Elite Event: Sausagefest At Salt & Cleaver

Such a fan of this little place!
If only parking wasnt such a nightmare in hillcrest.
Awesome service, great sausages and drinks.
Located in a great area, one of the best elite events in a long time.
Check out the photos i posted!

Soooo… this is event 2 in 2 days for me… score! All I can say is Brad is rad. Yeah, I’m just corny enough to be dangerous.
This is the first event where I actually tasted everything!!! Except the veggie option/​sausage alternative-​I ain’t about that life. ;-)
I loved that I didn’t feel like I had to fight for food this time — throwin’ bows is so unladylike.
The staff was super nice and accommodating, the conversation was stimulating and Jack M. was the best at snagging sausages for everyone within arms reach.
The chef gave me his Unilocal shades and a hug after we dished about his sausage creation that almost won a contest… I love chefs.
And, I love these events. Met a few new folks, chatted it up with a couple of vets and took some cool pics with Jazmine C.
Very cool night, indeed.

Salt & Clever is a fantastic new sausage bar in the heart of Hill Crest.
I could see this as a top destination to watch any sport game… NFL or what ever you prefer. Have a few delicious sausage sandwiches and excellent fries and a few beers to pull it all together.
Owners Aiden, Ace, and Chief/​Owner Carlos have come together to create great tasting sausage dishes that bring a great punch of taste to your palate/​taste buds and goes great with beer and wine.
Unilocal Elites were invited to come in and sample some delicious dishes. To name a few –Duck, Duck, PIG! IPA Bratwurst, Pork Belly, and the one that really stood out the most Rib eye Sausage!
I would suggest this great new place to anyone. A unique place in a great location!
Another excellent Unilocal Elite Event Brad! Thanks for the invite.

I know this is a bit late, but this was a super cool event! I love it because I live a few blocks away and was able to drink massive amounts and walk home!
Brad, again threw a really great Unilocal event. My roommates and I always walked by this place and say «we’ll try this one day» and what do you know? A Unilocal event came up. I told them I’ll do and try it and report back to them… and which I did, I might have drunk slurred back to them…“something something, great sausages” lol. But really, drunk or sober, they sure had unique sausages! From lobster sausage, rib eye, italian, to the really spicy mango one was all so good! I really had no idea that sausages can come in so much more flavors and sizes :) A great contemporary outlook to sausages!
The owner, Gaylen was awesome! He was serving and taking shots with Unilocalers! He was so cool, just to see how down to earth he was is a big plus! My roommates (3 dudes) and I will be returning for some more sausagefest… as if there isn’t enough in Hillcrest… lol

Brad B. hit a slam-​dunk here. It’s events like these that really clear the fog away to reveal the kind of craftsmanship and creativity really going on in SD’s gastropub community. Increasingly, craft-​sausage making seems to be taking hold among start-​ups right alongside craft-​brewing, which, in this carnivore’s opinion is match made in meat heaven. Amen.
This is a great place to take a date for a light snack and a flavorful beer or cocktail. Try the California Collins or the Moonshine Mule over a plate of RibEye or PorkBelly sausage. I mean doesn’t that just drip SEXY? I wanna eat it and make out with it at the same time.
If you’re date is vegetarian, remember bacon/​pork is the gateway meat. Look him/​her in the eyes and reassure them this dietary decision is better for the world.

For not really being a Sausage afficionado, I still absolutely LOVED these. Lobster? Chcicken mango (Sans serranos!)? duck duck pig? YES please!
The owners truly made a huge effort to display all of their best stuff– including the cucumber «fries» which were not fried, YAY! As much as I love french fries (though you have to really like pepper to eat a whole bag of theirs), I like healthy food options a great deal. The sausages themselves were not overly greasy like most and they had SO much flavor. Everyone was extremely nice and I was very impressed with the owners doing SO much all night.
Thanks Brad and S&C!

It was a big event! Small location. Very intimate, I liked it!
Salt and Cleaver is special! They had variety of sausages, mango chicken, rib eye, duck pig, lobster, IPA bratwurst. Among my favorites were the rib eye, and the duck pig, so juicy and flavorful. Food was coming out from the kitchen non-​stop, I got really full from sampling a small bite of each kind of sausage. Drinks were awesome, there were different kinds of IPAs on tap, went very well with the sausages.
Thank you Brad and the crew for such an amazing event!

