Rosamunde Sausage Grill Restaurant

The Haight, San Francisco –

Even the über-choosey San Francisco foodie needs to ditch his highbrow culinary quests and gobble a sausage or two now and then, and there’s few better spots for such exploits than Rosamunde Sausage Grill, a hole-in-the-wall joint that regularly overflows with stampedes of furtive frankfurtians and wayward wiener lusters.

The space consists of little more than a counter in front of an open kitchen, the latter of which erupts with sizzling links ranging from traditional beef and pork to duck, boar, and vegan, and typically only the lucky early arriver can nab one of the handful of stools near the window looking out onto Haight Street.

A hungry crowd of diverse diners flows in and out during the day – most grabbing their orders to go – including local hippies and grungy hipsters, young suits, college kids, and anyone else in need of grilled goodness on a French roll.

Though the newer Mission branch serves booze, this location does not, but its proximity to several area bars promises a tidal wave of guests with the pre- and post-drunk munchies. That means Friday and Saturday nights are busiest, with bleary-eyed revelers firmly planted on the sidewalk outside, their faces covered in sauerkraut and beef chili as they contemplate whether to try the chicken habanero or the spicy lamb next.

It may be a no-frills joint, but Rosamunde Sausage Grill clearly doesn’t need any bells and whistles. Unless we count the side of pickles.