{"id":372246,"date":"2025-11-11T19:52:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T19:52:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/372246\/"},"modified":"2025-11-11T19:52:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T19:52:11","slug":"burger-joint-key-cleaver-opening-second-location-in-oceanside","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/372246\/","title":{"rendered":"Burger Joint Key & Cleaver Opening Second Location in Oceanside"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Jennipher Hager and Chris Dainty opened Key & Cleaver<\/a> 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<\/a> 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<\/a> is local.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe live two blocks from it,\u201d laughs Dainty.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But come December, they\u2019ll expand to another corner of the county, opening a second Key & Cleaver in the former Breakwater Brewing location in Oceanside<\/a>. O\u2019side beckoned for a couple of reasons\u2014yes, the north county city\u2019s food scene is booming with new pizza joints<\/a>, a Michelin star at Valle<\/a>, and a wildly ambitious Chinese concept<\/a> from ex-Addison chefs\u2014but also because they needed a second location to be able to survive at all.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s gotten to a point where we need to expand if we\u2019re going to keep this thing going,\u201d says Dainty, pointing to factors like the city of San Diego\u2019s necessary, but disruptive street repairs<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have huge resources like a lot of other restaurant companies do,\u201d 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. \u201cYou have a thousand hotel rooms in walking distance,\u201d he says. \u201cHow do you say no to that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Everything will feel pretty much the same as the original Key & Cleaver space in terms of the burger-centric menu<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur biggest thing is everybody is welcome and it\u2019s always going to be comfortable,\u201d Hager promises.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But the other biggest thing is that the burger is still going to be top-notch. \u201cI truly believe we have the best burger in San Diego<\/a>,\u201d says Dainty. \u201cAnd I\u2019ll stand by that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Key & Cleaver Oceanside opens December 2025 at 101 N. Coast Highway, Suite C140. <\/p>\n

\"FoodPhoto Credit: Kimberly Motos<\/p>\n

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events<\/p>\n

Join Beth & Local Cider Makers For A Night of Cider Celebration At Cellar Hand<\/p>\n

Yes, it\u2019s a bit of shameless self-promotion, but only because I\u2019m on an endless quest to convince all of you that cider is the future<\/a>. And I can prove my theory on Saturday, November 15 at Cellar Hand<\/a> in Hillcrest, when I\u2019ll join four of San Diego\u2019s best cider makers<\/a>\u2014Serpentine Cider, Calico Cidery, Raging Cider & Mead, and Oddish Wine\u2014for Orchard to Table<\/a>, 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\u2019re all so passionate about these pome fruits. (Editor\u2019s note: You can buy Beth\u2019s book she wrote on cider here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

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Beth\u2019s Bites<\/p>\n