SAUSAL

I would like to say that this place is amazing. Great atmosphere, and great surrounding people. Starting from the hostess, bartenders to the servers. Great place. Go if you get a chance

January DineLA 2016. I don’t know how I feel about Sausal. It’s really a 3.5 rounded up for the food.
The atmosphere is swanky but the bar is causal with a sports bar feel to it.
The food is DELICIOUS but a bit too overpriced to make this a go-​to spot.
Parking is a hit or miss depending on what time you go.
Everything we ate was delicious. OXTAIL EMPANADAS! These are a must order. The spare ribs were amazing with the cauliflower mash — just needed a touch of salt. The sea bass was the best I have ever had. Seriously this dish was amazing!
Parking can be bad if you are going for dinner, cause you are competing with a very large, popular establishment across the street.
Nothing about this place is bad. I’ll probably be back again but maybe for a nice evening with someone special or a casual catch up with a friend. The DineLA menu had their best stuff and a drink to go with it which was also lovely. This place is definitely a repeat location just need to save up before I go. ;)

This is a weird one. I’ve been here twice and ordered the same thing on both visits, the Beef and Goat Birria. First time, the dish was absolutely amazing. The flavor packed into the dish was fantastic, the meat was juicy and flavorful. It was amazing, totally worth it. I would have rated them 5 stars for that visit. Then the second time I went back, ordered the same dish, and it was shockingly lackluster. The broth was watery and the meat was oddly dry in the broth. It was like someone had made it yesterday and just added water to it today so it was overcooked and watery. What a disappointment. The second visit would have rated maybe a 2 star, definitely not worth the money the second time around.
So I’m left with splitting the difference. On a good day, their food is fantastic, on other days, it’s ‘meh’. Don’t know if I’ll bother spending the money on a third time, they’re a little expensive for a not so great meal. I’d still go there if friends wanted to, but this place isn’t on my list of good restaurants anymore.

Food is great, the service is even better.
Can’t go wrong with Brussel Sprout. And the corn tortillas with salted butter is a must.

I’ve had this place bookmarked for a while and finally had the chance to stop by. It’s located in downtown El Segundo and has plenty of parking behind the building.
The Space: it’s very pretty and has a long bar at the entrance with plenty of purse hangers and a pretty fire place in the middle. The table we sat at was not comfortable and I didn’t have anywhere to place my purse due to the design of the chairs. I saw a few ladies place their bags on the floor which I refuse to do. That being said I wasn’t as comfy as I would have liked to.
The Food: I expected a bigger menu and struggled to find something that sounded great. I couldn’t so we ordered tacos. Barbacoa, which was very dry and the spicy pork which was ok. The best items on the menu were the corn and the refried beans with bacon.
The first round of drinks were great but the next round was inconsistent. They came out in different cups, with different ice and tasted different. So disappointed.
For the price, I can’t say I’ll be back.

Came here for lunch during the workweek and got seated right away. I really liked the design the restaurant had and all of its accents. Really nice place. I didn’t really know what to expect, I had seen some pictures on Unilocal and figured it was a fancier Mexican restaurant. When I got the menu I realized it was a fancier kind of Mexican restaurant (variant). I could not decide what to get so I got a barbacoa taco and the torta (sandwhich). I also tried the cripsy shrimp as an appetizer. I was not blown away by any of these plates. They simply where meh!
The crispy shrimp appetizer was an interesting plate as it was laid over a jicama slaw and I had never had it served that way. I did enjoy the variation of flavors and the shrimp were indeed crispy. Not bad.
The torta I had was plentiful and it had ok flavor and it was defenitley cheesy which was my favorite part. The chorizo however was very mushy and had a weird texture. Nothing memorable about this plate.
The taco itself was not a tiny taco like you would get at taco truck, it was a full size tortilla. The meat seemed to be cooked well but it could have been a little more tender. But here’s where my issue lies. The taco was $ 6 by itself and it wasn’t even a great taco, it was just ok. If I wanted to order two tacos I would pay $ 13-​$ 14 and I wouldn’t even get a side with it. Two tacos is not enough food for and adult man.
You can go down to señor g’s on culver and order two tacos (2 large tacos which have better flavor) and get a plate of rice and beans for less than that. This place was completely overpriced.
This restaurant is not a bad it’s just I base my star ratings based on the quality to price ratio and this defenitley is not a place where I want to come for lunch. Maybe I’ll give it another try in the evening.
To sum up, I wouldn’t send you away from this place but I would say that if you want bang for your buck this is not the place.
PS. Coworker tried the crispy fish and said it was pretty good.