Fresh meat Elite over here, & this was my VERY FIRST event so granted I was a bit nervous since I couldn’t bring a +1 to manually attach to my hip for the night ! Luckily even without knowing a single soul, I toned down my awkwardness & made friends… with anyone who wanted to share food with me ! Just kidding, everyone was chatty & SO friendly I instantly felt welcome (Karen L., Kelsey W., Grace B. among many others). & Of course we all bonded over the magical stuffed casings of MEAT ! I’ve had my fair share of sausages (there’s hardly a way for me to write this without it being misconstrued somehow) & I have to say the quality and variety here is unparalleled ! My favorites were the rib eye, mild Italian, pork belly… Ok maybe all of them. I’ll say it once, I friggin love sausage.
The chef & owners were ever so gracious and were running back & forth all night to keep our insatiable appetites at bay. The energy & passion they have for their food was honestly what made this event worthy of an ‘Elite’ title & I think it was amazing to be a part of the early stages of their restaurant dream coming true. THANK YOU BRAD for organizing a memorable first YEE that remained enjoyable from start to finish ! Or shall I say, exponentially enjoyable — beginners luck helped me win the raffle for the Padres vs Giants tailgate pack ! & If the food wasn’t good enough, chocolate PB brownie was a surprise at the end, served by Chef Carlos himself. You guys sure know the way to a girl’s heart. Can’t wait for the next one !

Great location, lively, trendy atmosphere, superstar service, and tasty food. Salt & Cleaver did a great job of keeping the drinks pouring, and the food flowing. I loved the varieties of sausages they had to offer– some of these were really creative! I had never had lobster sausage until I came to this event– they were super juicy, and there were big, visible chunks of lobster with every bite. My favorite taste-​wise was probably the duck, duck, pig. The duck on top was the best part– crispy and salty, but the sausage was also very flavorful.
What a warm welcome we received to this event– the owners and chef were very kind and friendly. I wish them well on their new journey!

I can barely fit their juicy sausages in my mouth, blasting with flavor. Thick, long piece of tasty sausage complete with some white, creamy, and slightly salty topping? YES PLEASE. ‘Twas my favorite.
In all seriousness, the sausage consisted of tasty pieces of ribeye steak with brussel sprouts and organic goat cheese. Goat cheese on ANYTHING is already a winner. You can bet I went back for thirds.
The chicken sausage topped with mango was spicy. Oh, but it was a gooooood burn.
Never again will I look at a sausage the same again…
Nice venue, albeit a bit warm. The A/​C wasn’t working, but we definitely cooled down when mingling with other elites near the patio. The staff were quick to keep us well fed, and the owners were very friendly! I’m interested in checking out their happy our as well as their brunch once that’s set up.
Good food, great staff, good LAWD let’s Meat!

The event was a truly open experience. In most Unilocal Elite Events, you tend to worry about several things, the space, the people and the business. In all three categories, Salt & Cleaver and the Unilocal Elites excelled.
I won’t say that there was no hitch in the initial stages of the event. A new restaurant, some hungry Unilocalers and a smaller space. Our hosts were kind to provide some sides for people to start their evening with. Drinks were not a problem as the flow went smoothly. The names of the various sausages offered by our hosts were placed on the wall for perusal.
What made this event great is the eventual blend of great hosts, well behaved Unilocalers and great flow of food and drink. Others will tell you more about the sausages but most are self-​explanatory in their menus. Some of the sausages work better than others, some will be very tempting and delicious to some and others would say no thanks.
I think in any business you can’t guarantee all your products are perfect or will satisfy everybody. I do think that one thing that stands out about the Salt & Cleaver owners and their cute staff is there willingness to please. As part of that process of improving their product, they asked us to provide what was not working or what would you like to see. In order for a business to succeed, it needs to be flexible and accommodating to what the customer says.
And I am referring more about the food and drinks rather than pricing. As everybody knows, there is a bottom line on how you need to price your product to make your business viable, but if you please your Customers with your food, drink and service, you gain a loyal base.
Truly a wonderful evening.
Congratulations Chef Carlos Sanmartano and owners Galen Zanetakos on your restaurant!
II will truly recommend your new place to my Sausage loving (hungry) friends and their families. And hope and wish you true success. Can’t wait til brunch and special evenings happen. For now, we will have to be happy with HAPPY HOURs.

Rid-​oink-​ulously delicious! Soo-​ey!
The «protected» sausages (sausages with toppings that cannot be changed or substituted), served with great zeal by the owner, are, in a word, GRAND.
Duck-​Duck-​Pig, Lobster Roulade, and Rib Eye sausage creations were wonderful — a crazy mix of flavors. Look up the descriptions on the website.
Other a la carte sausages, toppings, and sauces are available from which you can create your own masterpieces.
Port Wipeout IPA — an excellent brew to accompany the lot!
THANKS very much for a great time!

