The Sausage Factory
517 Castro St, San Francisco, CA, 94114
The Sausage Factory Menu
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Address :
517 Castro St
San Francisco, CA, 94114 - Phone (415) 626-1250
- Website https://castrosausagefactory.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :5:00 pm - 10:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Pizza
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
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Silver g.
Visiting my son and his partner, they took us to The Sausage Factory.....loved it! I had the Spaghetti Carretiera which was fantastic, they all had the lasagna which can be shared by two people, all four of us shared the baby antipasto salad...yummy. Are server was great, only thing I would have a complaint about is I wish they heated up the bread. When up there again will be craving the Spaghetti Carretiera.
(4)Lil Jinni L.
My b/f and I pulled over to eat here on a total whim, and LOVED IT! Beautiful Ambiance. They offered a good beer selection and the menu was full of traditional style Italian dishes. We had the brochette app, the Factory Pasta and the Manaccoti and kept constantly switching dishes throughout the meal (which is rare for us!). The food was just so good, the pasta cooked to a perfection of al dante. But the server truly topped the night off! Our server Billy Ray was excellent. He had great timing, simple polite service. This is definitely a place we look forward to sharing with friends and family!
(5)Michael R.
Went there last night for the first time. I thought that it was ok. Service was good and the atmosphere was nice. I had the Lasagna and it was good but, nothing about really stood out to me. The wine was good though and it really went well the with my food. My gf's spaghetti sauce was really good. I'd definitely give this place a second chance but I don't know when. There is a lot on the menu to choose from so if you are nearby and you want some Italian food give it a try.
(3)Sarah and Amanda G.
We love this place!! My girlfriend and I went for the first time the other week and we fell in love. Its nothing fancy, but thats what makes it so great. It completely embodies everything a good old fashioned SF italian restaurant should be, from the dim lit room to the faded floral wallpaper and antique plates on the walls. The food is great. We had pizza our first time... somehow the crust stayed incredibly crispy even with all the good stuff piled on top. Our next visit we both had pasta and the flavor was amazing. The service was great and the staff was quite friendly. Its officially one of our new date spots.
(5)Alita M.
When I'm doggie sitting at my brother's and too lazy to cook, The Sausage Factory Manicotti does hit the spot. But I will say that one time their salad was pretty sad and another my bread was stale. It's hit and miss, but the staff is super friendly and you can always enjoy a quiet lunch with a glass of inexpensive vino.
(3)Jim G.
I stumbled on this place on a cold, rainy day. I noticed it while driving and parked, then checked it out. It had the elegant but comfortable feel and there were many diners at 3 in the afternoon. We were not disappointed. The service was outstanding and the food was delicious.
(4)Martin C.
Been here a couple of times in the past. It's a little expensive, the decor and house wine is mediocre and the food is generally just ok, but it's a convenient place to stop and eat if you're in the Castro, the booths are nice and they serve a pretty good clam/anchovie pizza (which is my favorite), and is a good enough (even though the pizza is the only reason) for me to return.
(3)Jonas T.
Decent place for Italian. Huge portions. Not bad but nothing worth going out of the way for.
(3)Brent R.
I stumbled into the Sausage Factory with a friend on the last night of a 6-day trip. We'd eaten at a lot of places, were tired and just wanted something casual and comforting. We couldn't have chosen a better place. The food was above average, comforting, simple. The atmosphere was worth the price. Charming, comfortable. There were quite a few couples and families. Compared to the hustle and bustle that most of the Castro area restaurants fall victim to, I was pleasantly surprised and will certainly be back.
(4)Rob P.
Awesome food! I almost gave it 3 start because it seems like everytime I go in there I'm waiting 10 minutes or more to get my check. The service it just OK. I would have loved to give this 5 stars, but, the slow service (even when slow) really gets to me. Hope it will change because, yes, I will go back.
(4)Mike R.
I've eaten here a few times, and never really had a meal that I liked. The food is not very authentic, kind of bland and not very tasty. After my first visit, I didn't really want to go back, but went a few more times (on the request of friends accompanying me), and even then, it just wasn't something I'd want to go back for. I suggest finding another Italian place nearby (like Capri on Market St.)
(2)Josh M.
This is an interesting place, I was expecting lots of sausages....but they only had 4 or 5 dishes with sausages! anyways, I had the penne with sausage and mushroom - it was super salty but still edible. My gf had the risotto frutti de mare. It was good and saved them from a 2 star review! The pizza was okay, nothing special.
(3)Matt O.
This is classic down-home italian food in that old time spaghetti and meatballs kinda way. It's not haute cuisine by any stretch but it's tasty and comforting. They have the biggest antipasto salad in the world, and as you would expect, delicious sausage. The place itself is dark and old feeling, a perfect setting for the food they serve. I order pizza delivery from The Sausage Factory quite a bit too, they have great crust and I can't help but love a place that will put green olives on a pizza. Mmmmm.
(3)Karsten P.
Points for being the only place in the hood that will deliver pasta entrees. Pizza's okay. I allow that I've never sat down here -- we've only ordered delivery.
(3)Patrick G.
Been going here longer than I will say...it's still great....chatchkes everywere... it is always good food and good service. The salads should get there own review, The baby and the MAMA...meats ,cheeses , must have. Pastas are great! Most people just go for Pizza, both are available for delivery. Downside...wines are not great and a bit overpriced....but everything else is great!
(4)Jess O.
I had really high hopes for this place when ordering delivery tonight, however I was very disappointed. The pesto fettuccine was supposed to have pine nuts in it, but there wasn't a single one. Thus, I paid nearly fifteen dollars for fettuccine with a light pesto sauce that was by no means 'creamy'. In addition to this, the "garlic bread" was a loaf of pretty chewy bread with wrapped butter inserted inside of each piece. There was no garlic. Sad.
(1)Ben T.
I've only been here once, but I think I've found my new favorite restaurant in the Castro. I ordered the beef ravioli with sausage, and true to its name, this place serves up a mean sweet italian sausage. It was by far the best I've ever had. The ravioli was bite sized and served in a flavorful marinara sauce, which complemented the sausage and ravioli well. For dessert, I had the tiramisu, which was great, but was a little thick for my tastes. My friend tried their magic cube, which was a chunk of delicious chocolate and vanilla mousse encased in chocolate....mmmm. The interior definitely has the feel of a turn of the century restaurant with dark wood walls. The service is absolutely amazing and everything is served with a smile. It was my first time here, but certainly it won't be my last.
(5)Matthew Y.
(3/13/10, Dinner) Six of us came here for dinner after bouts of drinking at the Lookout and Midnight Sun. Honestly, I didn't care where we were going and someone in our party suggested Sausage Factory. Probably the oldest eating establishment in the Castro, this place has that retro feel to it. Lighting is dim and the music is 70s disco. We were seated toward the very back of the restaurant. Service was okay, rather indifferent and no-frill. To soak up the alcohol (after 4 cocktails) I opted the combo Spaghetti with Meat Ravioli (12.25) without the meat ball. It was okay--served its purpose but nothing to write home about. My bf had a chicken plate that he pronounced to be bland--and he left half of it untouched. The food here is so-so (a tad better than bland), but consistently so-so--you can always expect what you'll get. The place is cozy. For what it serves, it is not cheap. But I have experienced better pasta and this place would not be the off-the-top-of-my-head choice.
(2)Jason L.
Underwelmed, over and over and over again. I moved to SF several years ago and living in the "stro" I passed by this place often and I was always intrigued. One of the things which added to the fire was the fondness of which people reffered to it with. My first venture in was with a friend to check in on a group of his friends throwing a b-day party there. We crashed their table and I eyed everyone's plates. Not saying anything as I was new in town I politely declined a taste of everyones dish as not one in the eight of them looked even the slightest bit tempting to me. Mushy pasta and runny sauce everywhere. I left underwhelmed. A year later I returned. This time on a date with a new foodie friend of mine. I was apprehensive but trusting in his proven insanely knowledgeable taste in wine and cheese I tried it. Addtionally I might add we had just had one of the most phenominal Italian dining experiences I've ever had the previous week at Bacco. So my friend must know something about the factory which I didn't pick up on my initial visit. Meh! The food was horrible. Boring, uninspired recipes "made like Mom's" well I'm sorry that so many people's mothers out there don't know a thing about cooking and subjected them to such embarassing horrors as children. Isn't Italian night supposed to be exciting and something to look forward to? Even if the food is generic it could have at least been prepared with better ingredients and with more finess than they did at this place. The garlic bread was not crispy enough and the cheese was put on as a slab not grated which would have resulted in a more appetizing dish. The pasta was served too high, as if to intentionally create a mess. A mess simply to add to the horrors the "salad" (really? iceberg?) left all over the place, again from being piled so high. The sauce tasted just as it had looked a year previous, flavorless red water extracted from tomatoes. I am not a chef and even I just wanted to get up and walk into the kitchen and throw something into the pot to give it a little depth. Your a generic Italian restaurant, your menu's success depends on your sauce! I'll leave it at that as I have more to say about later meals. Yes I did give them a third chance. Again out and about with a buddy. He said he really wanted to go there and that he loved it so I joined along for the ride, again a year later, enough time for my memory to have faded. This time I got the spaghetti and tortellini, sounded fun. It was okay. This time it was the server who really turned me off. Interesting way of putting it as he was being so sexual in his conversations with us. Not cool at all. And that brings us up to this evening, as I'm here digesting yet another uninspired (and expensive) full belly of . . . . I really don't want to be rude. I just feel like someone needs to say something as I have tried this place time and time again, giving it a real try for only them to flop again and again. Shoot even my house-mates untrained German Shepherd didn't bother me for a bite. As a positive I must say I was impressed with their quick home delivery. But honestly people, try Posia around the corner on 18th, sure they don't have the "homey" atmosphere as the factory but they don't have the food either.
(2)Justin P.
Very inviting establishment, not fancy, just good food with a relaxed vibe. The "Mama Salad" is enough for a few to share and the portions are big enough to satisfy the hunger of a bear.
(4)mika m.
I have been coming to this place for years and I find it my reliable and cozy go to place for when I don't want to deal with a lot of fuss. The ambiance is charming. The walls are covered with antique mirrors and paintings of the place in the 70s and 80s. The brass chandeliers, wood paneling and comfortable booths make it what it is. Unpretentious and welcoming. The food is decent. Some dishes are definitely better than others. The Almond Cream Tortellini is one of my favorites. The pizza is good and trust me never to get any larger than a medium for two people. I love the little things too. Wine is served Italian bistro style (not in stemware). The sourdough bread always comes out with room temperature butter. (I hate places that give you freezer temperature butter.) Don't fill up on the bread, the entrees come in large portions. The service is wonderful. Mind you I have been in enough through the years that the staff recognize me. Of course Billy Ray has to be mentioned. He will treat you like a guest in his home. But yes, if you show up drunk and obnoxious any waiter or waitress will probably be less inclined to give you 100% at any restaurant. And to make it better they are open until Midnight and provide free delivery. You can even order on-line if you are too lazy to pick up the phone.
(4)George W.
Have been going to the Sausage Factory over 20 years. The portions are still huge, but the quality of the food and the service has diminished. Went there with my partner last night. Ordered ground beef steak. I thought I would need a swimsuit to get through the gravy, to a piece of hard, unseasoned meat. The vegetables were tasteless, and the accompanying awful pasta, was buried under tons of sauce. My partner's dismal veal scallopini, could turn you into an obstinate vegetarian. Our young waiter never asked us what we wanted to drink, have for dessert ,or coffee. He seemed to want to get rid of us asp. This place seems to be living off old laurels, and should be avoided, until it ceases to be another tourist trap. San Francisco has great Italian restaurants, with better prepared food, and experienced waiters.
(2)Marcus C.
After countless years living in the 'hood, I finally paid The Sausage Factory a visit. My pasta dish, some sort of penne action with mushrooms and sausage, was pretty good, but I was looking for more variety in the sausage category. As it was, everything seemed pretty standard. My dining companion had a pizza, which was a bit soggy in the middle and unremarkable as well. But who knew this restaurant was so big? A back porch? The facade is totes deceiving.
(3)Rachel G.
Taking a cue from it's name, The Sausage Pizza is one of the best pizza's I've had in the city. Their meals are big enough to get a few for the table and share as a group or get your own entree with some for leftovers. The 'House Red' tasted a bit like grape juice but in a group setting was great to sit in the back booths and throw back a couple of their liters. Very authentic.
(4)Chantal H.
My fiance and I used to order delivery now and then on the weekends, when we're feeling lazy and just want to watch a movie on our couch. We really liked Sausage Factory because they deliver right to our doorstep, and it's pretty good basic Italian food. It's a nice delivery option to have instead of pizza or chinese.... Well, I've always liked Sausage Factory until I found a HUGE ROPE OF HAIR IN MY FOOD. Let me explain: First, I found a small, straight, black hair baked into my manicotti (and I know it wasn't mine-- I'm blonde!) So I threw the whole thing away, needless to say. So next, I went for the bread. Mistake. On the bottom of the bread I found a thick matting of hair (it looked like a 3 inch long rope/hair extension, but it was definitely HAIR) baked in. So. Ridiculously. Gross. We will cease to be ordering from Sausage Factory in the future. And it's too bad, because before we knew they cooked with HAIR, we really enjoyed their food...
(1)Brittney B.
The first time I drove to my house in Noe Valley, I passed the Sausage Factory and knew I had to dine there. I mean, come on, a place in the Castro called the Sausage Factory - yes please! I finally went there last night (after 2 years of living in my place). The ambiance was of an old SF Italian spot - tons of stuff on the walls and tons of people (which was shocking on a Tuesday night at 10 pm). Overall, the food was good. Stuffed Manacotti was covered with cheese and a perfect ratio of spinach and ricotta. For the Corkage Fee, go to SFCorkageFees.com !
(4)John S.
So I was excited to order pizza from The Sausage Factory because I had seen it many times and had read some favorable reviews about its pizza. I was sorely disappointed, though, and I don't think I'll be giving it a second chance. I ordered delivery, so I can't comment on the restaurant itself or anything but the pizza. I'm not sure whether my high hopes made my disappointment greater. Probably. So what was wrong with my pizza? First, it took forever and two follow-up calls to get the pizza to my door. It was hot when it got here, but the ingredients didn't seem particularly fresh. And the cheese was gross. I'm normally not a pizza snob, but cheese quality is very important. When I ate the rest of the pizza the next day, I knew it was a bad pizza; good pizza always tastes better the next day, and it always tastes better cold than it did hot. This pizza reminded me of Costco pizza.
(2)Jeff M.
Best italian food I've ever eaten, and great prices compared to the San Francisco norm. I loved the atmosphere, with historical San Francisco photos, lower lighting, and brick walls.
(5)Cat T.
We love the Sausage Factory, it's our local and I've been going to it for over 20 years. We've brought groups of friends and last night had a meeting in the back room with more people than we'd originally planned. Giovanni was gracious and helpful and wonderful. Everyone had a good time and really good food. Five Stars.
(5)Ali W.
So the 4th star is for service, not so much food. I did leave full and very satisfied, but didn't find the cuisine to be anything particularly special. They were so accommodating (we were a group of 17) and even had a higher-up give us a schpeal about the history of the place (it was, indeed, a sausage factory in its day - my party mates would not believe the name was an accident given that it's in the Castro). The prices are reasonable for the area and the portions. My friend and I split the vegetarian Lasagna (which I regretted after I saw the rest of the food looked tastier). It was good but fairly bland, and the spinach tasted canned - but don't quote me on that. We are an easy 17, I'll give us that, but our server handled everything so well and somehow we were in and out in about an hour and a half. I would come back here again to try a different dish, only fair, but the consensus from the rest of the table was similar to mine. Regardless we had a lot of fun and felt very welcome.
(4)Ali L.
Came here the first time for convenience. Good filling fod. Portions very large which makes for good lunch or dinner the next day. Spaghetti and meatball or balls was good and another fancier italian dish with ham and pasta was really good. Pizza looked good too. I will go whenever in the hood and needing dinner.
(4)D. A.
I was in the mood for Italian and had dinner here the last night of my visit to the city. It was busy on a Sunday night though the wait in the back bar room wasn't too long before getting a seat at the counter. I kept my choice basic and went with the Spaghetti and Meat Balls. Their bread could have a little more flavor of its own, but was tasty dipped in oil and vinegar. The pasta was served quickly, nice and steamy hot. I chose not to use much grated parmesan, and the sauce was good in its own right. The meatballs were the right texture, too -- easy to cut with a fork, yet still chewy.
(4)Minh V.
Good pizza and good wine.
(3)John P.
so I was craving pasta and discovered the old stand by, Pasta Pomodoro is closed so I went to The Sausage Factory. This place has been around forever. Sadly, the pesto pasta was about the worst I have ever had. Some of the other items I saw looked pretty good. None the less, I still give it three because I like to see old school places that stand the test of time.
(3)Ryan G.
I ordered the Chicken Parmigiana with a side salad for delivery. After an hour and a half, it arrived luke-warm. The portion of chicken was tiny and after 5 bites I was half way through it. The side of penne that came with it was a joke...it was the size of an espresso cup. The whole thing came in a tin that separated all the stuff like a military lunch...adding that subtle metallic flavor to everything. Just like Mom used to make. On the plus side, the chicken had good flavor...I just wanted more of it and for it to be hotter (same for the penne). The side salad was 60% salad, 20% mushrooms, 15% shredded carrots, and 5% other. I'm sure its a decent cheap-o place to snag a bite when you are in the neighborhood, but I doubt i will be ordering delivery from them again. Now I have to cook up some food here because I'm still hungry...thank goodness I can't review my own cooking on Yelp.
(3)Raoul U.
So it's the Castro and a total Sausage Factory. And you're like "yeah, i know." But seriously. This place has excellent service, good basic food, and reasonable prices in a part of the city I don't generally associate with the above. The waitstaff is attentive, personal and probably the most professional I've experienced in years in this (reasonable) price range. You can tell when your waiter actually gives a damn, and ours did. Much appreciated. The food is basic pre-gentrification Italian-American fare. It is also solid. The pizza is quite good, with a light, thin crust and sauce that accentuates the toppings. The sausage is understandably good, ditto for the olives (both green and black) and the peppers. The bruscetta is also very good--light and bright with the right balance of tomato, olive oil and balsamic. I should note there is a huge selection of traditional entrees from which to choose on the menu. I'll get around to some of those on another visit. The prices are entirely reasonable--shared appetizer, round of beers (they have a good selection) and a huge pizza for under $50. Split that four ways and you're golden.
(4)Shawna Q.
Mediocre at best. Hearty pasta dishes, yes; but nothing extraordinary. Although my Stella Artois was delicious.... (which they had no part of!) The place isn't a total disappointment, but there are better options in the area.
(3)Rex D.
Great for a fun italian dinner that tastes good and is affordable. Large parties are welcome and the atmosphere is festive. It's in the Castro so it's very gay friendly but straight friendly as well.
(4)Samantha R.
Walked into this restaurant because the name seemed intriguing for the Castro District. Take into account this is no pun like the nearby "The Men's Room", "Moby Dick's", or "Romeo and Julien's." Back in the day this was actually a factory that made sausage. My friend and I were slightly disappointed by this realization and even more so to our dismay found out that there was only one sausage dish on the menu--the italian sausage sandwitch. The waiter did not recommend this as we inquired to if the sausage was exceptionally awesome because this is in fact the sausage factory. He told us that personally he found the baked pasta dishes to be better, and the Manicotti was pretty good, but don't get any ideas about this place being anything too out of the ordinary. The crowd that is in there however is definitely a different, interesting breed. It is a cool place to check out, but the name is mainly a gimmick. Might as well be called false-advertisement-factory... Still i liked it! I sound like a negative nancy...
(3)Misha T.
We basically went there becasue it was called the sausage factory and was on castro, haha funny right? anyways they don't acutally make sausage there, it just used to be a sausage factory back in the day and sausage is no longer their specialty. It's pretty decent italian food otherwise but really nothing super special. Though when i did go in there was a guy with a cowboy hat and eyepatch and that was pretty cool
(3)Andreas M.
I am really surprise that the Sausage Factory gets fairly high reviews. I am really easy to please. I could be happy with a good burger or simple plate of pasta. Unfortunately, this place cannot seem to get it together. Yet because the Castro doesn't have much quality dining, I guess they don't have to deliver much. I had sausage and pasta. The actual noodles were o.k. but the sauce and the sausage was definitely from a can and/or frozen. In fact the meat was not even hot. The price was about $15 which seems high when Fuzio right up the street has excellent pasta dishes for $10. Nothing seems fresh here. The kitchen is stuck in the 1980s. The restaurant supply truck delivers the canned foods every day. We asked the waiter if there was a chef and he said no, just a "cook." If this place started serving fresher ingredients it could be good. As for the ambiance, its also stuck in time, but this time in the 1970s. Lots of dark wood and brass. The dining rooms are all split up and desperately desperately need a makeover. However, if the food was good I could overlook this. I saw a big problem in that there were lots of nooks and crannies in the booth we sat in that had decades of grime that just seemed gross. I will say that the space is much more intimate than Fuzio. My friend and I had no problem having an enjoyable conversation without the roar that more modern spaces have. Overall, food is frozen and not fresh. Prices are way to high for what you get. Location is awesome and thats what they have going for them.
(2)Daniel A.
This is a staple of the Castro. Been here for ever. I love the chicken Marsala
(4)Daniel C.
Me and my friends decided to eat here after a long day in Castro. It was the Pink Saturday, and we knew it will take a while to be seated. We wrote down my friend's name (Shawn), and we waited, and waited. We were patients since it was pack. We noticed a party that was after us in the list got called and then others too. So We decided to ask why we were not been called, the Hostess apologize to us, and promise to call us as soon as a table would be available. We waited some more, and other people was getting call before. We complaint about it again, and we finally discovered the Hostess was calling under the name "Shane". I mean COME ON! there is a huge difference between Shawn and Shane!. We waited for 1hour and 20mins to be seated!! However, finally we got a table, and our Waitress was very friendly, and after she found out the long wait we had she manage to nicely apologize and change our mood. I'm happy she waited our table. Excellent service. The Food was good, huge portions. I'd come back again, but next time i will make sure not to go during pride weekend! LOL
(4)Gerry B.
I love this place. I've been going there for years and really love the pizza. Staff, for the most part, is friendly and efficient. I've had pasta here on a few occasions and it's been good, but I really go for the pizza. The place is homey and comfortable. I'm getting hungry just writing about it.
(5)mickey M.
I am not sure why they remain so popular, but I am never returning. Good location, nice people, atmosphere fits for Italian food, prices are reasonable. They just need to improve on the food itself.
(1)Thuy S.
The famous 'sausage factory,' located in the heart of Castro. C'est the place to be! I had high expectations for this place. I might come off sounding a little perverted, but the only reason why I wanted to dine here was because of the title of the restaurant. I thought it would be 'different' and festive, being that it is located in Castro and all. To my dissapointment, it wasn't anything special. It was just another Italian pizza joint. Tears, I know. In any case, the food itself was good. I didn't have any of the pasta, so I can't tell you what that was like. But the pizza that I did have, which I believe was called the Tony's special... it was delicious! I love how they packed on the toppings; huge slices of salami, sausage, bell peppers, and onions. Although I didn't like the crust very much. It was thick and and kind of hard, very hard to digest. We ordered a small (which costs $14.50), and there were about 6 or 8 slices to it. It was a good order because it filled us up good. The environment was very casual. The restuarant is pretty big, so it is good for big parties or lunch/dinner for two. The people are nice, and so was our server. Very attentive, which is a good thing. I would come back again.
(3)Jina E.
Fun place in Castro. Dark wood and mirrors everywhere- lots of twisting corners too. No wine glasses for wine- came in a rocks glass, whatever, I would've drank it out of a coffee cup if I had to. The food was OK. had the garlic cheese bread, caesar salad, and spinach manicotti with white sauce. Didn't have any real specific flavor. Waiter was nice. Bathroom kinda gross. I'd go back and try something else.
(3)Darcey K.
I have a friend that just moved to this neighborhood and we had The Sausage factory delivered (didn't know they delivered - yea)' i was stoked for i'd not eatin there in a while... The delivery made my chilly SF night and it was better than I remembered! I have loved their pizza in the past...now I'm onto their chicken parmesan w/a nice serving of good tasting veggies. Satisfied!
(5)Kris L.
My last job threw me a going away party and ordered in a ton of food from The Sausage Factory. Mostly pizzas and salads. I didn't try the salads, but I heard they were pretty tasty. I just loaded up on pizza, which I thought was pretty good. Not fantastic, but good. Plus, my ex-boss told me that for the amount of food they ordered, the price was really reasonable. Always a plus! :)
(3)Jay P.
Not a bad experience, but the the host totally lied to me about the size of his 'pizza.' I was like, is a medium good for two, and he was like, no, it's so small you won't feel it, fella like you wants the extra large. But then the waiter comes along and when I order the extra large his eyes pop, and I can tell he's imagining me eat the whole thing and like, going 'uaaggggggggggh' 'coz it's just too much. Luckily, he corrected my mistake, and we found a pizza size that was jusssst right. Overall, decent pizza, pasta, service, et al.
(3)Kathryn M.
I've lived in SF for four years now (which I've heard makes you a native...), how did I not know about this place!?! One reason for the proliferation of globalization is the philosophy that people desire uniformity. I don't think this is true, and if it is it's the kind of reaction that doesn't exist in our wonderful town; another reason we all live here despite the crazy rent, the day laborers that cat call at me on my corner every day (except Sunday), enforced chanting in yoga classes, and the weather. The Sausage Factory is such a microcosm of the city, historic, eclectic, and such a character. Inside is a hodgepodge of Victorian prints, mirrors, and wallpaper, with nooks and crannies lining the back room; concealing private dinning tables. It is so sensational that I was devoted to loving it even before I ordered my food. This has gotten me in trouble in the past, but not this night. Exactly the kind of place to go when you just want a plate of spaghetti, or similar, and some wine. You can't expect Delfina, or a trattoria, it ain't that kinda show. The food is what I imagine you would eat if you were in the the movie "A Bronx Tale". The symbolic possibilities of this place are unreal; almost every part of it could be exactly what you imagine some other experience being. Our waitress (here they're definitely "waitresses", and not "servers") was very friendly and efficient, a real pro. She could whip any of the "servers" I've encountered who seem to care more about repping how cool they are and where they work, rather than the actual nuts and bolts of feeding people and allowing them to enjoy themselves. Boyfriend and I were here for a late night dinner on what was coincidentally Valentine's Day (we had celebrated on Friday night, see Jardiniere review), and the vibe was cozy and friendly. I'll admit that I usually avoid the Castro because of the conspicuous consumption that has become so much of gay culture, but places like the Sausage Factory allow another side of the story which is just as much about community, friendship and history.