I don’t come to DT El Segundo often, if at all, but I’d say Sausal is a pretty good reason to! The ambiance is lovely. Small and intimate, dimly lit with a nice fireplace in the center. Service was above par, and the food was outstanding. Definitely a five star experience all around, which isn’t easy to find.
Highly recommend the Arroz Con Pollo, the char on the chicken was to die for. Also loved the Oxtail Empanadas and the Brussels Sprouts. Definitely coming back to try out the rest of their menu!

I’ve never given 5 stars but this place Sausal it really phenomenal. From the door the ambiance and the people inside drew me in! The food is Mexican inspired or «Nuevo Rancho». I had tacos, guacamole and sweet potato fries. Everything was so fresh and delicious! Please do yourself a favor and get there as soon as you can!

Basing this review just on the DineLA aspect. (If you’re not familiar with DineLA, it’s a 2-​week period where participating restaurants in LA offer a 3-​course meal based on dishes that capture the essence of the restaurant for a fixed price that is lower than regular prices for them.)
Directly from their website:
«The name SAUSAL promises the experience of a deep multi-​cultural palate reaching back before California was a part of the United States — back when the citizens of Spain and Mexico called her Alta California — and the coast was defined by large Ranchos.»
So, if you were expecting the common Mexican food you’d find all around Southern California these days, you’ll be gravely mistaken. So that «Mexican» you see up by the «$$» is misleading. Sorry, Brandye K from 1÷25÷2016, your review is invalid. The fact that they served you a margarita instead of something more Spanish like a nice Rioja or Sangria seemed to have tricked you into thinking it’s a Mexican restaurant, which it sort of is. Your case is one of many that consist of the wrong approach to a dining experience and concluding with a simple «You just don’t get it». But hey, it was your mistake to eat here, not ours. Don’t forget to bill them for the hospital costs for your tongue burns along with the chicken tostada that gave you narcolepsy from that «major snoozefest». They’ll take those cases seriously, unlike your Unilocal reviews, Brandye K from 1÷25÷2016.
Moving on.
Holy moly, this place absolutely hooks you up. The portions are a bit more generous than you’d imagine.
Started with a complementary margarita. It’s the first time I can remember that any restaurant provided this for us. Great way to start this meal off.
Portions were slightly above average in amount. In other words, you can absolutely get full. There’s always a fear that a restaurant’s portions may be very small and expensive. Even if you feel the prices for this place may be high, they at least make sure it’s worth what you pay.
Perhaps I’m a horrible Unilocaler because I can’t see, smell, feel, or taste the disgusting, flavor-​lacking aspects of any of their food as described by disgruntled patrons, AND I didn’t fall asleep at my table. It all tasted delicious to me, and I was able to walk out of there without assistance.
There’s a chance you might be too full for the dessert, which is also not tiny. So, have fun with that.
Seems a bit more frequent to see people leave with boxes from here.
Service: Totally fine.
Parking: There’s a lot in the back and up the slight hill. That or any nearby street parking.
Absolutely a nice place to take someone on a special occasion. Definitely worth coming back even after DineLA is over.

