The news shocked the neighborhood’s wurst and draft-beer crowd in October 2023: Rosamunde at 2832 Mission St., just around the corner from the 24th Street BART plaza, was set to close after 13 years.
And then, a few weeks later, then-bartender Danny Mendez and partner Sandra Pulley bought the business. Deja vú? Maybe. The original Rosamunde in Lower Haight closed in 2019 but, not long after, its former manager bought it, and it reopened as Berliner Berliner.
By December 2023 the deal was done and, most recently, the sale was finalized four months ago. Rosamunde reopened Dec. 8, 2023, with 15 sausages and 22 beers on tap. Mendez said he wants the bar to remain locals’ favorite for good beer, communal tables and just good vibes.
“I want to keep a good, friendly, welcoming atmosphere,” said Mendez.
Mendez, who is in charge of beer buying and ‘overall vibes,’ said customers can already see his touch at the business. He’s added Guinness to its menu and he’s also now offering micheladas: Clamato juice, fresh lime and tajín, all in a Mexican-style amber.
The bar will also continue its tradition of participating in SF Beer Week, a nine-day beer festival at different Bay Area bars and breweries starting on Feb. 21. Mendez said Rosamunde will host special events that will include Scottish and Canadian beer and food pairings, among others.
Mendez, who was born in Salinas but grew up in San Diego, has been living in San Francisco for 14 years, the last 12 in the Mission District, a neighborhood he said feels like home.
“It’s my heritage. I’m Mexican, and I’m surrounded by Latinos here,” said Mendez as he waved every couple of minutes to people riding bikes and walking on Mission Street. “We just have that instant connection.”
Mendez first worked at a pizza place in the Inner Sunset, where he made friends with a customer who was a bartender at Rosamunde. When a position opened at the Mission location, his friend encouraged him to apply.
“He was like, ‘I think you would make a really good fit at Rosamunde. They’re looking for bartenders,’’ Mendez recalled. “I came in, and they gave me the job.”
Mendez worked as a bartender for seven years until he received the news of the closing 15 months ago, a sad moment that became an opportunity for him and his partner, Pulley, who is also in the service industry.
“It’s been rewarding that so many people are happy that this place is still alive. A lot of people love coming here to hang out. It’s a good community space,” said Mendez.
And with ownership also comes new responsibilities, “Time has been crazy the last year … just being an owner and having all these responsibilities have warped my vision of time.” he added.
Mendez, 42, however, finds balance by keeping up his passion for skateboarding, which he has been doing since he was 13 years-old.
“You can feel every little bump, and you feel the connection to the street,” said Mendez. “It’s like freedom. It’s very liberating.”
Mendez’s favorite items on the Rosamunde menu: The smoked hot beer sausage and the Hofbrau lager. The bar also offers pretzels, burgers, sandwiches, chili, fries and chicken wings. Trivia night happens every Tuesday.
Ah, Danny, your journey from bartender to co-owner of Rosamunde Sausage Grill is nothing short of inspiring. Breathing new life into a beloved establishment, especially in these times, requires vision and tenacity. Your commitment ensures that the community continues to savor the flavors they’ve cherished for years. Here’s to your success and the enduring legacy of Rosamunde.
“October 2023”. Sausage aficionados will tell you they were finished in 2013 already when their ever shrinking sausages started vanishing into the bun. I haven’t been since that time, when they also sanitized their music selection. Presumably not to scare off the growing crowd of shuttle tech workers.
I hope they’re doing well though, we need viable businesses for sure, just not my cup of tea any more.
(BTW, R.I.P. Wurst Franz)