Key & Cleaver is quickly becoming one of my favorite burger spots in Oceanside. Their $20 beer + grass-fed burger deal feels like a steal, but honestly I'd come back even without the deal because the burgers are just that good. Quality ingredients, great flavor, and consistently hits the spot. The only real challenge? Parking can be a little like a game of hide-and-seek on PCH. Thankfully, I've managed to find a spot on all three of my recent visits, so don't let that scare you away. Here's hoping Key & Cleaver sticks around for a long time--O'side needs more places like this. Side note- cute Highland cow decor everywhere! read more

We've been waiting for this space to fill ever since Breakwater went out in 2020 and we're now super happy Key and Cleaver is here! We've now eaten here twice and both times were a hit. The wait staff has been the same both times we've gone and they're always kind and attentive without making you feel rushed! We also love scooping the seats next to the open windows because it's been so nice to enjoy the summer air drifting through. The burgers are amazing and so filling, but we keep coming back for the fries. We think they use a larger vegetable slicer to peel the fries and you wind up with thick cut fries that are still crispy. The rosemary is subtle and the rock salt on them is 10/10. The aioli sauces are SO good too. This will be a new staple of ours for sure! read more

See all

Another local spot that was recommended to me, not far from the house...so I thought I'd give it a whirl. Arrived in the mid afternoon on a weekend - place had a few people but wasn't overly crowded. Nice seating area and bar space. Looked like they had some good beers on tap and specials to boot. I was greeted immediately, the staff was very friendly and helpful - even offered me water right away without my having to ask, which was nice because I was thirsty as hell (was hella muggy out). Decided to order takeout - a BBQ Bacon Cheese Burger, no bacon, cooked medium (as indicated in the menu). Food came in a timely manner, took my bag and split. When I got home (I live only a few minutes away), I opened the food container and tried the fries first. REALLY good, well seasoned - more like thick chips than traditional fries, which was good with me. The burger, however, was disappointing. The burger itself was was fresh but overcooked (more like MW+ than M - which bummed me out) AND they left off the grilled onions. I didn't bother to take it back - I was hungry and didn't feel like going out again at that point. Seemed odd to have messed up a pretty simple order considering it wasn't crowded when I went. So, to recap - good service, good fries but very underwhelming/disappointing burger. Decide for yourself. read more

What are you waiting for? This place has great food and a nice lineup of Tap beers. The wait staff is attentive without being overbearing. I had a black & blue with bacon added and tallow fries. Best fries I've ever had. My wife had the cobb salad. She enjoyed it. Key & Cleaver is a short walk from the beach! read more

Key and Cleaver - black & blue - Burgers Near Me - Oceanside , California

See all

If you like French Fries ( request the tallow fried) , this is definitely your place! Best fries I've had in a long time!!! The chicken sandwich was delicious too. Juicy chicken thigh fried up crispy on the outside. Pairs well with their SWELL brand Cola which is based locally in San Diego. Better than original Coke. The service is excellent. Jennifer gave us a friendly welcoming vibe. Very dog friendly too which is always a plus to me! I will definitely be back to try a burger. I'm sure my doggo will be begging me to return- lol. He loved your treats and all of the attention that you showered onto him! Oh yes, and there is a side patio too! read more

See all

This seems to be a popular local Oceanside spot for good quality burgers. We opted for the Cobb salad & grilled cheese sandwich this time as we weren't feeling like burgers which are tasty. The grilled cheese was O. K. You get to pick 2 cheeses for your sandwich. The Cobb salad was nice & loaded with goodness. We sealed the deal with a couple cold beers on draft which are all local sudsThe owner,Jennifer, was quite friendly and spent time visiting with her customers Street parking. Pet friendly. read more