(4)Reinaldo N.
Pretty bad food, like those microwave packages you buy at Walmart. Seriously. That is why the prices are so affordable... Will never come back again.
(1)Nick B.
Excellent food! I always look forward to going here when I am in the city. Good prices and service, did I mention amazing food?? I don't normally go crazy over Italian but shoot this place rocks my socks!!
(5)Ted B.
Brilliant pizza! Thoroughly enjoyed "Junior's Special!" Perfectly cooked chicken and lots of pesto on a deliciously crispy/chewy crust. Two extra larges stuffed our whole family of ten with a slice to spare!
(4)Maulie D.
In spite of the low-score, I do think that this is one of the better restaurants in the Castro. The folks that work here are super sweet and the portions are very generous. My frustration with this place is their lack of fresh produce in their food. My garden salad was literally an iceberg lettuce mix with dressing, and my pasta didn't taste as fresh as I'd expect. I think next time, I'll have to get the pizza... and yes, there will totally be a next time. How on Earth could anyone give up on a place called "The Sausage Factory?" ;)
(2)Kevin S.
Large portions reasonably priced. Food ok.
(2)Matthew W.
By far one of my favorite places to eat in the city. It's hard to sometimes convince my friends to come here because of name and location, but I personally think it's pretty funny. Been eating here for close to three years, haven't been here in awhile now that I think of it. Definitely try the pizza and get some pasta too. After that, wash it down with some cold Anchor Steam. The atmosphere is inviting and the service has always been topnotch for me. I usually have brought my girlfriends here since it's a good place for a date(at least in my eyes). If you're alone or with a fellow guy friend, there is a possible chance you might get hit on by a fellow male customer, lol. But, for me, that just makes the night that much more of a memorable story. "Kudos to the sausage factory."
(5)Jon K.
Get the sausage don't even FRONT. And the cheese ravioli. Good Italian served hot with a patient waitstaff. Obnoxious table for 10 and they even let us cut our homemade birthday cake. Yayyyyyy!!!! Oh yeah and the Eggplant Parm is eggamuffin good!!!
(4)Matthew R.
"Sausage Factory?" In the Castro? [adolescent chuckles]
(3)BigJohnS F.
You can get much better food for the price elsewhere. The food is O.K. My companions who are regulars there said the portions have been getting significantly smaller and the prices bigger. Target audience: Middle-aged gay men who aren't careful with their money.
(2)Christine G.
Please, no more Castro puns! I've never had sausage here, but they do serve decent, hearty dishes. I've sampled their salad, pasta, and risotto, all of which are very satisfying. Next time, I'd like to try their pizza. Service is great. It's very "homey" and old school - a nice break from the sleek, trendy decor in other places. Oh yeah, I have a phobia of public restrooms, but the ones here are very clean. This is especially important now that I'm pregnant and a much more frequent pee-er.
(4)Tom C.
OK, I'm 100% Italian and I love this place! Is hard for me to find a place that makes Italian food like my mom & grandmom, but this is one of the few I have found that does. I have found Italian restaurants have "pseudo-Italian" stuff that I can't even eat. I know others (mostly non-Italians) trash it and you like what you like - fine. But don't trash it because you think the Olive Garden is authentic Italian food and you measure it by that!! Have eaten here every time I have been to SF and will continue to do so.
(5)gavbo O.
I love this place because the service is pretty good, but mostly because the portions are gargantuan, huge, super-sized... The sizes for the salads go by small, medium and large and my 3 friends and I always order the small one only to be stuffed by a mountain of salad-ness that leaves us wondering why we ordered entrees. The prices are fair and the service is pretty damn good. The inside of the restaurant is dark and pretty conducive to privacy, which i like. Lots of mirrors so I can check my hair.
(4)Ryan M.
I love the linguine with white clam sauce. The garlic cheese bread is perfect. I could go for one of their pizzas right now. They are huge and everything is freshly chopped.
(4)Brian B.
So, my friend is moving to Ohio and he wanted to come here on his last night out in the Castro. Can you believe it? I still can't believe it. I mean...really? This is your favorite restaurant in the Castro? Even Ohio is too good for you. Anyway, the food here is fine. If you want heavy italian that tastes pretty much like it is supposed to...well, then you should go to a Spaghetti Factory somewhere...but the sausage factory could be much worse (my boyfriend throwing it all up later that night notwithstanding). One word of advice, stick with what is easy! Spaghetti in red sauce with sausage, anything with alfredo...you know, pasta, in a sauce. If you order something because it looks interesting or good, well, just don't. So, two stars. I would never suggest it, I would try to talk everyone into another location, but I won't refuse to go.
(2)Kellie P.
We were catching a late movie at the Castro theatre, and were in the mood for creamy, cheesy, Italian comfort food. Unfortunately, this place didn't hit the spot. I had a glass of the house red, which was Burgundy. It was okay (not great, but what do you expect for house wine) but it seemed an odd choice for a house wine. I had expected a Chianti. I ordered the pasta carbonara, and my partner ordered the ravioli and spaghetti. Her pasta was clearly not fully drained, as the red sauce on the plate was watery and thin. Mine appeared to be drained okay, but the carbonara sauce was mostly flavorless. It was just a bland, white sauce. (At least it wasn't alfredo sauce... some places don't realize that there is a difference.) It was ~35 for two pasta dishes, a glass of house wine, and a coke. That seems like a lot for mediocre food. There are other good restaurants in the area, so there's no need to come back here again.
(2)Jason B.
Food here is horrible. The atmosphere is dull and boring. Will never eat here again. Probably not their fault, in the 2 years I have lived in SF, I have yet to find good Italian food here.
(1)Drue C.
There is nothing like sitting down to dinner after a few hours of buy one get one free drinks. Nothing except sitting to dinner with a straight girl flirting with gay guy who swears he is straight and another gay guy who is telling the straight gay guy he is straight even though he is gay and you and the two lesbians at the table know this for a fact. All the while making jokes about the name of the establishment being the Sausage Factory. Are we 12? Maybe, but just for the evening....damn BOGOF drinks! Heres the useful part of this review..... Food is average, bruschetta is fantastic, prices fair for what you get and service can be spotty. Okay place if you are in the neighborhood.
(3)Rebecca L.
Steven enjoys the pun-ny names of restaurants in the Castro. We only ate in the Castro because we found a very nice parking spot on 18th. The Sausage Factory is a restaurant that is much bigger inside than the outside would suggest. Seating is intimate and the servers are friendly and prompt. However, the food was only okay. I had the ravioli spinachi while my friend had some noodles with shrimp and mushrooms (I do not know the name of the dish). For dessert, we had the exotic bomba, which did not look anything like the picture. The bottom half of the ball was pink the the picture, but it was white in ours. The total was $40. However, I probably would have rather ate at *whispers* Olive Garden.
(3)Steven M.
I was not impressed. I went with two friends and all three of us got very different things (pizza, pasta, and some kind of meat). None of us were very impressed. The atmosphere was nothing exciting either, just a bunch of old guys. Probably won't be going back here anytime soon.
(3)Jon G.
Worst take out food ever! I haven't eaten inside the restaurant and granted it was right before they closed but all I'll say: We ordered for two and the only thing worse than eating the food was both of us puking it back up. I've had better tasting sauce from a can on my spaghetti. Did I mention we both puked? Yah....
(1)Pug P.
Some of the best pizza in san francisco Not over priced like Marcello's Fresh, brooklyn style pizza, the kind you gotta hold up with your hand to eat. I love this place
(5)Tanja Beck And Scott Rose M.
I took my friends from Germany to this place because they love the Castro and they love Italian food. The server had a HUGE attitude but we it did not matter to us because we had a good time. When he brought the Pesto out I saw only a big pile of green something on my plate (without the promised pine nuts) I dared to ask him about it. His response was "that is the way we do it here and the pine nuts are most likely ground in" No need to get me a talk with the Chef, if they at all have one. ;o) I made myself the promise to never go back to this place.
(2)jenn h.
i had the best vegetarian lasagna. They have good quality Italian food with good service. Good location in a vibrant and active neighborhood. Parking is kind of hard to find especially on weekends.
(5)Omar V.
I love this place, great food the service was good. I loved their pasta. Yum. I will definitely go back! The name is kinda funny but the grub is good :)
(5)Cristina M.
Sorry excuse for an Italian restaurant. The service was decent and the decor was whatever. Its definitely Americanized-Italian food...the sauce will make your stomach do flips....don't do it...please.
(1)Kate W.
i love the homey-victorian atmosphere of this place. the pasta i had was quite good, and i loved the salad dressing on the salad. they were very generous with bread and i got to taste a couple of wines before making a final decision. the 2nd time i went there, i had dessert and it was amazing too. i definitely need to get out to the castro more often so i can eat here.
(4)Brian K.
Stopped in here last night to get a bite for the first time and it was great. Relaxed family style restaurant with great personable service. I had a veal dish and Nicole had chicken parm I think; both were piping hot and tasted great. We did not have the pizza but it looked good. Recommended !!!
(4)Richard L.
Great, unpretentious, friendly neighborhood pizza place. I've been coming here every week for years. Giovanni, the proprietor, is always smiling and knows his regulars, and the wait staff--David, Billy Ray and the gang--are wonderful. Always a great experience. And when I can't make it, they deliver within an hour. I love this place!
(5)Peter O.
MMMM....Italian food. I live just up the street from these guys, and I love it. My fiance' is part Italian...and nothing cheers her up from a really bad day than a trip to the Sausage Factory for some of their food. Their staff is funny, too - great guys! Try their eggplant parmigana! MMMM!
(4)Aaron E.
Great Italian food! Highly recommend the chicken parmagiana. Even the house burgundy is tasty.
(4)Jen S.
I love going here with my gf on dates. We've been together for 3 years so at this point we enjoy going to places that aren't so mainstream but still set a romantic atmosphere. the lighting is dim and it has an antique look to it. when we've come for dinner an older gentleman has always waited on our table and has been the sweetest most attentive server I've ever encountered. the food has never disappointed. classic Italian food at its finest! I've had their pastas, meatballs and sausage. my gf LOVES their lasagna. i would definitely recommend this as a 1st date spot. foshizzle.
(5)Sen C.
This is a fantastic neighborhood joint with excellent service and yummy Italian food. This Saturday we went for lunch and had the daily special (Fettucine) and Mozzarella Caprese ($8.50 Fresh Mozzarella cheese, tomatoes & basil with marinated Kalamata Olives). Have a glass of wine and enjoy. For dessert the Exotic Bomba... talk about YUMMY! (Mango, passion fruit and raspberry sorbetto all covered in white chocolate and drizzled with chocolate ) We've never been disappointed by The Sausage Factory. Service is great but not overbearing.
(5)charlotte s.
i had a pretty decent stuffed manicotti here. could have had a bit more seasoning but it tasted good... i don't really know too much about how 'authentic' the food is, but i really wouldn't expect it to be just because of the name of the place... it doesn't even carry an italian name... so it's all good... the interior of the restaurant feels like a blast from the past. it's got an old, dim restaurant feel with lots of dark wood... on other occasions have i tried some of their pizza delivered which have been fresh n tasty but definitely 'american' pizza...
(4)David C.
The Sausage Factory is like a time machine---once you've passed though it's doors on Castro St, you're back in a forgotten time with the old booths, the little counter, the old pictures on the walls. The food is good Italian American, and the service is wonderful and friendly. This place is not gourmet, but it offers an atmosphere and a friendliness that are uniquely San Francisco. If you have never eaten here yet, come on down!
(3)Andrew M.
I was in town about two years ago and stumbled upon The Sausage Factory. What a treat it was! The service was fantastic, the pizza was very tasty (and that's coming from a New Yorker!), and the atmosphere was inviting. I can't wait to go back the next time I'm in San Francisco!
(5)Tim G.
This place has a lot going for it besides its ingenius name. It's open until midnight and, for my money, is one of the better late night options in SF. The food here is not fancy -- just straightforward, comfort Italian food that does the trick. Oh, there is one surprising caveat: the bread they serve here is pretty lackluster.
(4)jessica f.
I really like this place--they give large portions and the food is excellent, if a little pricey (which is understandable considering the amount and quality of the food). The service has been friendly every time I've been here. It is a cozy, home-style Italian restaurant--unpretentious and charming, and the tiramisu is amazing!
(5)Evan G.
This is the perfect restaurant for the Castro. It's a hole in the wall Italian place that's warm, cozy, rustic. Great menu. Everything you'd want in a little Italian place. Veal was great. Salad was to big to even try to eat. I'd like to try out the pizza because it smells great. Great place to go with your favorite person and have a really speicial nite and a good meal. All around fun and good food.
(4)Michael D.
The plates are hearty and simple, and yet flavorful at the Sausage Factory. I love their sandwiches served with meat sauce pasta. The prices are very reasonable. The place has been here forever and it looks it. I'm sure most of the staff have been as well. But the owners definately love the place as it is always spotlessly clean with a big bouquet of flowers by the cash register. The staff are friendly and will recognize you if you've been in there often. The bathroom is clean here, a big plus in my book.
(4)Boryna M.
My bf's friend said The Sausage Factory's pizza is sooo GOOD! So i ordered a medium Tony's Special w/Basil, Fresh Tomatoes and Garlic for delivery. The pizza was hella goood. The garlic on the pizza was damn good! The thing that wasn't good was the not so well cooked pizza. Pizza looked like it was cooked, crust was golden brown but the sausage was ummm...still pink. GROSS! I knew something wasn't right when the bottom of the box was barely warm. The center of the pizza was still doughy. The manager credited the pizza back to my card (i wasn't even a bitch about it). I wouldn't mind eating from there again just not anytime soon. Everyone deserves a second chance. - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
(2)erica u.
You want good pizza with high quality mozzarella and oil, you got it here. The entrees are old school and FULL SIZED. The prices match the food, just right. I love having spaghetti with meatballs and a nice cold glass of milk, it's comfort food and nostalgic. This makes me feel like a kid that's been good and their gettin' a special treat, not a snack. Because the difference between a treat and snack, is that one is earned and extraordinary, while the other you can have anytime you want! The service is just as good as the food.
(5)Charlie S.
I loved this place. Just a short walk away from our rental condo, and the interior was so charming. Victorian decorations and 50's classics playing. The food wasn't anything to write home about, but it was too neat of a place to even notice. I got the cheese ravioli with meatballs and my boyfriend got chicken alfredo. The wait staff was super nice!
(4)Jennifer s.
This is not a foodie destination. Met up with one of my non foodie pals here for lunch. I caved in because I was hung over and just did not want to make a decision. Used to come here alot for pizza when my pal used to live on 18th street. There is really nothing too special about this establishment. Stick with beer. The wine list is compiled of wines you find for $6. Service was decent.
(2)M R.
So we went to dinner there tonight...I'm so full i barely have enough energy to type this because my food coma is kickin in! I wanted to get the manicoti or the almond tortellini, but the really nice waitor suggested the lasagna! It was very good, but when i ate his ricotta seafood I think...wow, it was delicious!! delicious delicious!! the portions are soo huge that there was enough for lunch the next day..and yes I'm taking his leftovers for lunch heehee! Will go there again, but this time I'm ordering the seafood ricotta!! (Didn't go to the bathroom, but parking for late dinner at 9:30pm was really easy! Right across the street!)
(4)Winter Lee S.
Despite the name...and what neighborhood its in, it doesn't have anything to do with sex. With that being said, its a mediocre pizza/pasta place. Nothing special. My mom said the decor looks like a typical Italian-American home in New Jersey, and I kinda have to agree with that. The service is also mediocre. I have to say the little hole-in-the-wall pizza place up the street (or is it down the street?? I think its right by the Body Shop) is better and cheaper.
(2)david s.
fun neighborhood, great food, great experience possibly the best salad I've ever had have to re-visit (sober) fo sho
(4)James M.
I've never actually stepped foot in the place. This review is for take out/delivery pizza only. I still feel (the really immature part of me) the need to mention that I find it giggle worthy that in the Castro is a business called the Sausage Factory. Why am I so immature? And it only seems to be getting worse the older I get. Alright, on to the review. . . Truth be told, three years ago I did not eat pizza. . .actually I lie, only Bucci's in Emeryville but i felt really guilty afterwards and this was not often for me. You'll be happy to know, I no longer feel guilty about eating pizza. So anyway, lately I've been on a pizza kick, making up for lost pizza time, and you know what. . .pizza is good! Sausage Factory pizza is alright. Not the best but it's pretty decent. It's medium crust plain old pizza. This is not one of the fancy of the moment, deep dish, or thin crust trendy pizza places. This is the place you order pizza to be delivered, because you just want simple good pizza. We ordered a meat something or other that I can only imagine had sausage on it, as well as a veggie pizza. Both were yummy. Delivery was maybe 45 minutes which isn't bad. Check it out when you're sick of waiting a gazillion hours for a pizza at one of the new/trendy places.
(3)Jonah C.
If you find yourself in a hungry mood and need to carb load, and your in downtown San Francisco's Castro district, Sausage Factory is pretty much your only choice. So you walk in and there are mismatched dusty chandelliers and all sorts of wierd pictures on the wall, think a portrait of George Washington (?) next to an oil painting of a bowl of fruit. We were directed to sit in the back bar area while we waited for a table to open up. Once we were seated, we ordered the caprese, along with the spaggheti and the baked penne. The house red is edible but chokably so. The caprese obviously is made with bought mozarella, but the tomatoes were fresh. We had to kidnap the oil and vinegar from the hostess' stand. The pasta was pretty good, even if the marinara sauce is straight out of the can, man.
(3)Denny L.
I like this place. For the past year, I've ordered the same pizza and I can't seem to get away from it: Salami & Mushrooms. One day, I'll grow tired of eating the same thing, but when my craving for pizza comes on, I always think of coming here first. I don't know why. Maybe its the dark wood interior that has a rustic charm about it. I know its not the best pizza place, but I do like coming here for a no-non-sense pizza dinner.
(4)d s.
Know what I did Saturday? Take a wild guess. Did I suck a baker's dozen dicks? Have my sphincter mack-tacked with flypaper? OH NO, I spent all day and almost all night waiting in my apartment for the Comcast cocksuckers to fix my cable and broadband which has been spotty for almost two weeks. Now in theory they were supposed to show up between 2 - 4, but of course the tech swung by at 9, which basically ruined all my afternoon/evening plans. Motherfuckers! So when I FINALLY held the virtual world in the palm of my hand once again, I rediscovered the pleasures of the internet and caught up on all the porn posts I missed in the interim. OH FUCK OFF, don't you even TRY to fool me with your blah blah world affairs blah blah business research blah blah social networking blah blah restaurant reviews blah blah -- EVERYONE KNOWS THE INTERNET IS ABOUT BARGAIN SHOPPING AND SEX VOYEURISM, I SEE YOU ON THE BIG COCK BLOG! Sean Cody, English Lads -- even Shane's World! And yeah, I watch straight porn from time to time DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT?!? I'm sorry, but sometimes the plastic queens of gay porn bore the fuck out of me with their cookie-cutter countenances and steroid-induced backne. And sometimes I like to pretend I have a va -- NEVER MIND. So I was on Shane's World, watching Criss Strokes snake Casey Parker's plumbing while I ate a Snickers bar and finished off a box of Fiddle Faddle when one of my favorite people in the world started chatting with me on gchat. Ed: i feel like getting some spaghetti and meatballs. darin! do you want to go to the sausage factory? Me: ugh, no ed, i don't do the castro on saturday night. Ed: it's the sausage factory, not like i'm asking you to badlands Me: hahaha! i know but it's always so fucking crowded. and then i see all those lines of vapid boys who think 18th/castro is bryant park while they wait to get into ____ and i want to shoot myself. Ed: the sausage factory? Me: No, the castro in general. Ed: oh, true. well it's 10.30, can you think of someplace that serves affordable italian that's NOT in north beach? Me: hmmm. lemme check. Me: fuck. Me: FUCK YOU YELP SEARCH FUNCTION DON'T YOU FUCKING TELL ME THE ONLY LATE NIGHT ITALIAN JOINTS ARE IN NORTH BEACH Ed: hahahha! Me: okay, fine, i'll go to the sausage factory with you. On pain of breaking the omerta and waking up with a horse's head on my pillow, I'll say I enjoyed eating my tortellini while seated in a dark, narrow room with antiqued floral wallpaper, framed pictures, and a "Regulator" wall clock that was likely purchased at Target Home. Basically, if one of Sciascia's novellas were a restaurant, it would be The Sausage Factory: there's mystery; there's an appealing seediness; there's la cucina italiana/siciliana; and quite possibly there's also a corpse. The tortellini was al dente and covered with ham, peas, and a cream sauce worth around 1,000,000 calories -- nothing fancy here, just basic straight up Italian food served in large through not unseemly portions by a platoon of cheery gay men like our server, who took our orders with grace and flair. But I have to apologize to Ed for the following discussion during dinner. Me: Have you ever done Colon Cleanse? Ed: What's that? Me: You can buy it at Walgreens. Fiber. It makes you regular -- really cleans you out. Ed: Ummm...No. Me: Or a colonic, have you ever had a colonic? Ed: Huh? Me: It's when they run a tube up your ass, fill you with fluids, then suck it all back out. It feel weird, but totally worth it to remove all the shit. Ed: ... Me: Oh. I guess this isn't really appropriate, you probably don't want to hear about enemas while I'm shoveling tortellini in my hole. Anyway, if I'm ever craving some no-frills pasta at 11 pm I'd return to The Sausage Factory. Because if there's one area of town I hate more than the Castro on a Saturday night, it's fucking North Beach -- that's the REAL Sausage Factory. Ugh. HORRK!
(4)Janney B.
yes. yes, it is.
(3)Joseph R.
I wish Yelp would let you give half-star ratings. 2 stars seems too low for this place, and 3 stars would be a lie. I can't believe I spent 7 years wanting to go here. I kept telling myself, "I have to try that place", and no, it wasn't because of the name. Well, yes. Nevertheless...! (Tee hee.) I was disappointed. The spaghetti was very oily, the bread felt like cement, and the dessert not worthy of the standardly-upscale pricing that befits most other ITalian restaurants. All in all, I got the impression that I was eating at a rather glorified diner. Our server was not particularly attentive. His service felt entirely perfunctory and I did not feel at all welcome in the restaurant. This may have been just the style of that one individual, though, since a couple sitting next to me and my friend received the same sort of attention. Still, I was disappointed by the mediocrity. This isn't a terrible restaurant, but I'll be going to many other places before coming back.
(2)Yvonne C.
I love it! The food here is delicious! We like to order sausage and peperonni pizza which they do perfectly. Come on-a restaurant called the Sausage Factory in the Castro? You gotta check it out! Cheeky name- great food.
(5)John S.
2 stars for being a unique looking place thats worth at least walking into. Smells really nasty, like stale milk and coffee. Service was non-existant. I think the server was drugged up on something. It took him 5 visits (separated by 2 minute gaps) to take my order. Slurred speech. Pizza was terrible. Crust tasted like dried herbs, and when you held the slice sideways you could see that it was only half cooked, and the other half was transparent raw dough color. Unacceptable. Really lousy tasting crust. Sauce was just tomato paste out of a tin. Overall, one of the worst food/service combinations that I have seen
(2)Mark P.
Sure, it seems a little funny to have a restaurant called "The Sausage Factory" smack in the middle of the Castro District, but the food was actually okay. I ordered the Risotto Frutti di Mare, and it was not too bad. The risotto was Al Dente, and the seafood tasted fresh. In terms of ambiance, when you first walk into the place, it screams Castro. There were about 2 women and the rest were all male diners. The lighting was pretty dim, which again, it typical for the Castro. Lastly, for some reason, it seemed as if people were cruising...again, it's Castro.
(3)Cynthia B.
Let me say that this is one very old SF restaurant. If you want old-school Italian food, this is the place for you. Prices are reasonable. Pizza is great. Cheese ravioli is great! Veggie lasagne is magnificent. They serve you some bread and butter. I love this place. Great for dinner. Also you can order your food online from their website. They are pretty fast with delivery also. castrosausagefactory.com…
(5)Robert C.
Our group ate at the Sausage Factory last night and the experience was great. The waiter was very attentive and fun. The food was great and the atmosphere was alot of fun as well. 2 of us had the risotto and it was perfect. The other 4 of us had pizza. The pizza was delicious. The pizza sauce and dough were amazing. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for good Italian food in the Castro.
(4)Ryan T.
This establishment seems to be very comfort-food oriented, not geared toward the high end. Both myself and my dining companion, Lily E., had spaghetti dishes yesterday evening, for her spaghetti with sausage in a red sauce, and for myself, the spaghetti puttanesca chock full of thinly sliced garlic and green olives with tomato and anchovies. That last part, the anchovies, I was expecting to be a bit more of a background component, but perhaps a little more overdone it should have been. Other than that, a nice dining experience with a good amount of food. I would come back here and try something else.
(3)Joe C.
We did home delivery. The food was fairly unimpressive. The only saving grace was the fact that the prices were very reasonable and portions quite large. The food came quickly and from a friendly person.
(3)Jeff P.
I love the old school appearance of this place. When you get one of the booths off to the side it is like getting your own private restaurant. One thing I will never understand (and this has nothing to do with this place in particular) is why pizza in SF is half the size and half as good as pizza in NY and is twice the price. Does this mean SF pizza is 4x the price of NY's? Anyway, the service was fine and the pizza wasn't too bad at all. The crust was thin albeit a bit too crisp. When I asked for garlic powder, I was told that they didn't have any. Instead, the waiter brought me fresh garlic and G-d bless him. It totally made the pizza sing. I'll probably stink for days but it really made the pizza taste good.
(3)Ricky T.
Our group had a very enjoyable experience at The Sausage Factory. I had been there before but the other couple that we were with had not. We really thought we had made a mistake going down there Saturday night during pride but to our surprise we were able to get right in. The waiter was very nice letting us taste a couple of the wines before choosing. I got the Lasagna which was outstanding and the other three shared a pizza and my lasagna. Overall a very nice place!
