe. The parking lot isn’t huge so it can easily get full on the weekends.
Things to Do Near Hangar Cafe
Looking for more fun things to do near Hangar Cafe in Chandler? Here are few good options:
- Play at the brand new Lantana Ranch Park playground located at S McQueen Rd & E Appleby Rd (5 minutes)
- Visit Playtopia at Tumbleweek park (3 minutes)
- Go to the free Chandler Museum (12 minutes)
- Climb aboard the trains at Arizona Railway Museum (5 minutes)
- Get your jumps in at Big Air Trampoline Park (9 minutes)