See all

Key and Cleaver is a popular burger establishment that has made in presence in Downtown San Diego and is now in Downtown Oceanside. Key and Cleaver specializes in grass-fed, pasture-raised & grass-finished beef. They also have options to upgrade your bun into gluten-free and there's also a veggie garden burger too & it can be substituted to any flavor it appears. They take great pride in actually making sure that their meat is sourced from a local farm and their ingredients are fresh. They explained to me that some farms supply "grass fed" meat, but it's only for a period of time and not for the entire lifespan of the cow. They ensure that their meat has been entirely grass-fed & pasture-raised. They even brine their chicken thighs overnight and only cook them To-Order. This ensures that each one is juicy inside and crispy on the outside. As a matter of fact, their chicken sandwich is legendary and I one of the best I've had. The flavors outshined my burger! As for the establishment, they are in the former location of the Breakwater Brewing Company in Downtown Oceanside. They didn't change much to the interior, except for some minor decor. The seating is allocated to a few group tables in the rear, many duo high-tables on the side, one long bar to sit and also outside patio seating. Service was friendly and I am acknowledging they just opened today, so they are still training staff too. They currently have about half of their 30+ tap ready and this means they have the potential to carry many more beers, kombuchas & ciders. When their menu is updated a their tap is completed, I'll most likely update to 5 stars. Overall, I do like what Key and Cleaver bring to downtown Oceanside dining scene and I wouldn't classify them as "just another burger spot". They have a focus on providing a healthier option to the typical burger experience and I really like the option to upgrade items with beef tallow to enhance their flavors and having HOUSEMADE gluten-free sauces and bun options is a plus in my book! But you SERIOUSLY got to try their fried chicken sandwich with beef tallow rosemary fries! read more

See all

Great location, parking was easy on a mid day visit. Burgers were filling, flavorful and the potato wedges were on point too. Service was great and even though it seemed like a bar scene, they accommodated all my family members. Will swing by again when nearby. read more

Key and Cleaver - Medium mushroom Swiss burger - Burgers Near Me - Oceanside , California

See all

The burger and wings were excellent!! The burger was juicy and flavorful with a nice bun to meat ratio. The potato wedge fries were so good! The wings were nice and crispy on the outside and juicy inside with buffalo sauce and blue cheese sprinkled. The bartenders provided awesome service and were super friendly. read more

Key and Cleaver - Buffalo wings - Burgers Near Me - Oceanside , California

See all

Highlights: service, Jen was great! Food- menu has craft burgers and beers to match. A nice selection of alcoholic beers, ciders, seltzers and no -alcoholic kombuchas and Swell sodas. Loved the green wall and wood decor + TVs to watch the games. Will def be going back. All the burgers looked good, but they also have a burger of the month. Chicken and veggie + gluten free bun options are also available. They fries were cut and cooked like thick potatoes chips so good! All sauces are also made in house. We got the mushroom burger and the burger of the month. Can't wait to come back with pups! read more

Key and Cleaver - Burger of the month, South Coast Sauvignon Blanc, and Swell sodas - Burgers Near Me - Oceanside , California

See all

HOLY COW! My partner and I stopped here on a drive back to LA and it kinda changed our lives. I'm gluten free and not only do they have GF buns available but they can make almost any dish gluten free including the fried chicken sandwich, which is exactly what I got, and WOW! My partner got the double smash and this sweet man was trying not to cry after his first bite, it was that good. The upgrade to Beef tallow fries is worth every penny! Drinks were incredible (all GF drinks are on a designated tab and so cross-contamination doesn't happen) and Chris gave the best service around. May need to take a day trip back just for this place. We were starving so all I managed to snag was a photo of the drinks. Sorry the smell hit us when the food came and the animal inside took over. read more

Key and Cleaver - IPA and guava hard kombucha - Burgers Near Me - Oceanside , California

Burgers were delicious and service was wonderful. We had a great time. Would absolutely come back.

