6 ways restaurants are upping their sausage game

Chefs and operators are using a variety of approaches to up their sausage game, from improving the ingredients used, to making specialty sausage in house, to developing proprietary sausages, to creating wild pairings and incorporating sausage into many different menu items.

The result is savory, sweet and spicy pops of flavor in all the right places. And, much like the farm-to-table approach, it’s important to tell the story on the menu.

Banter invents new flavor profiles

Banter

Banter, a new spot in Cleveland, is known for its craft beers, fine wine, poutine and sausage made in-house from heritage breeds of pigs. New flavor profiles are being invented on a regular basis by Banter's collaborative kitchen staff.

Cracker Barrel tells the story behind the sausage

Cracker Barrel

The sausage featured in many Cracker Barrel menu items, including the Old Timer breakfast and Eggs in a Basket, has been coming from the same place since 1978: a business in Tennessee run by the Purnell family. Fred B. Purnell started his full-time business in 1944. His sausage is made from hams, shoulders, loins and bacons, not trimmings.

Denny's adds a spicier flavor

Denny's

Denny's recently introduced Hearty Breakfast Sausage, with a coarser grind to the pork, a snappier casing, a spicier flavor and a sage finish. It's bigger than the traditional sausage was well.

Dog Haus provides more than 40 toppings

Dog Haus International

Dog Haus is a Southern California-born hot dog and sausage concept that offers a customizable selection of "haus dogs," "haus sausages" and burgers on grilled King's Hawaiian Rolls. The sausage is made by a family-run sausage shop, Papa Cantella's, in Los Angeles. Customers can choose from more than 40 toppings to D.I.Y. their dogs and sausages.

Luca customizes the familiar in-house

Luca

Denver's Luca focuses on traditional flavors for sausage. Chef Frank Bonanno likes the level of customization afforded by making sausage in house. He can highlight his all-time favorite Italian sausage component: fennel.

Cypress utilizes the full hog

Courtesy of Craig Deihl

A few years ago, Craig Deihl, executive chef at Cypress and Artisan Meat Share in Charleston, S.C., placed his focus on quality meat that would show off the wood-burning oven at Cypress. This decision led to buying whole hogs, which led to extra scraps, which led to housemade sausage and charcuterie, and eventually a separate meat shop and deli.