I’ve had my eye on Sausal ever since they opened. When I saw they were offering dineLA specials here, I was so excited. I came here on a weekday to try their dineLA specials and was impressed from the very moment I walked in.
I love the overall feel of the restaurant. They’ve got a beautiful huge bar, open patio and a nice, classy dark wood dining area. It’s modern but classic.
dineLA was offering many of the popular dishes that Sausal is famous for such as their ceviche mix, kale quinoa salad and sausalito burger. I chose to get perhaps two of their most famous dishes of all, the oxtail picadillo empanadas for my starter and the duck tamale with black mole for my entrée.
Service was on par but the one thing that weirded me out was I wasn’t given any chips and salsa. I asked for chips but then no salsa came. I was a bit bummed because i really wanted to try their three salsas.
Nevertheless, perhaps it was ok that I didn’t get full on chips and salsa because it meant there was more room for their delicious offerings.
The oxtail picadillo empanadas dish comes with three empanadas! They’e of pretty good size too so it’s good for sharing. I was very impressed with these. The crust is crispy and the inside is packed with tender oxtail. I also liked the accompanying tomatillo verde salsa.
The duck tamale with black mole similarly did not disappoint. This tamale was a feast for both the eyes and the stomach! It was simply beautiful when it came out. Hands down one of the best presented tamales I’ve ever seen. The tamale was topped with cojita cheese and surrounded with their house mole sauce and lots of butternut squash. Tastewise, this tamale equaled in delightfulness. Similar to the oxtail in the empanadas, the duck inside the tamales was tender and plentiful.
Overall, I really enjoyed Sausal! I thought the dineLA offering was great because it really showcased their specialities.

First off, let me start by explaining the terrible mood my family was in when we walked into this place. I have been out of town and I’ve spent a week with the parentals enjoying hometown life. It’s day 7 and I’m ready to go home.
My dad chose this place as our last supper before I depart and none of have tried the place. We were definitely all dragging ourselves there this evening.
The ambiance is lovely right off the bat. It’s a little cold out, but your warmly greeted immediately. Not to mention the lovely heaters above at the host stand!
My folks and I got settled and we went from nasty to relaxed from 0 – 60 in the amount of time our amazing server Raquel greeted us and got our cocktails in front of us.
My dad got the scotch which came with the coolest old school huge chuck of cubed ice that kept his scotch cold the entire meal. My mom chose the house white and I chose the «beer cocktail». I think I expected something on the sweeter side. Definitely recommendable as a gentleman cocktail. Don’t let the Rosemary fool you! Next, I asked for her choice in Pinot noir and she brought me the most amazing Pinot I have ever had!!!
As for the food: For starters Raquel recommended the chips and guacamole over my other idea. Which may have been the best guac in town. Each of us got a perfect dish. My father got the Pork and Corn Elote dish, my mother the ahi starter, and I got the duck and mole tamale. We cleaned our plates!
We left happier than we’ve been together in years. Thanks so much Raquel and Sausal crew!

Sausal was a great place to go with a big group of friends as we were able to cover a significant portion of the menu! Having heard about here from Eater, I was really excited to try something new in downtown El Segundo since it had been awhile since I had been in the area. For dinner, there was 5 of us, and here’s what went down:
Appetizers/​Sides:
Chips & Guacamole: Fresh guac with large flat tortilla chips that you break apart to scoop everything up! Definitely something I would get again.
Crispy Potato Tostones w Roasted Tomatoes & Yogurt: I didn’t have too many of these, but there was a lot of these left towards the end, so I can only presume that this wasn’t a huge hit.
Sweet Potato Fries with Avocado Ranch: It’s pretty hard to mess up sweet potato fries, and I found myself putting fistful of fries into my mouth. I’m not a huge fan of ranch dressing, but the avocado component made things interesting!
Caramelized Brussels Sprouts: I had a few of these and they were good, not too salty and had a little bit of crisp to them!
Sweet Corn Elote w Jack Cheese & Chipotle Cream: I absolutely loved these! The sweet corn was perfect with the cheese and cream. The slight char on the corn was really what made this more than just a side of corn.
Rancho Caesar salad: Didn’t get around to trying this, but was told it was OK.
Entrees:
Spicy Pork Adobo Tacos: I was so-​so on these but REALLY enjoyed the cilantro-​onion relish that came with the tacos.
Duck, Butternut Squash & Oaxaca Cheese Tamale: This was beautifully presented but also the most mediocre in all the dishes we tried. The butternut squash was probably my favorite, but everyone seemed to agree that the duck and mole was a little too rich as a combination together.
Grilled Chicken Adobo Tacos: Of the two tacos, these were the better of the two. The pepitas served with the chicken were great as a topping!
Beef and Goat Birria: Didn’t try this, but was told it was good!
All in all, we really enjoyed dinner and not getting pushed to finish early despite the fact we were there until close. Our server was good, but seemed a little forgetful on what we were ordering. In asking for some advice on how to navigate the menu, he didn’t seem to be overly helpful in telling me that «sides are side dishes.» In any case, it didn’t really stop us from enjoying everything, I would definitely recommend coming here with a big group since it seems like you can get a fair amount of food to share!

