The local restaurant, known for its commitment to San Diego-sourced ingredients and hospitality-driven service, has applied for a Type 41 Beer & Wine license for its upcoming outpost in the prominent space that formerly housed Breakwater Brewing Company.
Co-owners Jennipher Hager and Christopher Dainty launched the original Key & Cleaver in April 2023, transforming the former Brooklyn Bar building in City Heights into a welcoming neighborhood hangout. Hager, formerly Assistant General Manager at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in Escondido, and Dainty, who previously managed Wonderland Ocean Pub in Ocean Beach, built the brand around a simple yet deliberate mission: local sourcing, quality craftsmanship, and genuine hospitality.
Key & Cleaver’s menu is anchored by its acclaimed burgers made with regeneratively raised beef from Perennial Pastures Ranch near Julian. The buns are supplied by a La Jolla bakery, and the 16 rotating draft handles feature locally brewed beers, ciders, and kombuchas, alongside a bar stocked exclusively with San Diego-made spirits. Popular menu items include the BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger, Swiss Mushroom Burger, and a Burger of the Month, as well as chicken sandwiches, grilled cheese, and wings fried in beef tallow.
The forthcoming Oceanside location is expected to embrace the same ethos, pairing the brand’s community-focused approach with a larger coastal footprint. While an opening date has not yet been announced, Key & Cleaver’s expansion marks another boost to Oceanside’s growing food and beverage scene, which has drawn a wave of independent operators in recent years. The restaurant’s new home is just blocks from the beach, making it an ideal fit for the city’s evolving mix of local craft and laid-back surf culture.
Key & Cleaver is expected to open in 2026 at 401 Mission Avenue, Suite C140, in San Diego's North County city of Oceanside. For more information, visit keyandcleaver.com.
Co-owners Jennipher Hager and Christopher Dainty launched the original Key & Cleaver in April 2023, transforming the former Brooklyn Bar building in City Heights into a welcoming neighborhood hangout. Hager, formerly Assistant General Manager at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in Escondido, and Dainty, who previously managed Wonderland Ocean Pub in Ocean Beach, built the brand around a simple yet deliberate mission: local sourcing, quality craftsmanship, and genuine hospitality.
Key & Cleaver’s menu is anchored by its acclaimed burgers made with regeneratively raised beef from Perennial Pastures Ranch near Julian. The buns are supplied by a La Jolla bakery, and the 16 rotating draft handles feature locally brewed beers, ciders, and kombuchas, alongside a bar stocked exclusively with San Diego-made spirits. Popular menu items include the BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger, Swiss Mushroom Burger, and a Burger of the Month, as well as chicken sandwiches, grilled cheese, and wings fried in beef tallow.
The forthcoming Oceanside location is expected to embrace the same ethos, pairing the brand’s community-focused approach with a larger coastal footprint. While an opening date has not yet been announced, Key & Cleaver’s expansion marks another boost to Oceanside’s growing food and beverage scene, which has drawn a wave of independent operators in recent years. The restaurant’s new home is just blocks from the beach, making it an ideal fit for the city’s evolving mix of local craft and laid-back surf culture.
Key & Cleaver is expected to open in 2026 at 401 Mission Avenue, Suite C140, in San Diego's North County city of Oceanside. For more information, visit keyandcleaver.com.
Originally published on October 30, 2025.