(4)Seema M.
Went last night as we had visitors and wanted to make them visit every neighborhood. We don't eat in the Castro often but thought it would be a fun place as it was central and looked busy. Service was great, wine was great (and pretty inexpensive too) but food was quite bland. Needed more spices or flavoring. We all ordered pasta dishes but the pizza other customers were ordering looked better.
(3)Jake T.
I've always enjoyed this place. Im an out-of-towner so maybe i just dont know any better, but whenever i'm in the Castro i always try to pop in. The Pizza is always great, and the service has been very friendly.
(4)Ben M.
This place is great. Never a line, always good food (especially the all meat pizza) and the guys that works there are super easy going and friendly. You get what you give here. If you walk in with attitude, they give it right back (come on, they're gay)...but if you are nice they are nice. This place is a landmark if you ask me. Plus, there are very few tourists, mostly locals.
(4)michelle m.
you know this place is pretty dam good. great pasta, better service and pretty dam cheap. a super cozy little past joint that hits the spot. the stud watching is great as well even if i dont have a chance with most of them. its still great eye candy.
(4)amelia g.
top of the line staff and service! the two owners are super friendly as well. the food itself is decent but i must admit.... i am in looooove with their seafood pasta! sadly.. i always forget the name. i just describe it to them when i order. =X
(3)Victoria K.
After interviewing at a yoga studio nearby, I had to take my boyfriend down to the Castro to roam around. Today was the day we did so, and the first thing I thought was "damn, I'm hungry." After checking a few menus, we decided to go here. Damn am I glad we did! The inside is very comfortable and friendly, as is the staff. The prices aren't bad and the food was so good, we both made sure to save some of it to eat later at home - we wanted to experience the flavor again :) I'll be coming back here again, no doubt about it!
(4)Melinda D.
I totally dig this place. The service was great, the food was tasty, the wine was reasonable, the dessert was de-lish. This place is quaint and charming, not pretentious in the slightest. Would I say this is the absolute best Italian food I have ever had? No, but it was pretty damn good, and the for the price of wine and beer and food, you cannot beat it. I would def recommend the place to other people. The only drawback I could think of is I wish it did really offer a variety of sausages. Otherwise, mad props Sausage Factory.
(5)Rachel G.
Dude! I freaking had the best time at this place, even considering I was hungover! You can't go to the Castro and not eat at a place called the sausage factory, although it lacked a lot of sausage from the menu...I had the raviolis and I totally could not finish my plate, but the meatballs were pretty tasty and the service was amazing! We found $10 on the street so our meals were pretty cheap taking that into play! I would love to go here again, and remember to watch were you walk because you never know when you can find money on the ground, or in a toliet, just the other day i found $20 in a toliet at a bar (and you better believe i grabbed that shit). oh and i like the atmosphere.
(4)Nicole M.
Wooooo. just had the most splendid dinner at the sausage factory. Their menu is huge and so are the portions. Our waiter was the cutest little old man and it felt like eating at my grandparents house. My dining companion couldnt decide what to eat and the waiter made a wonderful choice for him. I ate the veggie lasagna and it was delicous. True comfort food, not a thing to dislike. Cute atmosphere, good amount of lighting and noise level. An allover delightful experience. My only compliant is that I couldnt stop eating and now Im SO FULL.
(5)Steven T.
Yikes, this place was major disappointment. The service was very rude and food was NOT good! So we got seated and I wanted a lemon drop but they only serve beer and wine... Annoyed. The food... let me think what I got... I don't even remember cause the food was not memorable at all... I don't even remember what my boyfriend got. Over ittttt. This place sucks. Our waiter sucked. The sausage factory sucks. Maybe cause it was pride weekend, but still... the food should have been memorable? but it wasn't...
(1)Ashley B.
Id rate the food as fair/decent,but what always keeps me coming back is the phenomenal service!
(4)Susan C.
It's pasta and pizza, not culinary arts. The place is casual in service and decor, which makes for a relaxing atmosphere. The salads are huge and in addition to their Italian dishes, they also serve burgers and sandwiches. The first time I heard the name of the place, I thought my dinner escorts were kinding. But no. Right there in the middle of the Castro. The Sausage Factory. Go figure.
(3)Jamie W.
I've been walking by this place with the notion that it may be too fancy for my wallet - and no idea they were more or less a pizza/italian place. Fear no longer, my friends - this is a nice, cozy place for pizza and, from what I saw, some big ass salads and other good food for your belly. The price was right - around $20 for a couple of Cokes and a medium pizza with good toppings (salami, sausage, green peppers, onions, some others). Service was absolutely fantastic - how often can you say that in the Castro, I mean really?!? Anyway ... great little restaurant that I'm glad I finally walked into.
(5)Jeff G.
I went here for lunch on Friday afternoon, with my wife and her mom. When you first walk in, it seems a little small, kitschy and dimly lit and does smell a little funky. But soon after that, as we settled into a booth near the kitchen, we began to feel more comfortable and enticed by the aroma of the marinara sauce. And I figured it might be a good sign that members of the staff were happily chatting in Italian with a customer sitting at the bar. That lent an even greater air of authenticity to the decor and overall atmosphere. Our server was prompt and attentive. The bread came quickly and it was fresh and very good. Next came a huge Caesar salad that the three of us shared and it was more than we could finish. I ordered the lasagna and it was love at first bite, possibly the best I've ever had (and I've had plenty). Noodles cooked perfectly and the flavors balanced and delicious. The sauce was amazing. Again, a huge portion (I had to take half of it home, and I'm a big guy who can usually eat a lot) some of which I shared with my wife and mother-in-law. They had a pizza -- sausage and mushroom -- small (but comparable in size to most places' medium-size), which was also more than we could finish. Fabulous pizza, tasty cheese and again a great sauce, slightly different than the one on the lasagna but equally delicious, and the sausage was sweet, mild Italian, not the spicy kind (which I appreciated). The crust was thin (but not TOO thin -- still sturdy and crisp enough to support the toppings) and also tasty and slightly toasted on the bottom. Perfection. I am very surprised to see negative reviews of this place. Maybe those folks caught 'em on an off day or with somebody else filling in back in the kitchen, I don't know. For us, it just couldn't have been better. Oh, and I can't believe someone said it was too pricey. Are you kidding me? Maybe they raise the prices for dinner (who doesn't?), but for lunch -- with these portions, half of which we took home, were about 12 dollars apiece -- an incredible value, especially for a restaurant in a big city. $40 for a lunch this good for three people??! Outstanding. I loved it so much I tipped $10 (OVER 20%). I can't believe people complained.
(5)Nathan P.
I have bneen here more than a few times so I feel that I now have a basis for a review. First, the atmosphere is great being that its right in the Castro, once you walk in you dont have the still in the Castro feel. Pizza- I love there pizza, its very tasty and the sause is pretty good, nice selection of toppings. Pasta - Ok here is where I have problems, I love a nice seafood pasta and have been known to go out of my way for one, the three time I have tried differnt seafood pasta, all three kinda tasted the same and really did not do anything for me. There other pasta is about the same. I mean for less than there price I could go to Pasta Pomadora and get better Salads - LOVE the salads, loads of fresh chese all in all, not bad but i was hoping for the pasta to be better.
(3)J C.
Never had a long wait, never had a bad/average meal, never have anything but good things to say about The Sausage Factory. It's like something you'd find in North Beach with the wait and it's better than Fuzio. It's not the trendiest place to eat but has EVERYTHING on their menu and is great for groups or one one dining. Great pizza!
(4)Curtdude T.
Me and the man and sometimes 4 or 5 of our drunken friends have been eating here for 10 years and the pizza is just what the doctor ordered. Though the joint went through a bad/inedible patch about 3 years ago and we ventured out into other pizza haunts, obviously someone from The Greek-Italian American Chamber of Pizza made a visit and now all is well. If you need a menu with the words "toscano" or "secondi" on it somewhere, just don't go. But if it's a choice between the Sausage Factory, Dinos, Uncle Vitos, or Gaspare's, you're on the right track. Homey and comfy. Snag a booth if possible.
(4)Big Toe ..
Good pizza, never tried the pasta dishes, but they look good too. Good for dining in or take out. The place isn't breaking any new ground, but it's a great Italian option in a city that has very few good options. Sick of Pasta Pomodoro and Escape from New York, try this place out.
(4)Markus S.
I had a pizza which could have been spicier, though there is parmesan, chili and pepper on the table. The dough was good. My friend had a chicken entree which was delicious. Service was good. The ambiente in the restaurant is well worth to come back and try another pizza. Prices are OK. Medium pizza (which was too much for one person), Entree and two beers were about 50 bucks incl. tip. I really liked the interior and lighting set up.
(4)Chad C.
I'd really like to give this restaurant another shot, and try a little more of the menu. I wasn't real impressed with the Almond Cream Tortellini, and Tortellini is one of my favorite pastas. The bread was fresh, but somewhat bland (and I really do look forward to an Italian restaurant with great bread). It was a large serving of pasta, and my friends Salmon was also a large portion. The atmosphere was quiet and a bit dim; very 'traditional' family style Italian dining. Prices were reasonable, and I saw they had a website and delivery options for the area.
(3)Jonathan B.
Pretty good grub, excellent service and a place with some character in the Castro. I enjoyed the "Factory Special" sandwich, which was basically a British banger on a french roll with grilled onions, peppers and marinara sauce. This included spaghetti wtih some really good sauce. The lady had the clam pasta somethin' or other, which was a bit strong to me, but she loved it. I'd definitely come back if I got the chance, sadly I'm only ever in the Castro for the theatre once in a blue moon. :)
(4)Rachel R.
Craving pizza last night I called up a friend and had him meet me at this fun, low-key, italian restaurant that we've both walked by a thousand times and never tried. I was surprised at how much space they had, and though we walked in right at their 8pm dinner rush we were seated really quickly. For dinner we had a Raul's Special which has tomato, basil, mozzarella, and ham. Yum yum and garlic yum.... though the crust was on the thicker side (my own personal pref is thin crust) it was still tasty. My comrade had a Morretti dark beer (it says Larossa on the label which threw him for a min), that had a slight bite to it, but he claims it was great. next time i'm going to try the risotto.
(4)R J.
I have been here several times and now feel I get the vibe of the restaurant well enough to write an informed review. The main dining room is truly a unique San Francisco experience, down to the wood paneled ceiling, heavy wall paper and sconces for lighting. Food eaten: Calzone with Mushrooms, Bell Peppers, Onions, Pepperoni, Mozzarella Cheese, Ricotta Cheese, Black Olives Calzone with Salami, Mushrooms, Bell Peppers, Onions, Pepperoni, Mozzarella Cheese, Ricotta Cheese, Green Olives Stuffed Manicotti with Spinach & Ricotta Cheese, Red Sauce Dessert: Tiramisu Cup Bill = 87$ with tip I'll start with the positive aspects and transition into the negative points. The bread is very well made and the crust of the calzone has a nice firm flaky texture. Server kept all waters on the table full and the portion sizes are huge. Switching out the black olives for the green olives made a huge difference in overall taste and a less common pizza topping. The vegetables in the calzones were so fresh and well cooked that I could feel them crunch with every bite. The Tiramisu cup was commendable but not spectacular (I didn't finish the entire cup). There is a relatively long list of undesirable aspects in this restaurant, which include the service and taste of food. All three of us in this dinner party picked up that the server was very very cold (think bitter queen and you get my jist). I had two drinks, water and coca cola, and only the water was offered to be refilled through out the entire meal. Secondly, when dessert was served only one spoon was given when three people are sitting at the table. In all fairness I should have specified the need for more spoons, but most servers would give three spoons without being told. I made the mistake of removing the salami from one of the calzones which resulted in a slightly bland taste and needing a bit of salt. The crust on the calzones were quite simple, bland and desperately needed sea salt and truffle oil brushed on the top. The stuffed manicotti was okay, nothing special. The red sauce was better than the cheese stuffing which was a slight disappointment. Overall I give 3 stars for decent restaurant to take a non-foodie friend to enjoy okay food for an okay price
(3)Betsy W.
I came here with my parents for lunch one day. I didn't know what to expect aside from... sausage. I ended up ordering the ceasar salad, and a simple pasta dish of linquine with olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, and basil. Both were excellent. The pasta was al dente and the flavors were great, albeit a little bit over-dressed in olive oil. I want to try the pizza next time I go.
(4)Mitchell W.
If you ask to see the waiter's sausage two things could happen. An embarrased/pissed of waiter, an invite out back. About a year ago, when I was there with friends the waiter let me know that his sausage was better than any other on the menu. I told him I don't eat raw meat... I love it! So, this is a good ol' home cookin' kind of restaurant. Neither fantastic food nor miserable, just good hearty portions and taste. I like everything I've ever had there and would recomend it for a fun dinner with friends.
(4)Tyler S.
I like the homey, comfy warmth of this place and I like the generous portions. If you feel like Italian, this is a nice place to drop by. The last time I ate here it was actually pretty good, but all the times before it's been pleasant but totally mediocre. I'll give 'em another shot and see if they should get bumped up a little.
(3)Maria D.
Did you know that my gay best friend from high school was so self loathing at one point he like REFUSED to come here when he was in the area for one summer. I mean, dude, it's just a name! As far as the food, um, good bruschetta and of course, good sausage.
(3)John L.
Hard to decide between 3 and 4. I think the main reason I am giving it lower star is because there was a dead fly on my plate... and when I brought it to the waiter's attention, he just took it away, no complimentary anything or a sorry that I remember. I had a bday party here, reservations require at least a group of 10 folks. My friend's alfredo pasta was bad, so bland flavorless we had to add salt to it. I ordered the veal and it was not bad. My other friends' dishes looked alright, no dish stuck out to me. The food seemed like typical Italian food, that in addition to the fly deserves a three.
(3)Kevin C.
Do you know how one thing can turn you off? Well Sausage Factory is doing it. They have good pizza tastie and big portions. BUT they can't get the delivery right to save their dough. We use to order from them all the time but the last 3 times it has come late AND cold. How hard is it to deliver a HOT pizza!!! We put a man on the moon for god sakes. I wish they could get this right but we will never know because we are going to find another pizza delivery place.
(1)Richard C.
The food is OK. I might eat there again, if I were famished, and every other restaurant in the City had closed. Perhaps because of an alien invasion? I had an Italian sausage sandwich. It tasted as if it were made from bad breakfast sausage. The service was impersonal, the atmosphere--old and depressing. I also tried some of their pasta, spaghetti with marinara sauce. I wasn't too thrilled about that dish either. With so many good restaurants in SF, I can't see a reason to go back to The Sausage Factory.
(2)Gregg T.
I wanted to like this place. Who couldn't like a place called "The Sausage Factory" in the Castro? But.... In a word "Bland". Bland Chicken Cacciatore, Bland Pasta, The pizza was edible but forgetable. Oh well.
(2)Rayne M.
Great pizza and pasta dishes. Their delivery time is super quick too. Check 'em out!
(4)Maggie B.
Very good food, and good prices,nice staff.
(5)Frank C.
I like this place. Hard to find such an unpretentious restaurant in S.F. And it doens't claim to be anything that it isn't. It is just a local neighborhood inexpensive pasta place. I also like that it has changed a bit in the 30 years I've lived in S.F.
(4)Clifford L.
NOW? Does this fit into the Neighborhood/ When Ine Not @ Home categories?
(5)Maureen V.
I really don't understand why this place is considered so good. It's very average for Italian food. And how could you go for average when you have Anchor Oyster right on the same block!
(2)Nick C.
Quite acceptable, good value for the price. I would not come here just for the food, however, I recommend this restaurant if you are looking to eat with a friend and in the mood for Italian.
(3)Dustin H.
If I could this place negative stars, I would. I think the main reason why I dont like this place is the fact that the people I went to see were absolutely insane, but this was my exp. This was my first real time to actually have gone into the Castro, so I had great expectations. So, I show my fat-ass there around 8 something-ish and the place is pretty packed. I was already part of a party and I was kind of just waiting around for a waiter or host or something. So I wait a good 10 minutes and then Im like, fuck it, so I go and find my party. So I sit down and this waiter comes by and I ask for a glass of water. He gives me this look like he's shooting arrows into my soul, and he goes "Here's your water" and he hands me the half-drank glass of water of the guy sitting across from me. And the guy across from me goes "Oh, I've already drank out of that" Uh, no duh. And then there was already food there. There was a massive bowl of this pesto thing, but it looked like throw up and I wasnt about to sample it. Then the guy who invited me out started talking about how was totally addicted to shrooms and how they drain you spinal fluids and Im sitting there going HOLY FUCKING JESUS. THIS ISNT MY LIFE. And so Im jamming bread in my mouth trying not to laugh. Throughout all of this, I didnt get any water, even though I asked again...impeccable service. The place itself was really fucking cramped and claustrophobic. And apparently the food wasnt that outstanding. So yeah, not going back anytime soon, and definitely not with some Narcotics Anonymous drop-outs
(1)Daniel R.
I came in here for lunch and had the pasta primavera. It was a bit heavy on the oil, but still very tasty. Good pasta, fresh vegetables and a large portion. Nice atmosphere and great service.
(3)Bryan S.
below average pizza imo. tasted like maybe they put ranch dressing on my hawaiian pizza? soft drinks were watery although the refills are free. i guess if bad lighting and an old sound-system qualify as nostalgia then they have that angle covered.
(2)Spaulding A.
I will always love the Sausage Factory because my wife and I held the rehearsal dinner here the night before the wedding. Yes, we enjoyed telling the people visiting from "'Merca" that our dinner was at the Sausage Factory on Castro Street. But that's not why you should book here. There is a large room in the back that is available for booking and is perfect for medium-large groups... we anticipated 40+ and ended up with 60 in the end. They actually went out to buy plates during the dinner! We fed those 60 people (actually, stuffed those 60 people with pizza, salad, and fizzy drinks) for a very, very reasonable price. As for the food, I prefer Goat Hill for thin-crust pies because of the sourdough crust (and it's more accessible by car for takeout). But the pizza is fine and several of our guests said it was the best pizza they had eaten in a long time. For a long time after we brought our nephews here for spaghetti, nad it's fine for that too. The bruschetta are tasty. Just imagine red-checkered tablecloths and you'll be on the right track. The servers are always nice (even to the aforementioned kids) and the atmosphere is really great- old building, mostly booth seating of various sizes. There are some smaller booths in the back if you want a bit more quiet, but the front isn't deafening. So, highly recommended for group events, and just fine for a dish of pasta or a pie in pleasant San Francisco-y surroundings.
(4)M C.
Went last Friday night, the pizza was great and the the service was great as well. I'll go back next time I visit SF
(4)gabe l.
after hanging out in a cafe with a bunch of friends, there were 9 of us thinking of where to dine on a whim nearby that would accept a big group. one suggested sausage factory which i haven't gone since my high school times. after snaking through the district of castro, we had to wait for about 10 minutes for the table (it was about 8 pm) and we were seated in the mafia's back room. it seems like everyone just plainly ordered pasta dishes. once the dishes arrived, everyone just simply said that the dishes were plainly average. nothing to rave about, nothing to brag about, and nothing to complain about. it seems like many people would just enjoy the factory's interiors and art more than the dishes themselves, even worser giving more jokes to the sausage factory's name than raving about the dishes... nevertheless, the service was great and friendly... considering that the restaurant's been running for over 30 years, i think the restaurant's just being plainly lucky to be in a great location with many new tourists coming in. the interiors look very inviting to the tourists... so i guess not too many locals would dine there often except for the comfort food. again, plainly, i can't type anything more about this plain restaurant... would i recommend it again? only if you want to admire the interiors and enjoy the atmosphere instead of being a food critic.
(3)Kimberly G.
So this place is a legit restaurant serving decent Italian food. Given the name and location, I was concerned that all the food might come out in phallic shapes, but really it's just a neighborhood joint. We ordered a Caesar Salad and Pesto Pasta, both of which were fine, but not great. If you live in the neighborhood, it's a convenient place for a quick dinner, but nothing special.
(3)Jamie L.
Because of the name and location, I was expecting something totally different. Great food!
(5)Ted G.
Great food. Great atmosphere. Great service. Great prices. I'll be back!
(5)Ben W.
Been there two times now this year for lunch/brunch with friends. The first time I had a great omlette. This last time the canelloni and pizza. Both meals were VERY good. Service is very friendly and reasonably quick. Great place for good food if you don't need that fancy schmancy atmosphere.
(4)David W.
One of the few decent restaurants in the Castro. I've never tried their chicken picatta so I wouldn't know anything about that. I get spaghetti and meatballs or lasagna or fettucine alfredo. All of which I have always enjoyed, with lots or real butter on bread. This is comfort food and very filling and reasonably priced for the neighborhood. I probably would not take a date here, and don't expect haute cuisine. But it's a decent value. But maybe Robert P. is right. Or maybe they had a stand in chef that night.
(4)Amelia R.
for me, this place is like comfort. it totally reminds me of this place my parents and i used to go to when i was a kid, so that earns sausage factory big points right off the bat. the food is good too, just classic italian food. which i love. ive gotten the baked penne and the manicotti so far, and my friend got pizza once which was really good. it truly is comfort food and this is honestly the major reason i love it haha. as for service, the waiters are all pretty nice but are a little strange... you'll just have to see it to understand haha. its a nice, quiet space. and the chairs are comfy!
(4)Nina B.
Ok so it's not sophisticated Italian food and the decor is old-world/garish style, but we enjoyed a tasty comfort meal, a delightful house red, a very attentive and polite waiter who was actually Italian, and all for pretty cheap. I ordered spaghetti and meatballs, which is usually disgusting in restaurants but the sauce was nice, the meat was the right texture, tasty, and well-seasoned. Nothing to complain about here!
(4)Tamara M.
I don't care where it is -- a place with a name like this is guaranteed to bring a wry smile to my face. Simple food -- definitely a place to go when you're looking for quantity.
(3)Guy F.
I love lasagna and wanted to try theirs. It was sub-par. Not bad, but not good. The service was good though, so that makes it a little better. I've had their pizza before, and it's not bad....prices are reasonable, but I probably won't return.
(3)Thomas L.
Got to agree w/ Steven G. Food was truly bland. If I wanted my spaghetti and ravioli w/ sausage to taste identical to what I make at home, then truly I've wasted my money eating out. Other than that, service was immediate and friendly. Great old school interior. I would come back to sample pizza but skip the spaghetti.
(3)William M.
My Coworkers have been going here for a while, I was invited but just never got behind the whole "Sausage Factory" name... One day i gave in. Parking was fairly easy to obtain and when I walked in... Whooo Hoo I loved the woody dark atmosphere and the Music...from Doo-wop to oldies and Frank and Dean... I ordered my usual Italian stand by Chicken Parm. While my coworkers got their usual Momma Salad or something like that. We only have a hour so we never order the pizza. My meal was great and a lot of it. A couple on times later when we were seated Ray asked if I'd like my usual...hahaha I didn't realize I had a usual familiar to him it was my third time there! I highly recommend the Sausage Factory for all the reasons that have been mentioned....Oh and one late night after seeing Gil-Scott-Heron we decided to try the Pizza....Hmmm might just be in the top two pizzas I ever had.... Everyone is great there and I feel like I'm a special guest and always welcomed with a friendly smile!
(5)Joshua G.
Nothing really spectacular about this place but all the basics of a restaurant were done well. The service was good, the food was good, no wait for a table or for the food to arrive. Would recommend and return.
(5)Katherine B.
The Sausage Factory is your basic neighborhood Italian place. I really like coming here with my Dad, who enjoys the food, the relaxed atmosphere and the service. Their house wine is an excellent deal and quite delicious. Their risotto is what I always order. They have other basics like lasagna, alfredo sauces, meatballs, etc. You can't go wrong by eating here if you are in the mood for some down home Italian food.
(3)John L.
I think that this place is more of an institution more than anything else. I do not think that the food is good nor do I think that they are bad, it's just ok.
(2)Robert S.
Man, after a couple of hours of Happy Hour(s) this place rules. The Big Mama salad is BIG and served on a chilled platter. The pizza is super yummy and is totally "old school" - you won't find any deep dish or thin crust here....just pure cheesey goodness. I would have given this place 5 stars but the wine glasses are small so you lose a star for a wimpy pour...but i'm usually crocked by the time I get here anyways so my liver thanks you!
(4)Valerie D.
I really dig this place for a couple of reasons: I love the perfect Italian salad dressing, the chianti by the glass (good and cheap), the decor (warm with good lighting) and the dance music because it's so random and so Castro. Service with a smile.
(4)Matt W.
Billy is the best!
(5)Rob P.
Really good place to eat Italian in the Castro at 11pm at night. They stay open until 12am. My friends and I went there last night and had great pasta! mmm...the prices were okay for Italian I have seen cheaper but overall 4 stars.
(4)Berna T.
Not Italian fine dining - it's good old Italian comfort foods....I'm biased because I'm friends with the owner's son...but really, it's a great restaurant, reasonably priced, with a fun staff. It's a family owned and operated restaurant, which is always cool.
(4)Mr. E.
Contrary to the name, they have a few veggie selections. Gigantic portions and the banter between what were obviously establishment regulars was highly entertaining. Nothing spectacular but no complaints either.
(3)Richie K.
Sausage jokes aside, this is a good neighborhood Italian restaurant. Deceivingly small, there's a lot of space in the back. Waiters here were quick and friendly. The food was alright--the meatballs were delicious, but I wouldn't want to be a vegetarian here.
(3)Michael R.
Pretty good pizza and spaghetti. Decent prices. Better than most Castro restaurants.
(4)Jared F.
I agree with Jennifer... but I didn't expect it to be a foodie destination. Honestly, when I walked in, I thought "pizza joint that happens to have other dishes." In truth, their fettuccine Alfredo wasn't 1/2 bad, it wasn't anything spectacular, but it was good. The salad was typical of the "you all don't make salads much do you" comment. Not great, not bad, just good. Nice staff and moderate service.
(3)Brett G.