Super cute place in El Segundo — really loved the space and vibe. Would be a great place with friends for drinks. Other Unilocalers rave about the food, but honestly it was just OK for me.
Food in order of yumminess, BOLDS are MUSTS:
SWEET CORN ELOTE — LOVED this, like those corn on the cobs you can get at fairs and farmers markets, but all sliced off so you can eat them by the spoonful. Yum.
Sweet Date Cake — This was a surprise. I’m not a date cake fan, but decided to trust Unilocal on this one (despite the other disappointments in this meal), and we really liked it! Very close to bolding this too — just perfect with the ice cream and hot tea.
Chips and salsa — Does not come complimentary, but the chips are fresh and there are 3 types of tasty salsa. Yum.
Oxtail Empanadas — People rave about this, I thought they were OK. Comes with 3 pieces.
Duck Tamales — Kinda dry, not really great. Was this an off night or something? People seem to love this.
Seared Ahi Tostada — OK, so «sushi grade yellowfin» does not come out in a cold block with all the slices stuck together. Kinda grossed me out — it was clear the fish had been pre-​sliced at some prior point in time, and just stored in the fridge somewhere. Blecch. Do NOT get this!
Despite the short comings — my husband really liked this place and the overall flavor. It’s nearby, so no doubt we’ll be back to give it another try.

I can’t remember where I found out about this place, but I found it in my bookmarks and decided to give it a shot. Came here on a Tuesday evening with a friend and was impressed to find it pretty full.
The waitress was a bit off… almost like she wasn’t quite sure how to be a waitress or something. That was strange.
My friend and I decided to split the chips and guac, which were really delicious. The chips came out in tostada form rather than actual chips which was a little odd, but they were delicious and fresh (as was the guac).
I ordered the barbacoa tacos which were also delicious. The beef was tender and they were slightly spicy but missing spices if that makes sense. As Sara P pointed out in another view — the dish was lacking that extra oomph and flavor that makes a good Mexican dish. Sausal is California Mexican, not actual Mexican.
Overall, it’s a solid spot for fusion-​y Mexican (a tad overpriced too) but I wouldn’t necessarily come here looking for authentic eats.

