Really flavorful sausage in San Francisco?

June 22, 2009 8:10 PM

Where can I find really flavorful poultry sausage in San Francisco?

Trader Joe's stopped carrying Gerhard's chicken sausage, and I'm just not excited by any of the chicken sausages they carry now.

In my chicken sausage experimentation, I've generally preferred the smoky and spicy flavors - garlic, lots of Italian spices, sometimes andouille. I don't so much go for the seriously chili pepper laden flavors. I like smoked chicken and apple, but am not really looking for the chicken and mango or chicken and artichoke type thing.

I've tried some Adelle's, and they're good, but not quite as good as Gerhard's to my palette, and pricy besides.

I have easy access to Trader Joe's, Mollie Stone's, and Whole Foods, but I haven't found any great candidates at any of these stores. (I haven't actually set foot in a Safeway in years, so please tell me if Safeway is in fact my new sausage supplier.)

Primary uses are weekend breakfasts, lentil soup accents, and occasional paella.

So, looking for:

* poultry sausage - chicken or turkey or both
* serious flavor, especially in the spicy, garlicky, smoky categories (I don't necessarily need a sausage that's ALL of these things - I'm happy to get smoky chicken and apple one week and garlicky Italian the next)
* not ridiculously laden with chemicals
* not insanely expensive
* easy to find in the Bay Area, ideally in the city itself

Suggestions?

Thanks!

P.S. Extra special bonus points for a really good chicken or turkey chorizo!

posted by kristi to Food & Drink (13 answers total)

Avoid anything made by Shelton's. As a connoisseur of poultry, you're probably already aware of how much they suck, but everything I've ever eaten from their products was godawful.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 8:23 PM on June 22, 2009

Best answer: I'm almost positive Safeway carries Gerhardts. I will try to remember to confirm this for you tomorrow when I go grocery shopping.

I think Aidell's should get special credit for being locally made, though :)
posted by padraigin at 8:31 PM on June 22, 2009

Best answer: Dittmer's Wurst House.

It's a little far out from the city (Mountain View), but their sausage is fantastic. One of my friends, when flying out to the east coast for a long weekend, bought some and brought it with him on the trip. It was worth it.
posted by god hates math at 8:57 PM on June 22, 2009

Best answer: Rosamunde, right next to Toronado in Lower Haight, has a great selection including pheasant and duck.
posted by Señor Pantalones at 9:09 PM on June 22, 2009

Best answer: Stop by Bi-Rite and see what they've got going.
posted by trip and a half at 9:31 PM on June 22, 2009

Best answer: Try Faletti on Broderick and Fell, or Bryan's Quality Meats in Laurel Village.
posted by hapax_legomenon at 9:55 PM on June 22, 2009

Best answer: Outer Mission-ish: Drewe's on Church/Day and the butcher at the beginning (on the Mission side) of Cortland.
posted by rhizome at 11:15 PM on June 22, 2009

Best answer: Oh right, rhizome: Avedano's on Cortland. They even have butchery classes there. Awesome shop. The sandwiches are great.
posted by Señor Pantalones at 11:40 PM on June 22, 2009 [1 favorite]

Not sure if you have a membership or know someone who does, but I had some surprisingly yummy gouda and apple chicken sausage from Costco the other day. They had other flavors too, but I can't remember what they were off hand.
posted by thejanna at 5:57 AM on June 23, 2009

Seconding Dittmers.
posted by plinth at 9:00 AM on June 23, 2009

Best answer: We make a special trip to Oakland's Housewives' Market for Taylor's Sausages. (It's really easy to get to when you come off the Bay Bridge.)

I had their sausages at an East Bay barbecue about four years ago, and they were so delicious that we've been going there ever since. The sausages are made with rice, which gives them a really nice non-gristly texture, and they're huge, too. They always taste very fresh.

The link to Taylor's shows the different sorts of sausages that come prepacked, but you can buy them loose by the pound at the 907 Washington address. Call ahead if you're ordering more than a dozen, because they are very popular!
posted by vickyverky at 12:52 PM on June 23, 2009

Just made the pilgrimage to Dittmers for the first time, thanks to this thread. The hannover sausage was amazing. Thanks mefi!
posted by Señor Pantalones at 11:38 PM on June 25, 2009

Response by poster: You guys are the best. Excellent answers all around!

Some nice local stuff, and a couple of East Bay places for the rare occasions when I get across the bridge.

Thanks so much!
posted by kristi at 11:12 PM on June 29, 2009