I ordered the meat ravioli with sausage and my partner the "small" antipasto salad. The bread was cold and nothing special. The ravioli was luke-warm or cooler in parts and hot in others. The sausage on it had great flavor but was overcooked and dry in areas. The salad was iceberg lettuce topped with about 2 pounds of shredded cheese. All the ingredients to the salad, from the shredded carrots to the hard-boiled egg were very mediocre, grocery-store bought tasting stuff that I would expect from a Denny's. As a meal, this dish was practically inedible. On the positive note, the waitress was very friendly, plus one star for her. There are dozens of better places within a short walking distance, so this place really needs Chef Ramsey/Kitchen Nightmares to come in to be competitive. Then again, maybe they are just fine financially since there was a crowd on a Thursday night so they don't need to/won't change.
(2)Aaron L.
Decent, basic Italian fare that reminds of you of where your parents would take you as a kid. (Unless, I assume, you're Italian.) Portions are substantial and the prices can definitely creep up there... belying the rather worn and cozy look of the place. Of course, the best part is turning to your friends and suggesting "The Sausage Factory" for dinner. Always good for a Beavis-and-Butthead chuckle.
(3)Gourmet G.
The reasonably-priced food is fair to middling to halfway decent, but never fantastic. I don't set out to eat here - when I do it's because I'm in the Castro and it's the only place that gets everyone's vote. I find it's better to go with something simple - pizza, a salad, spaghetti and meatballs - rather than test the kitchen's creativity, or lack thereof. Sausage-related innuendos and/or double-entendres are highly discouraged.
(3)Koni K.
Maybe it's the name. Maybe it's the easy location. Who knows? I like it and I will be back.
(5)Jim L.
The name is funny given the neighborhood, but I think its just an ironic coincidence as this place seems to have been here for at least a generation. Or maybe its not, but it doesn't matter because the food is actually really really good and the traditional italian atmosphere is comfortable and homey. We started with a nice cold cut antipasto and then I had the meat lasagna, for which they are apparently well-known and was quite tasty.
(4)Sugey G.
When it comes to Spaghetti and Meatballs I am always ready for seconds. I went to this place when one of my best gal pals from high school came to visit me at USF. She comes from a rather conservative family and I really wanted her to get a feel for SF so I took her to the Castro for dinner ;o) The food was decent, good pasta in not my favorite sauce but the prices were right so not much to complain about here. The ambiance was fun, cheesy but it made for a good time and I like its clever name.
(3)Michael A.
Just another "guess it'll do" restaurant in the Castro. Right up there with a Michelina's frozen entre. I've found myself here when a group of us couldn't agree on a place or when sobriety wasn't in control of the situation. But when isn't a plate of oozing cheese cravable? If you're in the mood for a bIg portion of medocre and a cozy restaurant packed with bears, Sausage Factory will not disappoint. Their pizza delivery, however, takes forever even if you live in the hood. I'd recommend a call to Capri before this place any day.
(2)Claire C.
Ironically enough this place reminds me of my childhood haunt the Ol' Spagetti Factory, except, it's like GAY. Well, not really, but it is in the Castro. I find that some of my straight male friends initially balk at the restaurant due to the name, but once I ply them with enough beer they overcome their fears and experience a true treat. The salads are huge so be sure to split those and the pizza is highly recommended. This place is esp good for medium size dinner parties for groups that don't want to spend too much cash. Red vinyl booths, rockin 80's tunes and belt popping portions make this a solid "go to".
(4)Chrissy Q.
I enjoyed the Sausage Factory the first time I was there but mostly because of the bruchetta and atmosphere. I went again tonight and we decided we wouldn't be back. My meatball sandwich was good but my girlfriend's pesto pasta was tasteless. I'd rate this a 2.5 if I could but I had to round..and I decided to round down because they don't have free refills!
(2)patrick g.
This surprisingly good. The staff are super friendly and the food is competent if not exactly adventurous.
(4)Nathan F.
The pizza is good in-person, but delivery is always a disaster. This time it was 40 minutes late and cold. Two times ago the delivery person had spilled a coke on it and 1/4 of the pizza was soggy. I'm giving up on this place.
(2)Juan d.
The Italian food here is good, but what keeps me coming back is their Calzone. Its the best.
(4)Jude F.
A restaurant dear to my heart in the Castro. My favorite thing about the Sausage Factory, ironically enough, is their *huge* dinner salad. You get this platter full of dark green, fresh lettuce, with masses of carrots, mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers. Both the bleu cheese and the house dressings are fantastic. The pasta is great, too; my favorite is rigatoni with broccoli in a white sauce, called "Rigatoni Mama". It usually comes with ham, too, but I skip that. Also, ask for your lasanga with light sauce -- it's usually drowning.
(4)Felicia C.
What an appropriate name for a restaurant in the Castro. Heh heh heh *dirty, immature laugh*....We ended up there by chance, because we were starving, and The Sausage Factory just so happened to be the solution for 4 very hungry and tired girls. Though the name of the establishment may be deceiving, the place does not only serve sausage! In fact there was such an extensive list of pastas, as well as some risotto dishes, pizza, etc. that we didn't know where to start! We ordered the Sausage & Mushroom Penne, Broccoli & Ham Penne, Risotto, and a Pineapple & Ham Pizza. The food was pretty good. Not the fanciest or greatest Italian food ever, but we still enjoyed it, and the portions were huuuge. Not a bad experience. This is probably not a restaurant you would ever make plans to go to, but would be definitely satisfactory for an impromptu dinner in the Castro. There are a lot of options on the menu so everyone will be happy.
(4)Eric P.
Great for what it sets out to be. Funky, comfy atmosphere, hearty entrees and very good pizzas, and great prices. Graba few friends, wait for a booth, and settle in for some simple but satisfying Italian soul food.
(4)Mitzi Y.
A pretty good eatery at nice prices. The first time I stopped in I was quite impressed to find a cute italian restaurant in the Castro that wasn't way too overpriced.
(4)Jessica S.
For what it is...it's decent. Lol meatballs are made in house and delicious. Skip the garlic bread...it's made on sourdough and not very good. Service was great. My wife liked her pizza. If you are looking for affordable food and some pasta, check it out. Portions are huge though! I only ate about 1/3 of mine before I was stuffed!
(4)Emily U.
The food was terrible. When asked about the food the waiter told us the pasta is boxed and the seafood is from tins. We couldn't even finish our wine it was that bad and the waiter yawned the whole time he was taking our order.
(1)David H.
Not great quality food. It has a nice set up. It's very casual. The staff is a little strange. Everything is just kind of ok. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here. It is on the cheaper side and never has a wait.
(2)C S.
Wow, went in to have dinner , told very coldly 15 min wait , went out side told very coldly to close the door. Two lesbians walk in seated immediately ! I went back into the women and said, excused me , we were here first, She turned green and said I am so sorry, did not know you saw that .. Really !! She is not doing what's right for your business please let her go She is not representing your business accordingly
(1)Jeff L.
This is an old style mom and pop Italian joint. The neon signs out front just invite you on for the old world flair. The decor was exactly out of a 1970's movie. The place was very clean and our waiter was genuinely excited and happy about his job. The pizza was fantastic- living up to all expectations. Tons of toppings and great crust. The salads are definitely enough for 2 people and loaded with all the good stuff. The reason for 4 stars not 5 is 2 fold. Lack of domestic beer choices and the pasta Alfredo dish (chicken) tasted like fish. Yea... I know I would recommend this place as well as visit again. So much fun and reasonably priced
(4)Jorge A.
Very disappointed about this place. Pizza was terrible and my spaghetti carbonara was more like a carbonara soup and noddles... Bad quality ingredients, regular service and the place is very old style. Not recommend at all! Foodie Horror Stories, Vol. I!
(1)Jim W.
Service was great - waiter was a lot of fun. Salads looked great - wish I had ordered one. The garlic bread was great - you have to love a touch of mostly raw garlic - but it worked. Waiter recommended the lasagna - it was awesome. Dining companion ordered the ravioli - he wasn't as impressed with his food as I was. Only complaint - a little bit of "old building odor" ... need to work on that.
(3)Gary R.
This is a nice place to visit if you have a good appetite and like hearty portions. We sat down for dinner around 7pm on Saturday evening. I chose the PENNE with SAUSAGE. I absolutely loved the sauce it was bathed in. Very unique, unlike any other I've experienced in recent memory. Notwithstanding, I did find it necessary to season it, something I rarely do. Overall, though, I thought the dish was executed quite well. Prior to the entree arriving, the meal is served with a salad, which is humongous. I loved the salad and adored the array of veggies, but I had to stop eating it out of fear that I would get too full and neglect my pasta. Also along with the salad was a lovely loaf of bread for the table to share. One of our dining companions ordered a pizza. It was huge. I didn't take a bite, but it seemed to be enjoyed. Service was prompt, but at times seemed a little too persistent. We were waiting on another person to arrive, and the waiter appeared to lose his patience after about the second or third time delaying putting our entree order in. Overall, though, I thought he was a good server and did a good job making sure we had everything we needed. The Sausage Factory reminded me more of an old-school Italian restaurant. Loved the dark ambiance and smell of ragu and pepperoni in the walls. Probably one of the better dining experiences I had during my recent stay in the area.
(4)Heather S.
3 1/2 stars is a more accurate review rating. It a nice mom and pop joint with tons of pasta, entree and pizza options. The portions are huge so come hungry. I wish I could have ordered a nice helping of pasta but I was trying to be good even though I loaded up a lot on some bread. I recommend asking for olive oil and balsamic vinegar to go with your bread. The waiters were friendly and attentive. I ordered the salmon piccata and the gf ordered the chicken piccata. She wasn't a fan of the chicken but loved the capers. I really liked my salmon. The veggies were bland and so was the pasta sauce that came on the small side of pasta. I would come here again but this time hopefully try a pasta dish.
(3)Philip C.
A group of us went here just before Christmas for dinner. Because our group was special, we got the room in the back. The seven of us decided to order an antipasto and four pasta dishes because the portions are so large. I made sure we ordered the linguini basilico which we all shared. One of us ordered the tortellini alla panna but substituted fettucini so I tried a little of that. Everything was good. The antipasto was huge and easily fed seven of us. I liked it very much. My favorite again was the linguini basilico which was a simple pasta with fresh tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. Yum! Everyone enjoyed the meal so I think we will return.
(5)Ddc C.
This is a good restaurant with a solid reputation in Castro. Many restaurants come and go but this place remains. It provides good solid American food that never goes out of style. Pizza, pasta or something else from the 1980s it's all here. The pizza has always been awesome and the pasta is great. You can spend your time here and enjoy your time with aging homosexual gentlemen. Great place.
(5)Nate S.
Maybe I should've got the pizza.. Came here with a group of friends (we're all from out of town), and someone mistakenly recommended this place in the Castro area because they make penis-shaped sausages. (which would've been entertaining if this was true..but after we asked our server, his facial expression answered that question for us). So we stuck with the fact that this place is called the "Sausage Factory". Surprisingly not that many items on the menu had sausage in it, including the lasagna I ordered. I wasn't too impressed with my lasagna, portion size was huge and meaty, but the lasagna itself was very bland. It even wasn't plated to impress anyone, just a large heap of lasagna sitting on your plate looking messy. None of my other friends at the table enjoyed their meals either (it was just average/nothing memorable) Server was really quick and attentive, their wine and beer selections were decent, and the place boasts a very rustic/homey vibe. I'll say pass to this place
(3)Kyle G.
Been going to it for years so I guess that means I'm a fan. There's seating in the front and also a large back room for bigger parties. But be careful on Friday and Saturday night's because the restaurant gets packed and seating is at a premium for larger groups. We always go in when we know it's gonna me semi busy and not a packed house. We always order a small "Mamma" (salad) which is plenty for two people. Honestly it's fine for three people too..lol Larger groups have the BIG "Mamma" option. The salad is meant to be messy so get over your OCD when your here and enjoy yourself. Next up is a pizza! We normally just get the factory special and call it a night. The pizza is big enough to give a nice lunch tomorrow. Yeah I know I still love cold pizza. So, I enjoy eating here every now and then. Good food makes me come back for more.
(4)Andres B.
It was pizza, so it gets 2-stars by default. Immediately upon walking into this "hilariously" punned restaurant*, there was a strange chemical smell that we never got used to and that seemed to just float above the table the entire meal. We ordered...honestly, I don't remember. I think it was a ham, tomato, basil mix but after the inexplicably long wait (it was basically empty, as it seems to be most days) our pizza arrived. The entire layer of cheese and toppings slid right off the pizza like a mud slide the second we picked up a slice. We spent the next couple minutes incurring 3rd degree burns trying to place it back on. Now on to the pizza... I could probably make better pizza from a lunchables kit. It's just so average it's hard to describe. Anyways, Oz is probably your best option nearby but you should just leave the city if you're looking for quality pizza. *Quotes denote sarcasm
(2)Brian K.
nice charming atmosphere. big portions. the pizza was good. i got the chicken cutlet with eggplant, it was a little bland but easily rescued by parmesan and salt. the salads are huge/generous. our waiter seemed a little impatient/jaded.
(3)Jaime L.
$19.62 for a bowl of fettuccine and pesto. No chicken. No veggies. That's all folks! OUCH!
(2)Nina Y.
They have some big portions here. It's actually a really hilarious name for a restaurant in the Castro. *giggle* Honestly, the Sausage Factory has some really big..portions. For the most part, it looks pretty empty the two times I've gone in to grab some food (at around opening and around 8pm). The meat lasagna - delicious. It's not the prettiest items on the plate, but it's definitely a huge portion. I had 2 very filling meals of the lasagna when I ordered it. Pretty good the next day. The spaghetti and meatballs - decent. It's a bit portion again (with enough for 2 or 3 meals), but there was only 2 big meatballs. I wanted more meatballs, even if they were a bit smaller just because that's what makes it spaghetti and meatballs. Regardless, it's a choice place for big portions and decent food. Protip: definitely split the dishes into 2 meals - or share with someone!
(3)Tom F.
Average Italian food. Had the pizza. Medium was perfect size for 2 people. 4 pieces each. Ample toppings. Flavor was somewhat bland hence the average Italian rating. Service was no nonsense. To the point. No pleasantries but efficient.
(3)Sylvia L.
I cringe every time I walk past this place. We used to live near The Sausage Factory and I was so excited to try it. We finally did - and the ravioli was really tasteless. To top it off, the wine is poured into the typical hexagonal/round cups used for water (can't remember if it was plastic or glass but it definitely didn't help the taste of the wine). Only positive was that the portions are legitimately big.
(2)Raquel L.
I've been here a few times and I have to admit the first time was probably an off night. Since then I come back pretty often, especially since they deliver. It's a Castro staple, nice inside, great food. My fav is the chicken parm.
(5)Rachel Y.
Great service! Hostess was super sweet. I got the Chicken Florentine and was pretty much licking my plate when I was finished!
(4)Akash K.
SF has so many awesome restaurants that it's just that much more disappointing when you land on a dud. The food was mediocre at best; garlic bread could have been Safeway french bread cut into pieces and buttered, and the cheese ravioli was definitely from Costco. I'm super confused why Italian restaurant chefs are so lazy they don't make everything fresh, it's like an episode of Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsay. Oh if Gordon had been there, he would have been hurling expletives left and right and spitting the food into a napkin! Side note, the waitress was very nice. We also got a reasonably priced bottle of Malbec that was good ... hence the second star. I hear this place is an institution ... and named the Sausage Factory near Castro it should be quirky awesome. I just don't get it. The real surprise is that there were tons of people dining inside.
(2)Ernie A.
I have always enjoyed dining at the Sausage Factory. Just don't expect to hear any Italian spoken, I usually order in Spanish as most of the waiters are Hispanic. Once I asked my waiter for an extra order of garlic bread, "pan de ajo" in Spanish. But he thought I said "pen de jo," Spanish for idiot! I couldn't understand the look of astonishment on his face, but he took the miscommunication well. My guest sitting next to me realized what happened and told the waiter I wasn't calling him a moron, I just wanted more garlic bread, we all had a good laugh. I enjoy the Antipasto, it is an enormous mountain, one order can easily be shared by four, five, or even six diners. Of course parking is a nightmare. Park anywhere outside the Castro, and take BART to the Castro and Market Station and walk a block down to the Sausage Factory.
(5)Nadja F.
Naaaah... Pasta without any taste, wine served in water glasses, hectic waiter... Sry - but not again
(1)Lin A.
Randomly found this place when our original plan didn't work out for lunch. Arrived at 12 and ordered spaghetti and meatballs with meat sauce and the lasagna. They were both delicious with generous portions. Great pricing for lunch too. I would definitely come back on my next visit to SF. Oh and my phone battery was dead and the waiter let me charge my phone during our lunch, nice of him :)
(4)Michael S.
Go to this place for the pizza. If you are in the mood for a traditional Italian entree other than pizza, pick another restaurant (Sausage Factory does only a so-so job with these). That said, this is my go-to place for pizza. Their best, you ask? It's a pepperoni with pineapple and garlic. Ask for "Extra Red Sauce" to jazz it up. They use a good flavorful red sauce that goes super well with the pepperoni and garlic. The pineapple makes a nice cooling contrast to the pepperiness of the other toppings and sauce. If you are in the neighborhood, they deliver...and tend to be very fast too.
(4)Anthony C.
We have been coming to the Sausage Factory for years .The food is excellent and the service matches. Cozy booths set off the atmosphere. Lately the neighborhood has experienced an inflow of dangerous types. My wife and I came back to a smashed car window with odd types moving out quickly from our car. We were lucky they didn't turn on us. If we return it will be by Uber.
(2)C L.
I came here after going to the Sound of Music singalong at the Castro... Edelweiss, Edelweiss Every morning you greet me Small and white, clean and bright You look happy to meet me Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow Bloom and grow forever Edelweiss, Edelweiss Bless my homeland forever It brought tears to my eyes when the Captain sang it, but on to the pizza! In hindsight, I guess it would have been a good choice to go with a sausage pizza, but I really like the margherita from Cupola's so when I saw it on the menu, I ordered it. Bad decision, it had chunks of tomato which just made it taste too tomatoey. Slices I think would have tasted better. I think I just ordered the wrong thing.
(2)Antony B.
I went to with my GF on monday night, we love the atmosphere, very cozy restaurant. Our waiter was very friendly and gave us a great service,. Next time we will try a pizza....
(5)C. D.
My go to place in downtown oakalnd.
(5)Roger E.
Awesome ambiance with awesome food. 4 stars because profiterole dessert was obviously sitting in the fridge for a while. I'd come back. Had the seafood pasta and ground beef pizza.
(4)Paul B.
Odd but quirky waiter that questioned me ordering a medium pizza (it was huge, easily served 2 people) that aside the pizza was great. I had a meat feast that was smothered in toppings. Highly recommended.
(4)Melissa H.
Every time I go to Sausage Factory I always order the same thing-Eggplant Parmesan, and it is absolutely delicious. The dish is not overly greasy, as it often is at other restaurants, and it comes with a sides of ziti marinara and mixed veggies that are both tasty and always perfectly cooked "al dente." The portions are quite large so I usually end up taking home about half of my food. The restaurant itself is refreshingly unpretentious, and the decor is antique. All in all, The Sausage Factory is a comfortable place to sip wine and savor food, it's like dining in the home of an Italian grandmother who has a lot of gay friends and likes to stay up late.
(5)Lauren V.
Really generous portions. Very intimate and home-like decor and ambiance. Open late on weekends. The menu is packed with any type of pasta variety your little heart could desire.Great staff
(4)Kitty K.
I came here one night after a trek on Twin Peaks in Novemeber 2012 (yes it's awhile ago. I'm catching up on reviews!). It's a bit hard to find parking since it is on Castro St. Service here was great as we were greeted right when we walked in and was constantly checked up on. While you're waiting for your food, they do bring out a complimentary basket of bread and butter. My order: Penne w/Sausage & Mushrooms: Penne Pasta served with Italian sausage & sauteed mushrooms in a rich brown sauce Tartufo: Classic Tartufo with a zabaglione cream center, covered with chocolate gelato and caramelized hazelnuts, topped with cocoa powder Since this place IS called The Sausage Factory, I figured I must try a dish with sausage in it. My dish was so packed with flavor: delicious sauce and the sausage pieces were juicy. Portions were quite large as well and I might've eaten too much bread prior my dish (we were hungry after the hiking!) The tartufo was amazing. Chocolate and hazelnut, my two faves! My friend has a huge sweet tooth like I do and nearly at all my dessert though! =/ Would come back just for the tartufo alone!
(4)Leena S.
I haven't been in years, but my girlfriend and I decided to try it out. Atmosphere is cozy. Food was bland and service was decent. We got the house salad. Nothing special. Then the chicken Marsala. Sauce was tasty, but thin. The veggies were steamed with no seasoning or butter. Bland. Overall is was just "meh." I don't think we will try it again.
(2)Aris P.
Great Pizza... Cheese... check... crust... check... toppings? The ground meat, or 'sausage' was bland. The concentration of toppings to crust i the middle made it so that every time I grabbed a slice, it left all of the toppings in the box. Still really enjoyed the pizza, probably wouldn't repeat though, because I know there is better out there.
(4)Andrew S.
The food was great! I order the Chicken Florentine and was surprised by how delicious it was. My friend and I enjoyed the bread and our dishes and will definitely go back for the food. We were not too pleased by the waiter. He wasn't very friendly and hardly spoke to us. Never gave us his name either. Also the place smells off, like a very old dusty house.....but good food.
(4)Eddie W.
After catching Benson Movie Interruption: Twlight at the Castro Theater we decided to head over to the Sausage Factory for dinner. I ordered the pasta carbonara while all my friends ordered their own individual pizzas. It should be no surprise that the pasta was on the heavy side. The pasta was cooked to al dente and coated well in the cream sauce. There was a copious amount of pancetta which added a heavy amount saltiness to the dish. For me, the dish lacked balance and was one note from the very first bite. I am not so incline to order it again. As for the pizza, the portions are pretty decent for the price and taste better than anything you will get at a fast food place. The pizza appears to be made fresh to order which is a nice touch. The crust and sauce were fine but nothing particularly remarkable. Not going to be my go to Italian place but it's a decent place for a quick bite Overall Thoughts Old school establishment, serving traditional fares of the time at a reasonable price point
(3)Lisa S.
Fantastic, cozy atmosphere, extremely friendly waitstaff, and nice location right in the heart of the Castro. Pricing commensurate with portions. Delicious seafood pasta! Will absolutely try one of their pizzas next time. If you're visiting from out of town, put this place on your list.
(5)Pat W.
Came by today but your hours have changed. When did that happen??
(5)Dennis N.
I've been coming here forever. It's a standard. This is not your elegant, fancy precious Italian food. It's the good old American kind. Lots of pasta with red sauce, big salads, warm bread. Old style Castro, with some guys who have been there since Harvey. It's always comfortable and one of the few places where you can hear yourself talk. (it's gets a star for that) and doesn't cram you in with a bunch over other folks. So why five stars I consider the entire dining experience, -- service, price, noise, comfort, food. So if you just want to spend a few bucks, have a decent meal, be comfortable where you're not hearing every little personal thing from the people at the next table, and want a bit of old Castro, this has to be near the top.
(5)Cornelius M.
I work at Bank of America 501 Castro st San Francisco and i eat regularly at the sausage factory i love there Pizza and there Hamburgers are fantastic the meat for there hamburgers they grind themselves and i can eat one everyday there so good i send tourist who ask me almost everyday that visit San Francisco where they should eat on Castro st i always recommend Sausage Factory after they have eaten there they come out of the restaurant and thank me that i recommended the Sausage factory if you love home style Italian food pizza and hamburgers it's a winner in my eyes try it you will like it.
(5)Erica W.
Better than you would think. I get the lasagna every time - it's excellent and huge. highly recommend it.
(4)Tracey W.
This restaurant is the prime example of why the best use of Yelp is to generate ideas, not veto options. We had dinner plans far away from here, but were at Under One Roof and super hungry and grumpy. I knew there was a place across the street with a name that made my inner 11-year old erupt with joy, but I assumed that with such an awesome name, it would probably suck meatballs. But as we left and started agonizing over what to do, I was like dude, for one night, let's not be Yelpers. Let's just enjoy the neighborhood and go into a random place that sounds good that we haven't thoroughly researched on Yelp. Let's take a chance. You know, live on the edge. SO GLAD WE DID!!!! This place is WAY bigger than it looks. It's the type of restaurant where every table is pressed into an intimate corner, but the restaurant is deep and goes back and back and back and back. You might have to wait a few minutes for a table. WORTH IT. We sat in probably the best table in the freaking place, in the front window. Even though the tables were so close together that I had to suck it in and hold my breath just to get through, I didn't feel claustrophobic or like I was dining on top of anyone else. This place is suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuper romantic. The vibe was old-school Italian charm. Faded Victorian wallpaper. Antique picture frames and mirrors adorning the walls. Wood tables with candles in red jars. Dark, but enough light from chandeliers to illuminate a great conversation. Loud, but more of a rumble than a roar. Enough to make it tough to eavesdrop on a neighboring table, but not so much that it would drown out your date. Our waiter was probably the best waiter I've ever had in my entire life. He was actually smiling!!! Soooo happy and kind. His joy rubbed off on me. Hilarious. Attentive. Fast. Anticipated needs. Eddie, seriously, marry me, bro. I was so happy when bread arrived. I haven't been to a restaurant in sooooo long that brings out bread. Bring back bread!!!!!!! YAY! And when we ate it all, they brought more. Nuuuuuuuuuuuuumy. Ordered manicotti. Huge portion of warm, spinachy goodness. Best manicotti ever? No. But at least I didn't have to make it. :))))))) 14 bucks I think. Worth it. I could only eat half, and I'm a human black hole of food. Probably one of my favorite restaurants that I've ever been to. And I'm so proud of my brother for being secure enough in his manhood to eat at a place called the Sausage Factory. You rule, Broseph! Oh! And definitely go to the bathroom here! Their bathrooms are reminiscent of the solitary confinement cells in a medium security prison. In a good way.
(5)Lizet B.
So good! I had the seafood pasta and cheese bread with marinera sauce!!! Still drooling!!! The atmosphere is calm for a romantic dinner or just to chill with friends! Everyone is so nice and the food is A mazing!!! Would go back in a heart beat!!!
(5)Tracy B.
This place is amazing! The atmosphere and the customer service are awesome. I wish I knew the name of my server? She was tall and had brown long hair, cute and funny and knew her stuff. I ordered the spaghetti and cheese ravioli combo with meat sauce. It was delicious and very filling. My friend ordered the chicken Florentine. He said it was delicious too. I'm happy to have finally found a great Italian restaurant spot in SF!