Came for the lunch special which was perfect...a smashed burger and a beer for $20. Loved it. It came with three different sauces to try, all of which are handmade. The garlic was my favorite but the chipotle was also fantastic (had a little kick and I don't even usually like chipotle) and the ranch was delicious. I loved the fries...thin fries with rosemary...I couldn't stop eating them, especially with all the sauces! The burger was great, just the perfect amount of saltiness and it was frankly more meat than I feel like I usually get with a smashed burger. They have five big TV's which all had the game on. About 35 beers on tap (I had the hefe), a burger of the month (this month is PB&J) and apparently they have happy hour SEVEN days a week which is not the easiest thing to find around here. The owner was very friendly and it was cool hearing that they are originally from Oceanside, opened the other Key and Cleaver in SD but wanted the second to be where they came from. Always so fun having locals own local spots...especially with so many of our OGs having to close due to cost increases. Highly recommend, the food was great, and it always feels good supporting fellow Osiders.. read more

See all

Good deal on a lunch special. $15 gets you a smashburger, fries, and a locally made craft soda. The portions were generous (especially the fries) and service was friendly and attentive. read more

Key and Cleaver - Lunch special - Burgers Near Me - Oceanside , California

Good food good people good times good drink. Everyday happy hour + lunch specials = unbeatable

Walked in in a warm Friday afternoon - had fun talking with the server (didn't catch his name). Ordered and received great service - after a small snafu the order (it happens), how they responded is what sets them apart -they completed our order as quickly as possible (Validating burgers are made to order!). Really good food (burgers, chk wings and Cobb salad). Nice selection of beer on tap. We will be back. read more

Really good hamburger with great flavor and quality ingredients. The Black and Blue burger. read more

Key and Cleaver - Black and Blue Burger - Burgers Near Me - Oceanside , California

Best burger in north county! And get the tallow fries. Been there at least 5 times since they opened a few months ago and it's been great every time. Great service, grass fed beef, and comfortable seating. read more

Key and Cleaver - Burger and tallow fries - Burgers Near Me - Oceanside , California

I'm glad that I gave this place a chance. Walking by, the menu looked extremely boring and basic but I flat-out asked one of the employees to tell me why I should eat lunch there and what's different about them and she gave me a passionate speech on the quality of the food and the "grass-fed grass-finished" beef that sold me. I ordered the black and blue burger cooked MEDIUM RARE and the texture of the patty was phenomenal. But I would honestly go back just for the unique shaved potato french fries and the dipping sauces. Only downside is if the weather is hot outside then it's going to be hot inside. They have a great beer menu as well, took my family back the following week and tried the special Greek burger that was also fantastic. read more

Tried this place out for lunch with the fam. Food was pretty good, service was great. We got burgers all around and they were flavorful and the portions were perfect. However, It was so hot inside the restaurant that we rushed to leave as soon as we were done eating. The windows and doors were wide open (which is usually nice by the beach) but on this in particular day it was so uncomfortable. There were 2-3 other parties dining while we were there, music was playing and TVs were on but muted. It felt very chill but lackluster. I know they just opened so giving them grace in my rating, but enhancing the ambience to feel more inviting and exciting has lots of much potential. read more

Great burger (and the only one I'll have). The beef is grass fed and grass finished and tastes so good!!! Fries can be cooked in tallow - love the healthier options and quality ingredients! read more

This is our first visit to this new restaurant. The staff were really friendly and attentive, clearly wanting to give a great experience. The physical restaurant is mostly the same as the previous tenant had it and has some obvious issues that I am surprised didn't get fixed before the launch of a new business. It's like they had zero capital to start the place, but even low cost repairs weren't made. Not a good sign. The food was ok, not good, not bad, just ok. Overall, using a baseball analogy, this place is a bunt. They didn't even try to swing, they are just doing the least to try to get on base. For me, there are much better options out there. read more

Key and Cleaver - Mushroom Swiss burger - Burgers Near Me - Oceanside , California

See all

Got the beef and blue with beef tallow and rosemary fries and dang the fries are cut differently than any place that I have been to, but tasted so darn good! Burger was juicy, sauces and everything blended great and would highly recommend. Glad this spot opened up after breakwater brewery closed down! Service was great too! read more

The burger and french fries were 8.2/10.0, will be returning! Compliments to whoever was in the kitchen yesterday afternoon!

