As soon as we walked in, ai believe we were greeted by the wife of the owner Jennifer. She was very welcoming and knowledgeable of the menu. The menu was short and well designed. They have monthly specials and happy hour from 4 to 6pm. Decore and ambiance was nice, we came before dinner, but usually when we drive by it's packed. Only issue was my husband's order was incorrect and ahe immediately tried to rectify it. Great service and great place to dine in. We'll be back!

Chef John is great everything he makes from the bbq bacon to the blue cheeseburger is phenomenal

Small spot with a big bar and about five tables, all full when we arrived. Great decor and strong AC. The menu features various burgers, including seasonal specials. My husband got the Black & Blue Burger, and I had the Swiss Mushroom Burger. The guy taking our order was confident, highlighting their local ingredients - beef from Julian, buns from La Jolla, and homemade sauces. I ordered my burger well-done, expecting it to be dry, but it was surprisingly juicy! The wait was about 20 minutes, but totally worth it. The portions were big, and my burger had mushrooms and garlic cream sauce--so delicious, I finished every bite. My husband loved his too, saying it's one of the best burgers in San Diego. Even the fries were unique, somewhere between fries and wedges. Highly recommend!

Great service!! The best fries I have ever had!! That's not even an exaggeration!! Everything tasted fresh!

Okay, this review is super late, but my coworkers and I randomly picked the closest spot for lunch and ended up at Key & Cleaver. With 5 stars on Yelp, we had to check out their spot. The lady who served us (pretty sure she's the owner) was so accommodating--especially with my childish coworkers who always got jokes--and she delivered top-notch service with a smile. I talked everyone into trying the Pacific Island-inspired food, and it did not disappoint. We all ordered the Loco Moco from the lunch menu, and let me tell you, we inhaled every bite. It came with white rice, a burger patty, gluten-free gravy, and a fried egg on top. The sauce? Incredible. The quality of the beef was spot on, and the flavors were just out of this world. We loved the food, the service, and the vibe of the place--it's got a really aesthetically pleasing setup. Parking was a bit rough, but that's pretty much expected everywhere these days. I'm definitely coming back to try their burgers and beer. They had an awesome beer list, but sadly, I was on my lunch break and couldn't indulge. Next time for sure! For photos - Do empty plates count? Yeah, we all couldn't wait another second for meal pictures. That's how good it was!

Love there food always leave there place very satisfied I order there smashed burger with lemonade and got to add that chocolate brownie with ice cream in my order I brought my little one and they offered him fruit love it and recommend

Wow. Just WOW. This place doesn't have all 5 stars for nothing... After reading the Yelp reviews I was excited to try the spicy margarita and it did not disappoint my husband had them too and agreed, amazing. He got the smash burger & I got the BBQ Bacon cheeseburger (pictured). The burgers? Phenomenal. The rosemary fries? UNREAL. The service was stellar and it was awesome to learn how focused on local they are - the meat is local, the beer on tap is all local, and a large part of their liquor is from San Diego businesses as well. We love to see it. We went for lunch but learned they have all kinds of events (trivia, painting, karaoke) and will definitely be back for dinner sometime. Menu is simple but delicious. Cannot recommend highly enough! Go here! Make the trip even if it's not super convenient from your house. You will not be disappointed

Wow, our friends live in the neighborhood and they wanted to take us to their favorite spot in City Heights. We were impressed with Chris the owner/bartender. He was super friendly, had great energy and was willing to make specialty cocktails based on our preferences. All the cocktails were super delicious! I had the black and blue burger with the rosemary salted fries. Excellent and the fries were out of this world. There were no crumbs left on my plate. The restaurant was super cute and loved the upstairs rooftop deck. The air conditioning felt cool and we were able to watch the Olympics on the multiple screens they have behind the bar. Can't wait to go back!

Hidden gem in the mid city/city heights. My friend introduced me to this place. Once you walk in, you feel like you're in a different area; compared to the outside of this place LOL. I want to keep this place all to myself but I have to share. It's a small establishment with a bar, dining area and a rooftop lounge. I love that it is family friendly. Very nice, friendly and helpful crew Jasmine, Jennifer and Chris. We sat down and ordered a few drinks. My friend ordered some beer/IPA and I ordered Spicy Margarita (Serrano infused real del valle, triple sec, house made margarita mix, black charcoal salted rum). It was soooo delicious! I had to go for seconds , it is a spicy drink. I usually don't order spicy drink but this drink blew my mind; it was quite tasty. We also ordered some burgers. I ordered the black & blue burger: it was blackened seasoned beef patty, topped with blue cheese crumbles & buffalo sauce. On the side it had lettuce, tomatoes, onion and pickles. My friend ordered the burger of the month which was the "Pastramarami" which had beef patty, provolone cheese, sauerkraut and brown mustard. Both were cooked medium and burger meals came with a side of fries. We both liked our burgers. It was very fresh, the ingredients and fries were cooked perfectly. Burgers had lots of flavors. The Pattie's are from the Perennial Pastures ranch in North county and grass fed. The fries are insane, crispy, flavorful and compliments the burgers. Street parking is only available and very limited. I will definitely be back.

My daughter was craving a burger and found this place right near her house. Located on busy section of University Ave, finding parking is the hardest part.of trying out this hidden gem. When you enter from the cracked sidewalks of this impoverished community you are transported to a clean garden like environment. It's amazing what the wall of ivy does for this place. I also wanted to note how clean the bathroom was and stocked with high quality feminine hygiene products, how very thoughtful! We were treated and seated immediately by a Uber friendly man. Although we were impressed with the excellent variety of beer taps we stuck with water. We ordered our burgers and it came out rather quickly. Although the buns felt a little small, the burgers were plump and juicy...much thicker than your typically find and perfectly cooked. Although they were under-seasoned, you got to taste the beef which was a very nice locally sourced grass fed beef! Say that in one breath! The garlic aoli was fantastic with a nice hit of garlic. We both enjoyed our blue cheese and mushroom Swiss burgers so both get our recommendations. I hate to say it, but the star of the show was the rosemary french fries. They are perfectly crisp and perfectly seasoned. They were kind to bring extra sauces without us asking so that we could try on or burger or fries but I preferred THESE fries without anything, and I'm a big fry dipper! Key & Cleaver is a fantastic find in City Heights. This is my favorite stop for a classic burger thus far in my San Diego adventures.