(5)Sophia A.
Our visit to the Sausage Factory was FANTASTIC. We expected the meal to be a bit pricy since the smallest calzone is $18, but our waiter informed us that a medium calzone was enough to feed two and he was right!!! Speaking of our waiter, he was extremely friendly and took fantastic care of us. I live really close to the Sausage Factory and will definitely be returning.
(4)Chris G.
This was an accidental find since we parked on Castro St. to go to another restaurant and could not get in. Since we were tourists, it was our first time to visit this area. Walking by we noticed The Sausage Factory, looked on yelp, where it was rated a 3 1/2 so decided to give it a try. The waiter was very attentive to us from the moment we got in. We explained that we had to leave In An hour because we had a flight to catch, no problem! Our meal was out in 15 min. and everything was perfect, chicken parm, fish , eggplant, veal! Prices were also very reasonable. Atmosphere was eclectic with a combination of old and new on the darkly paneled walls. Our waiter threw a few jokes our way and was quite dramatic! Overall. It was a fun experience.
(4)Chris K.
A 3 to 3.5 for the food and a 2 for the delivery service. I asked for extra parmesan cheese the last two times I ordered from here. Both times I received nothing and the same delivery driver could't care less (older middle eastern man). The lack of attention to detail is what kills a business. I will not be ordering from here again.
(3)Jenise B.
We are sofa king upset! Immediate suggestion: do NOT ever get delivery!! We are hella disappointed after having been in the restaurant a while back. Apparently something has changed because after a couple nibbles of the fettucine we had delivered, my best friend (the nibbler/Court taste tester) is complaining of bubbleguts. NO BUENO. Please, learn from our mistake. We are DONE with this place.
(1)Manny A.
By far this place has great service Eddie was great and very nice! I give this place 100% prices are reasonable service is fast even tho there's a wait just good all around!
(5)Arturo T.
Arrived at the sausage factory ready for some great Italian pizza. Staff seated us upon arrival ready with water for the table. Went ahead with a special pizza and it did not disappoint. Topping were full of flavor and crust was very warm and crunchy. 10/10 on pizza radar.
(5)Antony T.
We were just looking for a place to eat and found this restaurant by luck. We instantly fell in love with the atmosphere and the feeling of the place! it was me my brother and my wife and ordered 3 different plates. Pizza , a Veal plate and pasta. Much better than a lot of famous restaurants in North Beach. All plates where great and the prices were really good for the whole quality of the experience. I will go back a soon as I get a chance.
(5)A W.
Place has gone downhill over the years. Still sitting on food poisoning from last night's visit. I reckon it is bacteria infested salami from the antipasto or spoiled cheese. Foodwise, some dishes are excellent, but its pretty inconsistent from day to day. You cant go wrong with pizza, but you can get pizza anywhere. Come for the comfort foods: lasagne, manicotti, canneloni,..all that cheesy and sauce goodness. Leave satisfied. It also help to come drunk,,,makes things taste better.
(3)Ben G.
Kind of torn about this place. While I wasn't looking forward to it (I read the reviews before going) because I expected terrible service, our waiter was actually really attentive and pleasant. This is more of a 3.5. It was A-OK but since we had a good experience, I'd give it a bit more, just can't. Note: I support local places as often as I can, and this is one I would support, so I'm writing this because this has been in the neighborhood for so long that it's almost like an institution in the Castro. So, here's to hoping they take feedback! The food itself is nothing to write home about (except on Yelp!) just your basic, old-style/traditional Italian comfort food. Lots of items on the menu. Spaghetti with meatballs was...bland... the meatballs were a bit heavy on the bread, the sauce was ok. It just didn't have a ton of depth. Some other people ordered things that I also got to try, like a mushroom pizza that was... weird. The crust wasn't thin, and the cheese felt very thick on it. The portions are rather large for some dishes; most people in our group were pleased with their food, but I don't think they would call it outstanding either (Chicken Marsala, etc) The decor of this place is actually what I found really charming. Most Yelpers have already described it, so I won't go into too much detail, but the back room (with dark red walls) felt straight out of the 50's. It's not a bad thing, has its charm. So, would I go back? Probably not, because I can make good, if not better, Italian food at home (the basic kind) but it's not a bad option to take friends in the area.
(3)Jolene H.
A few years ago, my husband and I eat there. The food was good from what I remember. But the one thing that stuck out the most was a very sweet older gentleman. We had been walking all over for the two days we were there and my knees were swollen and I could hardly walk. The guy saw this and brought me a big bag of ice. He kept checking on me through dinner and even refreshed my ice for me. Told us to take our time. I am hoping to visit here again when we return in march.
(5)Brian P.
Good food! Nice employees.
(4)Bethany N.
We held a large event in the banquet room this afternoon and it went off without a hitch, all thanks to Giovanni and the rest of the team at the Sausage Factory. I cannot say enough good things about them. They were super easy to work with, and clearly have the experience and knack for service to handle every detail and make it look easy. For example, we ended up with many more RSVPs than expected, and Giovanni knew just how to rearrange the room to accommodate the additional crowd. The pizza was great, everything was served right on time. They even cut and served our birthday cake for us! DEFINITELY RECOMMEND the Sausage Factory for your next event.
(5)Derek R.
This is one of my favorite spots in San Fran. I eat there every night when I am in town. Reasonable prices (although increased recently), great old fashion cozy atmosphere, great waiters, fast service and oh so delicious. They have removed some of my favorites in the last year, but the tortellini alla penne with ham and peas in a cream sauce is excellent. I also enjoy the veal or chicken picata. I have never had the dessert, because I am so full. Worth the trip to the castro. Robert Pittsburgh
(5)L N.
Long Wait Waiter was extremely unfriendly and tried to rush you out as soon as you sat down. No Cocktails - only beer and wine. Wouldn't be my first choice next time for a birthday dinner. Food was good but the service wasn't so stellar.
(3)David S.
Had dinner two times over several days. I'm pretty limited as far as what I order for Italian. Tried two different dishes, both new to me. Very good. Service was good also.
(4)Dingo C.
Love their eggplant parmigiano, great marinara sauce. Atmosphere was mellow, waiter was attentive and friendy.
(5)Shamus T.
Last night we went to the Castro in San Francisco, right near the corner of 18th and Castro Streets. The Sausage Factory has been a reliable Italian restaurant as long as we can remember. The décor hasn't changed, and we love that. It has dark woodwork, cozy booths, tables, and lots of old pictures of San Francisco. It's great to sit down and quickly be served bread and butter. We had a green salad for two, with blue cheese dressing, and a small vegetarian pizza. If you're like me, you're worried if a small will be enough. It was plenty for the two of us. My dining companion had a glass of Californian Sauvignon Blanc, served in a rocks glass. So, a wine glass would have been nice, but we're not picky. The service was excellent, the food was fresh and delicious, and the atmosphere was casual. Naturally, we'll go back when we're in the neighborhood.
(4)Greg R.
I'm not sure how this place got so many stars.... the place smells a bit too much of exterminator chemicals for my comfort and the lack of people in the place put us off. Anyway, we ordered and got an undercooked, over cheesed, generally tasteless pizza to share. This place has lots of potential - they need to up the service and the food!
(2)Sandra S.
Decided to have an early dinner here because my friends and I were having a painting session in the back. The food was good. Really huge portions. You can definitely order family style. I ordered a pizza and it was very flavourful. They also have really good wines :)
(3)Ronnie S.
The food was bland and only memorable because of its lack of flavor and presentation. I've had way better Italian than this.
(2)Lam N.
Ok, who'd like a banger in the mouth? Right, here in the States, it's called a *sausage* in the mouth. So what drives people to this unassuming restaurant? Maybe because in a sea of colors, rainbows, double entendres, and innuendo that is the Castro, here's a place that modestly started out as an actual sausage factory back in the days of old San Francisco, and actually still looks that way. This is descent, old fashioned Italian cooking. If Italian comfort food was a thing, this would probably be it. You're not getting anything experimental or very creative, but when you're seeking refuge from the hustle and bustle of Castro, why would you want anything else.
(3)donald c.
I first visited here about 22 years ago with a friend. The first few times were acceptional not great nor good but it was convenient. So I came here a few more times with my different friends. The last experience I had was so awful i told myself never to come back and I didn't until 22 years later. My friend wanted to eat Italian food nearby so we went to sausage factory with open mind. I had chicken masala and my friend had chicken parmigiana . My chicken masala was ok but at $18? I expected it to be much better. My friend's chicken parmigiana was dry. The service here is lousy. Our server was no where to be found. I had to flag him down for more coke. And when I did get the bill he charged for additional coke. Who does that nowadays? It should be free refills or state that in your menu or at least the waiter should tell me. I didn't make any fuss and paid for the bill but please check your bill.
(1)Brad B.
This is a dark old-school Italian restaurant with wood paneling throughout. We shared a pizza, which had too much cheese (yes you can have too much cheese). The crust was a bit thick and chewy for my taste (I prefer thin crispy crust like that offered at Vega on Cortland). Our waiter was very pleasant, but would not recommend this place unless you need a quick bite as you are likely to find a table here.
(2)Merisa M.
YUMMY!!!! This place looked nothing like I was expecting and their menu was nothing like I expected either. When you walk in, the smell in the air is that of an older restaurant that's been around for a while. It's a narrow restaurant with limited seating, but we arrived just as it opened, so we were seated right away. Our waiter was super friendly and extremely attentive and offered great service for our meal. I ordered the Penne Della Mama, which is a Penne Pasta with ham and broccoli served in a cream sauce. My pasta was cooked perfectly, as was the broccoli. The cream sauce was rich, sweet, and absolutely delicious. I love cream sauce and this one was probably the best I've ever had. My boyfriend had the Lasagna and all I can say is, oh my goodness. The Lasagna platter was huge and on top of that, it was smothered in this absolutely fantastic Marinara sauce. It's the kind of sauce you want to run your fingers through as you try to eat every last drop on your plate. My recommendations: if you're ever in SF and happen to be close by, definitely come here and order the Lasagna. It will be the best Lasagna you've ever had in your entire life!
(5)Thomas D.
Me: " How many slices are there in a medium sized pizza?" Sardonic waiter: "Eight". Me: "How many slices are there in a large pizza?" Sardonic waiter: "Ten". Me: " Ok, we'll take the large pizza. If I order a half topping on one side and a different half topping on the other side, will it still count as one topping?" Sardonic waiter: "Depends on what you order." (awkward pause) Me: "We'd like mushrooms on the whole pizza and then half sausage and half pepperoni." Waiter: "That will be 3 toppings" (walks away) 15 minute wait--no bread was brought to our table although every other table was given bread. I didn't want it anyway because we were having a pizza--but, we were obviously being snubbed. The pizza delivered to our table had eight slices. Me: "Excuse me, but you told us that the large pizza had 10 slices and this has eight." Sardonic waiter: "Well- I don't count them." (walks away) 5% tip
(2)Richard J.
The service was great. The server who served us, was polite and friendly and kind of out there in the non-hostile way. But, was very nice. Glad to report, the whole experience from the time when I walked inside of this establisment was great to the time when I left. Why you ask not 5 stars? Eh, the guys who took out the trash really need to wait until the guests leave, its an unsightly thing when you have trash and food so close together in a close proximity makes sense right? Not for these knuckleheads who were in a franic to get out. Guys, just to inform you, your done once the guest leave, not when you want to leave lol. Dumb. Anyways, aside from the hustle and bustle of the morons who work in the kitchen trying to get out while they still can even though patrons are sitting there scatching there heads thinking, "don't they dummies know its not time to close yet" . When these people do this it seems like a passive-aggresive and not pleasant expierence. I think the experience was good/ok, in terms of the food. Well that was kind of greasy to me.. I think my boyfriend I and kind of liked the food, but it was lacking in taste and was honestly was not all that great. The food reminded me of the Spagetti warehouse back in my home state, which isn't great, it's just ok. The interior designer of this place took a perminate vacation, as it seems. This place seems to be straight out of the 1900's. With huge mirrors that try to make the place look bigger than what it really is. This must have been a salon back in early day's of SF, because it has two seperate eating facilities which services one side of the establishment while serving the other but whats odd is the hallway that links both places together which is ok, but to go through a hall to get to the other side of the establishment kind of kills the open floorplan of any establishment which seems odd to me personally. A great FYI: don't eat in the hallway as it gets so busy with people coming in and out of the Jon while, at the same time, food coming in and out the kitchen. If you have OCD and or anxiety issues as thank God I don't, thank DON'T eat in the hallway, as its strange and nasty if you put both the idea of a bathroom and food together its not pretty. Lastly, another negative star was the noise level, as always you will have either the quiet and respectful patrons and than there is your worst neightmear from Elm street patrons. Unfortenetly, the ones there last night were the village people (village idiots) who are proud to be gay, great, so we all are (almost), but, don't be so loud your dead granmother is rolling in her grave because your shouting on top of your lungs ah, how mindless and dumb can people be sometimes. Your in a place in public don't embaress yourself, put down the ego- drink and drink some cool-aid and relax, be cool lol. Other than that, the whole trip was worth doing but I won't be coming back unless I have to pick between Orphan Andy's and here, I would pick here because Oprhan Andy's is dog food. This place is great for a late night treat but thats it. Happy eating.
(3)Wayne R.
One of my favorite go-to places in the Castro. Very good Caesar Salad! I usually order it with Chicken. It' s very large size, so it works well to split with another person and sometimes it's enough for a meal in itself ($12). I highly recommend trying the Sole Dore. The breading is done very well and super lightly, so don't let that scare you off... very healthy and tasty if you like white fish with lemon and capers. The manicotti is excellent as well. Pizza is very good and small feeds two usually. If large appetite medium for two people is a lot of food. Favorite two pizza combos are the "Raul" and the "Junior's" (the Raul is usually prepared without red sauce - because it has fresh tomatoes on it in addition to fresh basil mozzarella and a couple other items) but I like a lot of sauce, so I usually ask them to add the red pizza sauce, which they are happy to do. My other favorite pizza is the "Junior's" special .. pesto sauce, chicken, artichoke makes it very hearty and different, delicious. They serve sourdough bread with all meals, which is a great San Francisco tradition. The things that keep me going back besides the great comfort food, are the warm ambiance, AND the noise level is low! It's a great atmosphere for talking over dinner. All in all, just a great ambiance and the food is done well, without pretentious servers or long waits. Tables usually available prime time Friday nights.
(4)Claire C.
This wasn't our first choice for dinner last night, but since we couldn't wait outside the Anchor Oyster House for a table with our 20 month old, we decided to give it a try. I wish we hadn't. The food wasn't bad. I got the linguine with clams, and I finished it all. But I honestly felt discriminated against because I had a child with me. Our waiter looked at us with disgust the entire time, even when I was smiling at him and completely ignored my son when he said hi. Never in my life have I received such awful service. I wanted to ask the waiter if children weren't allowed, but then I just checked this restaurants info page and it says that it's good for kids. Hah! Paid $60 for mediocre Italian food and the worst service I have ever received. Needless to say, we won't be going back.
(1)Carolina S.
According to the boyfriend, the lasagna was the shit, and this is coming from an Italian. I had the penne pasta with vegetables and I decided to add green mussels to it. Our take out came with a full size baguette with butter. Both of our meals were good in size, to the point that each of us had half of our meal and saved the rest. My penne came with plenty of garlic and white wine sauce, which I loved with the mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini and black olives. It was lightly covered with a pinch of salt and black pepper for seasoning. His lasagna had a really good rustic flavor to it, had ham, ground beef and possibly sausage. Their red sauce was authentic and homemade. Since we haven't been there and only ordered for it to be delivered, the only thing I can say is that they deliver to the Lower Haight and it had plenty of good flavor for what we ordered. I only gave it four stars because my plate came slightly cool at delivery, while my boyfriend's lasagna was piping hot... other than that, it was a meal well prepared.
(4)Sam Z.
Cheap! Good service! I had the factory pasta, which was unusual, and it was enough for 2 meals. Very tasty. Also a generous pour of a very decent glass of wine. The menu is mostly pretty standard. Will definitely go back for low-key, low-budget meal. The ambience is... well it's dark in there. It was pretty quiet on a weeknight.
(4)Shaun W.
My friends and I love going here after a night of drinking. The staff is funny and usually on top of things. We think this is the best pizza around. It's greasy, but it's pizza! Hello! We also get the cold cut antipasto appetizer. Prices are reasonable and the place is clean.
(5)Nick B.
Portion and prizes are decent. Food could not be any more BLEND!! Cafeteria food to the fullest... I can't say I hate this place because I always somehow end up back here but their pastas are all very blend. I like the bread and butter they offer upon seating (a must at an Italian restaurant). Only thing THE BREAD NEEDS TO BE TOASTED!!!! It takes a minute to do it and it is totally worth it.. Eating cold bread and butter is just unacceptable. Their wine list is limited if none.. And last time I dined here and ordered a glass of red they served to me in this hideous water glass cup. BIG DISAPPOINTMENT! Dish you must try is the pasta carbonara.. I'm always static when I see it anywhere I go on a menu as it is my fav dish of all times and just because this place has it I come here. The sausage factory is an Americanized version of an Italian restaurant historical in the Castro. It needs some food and decor renovation and it could be the best spot! The potential is there.. Just get it together!
(4)Lynn L.
This was our old stand-by in the days before moving to the East Bay and having kids. It was just as good as I remembered, old school Italian, large portions, friendly service. And, kid-friendly! I had canneloni and the portion was HUGE. I ate half and needed a nap after. We have leftovers to last for at least two more lunches!
(3)Aaron H.
Delivery was really slow/late but the pasta was good. 2.5*
(3)Lee R.
Great service, good food (large portions) and cool atmosphere. We will be back.
(4)Eva Y.
This place is just yummy! The portions are pretty big. The menu holds many delicious choices for your hearts desire. The pizza here is pretty good and I love the seafood pasta here. The seafood is fresh and the pasta is to die for. As far as the environment of this restaurant? It's a typical Italian restaurant interior with booth seating on 2 sections of the place. This would be a good place to bring big groups if you like. The service is friendly but sometime they can be slow since it has more of a family own service feel. The only down side to this place is parking around Castro.
(5)Dean N.
Before I begin.. I should disclose that I am very picky about pasta... very picky. I had their lasagna.. the noodles were thick, but not tough. over all no where near as good as home cooked.. so maybe next time I will try something different. Not a bad experience.. but not exceptional. The service was very good and the atmosphere was amazing. I will go back and try something different.
(3)Bradford H.
I am so tired of finding a pizza restaurant that I love and then it just fails. I keep coming back to the Sausage Factory because I like their pizza for the consistent quality and as you know a Mama Salad, quantity.. I will never order another pizza for disappointment and keep my pizzas coming from the Sausage Factory.
(4)Stuart W.
Good quality overall ( chicken piccata and Marsala), but was lukewarm at best when delivered. Delivery was timely but they need a warmer or something in the vehicle. A bit pricy, too, but it is San Fran.
(3)Thomas M.
Food was bland and service was lacking.
(2)Douglas P.
Okay Italian food at inflated prices. You can do better. Maybe a place to consider for out-of-town relatives who want something more familiar to a roadhouse restaurant of some kind. One note: this place has a huge back room with lots of space. While I didn't try it out, it seems like it would be great for groups.
(2)Jp M.
Strike 3. Last time I EVER walk through the doors here. Strike 1: came here and ordered lasagna that was over cooked, and tasted terrible. Strike 2: I ordered garlic bread that was soaked through with stale butter and the pesto pasta that was literally a bowl of green soup that tasted like despair. Strike 3: I ordered a Ceasar salad, the dressing tasted like milky water, the lettuce tasted dirty and the croutons tasted like tiny middle fingers in my mouth. The only saving grace was that the wait staff was friendly and took my food off my bill without any argument. I won't be coming back here ever again, I don't like feeling like a batters spouse when I come out to dinner.
(1)Nathan B.
The pizzas are huge, good and cheap, which is always a winning combination. The menu might not look that cheap, but keep in mind that a large pizza will feed 3. I never had something else than pizza though. This place is also special for having the worst wine list ever. Red wine is always served way too warm, in crappy water glasses, and had nothing special in the first place. They have cheap bottles though. To sum up: That's my place to go when I'm drunk and craving for pizza.
(4)Kelzorg B.
I'd give this place a 3.5 if I could. It's both good and not so much, but it was pretty crappy for my not-entirely-uncommon dietary restrictions. I went as part of a party of ten or so, and the service was mostly pretty great. Our wacky waiter was very amusing and fairly attentive, and the support staff refilling waters were excellent and constantly on top of things. I would have given this place 4 stars, but as someone who cannot eat regular pasta (generally avoiding it altogether or eating whole grain or alternative flours sometimes), I didn't have many options (as someone trying to make more limited-gluten and vegetarian choices when possible). This wasn't unexpected, though; it is, after all, an Italian restaurant expected to be full of pasta and meat. So, I ordered the chicken florentine. Entrees come with pasta, so I asked about subbing it for something else and a side garden salad was the option given to me. I haven't been super into meat eating lately, so I was a little biased in the first place, but the chicken was actually fairly worthwhile. Cooked to be super tender and filled with cheese and spinach, it was pretty tasty, though the garlic white wine sauce poured over it was the best part. The salad was full of vegetables (lots of green pepper- beware if you dislike them) and fine, and the caprese I had an as appetizer was good. Dessert, however, was *amazing*. I had the chocolate cake, and it was definitely one of the most beautiful and delicious slices of cake I've ever had (and I'm a serious appreciator of chocolate cake). It was reasonably sized and well-made--not one of those huge slices of so-so cake and excessive sugary icing but also not a tiny portion. It was perfect in terms of my ideals in desserts: rich, flavorful, and texturally interesting enough that I could really savor every little bite instead of prompting me to gorge to enjoy it. We shared a few liters of red wine, which was easily drinkable and ended up being around $3 per fair-sized glass, which you really can't beat in this city. I'd go again, but I'd hope to be craving a caesar salad so I could really enjoy my dinner.
(4)Thomas S.
The Sausage Factory in the Castro, sounds cute, eh? I've lived here a little over 1 year. In that time I've yet to experience a restaurant specializing in Italian cuisine. Needless to say, I was excited to finally sink my teeth into something other than the paper thin, steroid-free, antibiotic-free, locally grown, sustainable cardboard I've been becoming accustomed to love here in the Bay area. Here's my experience. We sat about 20 minutes before we were greeted by our server. About 26 minutes in we were brought drinks. Our server, an older gentleman, bald head, wasn't very friendly or rude, he was however absent, both in conversation and for long periods of time after he left our table. The food was over priced. Growing up in an authentic Italian neighborhood, I know that the food was less than mediocre. After two bites, the manicotti made me a bit nauseous. I thought it may have been me, so I wrapped it up to go. After just 2 bites the next day, I had the same sick feeling, so I tossed it. I'm used to the awesome Italian restaurants from my hometown making me feel at home, like family. That's part of the experience. Well, I didn't feel very welcome. First impressions are big for me, so I don't think we'll be coming back here any time soon.
(2)Natasha S.
When I saw the name of this place, I thought something totally different. I mean come on... gimme break it IS in the Castro! Upon walking in, I was totally surprised. The line was long, but we were seated shortly. I liked the food overall even though it wasn't really authentic. We ordered the Baked Penne and Penne Della Mama which I thought was good. Both were extremely heavy and filling. They give you a pretty good portion of food. The service was a tad slow. The second time I was dragged here, I ordered the Linguine w/Clams which I thought was more tasteful than the Baked Penne I ordered the time before. Again, the food wasn't bad. But not super great. I thought it was decent. It's a comfortable and casual set up. Lines can be long, but the service overall is good and friendly. Best of all, it's gay friendly and in the heart of the Castro!
(3)Bryan T.
Went for a friend's birthday recently. I'd only been there once before and was concerned when he told me the restaurant choice. Rightly so. The pasta is on-par with the stuff they serve at Denny's. The place is dank and old, and the menu is large, but offers no real variety. The waitstaff obviously doesn't want to be there, and they'll make sure you know it. Lastly, don't order the Veal Dore. It is the toughest, most overcooked veal I've ever eaten, and there's no sense in battering it if you're going to let it soak in sauce for 20 minutes before bringing it to me (let alone, sauce that tastes like you're sucking on an actual lemon).
(1)Petunia L.
I love love love love! the crust on the pizza here it's perfect crunchy, thick, doughy and delicious! that's a big factor for me and as for the rest of the pizza, soo good! plus the name makes me laugh
(5)Kristy M.
Gotta love the name first off. :) Their staff is friendly and attentive and make great suggestions if your feeling a little undecisive. Their salads, while delactable and have that fresh from the garden taste, are the size of mount everest!! Be prepared to take half the salad to go....unless you brought the whole army with you! The pizza itself was a solid 4 stars: fresh ingredients, piping hot, thin and crispy. I loved the fun atmosphere, it's the perfect family style pizza joint in the heart of the Castro. Their menu options are reasonably priced which makes for a great value play.
(4)Kai S.
I loved this place! Funny name (ha ha) when you consider the neighborhood it's in! Great tasting, yummy food... attentive service, very filling meal (girlfriend and I shared one plate of pasta!), GREAT atmosphere (next time we want to sit in the cool booths located towards the back)... On our next Castro visit we'll try & hit this spot again!
(5)Cat C.
Sausage factory...hehehehehe! Okay, anyways, my friend loves this place and chose to have his b-day dinner here. I know on facebook he said he'd make a reservation. Multiple people approached me, until the hostess brought me to a manager? in the back party room who told me that they don't take reservations on weekends, but that a table could be set up for us. The hostess couldn't tell me that? Anyways, I was a little turned off from that. The garlic cheesy bread with the side of tomato sauce..was delish and absolutely garlicky! I ordered The Factory pasta minus olives, which came with chicken, garlic, and olive oil. The pasta was cooked al dente, the chicken was tender and tasty...but the dish overall lacked flavor and was swimming in oil...I did like the little bit of spiciness in it though. My bf's pesto fettucine was kind of bland too with a very subtle taste of pesto flavor, and yes, it too had too much olive oil. Buca would've probably been better. But 2 stars for the big portions and our waiter being soooo nice; he did 5 split checks, and was very attentive throughout the whole meal.