Upscale Mexican
on Main
In Mayberry
The South Bay is full of Mexican eateries from wet burritos to fish tacos, there is no shortage of taquitos or chili rellenos. According to the Sausal website, they are named after Sausalito Redondo ranch, which used to encompass the El Segundo area, so the chef is doing rancho style cuisine with roasted and smoked dishes.
I was greeted by a nice young lady at the door, and she immediately took me to a table. I was surprised how quiet it was for noon, but I guess the crummy weather kept a lot of peeps off the street. My server Ewa came by the table right away and wondered if I wanted a beer so I ordered the Fandango Blonde, which is described as a Belgian Pils, but a blonde is actually an Ale, hmmmmm. It was nice beer to have at lunch with a warm Pozole soup which I ordered as a starter.
That Pozole had a rich brothy flavor, and then BAM! Chiles. I like spicy but it may be too spicy, like for a lot of people. I liked it and it reminded me of the pozole my friend’s mom would make. This was a chicken pozole with mostly dark meat chicken. My entrée was the goat and beef birria served in a chili sauce. The birria is served in a chili broth, that has a sweet tang to it like BBQ sauce and the presentation includes small corn tortillas, jicama slaw, sour cream, and roasted tomatillo salsa. The meat was very tender but the sauciness of the meat made it hard to eat with the tortillas since the sauce ran down my arm.
My server offered me a desert menu and made a suggestion for the cake with caramel sauce and ice cream, but I was too full.
Everything was pretty great and I am looking forward to having dinner at Sausal.

Really good little Mexican spot.
We were hunting for a non-​loud bar and we found it.
The bar staff were a little slow at the end but that’s ok.
The food was great.
Guac was great! The braised lamb with red mole was really really good. Although they should keep the meat in larger chunks. and fried fish tacos we average. All really good in general.

Sausal was so good on the first visit, that we had to try, again. 2 for 2!
This is a quaint spot in DT El Segundo on Main with plenty of parking in the rear. Chef Anne Conness, formerly of Tin Roof and Simmzy’s, has done a great job with her Nuevo Rancho Cuisine blending Farm to Market with traditional Hispinac fare.
The first visit I asked if there we specials not listed on the menu – specifically tamales. They told me they typical have Duck Tamales at dinner and as we were having a late lunch, I could be in luck if the Chef was ready. Here’s what I ended up being served: Duck, Butternut Squash & Oaxaca Cheese Tamale with
shredded duck confit, roasted chanterelles, black mole, cotija.
Needless to say, this was a large lunch and I devoured it. The blacl mole is incredible. I will be back for dinner!
We did start with a light, fresh ceviche and really enjoyed both meals at Sausal. I look forward to returning, soon.
Food: 5 star
Ambiance: 5 star (we ate in-​doors, though outside was an option
Service: Excellent

First time here. Amazing foodie experience. Awesome Flavors!
Don’t listen to the other Unilocal posts.
I will post later on what we ordered. Can’t recall because of the fabulous pear cocktail and the great Cadillac margaritas.
So We banged the menu and everything was amazing.
We were overwhelmed with the level of food and service.
If you go ask for Eric. He is delightful and is a «destination food server»
I have coined this term but it should become universal.