I can’t remember the last time I had eaten so many sausages…
1990: Hot dog eating contest during Boy Scout Summer camp?
1994: The year Costco opened in my hometown and discovered the $ 1.50 Costco special?
2002: The first Pride festival I attended while visiting San Francisco.
2009: That time I got really drunk and wandered into The Eagle?
And now I can add Unilocal Event Sausagefest at Salt & Cleaver! I’m only 49% Homosexual, but the owners Aiden, Ace, Carlos are cute and «Hot Stuff», and they got thick, juicy, and delicious sausages!!! And brownies
I think I may have just crossed over to 51%…

Sometimes words cannot describe… and
Just when you think, I mean really believe that a Unilocal Elite events cannot get any better, well along comes a clever with some sensual salt to make you a believer. If you were one of the lucky ones to experience this event, at Salt and Clever, it was one that, will leave the rest of the future events grasping to mimic.
The event was not only filled with top notch Elite Unilocalers with grand standing personalities, but spot on and top notch employees that welcomed ever Unilocaler with hospitality and warmth. Annie thank you for your wonderful smile and service, Luke for you inspiring personality, and Natalie for your sincerity and patience throughout the evening. We were greatly impressed and appreciative. I remember Chef Carlos worrying and mentioning, how concern he was about the frequency and amount of food, that was leaving the kitchen, in a timely manner. Immediately, what came to mine was the amount of pressure and sincere concern he enveloped within him for us. That alone speaks volumes to what was put forth to make this event so successful. Thank you chef Carlos Sanmartano. You are a true professional.
There was another star this evening, and this evening it was all about the sausage. From the luscious Rib Eye Sausage (
) and the heart warming Duck. Duck. Pig Sausage. How could you go wrong. Then there was the Lobster Roulade Sausage (
) that princess Shirley could not wait to get her hands on. So much so, that one of the owners made her a special drink for making her wait. (
) All three sausages were absolutely wonderful. Then again, the Mango Chicken was an absolute fire ball in your mouth, in a good way, of course, (
) and the Faceless Vegetarian would of made any Vegan proud. (
) By the end of the night, there was a total of 8 different kinds of sinful sausage samplers, that put us all in a state of comestible comatose. Was it not a Unilocalers dream? I beg to agree.
Oh yes, I can not forget to mention the spicy cumintized cucumber fries (
), their tasty regular fries, and finally their decadent browning surprise at the end. Did I mention the great wine, I was fortunate to oblige my self to savor through the evening. (
) Well, I did.
Shout outs this evening go to Steve F. (
) for being a gentlemen, and giving up his seat, at the bar, for a lady, and Sherley I. for being a great fellow Unilocaler with a dynamic sense of humor, and the best Princess she could be. (
, and Billy and his lovely acquaintance for sharing their Unilocal pins, my nieces will appreciate them. A shout out to Meiko H. for her charming personality (
) and to Karen L. with that intoxicating smile of hers: Go Teach! Finally, Lucy and Frank! Thank you for sending all that food my way. Big hugs to you Lucy! Cat A. for the great conversation. So many others, but most importantly are Brad for putting the event together, and the amazing owners of Salt and Clever, Gaylen and Stephen, (
) we thank you from the the bottom of our hearts, for providing such unique and over the top event for San Diego Elite Unilocalers. Angelo, our photographer of the evening, I did forget about you, Thanks! Cheers my friend.
I am so sad that the event is over, yet happy to know that Salt and Clever will be there tomorrow…

I scream, you scream, we all scream for Sausages!
Our amazing hosts disguised as bar tenders and tray passers were indeed the owners of the joint! Get in while it’s hot, well it’s always hot here, but once word gets out about this place you’ll have to wait in line for sure!
The festivities began with a great selection of IPAs and a choice of a red or white wine. Being a beer wimp, I went with the white Pinot and it was really tasty.
Carlos (nicknamed by many at the event as «Cute Chef Carlos») is the genius behind each house-​made sausage. There is no denying his blood, sweat & tears go into every sausage & his signature Chicken Mango Madness is to die for!
Galen (sp?) was a wonderful host and spent his time really making the place feel «homey». A place you’d drop in just to say and grab a bite. I didn’t have the pleasure of speaking to the other owner, but he seemed really great too.
From the Duck.Duck.Pig to the Ribeye and Lobster Roulade sausages I left more than full and the smile was to remain on my face for the entire next day. They guys at Salt & Cleaver, as well as the rest of us know know you don’t mess with perfection so no substitutions found here!
Impeccable service and the best sausages I’ve had since Germany — You WILL come here! And when you do, tell Gaiilin Lindsy sent you and ask to meet the chef ;)