(2)Lily T.
Went here the other night after my friends and I were looking for a hearty Italian pasta dish. This was the perfect solution to our pasta cravings, we were all very pleased with the meal we ordered. They have a pretty wide selection of pastas, they definitely cover all of their bases. I would have loved this place even more if the John Malkovich lookalike of a waiter wasn't so short with us. He was not very welcoming, just very direct. I didn't mind it so much because it didn't compromise our service (the speed at least), it was just less than what I expected. I asked the waiter for a coke when he brought us our bread and walked away without acknowledging my request, but not even 30 seconds later he brought it to me-so can I complain? Guess not.
(4)Margie C.
So, if you're in the mood for generic Italian with no real flavor, go here. We went here for a friend's birthday. We had 10 people, and despite having a reservation made well in advance and have had spoken with management beforehand, they weren't ready for us when we arrived and seemed fairly indifferent to us in general. This was mixed with the waitstaff then trying desperately to overcompensate with stale bread. They even decided to bring out a cheesecake for our birthday boy. A nice gesture, except that he's lactose intolerant and we'd already told them we'd brought an actual cake with us. I can't completely fault them, they tried. But the end effect was kind of a bummer. I wish I could tell you the food is worth the hassle, but it's not. The menu seems amazing, but not one of us had anything worth talking about. The noodles were pretty mushy and the flavors were flat and tasteless. I would say the marinara isn't terrible, everything is technically eatable. But that's it. I know SF eaters tend to have a higher bar when it comes to food, but this is not worth the hype. You might as well go to Olive Garden.
(2)Pete M.
This review is strictly from having their pizza. One of my pet peeves is ordering sausage on a pizza and having the pie arrive with these little deer-droppings supposed to be sausage....yuch!..straight outta da can. But not here. I love that they make their own sausage and its the best part of their pizzas IMO. Sounds like their pastas need tweaking from what other yelpers have written. I encourage sticking with the pizza. You won't be disappointed. The service is awesome, always friendly. I am an SF native and this place gives off an old school SF vibe. Kinda aged & rustic decor. Can't wait to go back.
(4)Michael C.
Just happened upon this place while visiting the Castro District. Was a welcome surprise. Pizza was good as well as the dishes. Real authentic Italian, like my Italian friends grandmothers made.
(4)David D.
The name is amusing, and the food and service are perfect. I mean, really. Also, they proudly proclaim they have been in business since 1968. After wandering around for a while, we settled on this restaurant to celebrate VICTORY! It was about 5 pm on a Saturday. A waiter seated us immediately in the front window, and asked whether we were planning to see the show at the Castro theater. Then, even though he knew we had no time constraint, he made sure that we were well attended the whole time we were there. We ordered risotto frutti de mare (with clams, those 3" prawns, and calamari "clown hats"), the meatball sandwich, a magic cube (about 2" in each dimension, a chocolate shell filled with white and dark mousse, with cherries -- more than one -- in the center), and 3 glasses of merlot for $51.53 + tip. My Lady and I ate all the prawns and calamari in her risotto, and she had about half of it boxed to go. My meatball sandwich had the usual Italian spices in it, and also had two sides. The first was spaghetti bolognese, and the other was a mock salad, that is the iceberg, sliced tomato, and pickles that would have accompanied a hamburger. I ate the "salad" and spaghetti first, then finished with the real sandwich. It was all delicious, and I STILL weighed less when I got home that evening. Side notes: There was another dining area with a bar in the back. There were two booths in the hallway between the dining areas, and one booth had a partial view of the kitchen. The restrooms were clean and stocked with soap and working hand dryers. I think I'll keep the weight off this time.
(4)James L.
Always passed this place up on Castro but then dived in one day after a nice afternoon at DP. Upon entering, and being handed the menu, we asked the waiter what he would recommend. Well we didn't get an answer from the waiter, because he didn't even have a chance to answer, before the entire other gorups in there and individual sitting at the bar blurted out "SEAFOOD PASTA". When every single person in the restaurant recommends a dish, it must be GOOOOD, and it sure was. Each of our group got the dish. If a good cioppino was in pasta form, w/ a nice balance of pasta to sauce this was it. Salmon, shrmip, mussels and clams. Not fishy, fresh, and simply too big to finish, but too good to astop eating. One thing though, GET HERE AROUND 530-545 if you want some of the freshest most delish pasta in town.
(4)Christopher B.
This is another case where I am shocked when people give this place anything less than 3 stars. The food is good and the staff are friendly. The perfect place for a date or a small group. The Spaghetti Carretiera is awesome. I can't wait to go back for more.
(4)Tawana N.
Went there for the first time last week and was glad I did. We ordered fettucine with chicken and sausage and an all meat pizza. Left stuffed and barely ate much. You definitely can split anything on the menu and be prepared to leave with a doggy bag.
(4)Jim D.
Without question the best meal for the price in the Castro. Tasty food and large portions.
(5)Jace P.
If you're in the neighborhood and you want some crappy Americanized Italian food, go here. If you're willing to travel to a better place, do it. You'll be glad you did, because you'll feel pretty bummed about paying for a meal here. The food here is very mediocre. I could make better from a can of Ragu and a box of Barilla. It's edible, and it's not BAD, but it's certainly not worth venturing out for. We knew we were in trouble when they brought out some bread with no oil and vinegar.
(2)Nathan P.
Not terrible and not excellent either. I had the pesto pasta. Was a lot of food but could only get through a quarter of my plate with out being over whelmed by the pesto. Not sure if we will ever be back.
(2)Ed U.
I used to come here a lot when I went to Berkeley oh-so-many years ago, and more recently, I simply passed by it in favor of Nirvana and other more fashion-forward eateries. So what a treat to come back and find this old-style Italian restaurant and pizzeria still serving up solid, hearty food. The interior is just as I recall it - lots of dark woods, turn-of-the-last-century floral wallpaper, roomy booths. And the service is fast and furious with sodas refilled without hesitation. We ordered the $15.75 medium-sized Tony's Special - one of many combos they have, this one with salami, mushrooms, bell peppers, onions and sausage. Delish and oozing with cheese. I keep forgetting they have loads of pasta dishes and huge salads - the $11.25 Mama Antipasto Salad is an Everest-level concoction of fresh ingredients. You have to respect a place that lets you combine ravioli and meatballs with your spaghetti. Contrary to their homespun entree menu, they actually offer very gourmet-looking desserts like exotic bomba and orange ripieno in the $4.75-$6.00 range. I say go for it if you have the room. Speaking of which...such clean restrooms, too. FOOD - 4 stars...pizza, pizza AMBIANCE - 4 stars...old-fashioned looking place with lots of room SERVICE - 4.5 stars...fast and friendly TOTAL - 4 stars...great alternative to the more anorexic-targeted options in the Castro
(4)Virgo M.
I had a very enjoyable experience at "The Sausage Factory" located smack dab in the middle of the Castro. Here's why: -The style of service alone will make you smile! -Pesto Fettuccine was superb. A healthy helping of pasta generously covered with fresh pesto. Come on, it doesn't get better than that!! -Ambiance!! My dining pal described it as looking like an "Italian Brothel." The decor was old fashioned with some naked pics of women from the days of Renaissance. We dined in a dark booth tucked away in the back. Loved it!! -Garlic Cheese bread served with a tasty warm marinara to drizzle on top. -COKE with super crispy bubbles - YAY!!! -Two HUGE meatballs added on for just $4.50. The best part is I ate half there and brought the rest home. It was enough to be a full meal for myself and my son. All this for under $30 bux. Check it out!
(5)Steve S.
A solid 5 stars from me. The Sausage Factory is one of my go to joints when in the City. Perfect pizza, perfect simple salads, and great atmosphere. This last time I shared a risotto with a co-worker and it was wonderful. Plenty of seafood and the addition of tomato sauce was perfect. It seems that every time I bring someone new to the Sausage Factory they too become a instant fan. Of course I will be back!!! That's my story..
(5)Sean O.
There is absolutely nothing special about this place. Their menu is huge, which mostly translates to a lot of average food with nothing of any special note. In a city known for excellent food, this place should be towards the bottom of everyone's list. I mean....what kind of Italian restaurant can't make Garlic Bread without burning the bread?!?!?! This place is a last resort for us when we want to order-in something other than Chinese or Pizza. As with all take-out food, it never tastes the same as when you get it in the restaurant. Today however, our delivery guy decided to throw our order around in the car before it got to us. I guess he also had 10 other deliveries to make before he got to us because when we got the food it was cold. Either way, by the time we got it, all of the napkins, cutlery, containers and bag were completely covered in sauce. That was of no consequence though.....he felt right delivering it as is, with sauce dripping everywhere. I completely expect this restaurant to show up on one of those make-over shows one of these days. Between the mediocre food and the second rate staff, it badly needs it.
(1)Andy C.
Ok, when I heard that my friend was bringing me here for dinner, I just started laughing my little booty up because I was wait, where is this place at and my friend said over in the Castro area, and I just laughed even harder. Well, I must say, that this restaurant is delicious! I came here to eat with my friend and I had a wonderful meal. Our server was really really nice and awesome. The restaurant is a little dark and somewhat tight in space, or maybe I'm just fat, but this was an awesome place to eat and get your meat on.
(4)Javon B.
If I could give negative star rating, I would. If you're looking to get poor customer service and bland Italian food, this is your place! I stepped in and was rudely told to take a seat. After nearly 10 minutes, the waiter (the middle-aged bald white guy) finally came over to ask what we'd like to drink. I was unsure what drinks were on the menu so I asked and he rudely pointed to the drink menu that I obviously didn't see and then he walked away. The waiter surly acted ask if it was an inconvenience to serve me or even answer any of my questions. When my food finally came, it was excessively salty. I ordered the Chicken Piccata. It was loaded with capers which made it too salty to enjoy. I waited nearly 40 minutes for the waiter to come over and ask how everything was. When he finally came over to ask, he asked and walked away before I could answer. I proceeded to tell him that the chicken was very salty and he said sure and walked away. F@!king rude! Other reviews state this is a must eat and the atmosphere is great; however, my experience was contrary. I will never eat here again and would highly recommend another establishment.
(1)DeeDee A.
Our waiter, Eddie was absolutely wonderful... fun, efficient and friendly. The pizza was so-so and the Caesar salad was nothing but huge pieces of romaine topped with canned parmesan... I thought adding chicken would help it a bit, but the pre-cooked, cubed chicken was rubbery and had no taste. I may go back again to try some other menu selections because the service was great and the prices reasonable.
(3)Uyen N.
Eat here when you are NOT on a diet; this Sausage Factory is yummmyyyyyy... I would def-ly recommend this place... Order a few items and share it family style & explore various carb-filled goodness. The pizzas and the pastas are soooo goodddddd.... Nom nom nom.....
(4)Kooky B.
5 stars just for the decor, the booths and the coziness! The food was better than I remembered as well. There should be club nights in the back...
(5)Peter H.
Foods ok, but hella greasy w too much cheese. Place nearly empty & no staff gets up to greet us when we walk in. Service ok, yet seemed miffed we wanted to move away from chilly, drafty window & customer blabbing loudly on cell phone. SF classic ?!? Don't give up on food & service....
(2)Roanna Z.
I had to ask myself; What the hell is a Celiac doing in a pasta joint?! Our good friend T. has been jonesing for The Sausage Factory for a couple of weeks so.... there I was. Anyone with a normal diet would be thrilled with the cornucopia of carbs you get for the cost here. Huge servings big enough for two and plenty to choose from. Of course Sausage Factory is known in the castro not only for it's hilariously apropos name or the it's curious interior, but it also actually used to be a -- sausage factory. Yeah, for realz, and the company still produces and distributes throughout the Bay Area. Our server was cute and patient even though we confused him with our bill breakdown. Btw; There's always a salad with chicken breast on it for us non wheat eaters but please... don't even mention desert.
(3)Shaun-Mathieu S.
Sausage is one of the oldest, processed foods known to man. Some have even said that it's the world's first "fast food." Homer, in his classic work "The Odyssey," mentions the sausage, and various cultures around the world have been producing this delicious tube of meat for centuries They gained immense popularity in America in 1893, when the sausage was first introduced to baseball spectators in Chicago. And soon the hot dog would follow. I felt as if I'd stepped into 1893 myself, when my best friend Wendy and I entered The Sausage Factory. A small vestibule leads patrons into the dining hall. Historical prints in lavish frames cover the floral papered walls. We were shown to a comfy booth by the entrance, where an ornate Eastlake mirror allowed me to adjust my hat. And then the gluttony began! Here's what I had: Pinot Noir - I cannot recall the name, but its the first one on the menu. Warm and rich, it complimented my meal perfectly. Garlic Bread with Cheese - Merciless melted cheese covered the length of a toasted roll of garlic bread. The cheese and garlic seduction had me at hello. Lasagna - mantles of warm, flat pasta encasing cheese, tomato sauce, ground sausage and ham. Ideal for a true carnivore who loves his carbs. Not a morsel was left on my plate. The marinara sauce used for many of their delights is flavorful and highly appetizing. We did not have room for dessert, but their offerings did look tempting. Service was adequate. On my next visit here, I'm going to try their Almond Cream Tortellini, which sounds positively intoxicating.
(4)Russell D.
The Sausage Factory is a throwback to another time. Their decor is the love child of a high victorian and tacky kitsch decorators. Dark, overdone reflecting the controlled decay thirty years exacts as its toll. It smacks of dark deals, dirty deeds, torrid love affairs and prancing "you go girl" homosexuals. Just the type of dive you'd expect at the corner of Gay Blvd. and Pride Street. The food is old school all the way. Italian classics done heavy like Mama and Grandma used to make. Thick flavorful red sauces, buttery rich piccata, thick greasy pizza and chianti rule this roost. Portions are generous and prices moderate. It's good and if you don't believe me my friend Rocco will help your taste buds develop in the alley. Hubby and me enjoy this place most on cold days when the tang of thick luscious red sauce beckons to us like a warm blanket. Food for the soul and time-warp to the Italian dives of my youth. Anything better? Fuhget-about-it!
(4)Craig V.
Great food, great price, great service. What more do you need to know? We'll definitely be back!
(5)Eric M.
I LOVE THIS PLACE. Growing up in San Francisco my parents and I always went there and had GREAT FOOD! Over the years it still tastes the same. The red sauce is my favorite, The restaurant still has the same feel as it did when I was a little boy. I remember back around 1984, you could go in and great a great plate of Spaghetti, bread and a glass of house red wine for $5.50, it was the best and still is. You really cannot go wrong with anything on the menu, it is all VERY good and very nice service. The staff is usually very busy but they always make sure you are well taken care of.
(5)dan s.
Christmas Eve, and I'm escorting two adorable daughters in fancy dresses, post-Phantom of the Opera, and it's dinner time. Citizen Cake was closed, and they wanted to take a streetcar, so we headed to the one part of town I knew that something would be open, namely, the Castro. With firm guidelines to look straight ahead and not ask questions (Daddy, why doesn't that man have pants on?), we kept looking around for something decent that was open. Poesia was closed and that was my last suggestion, so enter the Sausage Factory. We were seated right away, and the place is an endless series of nooks where there are tables, so seating seems to be plentiful. Our server was prompt and polite. They serve wine in little glasses like you would see old Italian men using. The positives pretty much end there for me. While the girls were happy with their food, I could tell that the chicken parmesan had been fried in oil that should have been changed hours (days?) earlier. Pasta was decent and pizza was nothing special. If it's the only thing open and/or you can't walk any further, come right in. Otherwise, I'm sure there's better food to be found in the Castro, even on Christmas Eve.
(3)Jaime L.
And how ironic, as I'm writing this my weiner dog came up and jumped on my lap. The other one isn't jumping up because he can't use his back legs and has a doggie wheelchair. Anyways, it took our waiter a little while to come over so we could order. And for the food to come out. We were never asked if we wanted anything to drink, so she and I stuck to water. I ordered the spaghetti with sausage. I've been spoiled by Rosamundes, therefore for some reason this wasn't that tasty to me. It tasted a bit overcooked and not easy to chew. The spaghetti was good, cooked perfectly but they gave me meat sauce rather than plain marinara like I asked. It was a pretty average experience, except that Janney B was there and you're NEVER going to have an average experience with her. She was the bestest date I could have ever asked for, because she didn't a) send me a limo to pick me up b) try to slip a roofie in my drink c) bum a cigarette that she doesn't inhale even though I have three left d) talk about herself and how much she thinks she knows me Instead, she's: e) really, really pretty f) really, really nice and geniune g) really, really funny h) really, really smart i) really, really awesome. j) all of the above. Now if you'll excuse me, I have someone I must go stalking.
(3)Allen C.
I have dined here with my colleagues a few times now and enjoy it very much. I pretty much order the same thing every time -- Chicken Cesar Salad. The plate is cold, the lettuce is cold, and the chicken is room temp and still moist. The portions are huge. We always get a side of sourdough bread with butter and I always grab the end piece. I could just live off of bread and butter. Their pasta dish is good, very tasty and is a recommended dish. The only waiter we like is the older gentleman (forgot his name), he is very attentive and checks up on us without over doing it.
(4)Corry F.
First night here in San Francisco after moving from the east coast and I had to try out one of the many double entendre restaurants in the Castro area. Being a good polish boy, I chose the Sausage Factory. Never one to turn down Italian food, the girlfriend agreed. We arrived when it wasn't very busy yet. The decor is very interesting. We were starving, so we ordered their Bruschetta & Caprese plate as an appetizer along with a couple beers right away. After thoughtfully weighing our options, I selected the Risotto with every kind of seafood imaginable in it. She chose Spaghetti & Ravioli & Meatballs so she could test their basic skills in Italian cookery. The Bruschetta and Caprese were phenomenal. The ingredients were fresh and delicious. Not sure what else to say about them, but we will surely order it again. My Risotto was excellent. The HUGE portion of it had a bit of Calamari/Clam/Mussel/Shrimp/etc. in every single bite. I could only eat half of it, which was fine since I was more than happy to get two meals out of it anyway. It reheated fairly well the next morning in the microwave. The Spaghetti & Ravioli & Meatballs were pretty good. The meatballs were the highlight, with great spice and flavor to them. The pasta was cooked perfectly, but the Ravioli's cheese filling was very lackluster. The cheese barely had any flavor to it and I doubt it would stand up on its own if not for the meatballs. For dessert, we ordered a cream puff style dessert. I'm not usually a fan of these, but the chocolate and cream were very tasty. Not amazing, but good. We will be returning soon to try more of their menu, but so far so good!
(4)Sydney H.
Yes, this place is a meat market, in both senses. I got the spinach-stuffed manicotti, which was decent, nothing super special, and not quite worth the price I paid. My friend's dish, however, left much to be desired. The pesto was exceptionally green...not basil green, glo-stick-on-saint-patrick's-day green. Tasted a little like glo-sticks too, and there was nothing in the dish other than pasta, for which they charged $12.95. Also, Sausage Factory, I know you have a reputation to keep up, but what was up with seating all of the women in places that couldn't be seen from the street? There were plenty of us in there, but all of us got stuck with the back booths or the dark hallway seating. Not classy.
(2)Gillian E.
4 hungry sightseeing girls driving through the Castro at lunchtime, spot this place and the car screeches to a halt. Best decision ever - the sausage sandwich was to die for. Portions are huge, prices are low and the service is great. Would totally recommend and visit again!
(4)Jason W.
The Sausage Factory is located in the heart of the Castro, seemingly catering more to tourists than actual residents. The food here is perfectly acceptable Italian food - better than That Chain Restaurant, not as good as homemade. But the service is crazy fast and very friendly. There is a surprising lack of innuendo inside the restaurant, which is disappointing for a place called The Sausage Factory. This place is worth a visit if you want to stay in the heart of Castro and are craving some good, old-fashioned Italian. By the way, if you're craving that other kind of "sausage," you may want to look elsewhere. ;)
(3)Gabe E.
While not outstanding, but solid nonetheless, The Sausage Factory does quite well in serving up some good old fashioned, and maybe just a couple more adventurous, pastas and pizzas; salads are pretty diner-esque. But, I actually believe the thing it's done least well is step out from under the heap of ridicule surely incumbent of any place that boasts its sausage in what is arguably the gayest place in the world. But, let's be fair to the Sausage Factory. It's charming inside: old San Francisco-Victorian architecture, complete with narrow, winding hallways, cozy booths for intimate gatherings, and ornate fixtures throughout. The service is always prompt and friendly: a nice low-key spot that serves tasty food and doesn't make too much of itself always gets honorable mention in my book. And lastly, but most notably, I've never left the table disappointed or looking for more food. Portions are generous, quality is consistent, dishes are made to order, and ingredients taste fresh. Not many restaurants - and no gimmicky ones - can say that.
(3)Joseph H.
I just had old school East Coast spaghetti with meat sauce in San Francisco. Wow. How odd. How wonderful. Seriously, I lived near Philadelphia off and on for a decade and a half and this is the first place I've been in SF that lit up that long dormant flavor nerve. Holy Cow have I missed that. I'm not going to call the place fine dining. But plain old Italian-American family restaurant spaghetti with meat sauce, apparently it does exist out here. Is the sauce homemade? Does it come from a can? Who knows. It was right, though. It's so important that it be right and so unimportant that it be "local" or "heirloom" or "not from a can." Now, I think I want to go bowling.
(4)Lisa S.
Based on previous reviewers comments, I'd say this place is on par for hit or miss. The ambiance is old italian and smells musty upon arrival but goes away after a while. We had 7 in our party and were promptly seated at 7pm on a Sunday night. Our waiter took a few minutes to acknowledge us and right away we knew there were no smiles coming out of him. We ordered two large pizzas (Mozzarella pizza with garlic, basil, tomatoes and the Sausage/Mushroom). The pizza's came in an acceptable amount of time, however were super hot and didn't look cooked through. Definitely cheese overload on both pizzas- no complaints there! After the pizza had a few minutes to sit and cool, we found it much easier to slice them up. Everyone enjoyed what they had, but I wouldn't say it was the best pizza ever. Would go back and possibly try some pasta dishes.
(3)Marc N.
This place is absolutely disgusting. It beats me why anyone still goes there. They don't even deserve one star but Yelp forces you to pick one. I had a salad and asked for a glass of wine which I returned. I simply refuse to drink wine from anything but stemware especially when I have to pay an arm and a leg for a measly 3 oz! :)
(1)Heather C.
I've been here twice and liked what I had both times. I like the cozy booths, sometimes a good booth is hard to find in the city. I ordered the penne with sausage and mushrooms. Huge portions, lots of sausage, made for good leftovers as well. Our server was great, had a smile and calmness about him that made the dining experience that much more enjoyable.
(4)Button L.
Would have given it one star but they actually do have pretty bomb sausage, and it's not terribly expensive for italian. The service was horrendous though, I felt like my friend and I were being treated differently than the customers next to us... but I won't go into detail on that. Our pizza was good, but nothing outstanding, it was also surprisingly pretty greasy and too cheesy... HUGE venue, would be great for a big party.
(2)Gabriel T.
I think it's an ok place. The food is kind of pricey, but its good food. I love the atmosphere here, and I come here when I want to treat myself. Female waiters are super nice. Gay waiters give you attitude lol, which I'm used to from my peoples. I come her to treat myself, and the people I've brought to The Sausage Factory have enjoyed this place as well.
(3)Wren X.
Good, heavy Italian food. Lots of choices, everything pretty standard. They have an AMAZING marinara sauce (the sauce they use on the eggplant parm, not the pizza) that makes the aforementioned eggplant parmigiana a superb savory mouthful. Steamed veggies on the side are rather peaked, though. Pretty good service, they're always friendly and helpful.
(3)Carol H.
While attending the Castro Street Festival we started to look for a restaurant for lunch, hence the Sausage Factory. We had a medium pizza and a bottle of Chianti. With tax and tip the bill came to $56. Not bad at all! The pizza was good, the wine was good and the service was very good. We will definitely put this restaurant on our list for the Castro area.
(3)Kurt L.
Pretty basic fare decently made, but nothing remarkable. I had the spaghetti and meatballs with a glass of house red wine. I might go there again in a pinch, but there are so many other options I have to try. The service was friendly and prompt in a half full dining room.
(2)Beth D.
The sausage factory is mediocre Italian food. If you are drunk or an old man it's great. The menu is basically 800 variations on the same 5 things. Their pizza is definitely better than a lot of pizza places in San Francisco, but there's probably a reason you can always get a table. That said this is a good spot for groups because they have a large back room that can accommodate a table of 10. And their salads are gigantic. Prepare for a shitshow when your check arrives because nothing is itemized and it's in illegible pencil.
(3)Wakako U.
After I saw the nut cracker, I visited the sausage factory. Ahahahahahahaha. Sausage factory delivers to the lower haight! Pastas were tasty.
(3)Garrett B.
I have been here more than once and every time is a great dining experience. The staff is very friendly and attentive. Their food is great. The size portions are amazing, a baby salad ain't baby-sized...can easily feed two by itself. I tend to get the ravioli with sausage and it always tastes great. Price, it's a little on the high side, but I'm not docking it stars due to the fact that the portions are huge. So when you do come here, come with an empty stomach and leave with a full belly.
(5)Angelica A.
This place reminded me of being in Buca Di Peppo. It was a very small place that look very old fashion in the inside. I kind of felt like I was in that movie Titanic or something. Overall lets get down to the food area I ordered the most expensive pasta on the menu that have sausage and mushrooms... my two favorite items! I was kind of disappointed that it didn't taste as good as the TITLE of their restaurant was called. Luckily the tab was on my friend. p.s. I love their bread though...
(2)Jen K.
Tehe! Ok, now that everyone has giggled at the name (or rolled your eyes) let me say that despite the name, this place is great. I came here with a bunch of girls for dinner before a bachelorette party. We made a reservation (smart!) and were seated right away. Service was fast and the wait staff was very fun and accommodating. The food was incredible. I ordered the polenta and I think it might be some of the best I've ever had. All of the girls enjoyed their meals and were sad we were all going out so we couldn't take home the leftovers! Parking is a bitch in the Castro, so take a cab here.
(4)Stu S.