Came there for lunch with the family. Had the smash burger and a beer special. Incredible!!! The burger wasn't heavy and the fries were absolutely addictive. The bartender gave great suggestions and it was awesome service. read more

Stopped in Oceanside to wait out the Southbound 5 traffic to San Diego and found this gem. The burgers were all cooked to perfection, the fries were literally otherworldly and the service was MAGNIFICENT! I also had the blueberry vanilla kambucha, don't miss this one. Will stop here again when doing this drive. read more

Best burger and fries I have had in many years Very high quality. Great selection of beers read more

Very impressed with this new spot. Love that they source local and their beef is grass fed. They will also use beef tallow for fries and wings on request. I had the black and blue burger....so delicious! It comes with these amazing rosemary fries and we tried a couple of the sauces they make in house, garlic aioli and chipotle, yummy! My husband had the wings and said they were delicious. Super welcoming staff, we met the owners Chris and Jennifer who were super friendly and excited to be in Oceanside. Great addition to the neighborhood, we will definitely be back! read more

The food was very good but the service was what we had an issue with. There was only one person to tend the bar and be server for the whole restaurant. While we were eating I saw 2 tables up and leave because they weren't getting any service. The one server was slow and seemed to feel no urgency to be on top of all the tables. Although he was nice, it wasn't very effficient and it affected our experience. Hope they get more staff in there! read more

I don't like to write bad reviews, but so many things wrong, I had too. First off, it was sooo hot. No A/C, but it was a hot day, so decided to stay. Ordered a fried chicken sandwich, chicken wings, kids burger, and my husband got a burger. The beer was warm, so I asked if they had cold, bottled beer. The server said it's hot out and the beer comes from the same tap room, so it is what it is. All the food came out at the same time. The chicken wings were barely cooked and the skin didn't even looked cooked. The chicken sandwich tasted like it came out of the garage and was black. I showed the server and she said they use chicken thigh, but not sure why it tasted so bad. The kids burger was undercooked and so greasy the bun disintegrated. Just bad all around. read more

Bravo ... The O'Side answer to Clara Peller's 1980's question ... "Where's the beef ?!" ... Be sure to upgrade your fries to beef tallow fries! read more

Not a bad place the food is alright but a little expensive for what you get. I suspect it won't be around in Oside that long. No introspection from manager on the 'all right food' to make it amazing but solidified the 'won't be around comment ' read more

Amazing burgers, amazing staff, amazing experience. Stopped by on a whim and glad we did. Super welcoming and they did everything they could to accommodate my wife, kids and myself; we really felt at home. Great sports bar ambience too! Will be back! read more

After several people recommended Key and Cleaver, my wife and I went there to have a couple of burgers. They were amazing! Perhaps, the best I've ever had in San Diego. We split a smash burger and a black and blue burger. Both were cooked as requested (medium rare) and were absolutely delicious!!! And don't get me started about those fries...We will be returning again and again. We happily recommend Key and Cleaver to anyone that loves a great burger. read more

Very Delicious burger! Not a smash burger either, but a fatty burger that is pink inside for real burger fans!!! Beer and fries were bomb as well. Staff was also very personable and I will definitely be back. Thank you Key and Cleaver team for a great time!! read more

Food quality is stellar here! Fried chicken sandwich was literally bigger than my head. Staff was super friendly. The burger beef is free range and delicious! Super juicy and flavorful. The owner puts so much thought into the burger of the week and it not just the standard. Big beer selection. So happy we stopped to check it o read more

Key and Cleaver - Black and blue with the fried chicken option. You can get it as a burger or veggie burger too. - Burgers Near Me - Oceanside , California

Excellent Food and service. Menu is basic but has enough options. We will definitely be back!!

Just tried K&C last night. Fantastic Food and Super Service. Loved this cozy place and will be back again soon!

Food was fabulous! Service was fast, efficient and super helpful. Wings were great. We had the smash burger, bbq burger and fried chicken burger- all were fabulous! The brownie sundae was a showstopper. The ambiance is really fun. We will definitely be back! Would be great for a date night or hang out with family and friends. All around such a wonderful addition for Oceanside! read more

I love the quality of their food. I ordered the burger of the month "The Pig + Thistle" and it exceed my expectations. It was so good and their french fries are delicious with hint of rosemary seasoning. Im a picky eater this place was great. Even my raspberry cider was so good. My husband got the black and bleu burger and he liked it very much. The waitresses were very attentive. Great service.I highly recommend this place. read more