Sausage that stays the same

There are things besides sausage at Karl's Sausage Kitchen in Saugus, but it's the deli case full of links, made on the premises, that draws shoppers like worshipers to a shrine. "We leave it alone; we make perfect stuff, and people keep coming," says owner Mike Engel, who took the store over from his father, Karl. With its fine products and old-fashioned atmosphere, the tidy throwback of a shop breeds loyalty. Open since 1958, "we kept going and didn't change anything," including,says Engel, the sausage recipes. One customer favorite is the fine bratwurst ($5.99 perpound), a rich and juicy pre-cooked blend of pork and veal, seasoned with caraway seeds. The sausage is the draw, but with so many mustards and pickles and candies and breads lining the shelves, it's easy to get distracted on your pilgrimage.

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Karl's Sausage Kitchen is at 142 Broadway (Route 1 North), Saugus; 781-233-3099.