When Jennipher Hager and Chris Dainty opened Key & Cleaver in 2023, they had one goal in mind: great, locally-sourced food and drinks at affordable prices. They kept their word. Their beef comes from Perennial Pastures Ranch in Santa Ysabel, all craft beer and burger buns are made in San Diego, and most of their spirits are local. Even their location in City Heights is local.
“We live two blocks from it,” laughs Dainty.
But come December, they’ll expand to another corner of the county, opening a second Key & Cleaver in the former Breakwater Brewing location in Oceanside. O’side beckoned for a couple of reasons—yes, the north county city’s food scene is booming with new pizza joints, a Michelin star at Valle, and a wildly ambitious Chinese concept from ex-Addison chefs—but also because they needed a second location to be able to survive at all.
“It’s gotten to a point where we need to expand if we’re going to keep this thing going,” says Dainty, pointing to factors like the city of San Diego’s necessary, but disruptive street repairs to University Avenue that took over a year longer than expected. He estimates the construction cost them 40 percent of their business, but with a solid concept in hand, they knew it was more a matter of when they could find another spot they could afford rather than if they should grow.
“We don’t have huge resources like a lot of other restaurant companies do,” he says. But what Dainty and Hager do have are decades of experience in the hospitality industry between the two of them. Plus, the Oceanside space came at the right time in the right place for the right price with the right amount of potential customers. “You have a thousand hotel rooms in walking distance,” he says. “How do you say no to that?”
Everything will feel pretty much the same as the original Key & Cleaver space in terms of the burger-centric menu and casual vibe, but on one floor rather than two as in City Heights. Most of the spot faces the 101 with rolling garage door windows, and a side outdoor patio along Seagaze Drive adds a bit of an ocean view.
“Our biggest thing is everybody is welcome and it’s always going to be comfortable,” Hager promises.
But the other biggest thing is that the burger is still going to be top-notch. “I truly believe we have the best burger in San Diego,” says Dainty. “And I’ll stand by that.”
Key & Cleaver Oceanside opens December 2025 at 101 N. Coast Highway, Suite C140.
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Join Beth & Local Cider Makers For A Night of Cider Celebration At Cellar Hand
Yes, it’s a bit of shameless self-promotion, but only because I’m on an endless quest to convince all of you that cider is the future. And I can prove my theory on Saturday, November 15 at Cellar Hand in Hillcrest, when I’ll join four of San Diego’s best cider makers—Serpentine Cider, Calico Cidery, Raging Cider & Mead, and Oddish Wine—for Orchard to Table, a one-night flight of ciders paired with special selections by executive chef Ashley McBrady. Grab a flight of four for $20 and see why we’re all so passionate about these pome fruits. (Editor’s note: You can buy Beth’s book she wrote on cider here).
Beth’s Bites
- I’ll admit I’m more of a coffee drinker than tea aficionado, but I’m always game to learn something new. Inochi Tea House is a Japanese-style tea house coming to Mission Hills next year, bringing tea ceremonies and a membership club to those interested in diving deeper into the practice.
- Lots of people lamented the closure of La Posta de Acapulco’s #8 in Hillcrest, under the signature zig-zag lattice along Washington Street at the corner of Third Avenue. The unassuming taco shop had served thousands of late-night tacos, quesadillas, and burritos for decades, but word on the street is that it will soon come back to life as Crest Tacos—not the same beloved nostalgia, but at the very least, I’m hopeful it’ll be a worthy replacement.
- If you were hoping to catch a glimpse of the elusive green flash from George’s at the Cove’s Ocean Terrace rooftop in the near future, you’re going to have to put those plans on (temporary) hold or find a different venue. The La Jolla restaurant is closing its rooftop dining area and bar from November 10 through mid-January for a total remodel, but will add lunch and dinner service to the lower-level dining room to help make up for it (as well as keeping regular dining hours at Level2). The lower-level dining room will also offer prix fixe dinners for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, so there are still plenty of opportunities to dine in different areas of the restaurant during the coming months.
Listen Now: The Latest in San Diego’s Food and Drink Scene
Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].
