SAUSAL (EL SEGUNDO, CA)

Sausal
219 Main Street
El Segundo, CA 90245
www.sausal.com
Tel: 310.322.2721
$$ ($15-$30)
Fri, 05/06/2016, 8:00pm reservation
    (3.5 Piglets)


Named after a ranch that once embodied El Segundo and the South Bay, Sausal offers a blend of Mexican cuisine with a Spanish touch. Techniques are inspired by Rancho style of cooking, bringing such elements as smoking, wood-burning and slow roasting. Anne Conness, the chef and co-owner of Sausal, tries to put forth food that is bold in flavor with the use of Hispanic ingredients.

The interior

The restaurant offers a casual setting. The large bar is the main focus of the restaurant, while the decor seems to try to resemble a ranch. The seats could be a bit more comfortable, but it works in terms of establishing the ambiance. 

FRESH STRAWBERRY MARGARITA ($12.00): El Jimador Reposado, Triple Sec, Muddled Driscoll Strawberries, Fresh Citrus, Salt. Mmm....I loved this drink. It was absolutely marvelous. It was sweet and refreshing and you definitely could taste the strawberries. One of the better margaritas I've had in awhile. 

GUACAMOLE WITH CHIPS ($8.00): The guacamole was super fresh. It was creamy, well-seasoned, and had a bite to it. The chips were fried whole tortillas. Everything tasted great, but the guacamole to chips ratio was way off. We had about 2 full tortillas left when we finished our guacamole. 

A closer look at the guacamole. 

CARAMELIZED BRUSSELS SPROUTS ($9.50): Red Chili butter, Sourdough Croutons, Smoked Cashews, and Cilantro with a Sprinkle of Dried Shrimp Powder and Lime. On paper, this dish sounds freakin amazing! So many ingredients to put together a simple dish. I thoroughly enjoyed this dish but to me, they just tasted like any other caramelized brussels sprouts I've had in the past. Nothing really special in my opinion. 

ICE COLD OYSTERS (1/2 DOZEN: $18.00): Kumiai Oysters from Baja California served on the Half-Shell with Cocktail Sauce and Thinly Sliced Jalapenos. I absolutely love oysters. These definitely were good and fresh. The cocktail sauce was just okay to me. I've never had jalapenos with my oysters so that was a bit unique. 

MY FAVORITE DISH. PORK CHILI VERDE WITH SWEET CORN ELOTE ($21.00): Monterey Jack Cheese, Chipotle Cream, Fancy Pico de Gallo, Lime and House Blue Corn Tortillas with Butter. Alright, this was a pretty good dish. I love elote and anytime I see it on the menu, I order it. The dish was rustic and definitely had a kick to it. The chili came out. The "fancy pico de gallo" wasn't all that fancy. It didn't do anything for me. 

The tortillas that came with the chili verde. Good and tasty. 

SAUSALITO BURGER (BEEF-$14.00): Pepper Jack Cheese, Tomato, Avocado, Bacony 1000 Island, Cilantro Onion Relish, Sesame Roll, Sweet Potato Fries. The burger was moist and juicy and downright messy. The sauce was good but I didn't think it reeked of bacon. I didn't like the roll. It just didn't work well with the burger. Change the bun, and you quite possibly could have a good burger. Oh, and the sweet potato fries were good. 

ANGRY MUSSELS ($18.00): House Chorizo, Chili Cream Broth, Hominy with Grilled sourdough. This was probably my least favorite dish. The broth had absolutely no flavor to it. It fell short of richness and depth of flavor that I was hoping for. The mussels were cooked well but that was probably the only good thing about it. The chorizo was almost non-existent in this dish. 

SPANISH DATE CAKE WITH SPICED PECANS AND VANILLA ICE CREAM ($8.00): This was a pretty good dessert. The cake was moist and the caramel sauce was good. I didn't think that the fruit went well with the dish, but a friend of mine thought it was pretty good. The ice cream was a nice touch and so was my birthday candle! 

Overall, Sausal is an option for a casual dinner and if you want food with a Mexican twist. The drinks were good and the food was ok, but I felt the dishes lacked boldness and complexity that you often find in Latin and Mexican cuisine. Additionally, the bar setup could be improved a bit. We waited at the bar for our table (which took a bit of time) and we were practically getting knocked back and forth by the servers walking pass us. Would I come back here? I probably wouldn't go out of my to venture to this restaurant when there are so many other restaurants to check out. 


Notable Dishes: Pork Chili Verde with Sweet Corn Elote and Spanish Date Cake