I was a bit bummed because the only vegetarian entrée they were serving had mozarella cheese in it.
So I asked one of the waitresses if it was possible for me to get it without the cheese, and she said she’ll see what she can do.
After a drink or two, I was served with my own vegan meal — roasted vegetables in a hotdog bun!
Thank you SO much for taking the time and catering to my diet!
You guys are the best!
And I’m lovin’ the open bar. ;)

I popped my cherry at the sausagefest in hillcrest. Wait, that didn’t come out right. Let me try again. I got my fill of sausage and creamy head beer at this event. Darn it! Ok. Well, ok I went to my first Unilocal elite event here — after four years and 250+ reviews. And what a great way to come out! All sausage all beer All day.
The chicken mango is no joke. You wanna think sweet right? No. Spicy with ancho smoked chili and a Serrano purée this could make the mild mannered among us weep.
But my favorite was the duck duck pig. A bacon duck sausage you have to taste to believe.
The rib eye sausage was a bit dry but if you want a little taste of Brooklyn go for the sweet Italian. Loaded with fennel and topped with pine nuts and Basil. This is a classic flavor that wouldve impressed even my Brooklyn born Italian speaking dad.
Plus, with a cool center piece bar, comfortable open design and really inviting mural of a suspension bridge a kind of place you can sit for few hours. Definitely worth a visit. A great new addition to our growing San Diego culinary experience.
Great to spend a few hours with a bunch of fellow Unilocal geeks. For years I thougth I was alone. Good to know I’ve got company! Look forward to seeing you all at future events.

Growing up a tomboy, I’ve always been partial to a good sausagefest! While I didn’t have my WWF action figures, He-​Man, Skeletor, my Go-​Bots and my army men around tonight; I LOVED the grown-​up YE sausagefest at Salt & Cleaver!
Normally at YE events you have a cocktail or two, try a few small samples, take a few photos (okay maybe more than a few if beautiful Maria C. and photobomber professional Chun P. are nearby) and then call it a night. But tonight’s YE at Salt & Cleaver was RIDICULOUS!
The food did NOT stop! The owners were exceptionally friendly, outgoing, and threw one helluva party!
I tried the IPA brat, lobster roulade, pork belly, Italian (over the top AMAZING!), vegetarian, duck duck pig (full disclaimer! Usually I never eat duck because I consider them friends… but too late! Chun P. told me it was chicken and I found out later! Liar!), chicken mango (a little too spicy, even for this ¼ Filipino girl!), fries, cucumber fries… and it just goes on and on. Foppiano Petit Syrah was fantastic too! Although I was ready to bust-​a-​gut the owners kept coming around and I had to turn down the ribeye. If only I had worn leggings and a generously baggy top instead of jeans! Damnit!
Thanks to Melanio, Shalini, Yvonne, Shannon, Tiffany, Roger, Jennifer, Cat, Dan, Angelo, Christina, Maria, Michael, Chun and especially BRAD for all the good times! I heart you! xoxo

Wow. For six weeks being open, the fine folks at Salt and Cleaver sure went all out to make us Unilocal Elites feel welcomed at this mini mixer!
I like the look of the place — the sliding doors look nice, and the bar in the center is quite appealing. The people are friendly; the owners Ace and Aiden (?) worked the floor handing out samples and drinks, the bar staff (Annie, Luke, and Natalie) were really cool and kept our drinks filled, and even Chef Carlos — whose work was just awesome tonight — came out to hand out the dessert (more on that later).
And the food… OMG! You can make all the sausage jokes you like about a new eatery in Hillcrest, but Salt and Cleaver takes it to a whole new level. My favorites were the Lobster Roulade, the Ribeye, the Duck Duck Pig, and the Mild Italian. The Chicken Mango Madness was SPICY… my mouth was burning for about ten minutes afterwards, and I felt bad for the poor gal next to me who was in tears because of how hot it was. The dessert was just plain AWESOMENESS — a dark chocolate and peanut butter brownie that melted in your mouth with every bite (and paired well with a red wine, according to a couple of fellow Elites). And the cucumber fries were as good as I’d heard about.
In terms of the beer, I had the Wipeout IPA and the Staropramen; I liked the Wipeout better.
It was nice to see quite a few people I haven’t seen in awhile, and making the acquaintance of quite a few more… and an especially funny moment towards the end of the night that I can’t elaborate on, but suffice it to say, it was memorable. ;)
Great work by Brad and the Salt & Cleaver staff for a kickass Unilocal Mini Mixer! One down, one to go!