Like an old elephant, this legacy Castro Italian joint carries on and on, remembering and staying true to their original concept. An extensive menu that tries to offer something for everyone, there aren't too many peaks or valley's and the service is much like it was way back then and still provided by the original staff. When I was a kid this would have been considered a high end Italian restaurant that started offering that new fast food, pizza. The pizza is solid and the cheese and toppings are above average as are the many, MANY pasta offerings. Portions are huge and prices are reasonable. Staff is genuinely experienced and handle just about any challenge with grace and humor, never seeming to be perplexed or angry. Mistakes are acknowledged without a word and rectified speedily when pointed out. It's a large space made small by nature of the various rooms that must have once been rooms in the house it once was. It's well worn but not desperate, yet. Same for the servers who are like frat boys from the local Miss Manners school. A weakness that bugs me is the mediocrity of their salads, warm and enormous leafs of romaine piled on a platter and sloppily coated with bottled generic dressings. Overall this is a local legend that serves up a notch above pasta and pizza in a great atmosphere. It's ideal for groups and parties as well as couples.
(3)Devon S.
When you first walk in, there's a map to your left. If you're waiting for a table and have time, check it out. It's pretty awesome - a 1970's glimpse of San Francisco, using famous restaurants and businesses as points of reference. As we got seated immediately, I only really had the opportunity to glance at it. And I recognized nothing. Everything in SF has been renovated, or glitzed up, or switched trends to cater to the ever-changing city populace. Except for a handful of places like the Sausage Factory, and make no mistake: when you walk in the front doors, you're walking into history. According to the always reliable Wikipedia, the Castro really started to become the gay Shangri-La that we know today during the Summer of Love in '67 - as tons of happy young folk flocked to a neighborhood free of judgment and social ostracism. By the time '68 rolled around, the Sausage Factory was able to pick out a prime choice of real estate at the corner of 18th and Castro, hence the cheeky name. So it certainly is a destination restaurant if there ever was one for those looking for Castro history, but the place was full of all sorts of people - my group, gay couples, straight couples, a big boisterous family. Come as you are, and you'll leave happy and full (pun not intended). The food is mighty tasty, and the portions are huge. It's certainly not going to win any awards, but it has the old-timey flavor and presentation that you get when visiting grandparents. At our table, we ordered the spaghetti carbonara, the tortellini alla panna, the risotto asparagi, the risotto primavera, and the risotto spinaci. By meal's end, most plates were empty and only two risotto dishes remained half-eaten, and having finished mine today for lunch, I can attest that the dishes have great legs. You won't be dazzled, but you'll certainly leave with a full stomach and a new-found appreciation for the way things used to be. And yes, yes I am a history teacher. How could you tell?
(4)grace n.
How can anyone NOT love the name of this place? *giggle giggle* That being said... the food isn't outstanding. Solid Italian fare--the pasta and pizza are fair. Ohhh, except the creamy almond tortellini was freaking amaaaaaazing. omg. But side note aside. This place gets the extra star for their really fantastic service. We trooped in (we being a gaggle of like 15 Asians plus a couple of stragglers) with no reservations on a Thursday night (arnd like ten). Fortunately for us, they weren't too busy and they seated us right away. I feel like we kept the waitstaff running back and forth with all the food we ordered. They also quickly conjured up cheesecake for a friend's bday (which... we told the kitchen right before they closed instead of right after we came in. oops.) AND they let us sit around for over half an hour AFTER they had closed. again... oops. So to the fantastic waitstaff... thank you a bazillion times over =)
(4)Francesca T.
Food was great, but the staff and clientele were catered to only specific groups of people. Lets just say I did not feel comfortable there at all as a female and as a person of color. I'm not trying to spiteful, but the atmosphere was totally uncomfortable for me. I would most likely go there again, but for take out only.... Other than that food was great, got a lot for the price. I got these stuffed shells...they were to die for....I couldn't even finish all of it, I had leftovers the following day! Best authentic Italian food I've had so far!!
(3)Kyle M.
Here, I can honestly say without any doubt whatsoever, I consumed the most absolutely greasy pizza I have ever been presented with or seen in my entire life. It was shocking. The pizza we ordered had several toppings on it like sausage and pepperoni, so we expected a little grease factor to be present when it came out. However, what arrived at our table was a pizza that had approximately 1/4 inch of grease sitting on it. Literally. You read that correctly. It was like the pizza was a makeshift-bowl, and was designed to hold this greasy soup. It was hysterical. We both immediately started laughing because it was so ridiculous to look at. It took probably 10 napkins to soak up what grease we could before we started eating. When we were able to actually negotiate our way through the grease puddle down to the actual pizza, we were surprised that it was actually pretty decent pizza. Damnit, we worked for it though. On a side note, the service at this place is really really subpar. Our server never checked back with us after taking our order. I think he had actually left for the night and didn't ask anybody else to cover us for him. I had to flag random people down and ask for more napkins, drink refills, the check, etc. That was really annoying. I'm not sure I'd ever come back here. In fact, I definitely wouldn't. Once was enough, but I will NEVER forget the pizza soup surprise we got there. I actually think it may be physically impossible to create a pizza that could hold more grease.
(3)Christian B.
We still love The Sausage Factory, the regular staff who know us, and all of the other ingredients that make this a down-home experience.
(5)V R C.
the food was great! Our waiter was really nice and attentive. the food portions are BIG. the list below is what we ordered and it was all good tasting food. * chicken parmessan with side salad * spaghetti with meatballs * veal Milanesa with side salad * bruschetta * coke * red wine * profiteroles the bill came out to be $80.00 (not including tip) we had a good time! i i will definetly come back.
(4)Mark A.
Dependable, homemade pasta goodness. This is what Americans think Italian food is. That sounds like a backhanded complement and I guess it is, but the truth is sometimes that's exactly what I want! Love the ravioli and meatballs, chicken parm, and pizza. Both lasagnes are outstanding. Their marinara sauce rocks! As a parent in the Castro it was a nice option. We've moved but still go there. Always friendly, with enough of a selection of wine and beer to work in most cases. Recommended!
(4)Bowdoin S.
I have eaten here twice now and had a great experience both times. The food is tasty and good-sized portions are provided at reasonable prices. Service is unremarkable. I recently had the spaghettia angela - spaghetti with sausage, bell peppers, and onions in a marinara sauce. Liberal amounts of sausage were added which was very tasty. The peppers were cooked well and overall it was a flavorful dish. I have also had the pizza before and it was yummy as well. They have a huge selection of Italian dishes and I will definitely come back to try more.
(4)Autumn K.
I have a good friend Sarah. When Sarah and I were starving(er) students (we're still students, just less-starving), we thought a really great night out was an evening of baked penne (shared of course) and $3 glasses of house wine at The Sausage Factory. If you have any question about how drunk two 20-something grad students can get on $3 glasses of wine, allow me to set you straight: VERY VERY drunk. Thank goodness for the gracious, turn-a-blind-eye-to-the-drunk-girls-in-the-corner waitstaff, who are always extremely sweet, fast, and efficient. Food is standard Italian and the salads and pastas are not bad (and big enough to share) and even pretty good after a few of those $3 glasses of wine. You will not get kicked out of The Sausage Factory simply because your meal is finished. I know because Sarah and I used to inhale our one meal of the day and then continue to sit and guzzle that $3 house wine for HOURS with nary a comment or a stinkeye from the waitstaff. The interior is masculine and dark, which is funny since it's located in the heart of the castro. Sausage fest, indeed! I've never seen the Sausage Factory packed and I've never had to wait for a table. It's a solid stand-by if you're looking for something cheap, fast, and comfortable in the Castro. I don't have to drink the $3 house wine anymore and thank god! Last time we ordered it for old time's sake and I was taken aback by just how bad it was. Luckily, there's a pretty decent wine list with several glasses in the over-$3 range.
(4)Mel D.
If you're in the mood for cafeteria quality food or have wondered what the defition of a tourist trap is then try sausage factory. Dis-gusting! I think I ordered sausage and some pasta in a marinara sauce. Totally flavorless. The only good thing about this place is its name. Well I guess the service and atmosphere were pretty decent. Sadly the food was so bland it overshadowed everything else about this place.
(2)Joe V.
Only in the city of San Francisco could you find a restaurant with a name like this, LOL. First time we ate here, our resident S.F. born and bred native Dom took us when we vacationed here in 2007. Food was good and the staff was absolutely friendly. Since we moved here, I've gone back quite a few times. Price is moderate, and service with a smile ;)
(4)Yuhao L.
Food was delicious - in fact I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. I don't remember exactly what we ordered - it was right before we turned our minds to clubbing and drinking - but I do remember fully cleaning up my plate and my friend's plate when he had a little leftover. Waiter was funny and friendly. Overall, very laid back with great food.
(5)Ernest S.
Mom peruses the menu, looks up at me, and says, "Why do they call this The Sausage Factory? I don't really see any sausage dishes." Trust me, mom, you'll find plenty of sausages here. While the food is not very memorable, it's solid and better than all the chain pasta joints.
(3)Marc K.
this establishment is such an old-school, that i finally tried it after seeing it many many times. therefore, my first time wasn't that bad. i just wanted my damn pasta!!! i would say it's alright, but i like it because of that old tradition feel. their pasta primavera was alright... and their clams pasta was nice. i wouldn't say they were the BEST, but it's cool. what's interesting was how the waiters sang "happy birthday" to some of the people that night---sounded like they went to a happy hour and came back. LOL (it was funny, to say the least!) not sure if i would go back everytime, but they satisfied my pasta craving though?!
(3)Eric P.
The only thing in the world that could get me to go hang out in the Castro... Down home Italian cooking at it's finest. Forget the seemingly perfectly fitting name for it's neighborhood, this place actually used to be a sausage factory. It just so happens, a different kind of sausage factory popped up around it. I've been here a few times and it never disappoints. The Chicken Parmigiana is fantastic and their meat sauce is perfect. The place feels like an old school Italian joint and has the wine list to match. But here's the real deal... the tartufo. If you've never had tartufo, you might not want to start here, because no other place will make it better. If you're familiar with tartufo, this is your spot. I promise. For those not in the know, the Sausage Factory tartufo is a chocolate gelato scoop with caramelized hazelnuts, covered in cocoa powder all surrounding the zabaglione cream filling... fantastic. Forget the stigma of the Castro and make sure not to miss out on this hidden gem.
(5)Adam H.
If you're wanting something more authentic in the way of Italian, this is not the place for you, but if you want a good vibe and hearty meal that is delicious, have a seat! It's a bit loud in there, and the layout of the place is a little weird, but the service is fast and friendly, the portions are very large and will feed one guy for at least two days, and the prices are pretty reasonable for San Francisco.
(3)Stephanie W.
It was pride, we found ourselves in the Castro and we were looking for somewhere inexpensive with seating that didn't have a half hour wait. That left us with Sausage Factory and... well... the sausage factory. The primary gripe I had about this place was the lack of proper lighting. I could hardly see my food or the other people in my party, but we didn't care at that point. The dark wood paneling created a very old-school atmosphere but we just wanted someplace with eatable food chairs. It's amazing how accommodating everyone becomes when they are too tired to be picky. We ordered a large vegetarian pizza and a side order of the sausage (to accommodate the two men in the group who wanted a meaty pizza). The crust on the pizza was a great texture, not too heavy on the sauce, and a nice selection of toppings. I would have preferred a more inventive vegetarian pizza (zucchini, artichoke hearts, etc) but this simple mushroom, olive, onion, pepper was also delicious. I tried a bite of the sausage and thought the flavors were well balanced and the texture was nice, but I was perfectly content with the vegetarian pizza. Total for the 4 of us came out to like $30 or so after tax and tip. As we had wanted: cheap decent lunch and a nice cool place to sit for an extended period of time.
(3)Alex V.
Went here last night with some family and friends. Our party of 6 was accommodated fairly quickly (for a Saturday evening) and the waiter was very quick and polite. He arrived at the appropriate times and was there when we needed him. We all shared the garlic bread as an appetizer and had the house wine, all which were brought quickly and were delicious. For our meal we shared different kinds of Pizza, they were great. I will definitely be retuning sometime in the near future!
(4)Steven H.
Went back last weekend and the lasagna was still awesome. While I realize it *is* in a cattiness-heavy milieu, one of the servers referred to a diner behind us as "a stupid cow." While she may have merited such an appellation, even at the sausage factory, good-time seekers don't want to see how it's made.
(4)Julie D.
Probably the best pizza I have ever had. Homemade sausage, great crust & excellent service is why this place gets 5 stars!
(5)Amy L.
Spaghetti has long been one of my favorite comfort foods and this place consistently fits the bill. I really like the half-and-half with spaghetti and ravioli. I've eaten once in the restaurant, once takeout and twice delivery. The only disappointment I've had is in the wait time on one of the deliveries. However, when my food did arrive it hit the spot so well that all was forgiven after first bite.
(4)Aaron W.
Well I went the night of Dore Alley and there were a lot of assless chaps in there, wow. You know, this place is a little pricey and has that "average Joe's taste." BUT sometimes that's what you're in the mood for and they are open late. DIdn't see much sausage, except the Dore Alley boys. I think that is just a cute name like so many places in the Castro... I would go back and probably will, but they didn't wow me with fine cuisine or great service or anything. It's dark and kinda spooky and cool inside, though.
(3)Hope S.
I always wanted to try this place but had no time or chance. I went there on a Sunday,good welcoming place, nice antique atmosphere. I had brunch with my family. We ordered pizza. It was ok but they have a hidden kitchen. I prefer to be able to see the area where my food is prepared. One of the employees was carrying a filthy bucket. I really hoped he got the chance to wash his hands before going back to the food preparation area.
(2)Nantas S.
The atmosphere is great, but I have no idea how a place with this quality and flavor of food has survived in San Francisco. It may be the name and area or a combination of both. I am sorry it takes a lot for me to dislike a restaurant but they did a very good job. I am humiliated as an Italian (from Italy) to find a place as such to be labeled as Italian. A-16 is the place for Italian food in SF. Restaurants are places for food, therefore it is my belief that the food should be the reason for being a restaurant.
(1)Brandon B.
Next stop after hot cookie scandals. Pretty average food but not too expensive; everything was a little bland to my taste, but the amount of food was appropriate for the price. Strange that the waiter seemed like a comedian that make constant jokes about how little he knew about anything on the menu, including how to pronounce anything in Italian. Maybe the cook didn't know much about it either? Not very fancy inside either. I guess a convenient place to eat on the strip but there have GOT to be better Italian places somewhere, too bad I didn't have time to explore. A nice conversation with a nice guy distracted from any downside!
(3)Johnny M.
Before I write this review...understand I just moved from the east coast and maybe italian is just different out here. That said...omg...I've had italian take out twice in the past 2 weeks and both were awful and i'm becoming sadly aware of the fact that these are not anomalies but part of a larger fact. Is there no good italian food in san francisco?
(2)Jake W.
I want to give this place 4.5 stars, because it's a little better than but not on the same level as Bi-Rite. So I went to the SF (in SF - clever!) with three friends for dinner the other night, as someone wanted Italian. We came in and got a booth. When I went to the bathroom, one that I'm sure many a man has surely had his sausage pounded, I realized how large the place was. Beside the main area is a long hallway of booths, followed by another open area in the back. It hides its size well. The waitress was friendly and bantery, something I appreciate, because who wants to go somewhere if the people that work there are just going to stare at you and grunt while you're eating? If I wanted that, I'd live in New York City. The atmosphere was sophisticated but casual, not something I expected from a place with a double entendre for its name. No one dressed in their Sunday best, but no one that was clearly homeless either. Our appetizer was a cheese spread, featuring mozzarella, provolone, and parmesan, with a smattering of Greek olives in the middle of the plate. Hate those olives, but the cheese was good, the presentation was intriguing, and it came out within 5 minutes of our ordering it. For the main course, I got the tortellini complimented by a smoky red. It was a subtle cheese, something you couldn't just shovel into your mouth, you had to taste it. It was exquisite. Now, as pretentious as that sounds, that is how this food made me feel. The check came and the bottle plus my meal came to $25 a person. The cashier bantered as well, that's two. It was reasonable for the amount and quality of food. This is a vegetarian vouching for the Sausage Factory. They're that good.
(4)Meagan C.
I have never eaten in, but frequently get pizza delivery. The sauce is delish- by far best in the castro/noe area. The online ordering interface is easy and convenient. For some reason the bf and I both really hate calling in to-go orders and always argue over who has to do it. Online ordering = problem solved. Reasonably priced. FYI - I don't know if this is true when ordering in, but when doing delivery, there is no difference between the "baby" and "mama" sized salads. They are both ridiculously large and literally stuffed into a to-go container that must be taped close to control the beast that is their salad.
(4)Courtney N.
if you can get over yourself and the kitsch, The Sausage Factory is such a welcome, chill, relaxing place to have dinner with friends and/or family. Their pizzas are awesome. Love the thin crust and the flavors. The pastas are nothing to write home about but sometimes you just want some pasta that tastes like your Mom, who isn't Italian but tires really hard, made it. Sausage factory is the place. I love coming here on weeknights with my roommate. It's one of the few places in the Castro that doesn't feel like a scene, isn't overpriced, and isn't a pizza stand.
(4)Ezequiel R.
My friend and I came in here one drunken evening for dinner (I'm sure they get that a lot). We were quickly sat in the front of the house with window viewing. I got the seafood pasta thing and it was pretty good. Nothing to brag about unfortunately. The place reminds me of my great grandmothers house which gives it a cute cozy feeling which I liked. It's a great restaurant for a casual evening with friends. The staff was very friendly too :D
(3)Stephanie F.
You can make better italian food at home. Ingredients are not really fresh and the food is really heavy. Not for me.
(2)Luke M.
I'm shocked by the reviews this place is getting on Yelp. I have always assumed that if this place weren't called "The Sausage Factory" in the Castro it would promptly shut down. Trust me there is more than one penis-related novelty in this city. You can afford to skip this incredibly sub-par little slice of tourist kitsch.
(1)Hanan H.
Cute little spot in the heart of the Castro. Quaint little decorations and home-y feel. Our waiter was hilarious and helpful. We ordered 2 dishes for the 3 of us (pasta with sausage - natch) and some sort of chicken with cheese and spinach. The portions are pretty huge. It was a great meal and with a bottle of wine came out to $21 bucks a person. Not too shabby.
(4)Quantas G.
The Sausage Factory had a nice homey, American Italian feel to it. My friend and I enjoyed some glasses of wine and a cheese plate. It was great to relax in a comfortable environment and enjoy the 70's disco soundtrack in the background. I didn't get a chance to enjoy any of their main dishes but recommend the cheese plate for an appetizer.
(3)Matt M.
Consistently good food, good servings, and fresh veggies with entrees. The Sausage Factory has satisfied my appetite each time, and, my family and friends' appetites too. The only thing I have found inconsistent is the wait staff. Rather than deducting a star from TSF's score, I'll deduct from the tip, when appropriate. All said, I bet you'd enjoy this place and walk away full.
(5)kevin b.
I've lived in SF for 20 years and this is one of the only restaurants that still remains in the Castro from when I first arrived in our lovely city. That in itself is a pretty resounded statement for a neighborhood which is constantly changing. This is one of my favorite restaurants in the Castro. Pizza happens to be one of my favorite foods, so that naturally adds to the attraction. But its not just the pizza--its the atmosphere in the place and the great staff that made it all such a pleasant and satisfying experience every time I eat there. The pasta dishes are decent and fairly simple, but haven't eaten enough of them to make a fair determination. I really go there for the pizza, which is in most cases wonderful, which lots of cheese and toppings, crisp and flavorful crust, tangy sauce...love it! Great place to go on a cold winter nice as its super-cozy inside. I just wish pizza had less calories so that I could eat there more often. I'd like to say that you could order a salad for a healthier option, but their Mama and Papa salads are the size of my head and covered with at least a pound of mozzerella. They're insane, but I love them so! My partner thinks they're a vulgar display of excess, but I say the heck with him--I love my vulgar dispays of excess! If you've never ordered one I dare you to do so as you and everyone else's eyes at the table will bulge out of your heads when you see the size of these things. But oh so tasty... I would give The Sausage factory 5 stars, but do have a few problems with it. One, the pizza quality is not always consistent. If you order on a Sunday, the crust may be very different from when you order on a Friday, so they need better consistency. When the pizza is good, its great. When its not as good, its still decent. But pizza to me is like sex: even when its bad its still sort of good. And secondly, bring back the pitchers of beer! They did away with these many years ago and I've been griping about it to the waiters ever since. Overall: love it! Give this venerable institution a try when you're next in the Castro.
(4)Atousa A.
SAUSAGE FACTORY. You don't go here for the food, you go here because you can say you've eaten at the SAUSAGE FACTORY.
(3)Patrick B.
I arrived on a slow Tuesday. The waiter was friendly, the atmosphere nothing short of chandeliered Victorian SF. Just so, the entry dining area feels like you are eating in someone's Parlor, so you can expect an atmosphere of low lighting, typical Victorian chotckys, and the gay boy dance beat music that you would expect of the land of gay Oz. The wines by the glass selection was poor. I settled for a beer while waiting for my sausage pizza. It's in their name--it's the Castro--Why not? Ever want to have a pizza and still not feel like you're back in college gobbling a slice while standing? Here's your place. The crust was fluffy, as if they spun it themselves. The sauce tasted like fresh sweet tomatoes lightly spiced. It reminded me of mom. Anyway, thumbs up for this old-fashioned place! For it's genre, 4 stars.
(4)Jennifer H.
Went here last night to eat. It was amazing food. Had a salad to share and a pasta. However the service was horrible! It felt like our waiter was avoiding my table like the plague. Made for an extremely annoying and time consuming experience. Not to mention when I asked for a box to take my pasta home the waiter told me to eat a few more bites! WTH? No, I am full and want a box to take the remainder of my meal home. It took us another 45 minutes to finally get the check from the bus boy!! We left a less than appropriate tip and we could overhear the waiter speaking with the hostess about the crappy tip we left as we walked out. Horrible service but great food. Such a dilemma.
(2)David P.
Sausage Factory is one of the Castro's oldest restaurants, opened in 1968 and is still serving consistently good pasta and pizza. My first time here was probably in 1987 and I can honestly say I have never been disappointed. Is it the best pasta I have ever tasted? No, but it's good, the staff are usually long time employees who will remember you years later and vice versa. I dined there this evening with my friend Gil who needed his Pasta fix; since I hadn't been here in several years I agreed to come back. In the 23 years since I have been eating here, I can honestly say the décor has not changed, it's a retro blast to the past and the background music was 70's disco, brought smiles to both of our faces. We started off with the Mama Mia Antipasto Salad, it's huge! The two of us did a good job but still left about another serving behind. We both ordered the combo spaghetti and meat ravioli that comes with two giant meat balls. It's definitely a hungry persons serving. The sauce is a ground beef red sauce that you can doctor up with parmesan cheese and peppers or just enjoy it as it is. The meal for two with tax and tip was $25pp.
(3)Bella A.
My friend took me here for lunch; he said they have good food and he likes the decor which reminds him of Buca Di Peppo. I look around and warming towards the wood panels with different pictures hanging up all over the place. The lighting is low and when you look out of the window it seems very bright outside even it was on a cloudy day. I ordered spaghetti with claims in white sauce. The portion is generous although they can make it smaller and charge less. There are plenty of chopped up claims and garlic in the dish plus a few clams in the shells of which tastes absolutely wonderful. It is slightly on the salty side but I can deal with it. I haven't had a hearty dish of spaghetti with clams for a while so this one comes in a real nice surprise for me.
(4)C. R.
The Sausage Factory is great if you know what you're getting into: fun, not formal. It's a favorite place to bring friends who came in on an evening flight, or if you need dinner after catching something at the Castro Theatre, serving dinner later than a lot of establishments. This place will keep the bread coming until your order's ready, and if you're with friends, you'll be too busy chatting and getting the perfect vinegar-to-pepper combination in your dipping oil to notice that it's not precisely gourmet. I'm a healthful eater, typically, and it's hard to find something that makes my approval here, but Sausage Factory nights are the dinners to toss the diet out and just have some red wine, pasta alla arrabiata, or share a pizza. If you're a meat-eater then check out some other reviews; I have nothing to say about the sausage ;)
(4)Auspicious T.
These guys must have had some people come on Yelp pump them up, because the experience we had was not good. My girlfriend and her friend and I all came in, excited by the decor and the sausage-in-cheek name. Turned out to disappoint. The pizza we had was at best mediocre, didn't have flavor to it. Risotto was the same. The quality of the food definitely don't approach the prices -- $20 for a large pizza, half pepperoni. I've have had better from my freezer. The service person was straight business, never bothering to tell us his name, nor offer a smile. The bus boy and the waiter asked us for a total of 5 times over the course of 20 minutes if we were done with our 1/2 still-there pizza. I looked around to see if we were taking up a precious table, and there were plenty available. What is it with these places that are so eager to take away your food so they can throw it away? There must be a commission per plate. The bland food, indifferent service and
(2)Len C.
Chef Boyardee
(1)Jenny W.
The food is pretty good, and large portions. I had the risotto and my husband had lasagna. The back has a nice bar for people who just want to have drinks. I thought the service wasn't as great as I hope.
(3)Laurel Y.
I love love love this place. I come here as often as possible just for the bruchetta and the chicken marsala. Plus, the waiters and staff members are all very very nice and chat with you. It's like going to a friends house for dinner, the waiters laugh with you, ask you about your day and are constantly refilling your drink. I never had to ask for a refill, it was just magically always refilled! :)
(4)Jason I.
Eek is right! i will probably be banned from going anywhere near the corners of 18th and Castro (close proximity to The S Factory)... Lets start out with the good - The service was pretty darn okay. Our waiter was attentive (four of us were dining), came back to see how we were doing a few times, and I didn't feel like I was getting the Castro Snobbery type of waiter (see previous review of Nirvana). However, people don't necessarily go to a place for the service if the food is, well, not good. Caesar Salad - My biggest complaint was that the Caesar salad didn't taste much like, well, a Caesar salad. There was no "umph" in the dressing. None. Nessuno! And the croutons were definitely store bought quality, in bulk I might add. I ordered the Spaghetti alla Matriciana, which is Spaghetti with pancetta, onion and tomato. After it was delivered to the table, after about 2 minutes everything on my plate started to separate. And by everything I mean the sauce and the greasy oil. I was left with a pool of orange oil on the bottom. Like a wading pool you used to go into on those hot days as a 1 year old. Now, some people don't mind the oil that goes along with a dish like this, but unfortunately I don't. My biggest mistake was not sending it back. *sigh* So I ate the top half of my dinner and left everything that was touching the oil on my plate. I was hungry an hour later. Companions had Cannelloni. The reaction when it arrived and they started eating was "oooh, this is good". When they were done and we were on our way back to the house, the reaction was "you know, that was actually not good at all." I will say their bread is okay. Not the best sourdough, and not the worse. I have had other items here that were good in the past - like their pizza. But this was the first experience back in a few years, so I can only comment on what I remember eating. So needless to say - you might want to skip this place all together, or just stop in and give their pizza a try.