***Sausal disappointed in a few areas, but it is a great addition to Downtown El Segundo and more reminiscent of the trendy, energetic restaurants located in Manhattan Beach and West Hollywood than what you will typically find in this part of the South Bay***
I did not walk away loving Sausal, the new modern Mexican restaurant in Downtown El Segundo, but I definitely took notice of its promise and I am excited about not only where it can go in the future but where it can take the neighborhood. Downtown El Segundo is a nice and quaint neighborhood with a surprising amount of character, but it is also a sleepy neighborhood. Like Pacific Palisades, it is one of those areas where you do not just pass through to get somewhere else. Therefore, you do not get that traffic of potential customers you get in other parts of Los Angeles. Because of that, businesses in El Segundo (similar to other neighborhoods like it) tend to be filled with locals and most of the places tend to be casual and not too ambitious.
Sausal is different though. From the restaurant design, which is modern with upscale notes, to the food presentations, which are attractive and show a strong attention to detail by the kitchen, Sausal seems to be the type of restaurant from an experienced team that is setting out to impress you from the moment you step in while also maintaining that energy and excitement for the entire dining experience.
Sausal seamlessly mixes Mexican and farm to table cuisine and almost everything on the menu sounds appetizing. Starters offer tostadas topped off with tuna sashimi, caramelized brussels sprouts with guajillo butter and oxtail empanadas. Entrees include tacos, stews and several proteins prepared from their mesquite wood fire grill. They have a variety of vegetable driven sides that showcase both a seasonal flair as well as reveal the great bounty of California produce.
I really enjoyed their appetizers. The freshly made tortilla chips were light and crispy but also hearty and were served with a trio of salsas. The sour green tomatillo salsa with cilantro and the spicy red brick arbol salsa both had a nice heat to them. The other salsa – habanero yellow pepper salsa – was too sweet. The oxtail empanadas had a great buttery and flaky crust. The oxtail filling was good though a tad dry. They were served with an incredible chunky tomatillo salsa, which had a surprising amount of heat to it.
For my entrée, I had their beef brisket tacos. The cooking of the beef brisket was very good as the meat was moist. Unfortunately, it was too sweet. There was also too much beef brisket for two corn tortillas. The beef should have really been spread over a three taco plate. There were a lot of pluses on the plate though. The salsa was exceptional. You could really taste the smokiness and the fire roasted peppers and its heat was needed for the sweet beef (modern Mexican restaurants often fail at delivering this type of intensity). The cotija provided a nice tanginess while the salad of peaches and cucumbers was both spicy and refreshing.
The sweet corn elote featured very good corn though it needed more spiciness or saltiness to balance it out.
Dessert was a high point. It was sticky toffee pudding and the date cake was moist and soft and topped with a great toffee sauce (I did wish the date cake itself had a more drenched interior). There was great texture from the crunchy spiced pecans and the vanilla ice cream was good – a great cold contrast to the warm cake and was nicely dense and smooth.
Service was just okay. It did not seem that organized and the server did not really do anything to establish any connection with the table. The restaurant really felt more service by committee than the personable service I would expect from a neighborhood restaurant.
Prices really vary based on what you order. Sides and desserts were great deals and the tacos were pretty good deals too. Some of their entrees seemed fairly pricey, but the good thing is that Sausal seems to be the type of restaurant where you can really splurge for a special occasion or just simply dine as if it is your favorite casual restaurant.
Sausal shows a lot of potential. I am rooting for it because I think Downtown El Segundo deserves more restaurants like it. I did not love the food and I would definitely go in different directions for several of the plates I had, but I have a lot of hope that ordering differently here in the future will deliver delicious, exciting and very rewarding experiences. If you are a local, I would definitely consider giving Sausal a try soon.
Free street parking is available.

Popped in last week and it’s been little over a week since their soft opening, I had been seeing the progress of this place during construction so I was excited for the visit.
Took a seat at the bar and looked the menu over and settled on the Beef Brisket Barbacoa tacos… I admit the prices of the rest of the menu had me hesitating, so, I’ll have to save my pennies for another visit to venture onto a more grand entré.
The bartenders were busy, the one taking the table tickets especially! The margarita recipe calls for it to be shaken and on about the 10^th one that I saw he happen to be looking my way so I remarked, «You got quite the Shake-​Weight workout going!» «I know, right?!», he replied. Seems he could use a bit more help as he apologized for the wait to get me a menu. Speaking of that menu, the hostess kinda bothered me as she kept asking if I was done with it. A bit of a small gripe, yes… For future ask one of the bartenders, or bar backs to fetch you menus if you are running short. And I seemed to get a lot of attention from any staff that walked by as to how is everything, eager, I get it, but if I’m not your station chill out eh. And of course the bartender apologized for this, «You apologized a lot.», I said, he smiled and said, «I don’t apologized for that.» Haha, that was fun.
The tacos took a bit to get to me but were worth the wait, during that time I gave the room a look over and appreciated the décor, liked the TV placements, and was entertained by the large window revealing a big, busy kitchen! I’ll have to come back to do some tequila tasting as they had a decent variety to peruse!
I asked another bartender for my check as the one who was serving me was busy shake weighting away, I noticed that my beer wasn’t tallied and mentioned it, he turned to the one who took my order and he said not to worry about it, thanks for the comp!
A good first impression for a start up in El Segundo, I’ve seen many restaurants come and go and I feel this one is going to endure!