(1)Jason K.
Good, Italian comfort food. I had the spaghetti with meat sauce. It was cooked well and the meat sauce was great. I also tasted the risotto, which was dry. I'll stick with the pasta or pizza if I go again.
(3)Melissa J.
I really really love their sauce. Had the spaghetti/ Ravoli combo at the portion and price at lunch time was right on the money. The sourdough bread was chewy and soft and a great addition to the meal. My husband loved his lasagna as well. It's not fancy, but as far as filling, delicious pasta dishes go...Sausage factory hits the spot.
(4)Layla L.
The first time I came here I LOVED it- and the second time.. not so much- I think they must've changed something in their meat sauce- the tomatoes didn't quiet taste the same... It was still ok, just not as good as I remember. I had the spaghetti with meat sauce- boring, I know, but a classic. I tried my friend's chicken parm and it was quiet tasty- the chicken was thin and tender. The booths are uncomfortable and it's a little too dark.
(3)Epi I.
We had a bad server here recently. We had pizza and salad which was really good. Too bad that the server disappeared for a long time. He also had an attitude. We requested a spatula to serve the pizza and we were told they didn't have such a thing when pizza is one of their main items on their menu. This was unheard of. We will not be returning to this place.
(1)Daniel C.
Ptoooey, there just isn't that much to say about this old-style Italian-American place with a catchy name. I've never really been that impressed with anything I've eaten here. The sandwiches are a safe bet, but that's where it ends. The pizza is so doughy, you'll toss out half of the crust. Trust me. The ravioli is usually lukewarm instead of hot, and the lasagna has weird cool spots in it, making it taste like something a microwave pooped out. The salads are astringent, and so are the other antipasto items. The prices here would suggest that they serve above-average Italian food (or at least a close facsimile), but these bland receipes don't do any cuisine much justice. I don't know if they'll survive the recession this time around. But considering that they have dug their heels into the neighborhood for 30 years now, maybe they figured out the whole recession thing after all.
(2)Alex R.
I came here after a busy morning at school. The place was fairly empty which was nice as I was able to relax and have a conversation with a friend. I really like the decorations in the restaurant. I really enjoy being able to sit back and look at pictures and paintings on the wall. Its almost like being in a museum while you eat. I had the cannelloni and it was soo good. The ground beef and ricotta cheese were a great combination and then the melted mozzarella was the perfect way to top the dish. The prices are reasonable and the waitstaff were attentive. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone in the Castro who wants some Italian food.
(4)Peter S.
It was OK - many other restaurants to chose from - I'd probably not go back...but if I did, it would be with friends that insisted - I'd then try something else to eat and not the pasta.
(3)Chris L.
We figured we had to eat here b/c we were on the Castro. 1) Great service. We were there on a Saturday night and they accomodated a party of 8 in only 10 minutes, even though it was crowded. However, there is no place to wait so we had to freeze outside. 2) Pizza - We ordered the large Bill's pizza (anchovies, sausages, pepperoni, green peppers). It was pretty good. The sausage were round and grey like the Round Table ones, but a little bigger. They tasted the same though. 3) Ceasar Salad - We ordered one salad for 8 people and it was enough (well, we also had the large pizza - see item (2)). It was ok. 4) Risotto Frutti Di Mare - The rice was chewy and a bit separated. It had two really fresh peeled shrimp, two clams, three mussels, and little white calamari rings mixed in with the rice. I think the dish was $16-17. It was worth the try and I didn't regret it, but it was not the best risotto b/c I like my rice a bit more sticky. Unfortunately, we didn't have dessert here even though the menu looked good. We went down the street (towards the theatre) and went to the Hot Kiss penis cookie place (basically three macaroons shaped like a penis and two testicles covered in chocolate) and ordered several cookies (my macadamia chocolate cookie is REALLY good). I think the penis was around $4-$5 and each cookie was $2-3. The penis cookie did not taste that good b/c I don't like coconut macaroons.
(3)Andrew K.
I've always considered this place a joke because of the name. But, tonight I went in, and it's not a joke. We waited a bit for a table. The space is cozy, dark,, and nice. There was a strong smell at first - couldn't decide if it was a good food smell, or sort of a gross moldly smell. Either way, I adjusted. The menu was reminiscent of the anti-gourmet, 80's Italian food that you don't have access to very often, i.e. manicotti. Prices were fair ($12ish for an entree) and service was friendly and well-timed. My canneloni was underseasoned, but fine. However, my friend's spicy meatsauce spaghetti with big chunks of roasted garlic was abfab, if not a bit oily. I wish the bread was a little warmer/fresher. I will go back for a certain kind of meal.
(3)John M.
Excellent food and service, most especially the lobster spaghetti. A little on the spicy (and pricy) side, but still worth it.
(4)Maximillian M.
Triple entendre, anyone? Considering this joint is in the Castro, it makes the name that much more amusing. Anyway, the penne with sausage (natch) and mushrooms was really delicious, surprisingly loaded with meat and had lots of garlic slices in it. And washed down with a Hemp beer, even though it wasn't on tap (there aren't any here). The sourdough is very tough and has an exceptionally chewy crust, but tasted fine. My friend got the same thing (but with a glass of shiraz, which she was disappointed that it didn't come in a wine glass). I noticed the gigantic salads going around, too. Approved...though my digestive system might beg to differ.
(4)Scott T.
This place had the biggest portions, good food, good selections, and the waiter treated us like we were regulars. As we were chowing down, the place started to fill up with more customers. After dining there, we took a photo of the canopy outside, showing the name of the joint, OF COURSE!
(4)Elina R.
The Sausage Factory is all about quantity, not quality. If you have been staved in a death camp or out in the cold wilderness for days, and you need lots of cheese-based calories stat, this is your kind of restaurant. The antipasto salad was more of a shredded mozzarella plate than anything else. However, if you prefer your Italian food to be of a higher calibre than what was considered gourmet in the sixties, this place will likely disappoint you. And if you're on a diet, there is nothing on the menu for you here. I mean it--nothing at all. Perhaps I've been spoiled by San Francisco's endless foodie culture, but I prefer my Italian to include authentic olives (you know, not the flavorless de-pitted ones from a huge jar), quality cheese (the kind that tastes like it was made in Italy, not America) and superior meats that one would not be able to find in the local Safeway--the hallmark of mediocre processed food for the chubby masses. The Sausage Factory's tomato sauce was also unremarkable and bland. I will give points to their dough. We shared the calzone--and the pizza dough was flavorful, moist and tasted homemade. I understand that this isn't a very outstanding review. So why three stars? I really enjoyed the ambiance of this little restaurant. It's kitschy and homey interior is decorated with lots of cool paraphernalia--precisely the look plenty of gross chain restaurants fail to replicate. It's like Buca di Beppo, but authentic. All evening it played the best gay dance hits of the last thirty years (a perfect Castro experience!) and the service staff were friendly and fun. And the tiramisu was great. It was not too sweet: the most common tiramisu downfall. The menu may seem expensive, but the price is right if you bring enough people. Believe me, a large salad and pizza will feed four hungry adults. And they will leave full.
(3)Stuart g.
I like this place, but looking through the other reviews I have to say I agree - its ok, but nothing awe-inspiring I went with 2 friends - we got a carafe of white wine (a liitle on the sour side) a monster salad and the meat feast pizza - only the latter of whih was any good. The place was clean and the staff were great - - just the food was so-so
(3)Jennifer P.
We had a lovely dinner at The Sausage Factory last night. I was hesitant about going because I don't eat meat, and the title suggests an emphasis on meat dishes. The menu is quite extensive, though, and there are plenty of vegetarian choices including eggplant and also spaghetti putenesca (sp?) which I ordered. The portions are quite large. Even having read the review posted here I was still surprised to receive a "baby" antipasto salad as big as a dinner plate and piled a foot high. Our server was helpful and pleasant and the atmosphere was quiet enough for easy conversation. We had to park a half mile away from the restaurant, but that's not the owner's fault, that's just the way the Castro is, especially on Saturday nights.
(4)Edwyn A.
One of my favorite places to pick up a pizza when i used to live in the neighborhood. Also great for dining in - i think this place has been in the neighborhood for ages. I forgot if last time they took credit cards? Used to be cash only.
(4)Mari M.
This place is super cute, but the food does not fair so well. The salmon in my pasta was from a can and my friend said his bolognese was very sub par. I'm always amazed people eat here, as I live in the Castro and all of my neighbors have eaten here once and regretted it. I hope they improve, but wouldn't risk trying it again.
(1)eric i.
ok, like i really like this place. it's great for dates with yr sweetie, or even the cute guy yr messin' about with while yr sweetie is outta town. or just grabbing a bite with some friends without spending too much money. i dunno what their house wine cheapo stuff is, but it always gets the trick done, haha. and this place is cool cuz it's got good atmosphere and the food is solid.
(4)Kylie L.
The name is true to its tune (ummm hello!! CASTRO)!!! This place is great! the portions are HUGE so you might want to split with the person sitting next to you or across from you. Otherwise if you enjoy leftovers this is the place to go(and trust me... if you get leftovers you will totally eat them the next day). I have enjoyed every single meal I have had at this restaurant. I have had a great waiter each and every time (I am pretty sure it has been the same one and he is totally nice and great with timing). Everything pasta or risotto wise is amazingly good. They are happy to substitute anything you want which is super great considering that some places will give you a little bit of a hard time for people who like to mix up the menu a bit. This is (I have to admit) a little bit of a corny restaurant but only in the best way possible. Look... if you are in the mood for Italian and you are not quite sure what you want as far as Italian goes... check this place out. The menu is HUGE and the food is good. You will not be disappointed! Besides you can always hit up the Cafe for some dancing afterward!! Oh try the desert. A total thumbs up for a casual, yummy, Italian restaurant!!!
(4)Robert P.
This is a kind of sad review for me as I've been eating here on-and off for over 20 years. However, their prices have been going up and quality going down, down down. This used to be a reasonable place for non-fine dining at later hours but the last few visits have really been horrible. Even the service is slipping. Our last visit was so bad we will not return. Measly portion of chicken picatta actually tasted rancid. Pasta was overcooked mush and one thing they used to do reliably well, steamed vegetables, were overdone. Two stars and five yucks from me.
(2)Metro H.
Wow great salads!!, and all the big thick juicy snosages you can handle.To bad the bathroom is so tiny, but hey what the Dick ins.
(5)Brandon A.
I do not regret going here. There was a pretty good selection on the menu and my Alfredo was good. It was comfortable inside and was a nice place to hang out with friends for a good Italian meal. The pizza did look outrageous and I'd like to go back eventually and try one out.
(4)farah b.
The Lasagna is absolutely phenomenal and a huge portion. Ive dined in and ordered delivery. The garlic bread is soo delicious.
(5)Jason M.
Large portions and delicious. We started with the "baby" size antipasto salad... It was more than enough for two to share. We then barely put a dent in the large pepperoni pizza with artichokes. We will definitely come again next time in the city.
(5)Sabrina S.
I came here for the first time on Valentine's Day. The ambiance is very warming &welcoming. I wasn't sure what to expect but my boyfriend insisted coming here because he used to go all the time when he was younger. I ordered the cannaroni (?) &it was pretty good. He ordered the spaghetti &ravioli with meatballs. We also ordered the garlic bread, not the original one, but the other garlic bread that's on the menu &that was delicious. Our waiter was an older gentleman &he provided great service. He said a few jokes that made us laugh. Of course after eating the complimentary bread &the garlic bread, we were a bit full &couldn't finish eating our entrees. He told us we ate like little birds, haha. Their portions are pretty big though! We will definitely come back another time.
(4)Alejandro T.
One of the best Italian restaurants in the city in my opinion. Ordered the Manicotti in a white sauce, definitely recommend it! Best word I can use to describe the food: indulging. Portions are also generous (come hungry). It is pricey but well worth it, I'll save this place on my next splurge weekend. Definitely going back.
(5)S C.
We enjoyed the time spent at this establishment... We were greeted warmly as soon as we entered and seated immediately. The food was delicious and freshly prepared as requested. The ambiance was fantastic, I felt like we had been transported back in time. The server was very attentive and friendly.
(3)Lau B.
This restaurant deserve five stars because the waitress was so nice! The food was good really... good especially for pizza . the price is correct so I would recommend this restaurant in this great neighborhood .
(5)Katie N.
It was my first time being in the Castro Valley so my date took me to this spot for some good Italian food. I love the ambiance, it's very low key and kinda romantic. Our server was great and attentive. We ordered a Bruschetta and shared a Seafood Pasta, both were fantastic. The downfall is all their beers are bottled. Before we left, I decided to use the bathroom and I think I am scarred for life! If I could describe a bathroom from a horror movie, this might be it... okay not THAT dramatic but it's very small, with the water pipe running right next to the toilet!!! I had to literally jumped over to sit down, I think I was so freaked out that I just closed my eyes and pee and run the heck out. Ladies, if you need to pee, please hold your bladder and go to some bars nearby, this bathroom just gives me the creep!
(4)Steve D.
A great place to eat I recommend Tony's special and a Caesar's salad. Get the Large pizza if there's 2 eating extra large for 3.
(5)J P.
They don't deliver anymore. i just went through ordering an entire meal on Grubhub ( have been ordering for the past two years through them) and have been informed that they no longer deliver. Sad. You would get 5 stars for being average iIalian food being delivered, but now you get 1 star. Why? Because you're food is very average and now that you don't deliver, well, why would anyone want it?
(2)Ray L.
Ok food. Bland and very red saucy type Italian. Terribly unpleasant service from older male waiter. He ignored our table for ten minutes then made a mistake on our order. No apologies, just dropped the replacement meal on the table. We live in the hood and would like old establishments like this to survive. However, there are so many better choices now in the neighborhood. I'd recommend going here for the pizza only but then again I'd go to Marcello's or the Haystack on 24th Street first. Suggestion: need better wait staff---people don't want to dine and walk out with indigestion from bad rude waiter service. Busboys were great.
(1)Eli S.
Ray provided a super friendly experience for my first visit today. He kept checking on me to make sure everything was good. I will definitely come back hoping he is my server. He also seemed to know a great deal about the history of The Sausage Factory.
(5)El B.
Good traditional pizza, great waitstaff. Yummy veal piccata. Huge salads....huge portions in general. You will not leave here hungry, that's for sure! Oh yeah, and it's warm in here. Eaten in a lot of cold restaurants lately which blows. This one is warm inside which is nice. Strange thing to rate, I know, but hey, it makes a big difference. I hate eating in a cold restaurant.
(3)Tyler G.
Went on a date here a couple months back and had to say it was a great little cozy restuarant in the Castro. Service was excellent. The chicken Marsala was absolutely great with fresh mushrooms and a great side salad to start.
(5)Nadia N.
I definitely had a great time at this place. We came early they accommodating for us. We had the Tony's extra large pizza well there was 5 of us. It was yummy and came really quick and you can tell it was fresh. We also had the garlic bread which was delicious and had a bowl of yummy marinara with it. I will go back if I'm in the Castro.
(4)Jerry S.
I used to go here quite a bit. It's a no-frills Italian standard, in the down-home sense. I always liked the food. It's a decent price and decent portions. But the last 3 out of 4 times I went, I got food poisoning. Clearly I tried to give them more chances due to my history with the place but I suggest you avoid it or you'll be running to the bathroom holding your ass.
(1)Bianca S.
Oh my!! Ive been there two times and both time I was very pleased with the Anti-pasta Salad and disappointed with the pasta. Second time I order pasta there for my son that he didn't eat. I asked the waiter if he had anything simple for a child not something that has an "acquired taste". He said he had the perfect thing yet he did exactly what told him not to do he gave me a plate that had such a strange sauce and the Italian sausage was so disgusting because smelled gross. The pasta was okay but the smell was terrible messed with your taste. Our table everyone kept saying man something really stinks and someone even said is it my breath I think it is it smells like bath breath. I kept saying it was the pasta and he didnt believe until 30 min later he was like this pasta smell disgusting. My son didnt even want to touch it just money in the trash. Second time we went for another Anti-pasta wanted to order my son something else from another location and get the Anti-pasta only from there.The same waiter came from last time he recommended once again the same smelly pasta with sausage and mushroom, I wonder if they cant sell it, because why would you recommend such a thing for a child two times. Yet I made the mistake I decided that no restaurant can go wrong making a plain Alfredo. I was sooooo wrong it was pretty gross. It tasted bland it had no flavor. My son said it was so disgusting too. I didnt believe it until I tried it. It tasted like flour sauce with oil. And I am not a picky either I think almost anything is good.The other pasta wasnt so bad I cant remember what it was called but it was hard to get over the smell and it did have an acquired taste to it. I would not recommend this place to anyone unless you like salads.
(2)Andrew C.
The fact that vegetables are on some of the sides here is uniquely delicious. This place has great atmosphere and everyone is your friend. Plays music that brings back my mothers fav music. I will definitely come here again and again.
(5)Joshua H.
Ambience here is fantastic. Best described as quaint with moderately priced food with great service. I definitely would recommend for a relaxed dinning experience.
(4)Kenson K.
It's been about 10 years since the last time I ate here. The food here is good. The anti pasto salad is quite large. It's a mountain of lettuce, mozzerella, olives, & sausage slices. Literally, a mountain. Although good and filling, I was hoping for just a platter of nice cheese, sausages, olives, and pickled veggies. But alas, we were hungry so the mountain suited just fine. My entree was the veal parmigiana with a side of pasta and vegetables. Very yummy. I am a pasta junkie so I remember I used to order the pastas here back in the day. I don't recall anything being bad here.
(3)Amy H.
Delish! We found this place randomly and I am glad we did. The lasagna is a must. The red sauce is great. The service was fantastic.
(5)james p.
It's fine. Nothing here is particularly healthy or farm fresh, but it is great after boozing it up for a couple of hours at your favorite nearby watering hole. Service is great, and the price is fine.
(3)Just Me E.
We were on our way to Poesia for a more "upscale" Italian dinner, but the building recently had a fire and the whole front looked burned out. They had a sign saying they were still open and to ring a doorbell, but we decided to pass. We ended up at the Sausage Factory, which has been there since the 70s, and the inside decor looked like they hadn't done any decorating since that decade as well. Service was OK and food was very traditional Italian with red sauce type, which the sig-oth loves, so we settled in and had a nice meal. Nothing fantastic, but nice. 3.5 stars.
(3)Stephanie M.
Five big stars for this restaurant!! I had the Chicken Marsala. Is was by far hands down thee best I've ever tasted ever! My hubby had Penne pasta with sausage and mushrooms and that also was amazing. We shared to taste each others food and it was great! Our waiter was friendly and helpful. Love the ambience of this great place! When we visit SF again we will be back! This place is a definite must see or taste should I say when your in San Francisco!! Side note cocktails would be an added pleasure here as well. They have a good size wine list though.
(5)Vol T.
3.5 stars Had lunch here during the Castro Street Fair so not a lot of people and thus no wait. I liked the decor, even if some people may think it's kitschy. It's got that old Italian restaurant feel to it. We ordered Allen's garlic bread, which were sliced topped with lots of garlic and cheese. Very yummy and it came with marinara sauce. For main I had the Italian sausage sandwich served with spaghetti. My partner had the meatballs sandwich also served with spaghetti. The spaghetti was very good. The meatballs were Ok we've had better, and the Italian sausage was also OK. But not bad. Service was very good, fast and efficient. Overall it was nice experience. I would give 4 stars but it was just missing that little something. But I would recommend you try this place and judge for yourself.
(3)Rachael B.
this place is amazing! the food was great and tasted fresh. the service was a tad slow at first but this place was busy so if was understandable. I'll definitely be coming back to this restaurant when I'm next in town!!
(4)SoCal C.
27 July 2013, 7:30p Had dinner here with a small group of friends after having a few drinks at the bars around the corner. Was not coherent enough to remember what everyone ordered, but I got the Factory Special sandwich. The sausage sandwich with grilled peppers and onions, comes with a side of spaghetti. It was definitely too messy to try to pick up and eat, so I used my utensils. It didn't seem very special to me, but it was good and filling. I didn't hear any outstanding comments about anybody else's food, so this would probably be a good place to go for decent food, but nothing special. I hear it's been there for a long time, so they must be consistent and "safe". Nothing wrong with that, but I'd probably choose somewhere else to go the next time I'm visiting SF.
(3)Dave N.
A Castro innuendo doesn't get much better than this, but this just felt like an old town type Italian joint. I got a takeaway pizza with ham, sausage and a couple other toppings off their specials menu, and was very happy when I got it back to the apartment rental just up the road. Had I not been on a constant discovery trip I would have come back and done the sit down dining thing. The pizza had a decent crust and was more New York style - it was thin under the toppings though not underbaked, so it was easily foldable while still tasting like pizza dough. They didn't skimp on toppings, and the place itself had a really neat, dark setting that I would have liked hanging out in with friends in a booth for a 'za. To order takeaway they take you to the back bar, which was less of a bar and more of a place to stick the takeaway customers. But they did let me buy a beer for my wait, and I was surprised to see just how many they can seat in the space when we headed back there.
(4)Tony C.
The meat lasagna was fantastic very fresh the sauce was excellent. Lots of yummy mozzarella cheese and great service.
(4)Bryan M.
I have come here many times, and I love the food and the service. Their pizza is very cheesy, and I enjoy their pasta dishes. The atmosphere is low light with music (not necessarily italian music) , and the paintings on the wall are..... interesting. They even do online ordering/delivery, which makes it easy to get a pizza delivered. A pizza, bottle of wine, and free bread make for a nice end to a long day.
(4)Brandon C.
I wanted to give this venerable Castro eatery more stars, especially because I've stopped in here every now and then for years, but after dinner last nite, I just can't. The food itself is passable -- nothing wrong with it. It's old-school Italian, nothing spectacular. If you're hankering for some "comfort pasta" you can't go wrong. For this review, it's the service keeping the stars to two. Our waiter barely noticed us after sat there for 10 minutes... and that was after we were "waved in" with a hand to "find a table wherever". Maybe that was part of the problem. Once he found us though, he couldn't be bothered. Didn't utter a friendly word at all, just got down to business with "Are you ready?". After never filling our water or asking us how the meal was, he dropped the check on the table in a quick "drive-by" -- OK, guess we didn't want dessert or coffee. Thanks for that. I get tired of uneven service, even at established places like Sausage Factory. I'm sure I'll give em another try at some point, but if so, I hope the wait staff is in a better mood... ;)
(2)Tonya W.
The best pizza and salad in the city! I really love this place. The food is tasty and the service is amazing.
(5)Ye Y.
Great ambience nice service large serving. Pasta and veal taste like they are simply boiled. We were served two glasses of cheap wines thinking they came with the meal.
(2)Drew N.
We found ourselves in the Castro at lunch time and always being hungry we started to look for places where we might want to eat. It is hard not to notice the big sign that says Sausage Factory as you look down Castro Street and that did the trick. The Sausage Factory is one of those old school restaurants. It does not look likes it has changed in years or was decorated to look that way but not being a local I couldn't tell you how long it's been here. It is the kind of place where you expect to see an older Italian lady come out of the kitchen with a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. We settled into a nice booth and decided that we were all going to get the Chicken Parmesan. It was not to disappoint. It was different then I was used to. It looked like a chicken breast that had been filleted into two thinner pieces. This made it so tender it melted in your mouth. It had just the right amount of cheese to satisfy the cheese lover in me without overwhelming my lunch partners. It was paired with broccoli and potatoes both of which were cooked perfectly. The portion size was perfect and we all left satisfied and recharged to continue our exploration of San Francisco by car.
(4)Heather R.
Three or four depending on mood. Solid food that's close to home and something different from the Asian and Mexican places that are so bountiful.
(3)Ryan C.
Server is still weird but he had some funny jokes and was much nicer. Just wish he would check back on us. Still a very good place with good old city charm. Food is very good! If only they had a full bar
(4)Travelmeister T.
Great pizza. I visited Sausage Factory again after 11+ years. It is still outstanding! I went late Sunday afternoon so parking was simple and the restaurant was nearly empty -- just waiting for me to eat. I had garlic bread which was a bit bland and a combo pizza (I don't remember which one) that was excellent. I've loved this place for the past 20 years. It was great to visit again after so long. Service and personnel were both great.
(4)Sean F.
Simple, savory Italian food for a good price. Try the Italian sausage patty sandwich, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. The downside? The front window looks across the street to frame a hardcore gay porn store, usually with videos playing on a TV right in the storefront. But maybe that's part of the charm. I've started to come out to the Castro just to make The Sausage Factory my new go-to hangover food. Just make sure you word your sentences correctly when you tell your friends that you "...can't wait to go back and stuff your face at the sausage factory next time you're in San Francisco."
(5)Tuff G.
Be sure to check your final bill before paying! This was one terrible experience for our group. We had to wait for ever to get seated, the server was short and unfriendly. Our meals were quite underwhelming, in fact, my pasta was overcooked and had a strange "dirty dish towel" taste. I could not take more than a couple bites. Another at our table tasted it, and said it was disgusting. The server said he would remove it from the bill. Well, ok. When the bill arrived, it showed the item scratched off, but the bill still appeared to be waaaaay too high. Like by $20. Hmmm the price of my dinner? I was not paying the bill and so did not get the opportunity to hold onto and add everything up. The Payor just said not to worry so much about it. Today, I added it all up by looking at the online menu. And yes, we were overcharged by about $20.
(1)Brandon T.
The service was a little iffy could have been because he got a little busy. The food was really good big portion sizes shared a few items. The music was good not too loud or soft table seating was a bit odd and sort cramped together but over all still a good time and would go back
(4)Carl L.
As usual, I had a good meal. The portions are always substantial and the service superb.
(4)